If your goal is to complete the distance of the race, then you’ll want to warm up enough to feel rested, confident, and mentally prepared going to the start line. This may mean getting in a good stretch, then jumping in to get used to the water and warm up your upper body for swimming.

If you are fit and racing a sprint- or international-distance event, and your goal is to get a personal best in your race, you’ll want to toe the line lubed and ready to rock when the gun goes off. A rule of thumb is the shorter the race, the longer the warm-up. Higher race speeds require you to be fully warm and sweaty with an open vascular system so you can hit your pace right off the line. You want significant blood motion prior to asking your body to move quickly.

A complete warm-up for a fit athlete racing a sprint- or international-distance event might look like this:

*        Start your warm-up with an easy spin on the bike. This may last 10, 20, even 30 minutes if you are very fit and looking for a fast race time. Spin easy for the first third of your warm up, then throw in three to six 30-second jumps in speed–standing out of the saddle to get up to speed, then sitting for the last 15 seconds. Spin easily back to the transition, making sure that you rack your bike in the gear necessary to easily start your ride out of the transition area.

*        Do a light stretch of key tight spots before you head out for your run warm-up.

*        Jog easy for 5, 10, or 15 minutes, throwing in three to six 30-second strides within this run time–building your speed up to race pace or faster within each stride. Finish your run warm-up with some easy jogging back to the transition.

*        When you get back to the transition, you should be sweaty, lungs open, feeling loose, and ready to go.

*        You can either take some more stretching time now, or put on your wetsuit, head to the shoreline, and stretch there before you hop in the water.

*        Get to your wave start with time to hop in the water and do a swim warm up. If the water is cold, give yourself a few more minutes to submerge. Swim easy for a few minutes then do three to six 30-second surges in speed, before an easy couple more minutes of swimming. Hop out of the water and you are ready to rock.

*        If you are racing an event that does not let athletes in the water prior to the swim start, and there is no other swim location in the immediate vicinity in which to warm up, then do a swim warm up on land. Start with some light upper body stretches–triceps, chest, side stretches (see chapter 8). Then starting with the right arm, swing the arm in front away from your body and then behind you in a half circle. Let the arm swim back and forth like a pendulum easy for a minute, then switch to the left arm. Come back to the right arm and swing in full circles forward, then backward a few times, and then switch to the left arm. Swing both arms in the same or opposing directions at the same time. Do some jogging on the beach and a few push-ups. The idea is to get a solid blood flow to the upper body before you ask it to work for you.

Remember, in prepping your mind and body for the stress of an event, your body may react with a flight-or-fight type response. You may get sweaty palms or a nervous stomach, or you may be spending much more time than usual in the port-o-potties prior to the race. Your heart rate will increase, and you may even have an anxious feeling in your chest.

Whether you are racing a sprint- or international-distance race, perform a similar warm-up described above. If you are racing a half-Ironman for a personal best, take the above warm-up and cut all the times and distances in half, or less. For all events, including Ironman distance, stretching, prepping your mind, and doing a swim warm-up are the minimum you should do prior to a race. Anything less will not allow your body and mind to be ready to perform your best.

photography by Steve Goodman

When putting together a triathlon training program, there are several facets of life to consider. Look at your weekly and monthly life agenda and then decide how much additional time you wish to devote to your training program. Your life agenda may include work, family time, hobbies, classes and study time, socializing, and relaxing.

Avoid creating a training program based on what you feel you are supposed to be doing or on what other people are putting out. In order to generate a healthy sense of balance and eliminate the frustration or guilt that can emerge when unsuccessfully executing your training program, it’s important to create a program after you have evaluated your real life schedule.

Evaluating Your Life Schedule

Look at your calendar for a month and record how you spend your time. Make sure you are including time devoted to travel, commute, study, and additional work. Schedule in time with your spouse and children as well as important solo time needed to relax and recharge your personal batteries. Then honestly look at each week and decide how much additional time you might have for training. Base the training program you create on that time. Sometimes in the excitement of engaging in a new sport, you may wish to jump to a level of training that will give immediate tangible results. Rarely, if ever, can an athlete do this without getting injured, burnt-out, divorced, or fired.

Move into your training program in a realistic manner and not only will your body and mind productively adapt to the new stresses in your life, but you’ll be able to maintain enjoyment in the process. Triathlon is a lifestyle sport and one you can do indefinitely and successfully if you are good to your body and keep your mind fresh by easing into your training time slowly.

Though the hours per week you are able to train may dictate the distance of triathlon you can shoot for, don’t limit your aspirations to somebody else’s predetermined guidelines. Athletes have successfully trained for sprint- or international-distance triathlons on several hours of training per week. These folks may need to alter their ultimate goals to be highly competitive in their age group or to complete a long-course event or Ironman race, but their goal to cross the finish line in the sport of triathlon is definitely in their grasp.

Creating Time and Motivation to Train

After you determine how much time you can devote to training, get creative in order to fit that training into your schedule. It might be easy for highly motivated people to simply place the training time into their calendar and execute it as planned, but for most, syncing training and life becomes more of a balancing act.

Here are a few keys to creating time and motivation to train:

• Strive for efficiency by scheduling your training into your calendar, commuting to work on your bike, or planning ahead of time.
• Maintain motivation by signing up for a race, scheduling your training with a buddy or group, or joining a club.
• Get support for your training through the training buddy system, or training with your dog or spouse.
• Cement your commitment to your training by doing it first thing in the morning, not missing your training appointments, and taking your workout time seriously.
• Be adaptable by allowing that a shortened workout is better than none, or by getting creating getting workouts in around other appointments during the day.

Reevaluate this process at the end of each week and each month. Be open to refining it to best suit your goals. And always remember that part of the balancing act is fully accepting your time limitations while embracing the efforts you do choose to put toward your training and race aspirations.

Terri in Nisene Marks State Park - photographer steve eichner

Trail Racing season is upon us and entries are rolling in for the upcoming Dirt Inspires Women’s Trail Half Marathon in Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos. Have you been toying with hitting the dirt but aren’t quite sure how to negotiate the natural obstacles nature offers? In this intermittent blog series – How To Run Through The Woods 101, I’ll be offering brief random tips and thoughts on trail running and racing. All in the hopes of inspiring you to hit the trails this season! [Note: Most of these tips were generated from email questions I received prior to last years Dirt Inspires race]

Training/Racing Tip#1: Creek Crossings

Creek crossings are very common in trail races and with some exception, creek crossing are usually through ankle to knee deep water. When crossing a creek in training or a race you have two options: 1) run (or wade) through the water, or, 2) pick your way across by stepping on stones or logs in the river. The first is faster, the latter gives you more of a chance of staying dry. Either way you may get your shoes wet but within a few minutes the water will drain out of your shoes, you won’t even notice that they are wet. You’ll just carry on.

Training/Racing Tip #2: Counter the effects of Poison Oak

It is possible to encounter poison oak along many trails in California. If you are in a State or National Park there is a chance the trail has been groomed a bit, but there may still be opportunity to brush up against some stray leaves or branches. If you are someone who is sensitive or allergic to poison oak, we recommend that you bring some Tecnu (or other anti-oak-oil soap) to apply (and then wash off) right after your race or training run. You can purchase Tecnu at most drug stores. You can also wear long sleeves and tights to protect your skin but that can get warm in the mid to late summer months.

[Interesting Note: It is thought that one does NOT become immune to poison oak over years of exposure. As that may be true for some folks I am someone who once got horrible bouts of it and now, doesn’t get any. Whether my system has accepted the oil since the years of surviving debilitating cases of oak, or, my immune system is more solid, I rarely get it anymore.]

Gear/Racing Tip #3: Hydration Systems

The Dirt Inspires Women’s Trail Half Marathon is a Green event and will not have cups on the course at aid stations. We require you to carry a water bottle and top off your bottle as needed at aid stations. This system is very common for many trail events so you’ll want to check with your race to see what they offer, or not. For shorter events of half marathon or less, I recommend you get a hand-held water bottle or a single bottle hydration belt to carry fluids. For more info on Hydration Systems for longer events stay tuned to How To Run Through The Woods 101 – as I’ll be going into this in a bit more detail later.

If you want to try out trail racing for the first time, check out our Dirt Inpires Half on August 29. We not only have prize money and oodles of age group prizes but we cater our event to newby trail racers by making your overall experience user friendly. Come for the amazing trails and stay for the party and expo!

Thanks to our Sponsors for making our event possible:

 Division Sponsors: Columbia and Mountain Hardwear. Additional: Montrail, Nathan, Go Lite, High Gear, Road ID, Whole Foods, Fleet Feet Sports, Totally Tubular Design, NUUN, Luna, Petzl

Tiburon to Angel Island. Tony is using a Go Pro Camera mounted to his back. I'm the one swimming.

[Note: For 20 years through my coaching, clinics and camps I’ve enjoyed helping athletes learn to love open water swimming. Join my upcoming 5-Week Open Water Clinic to master your open water experiences!]

If you are new to swimming, new to swimming in open water, or new to both, you may have some fears about venturing into a lake or the ocean. In open water, you don’t have lane lines or the pool edge to hang onto or to push off of. Waves, currents, and swells create a dynamic situation in open water that you don’t contend with in a pool. In total, these elements make open water a change from what is familiar. A change can create apprehension prior to it becoming recognizable.

The more you expose yourselves to change, the more quickly it becomes a known entity. But during that process of making the unfamiliar familiar, there are some mental tools you can use to help this process along.

Do your first few swims with support from someone who has done open-water swimming (take a clinic!). Stand on the shoreline and recognize your strengths in swimming. You know how to swim. With your wetsuit on, you are a buoyant swimmer. Keep these facts in the front of your mind when you step in the water.

Take your time getting in. Notice that water will start to seep into your wetsuit once it hits the bottom of your zipper. Submerge your body slowly, then your face. Move into the surf when you feel ready to take on the waves and dynamically move through the surf line. Once you get past the shore, stop and float in your wetsuit.

Roll onto your back, let your arms and legs float, and completely relax your body. Put your head back, soak up the sun, and take a deep breath. Enjoy this moment of complete relaxation. Remember that at any time in your swim, you can roll onto your back and float and take a break–this is your open water equivalent to hanging onto the edge of the pool.

When you start swimming, practice sighting off of objects in the water or on land that are in line with your direction of travel. Count your strokes—10, 15, 20—then sight again. Take turns practicing drafting with your swim buddy, while you continue to refine your sighting techniques. You only need a few feet of water in which to swim, so your first time out, swim along the shore past the surf line if you want the option of hopping out of the water to take a break.

At any point during your swim, you may notice thoughts creeping in that feel distressing. Perhaps you are thinking about what might be below you in the water or maybe you are doubting your ability while you are swimming. These thoughts may cause some fear or apprehension. At the first notice of distressing thoughts, say to yourself, “STOP!” Then replace the distressing thought with something positive about yourself as a swimmer, such as, “I am a smooth, relaxed swimmer,” or “I get the job done in the water.” Say this phrase to yourself while watching your hands move through the water under your body. When the unfamiliarity of open water creates distress, then infuse a familiar entity. Focus on counting your strokes and watching your hands move through the water underneath your body. Think about your technique and body position. Once you count to 20, sight, then start counting again to 20. Do it again.

Each time you get in the water, allow yourself time to warm up and engage with the new surroundings. When you swim, practice counting and use your phrases as tools to dispel distressing thoughts. Over time you’ll learn to change fear to function and in that process embrace this new medium of movement.

Embracing open water swimming is partly about gaining knowledge. Review the above information as many times as needed to help yourself develop a healthy relationship with open water swimming.  Or, join my upcoming 5-Week Open Water Clinic to master your open water experiences! – Terri

Sit in a chair or on the floor, posture tall but relaxed and comfortable, eyes lightly closed. Let your breathing be relaxed and natural but as you breathe keep your focus on your breath ONLY. Don’t force the breathing, but when you do inhale be aware than you are inhaling and when you exhale, be aware that you are exhaling. Allow your focus to remain only on your breath for 10-20 seconds. After a very brief time and before your thoughts start to play in your head again, take your last aware breath, open your eyes and get on with your day. Do it again in an hour. And then again.

 To help prompt me to do this exercise, I’ve brought in some wind chimes that were hanging outside and put them right above my desk. If I need a breathing moment I’ll tap the chimes and let the sweet, lovely sound prompt my desire for a breathing exercise (are you thinking Pavlov minus the dog? You got it!).

 To enhance the exercise, I’ve added a color and a word into my breath work like this.

 Imagine the breathe going in as white and cleansing and your exhalation as grey—as I’m letting go of all negative thoughts and distractions. Try adding a word to your inhalation, something like, “inspiration”, “confidence”, or “calm”—as if your are inhaling these words directly.

 Start with a few focused breaths. Then add the color for a few inhalations. Then add your power word for a few more before you open your eyes and get on with your day. Do it again in an hour. And again.

 Share this exercise with one co-worker this week and ask them to pass it along as well. You just might notice a change up of attitude in the office!

Enjoy,

Terri

Gryphon practicing his lying-down-breathing-meditation