Video Swim Analysis Clinics, Aurora, Toronto

We have released some new dates for Video Swim Analysis Clinics.

These are April 28th, May 12th and May 26th.

All sessions take place at St Andrews College Pool in Aurora on Sunday afternoons from 1.00 - 3.00pm.

For more details and to book your slot go to the website at www.athelite.net/swim-analysis

Has Spring Sprung?

I just sat down to write a blog about Spring and what a lovely morning it was. Unfortunately the rain has simultaneously started hammering on the window so it looks like Spring has Sprung a leak already.

Nevertheless - I have strung together four rides outdoors in four days which is something. (Fridays ride was actually on the trainer, in the garden, wearing a thermal jacket, but I am counting it as 'outdoors'). On Saturday we went to ride with the Newmarket Eagles. Unfortunately it was so cold that only 1 other person turned up but we had a great ride through Holland Marshes. It may have been cold but I still seemed to get a sunburnt nose!!

I am starting to feel a bit of the old 'magic?' returning to my body after my time out. I am not allowed to do any intervals swimming, biking or running, but the pace and endurance is slowly rising again. According to Training Peaks my fitness is currently back down at the level that is was at Christmas which is a bit disheartening but with the whole of the Summer ahead we are remaining positive. Ironman Mont Tremblant kindly emailed this morning to let me know that the race is 131 days away so that will keep me focused for the time being.

A word from the Immigrants....

Unbelievably it is 6 months today since we collapsed out of the plane from Scotland and landed on Canadian soil.
The time has flown by and it has certainly been a bit of a roller-coaster since we left Glasgow last October.
It was a pretty emotional departure from the UK and we were both shattered, exhausted and sad to be leaving our friends. Fortunately it does feel like people are not too far away through the medium of Facebook and Skype and we have a lot of exciting visits scheduled from our pale, wind swept Clan over the next few months.
Although we arrived in October we deliberately waited to get the business going properly until January this year. We are so grateful to all the wonderful people we have met since we got started who have had the faith to use our services, even though they didn't have the foggiest idea who we were!!
Since January we have getting busy. We set ourselves up in our base at Bayview Physio in Aurora where we have our Retul Bike Fitting Studio. It is also from here that we have been running Indoor Spin Classes through the winter. We have been busy coaching triathlon clients in both the Uk and in Canada, running regular Video Swim Analysis Clinics, Swim Stroke Correction Clinics & now the Sunday Squad Swims are a regular feature too. Not bad so far and lots more to come!!
We have also managed to endure our first Canadian winter (our cold weather gear arrived off the boat just in time). The thing we are very excited about is swimming, biking & running outside through the summer in the hopefully gorgeous weather. This will be one of the biggest differences for us as Scotlands summer generally only lasts for a week, and even then you only know it is summer because the rain is warmer.
Although the original Athelite Triathlon Shop no longer exists in the Uk it is great to see Athelite Triathlon Club still going strong under the watchful eye of  a new committee and we watch proudly from a distance as they take on their new challenges this year.

Anyway, enough of this as it is starting to sound like the Queens Christmas Speech.

So thank you everyone again for all your support so far, from both sides of the pond and...

Bring on the next 6 months!!!

The Big Outdoors

I hope you are all having a nice Easter long weekend - it was a mixed bag of weather here to contend with. As Genevieve knocked out a second mighty big training week, I managed something a little more gentle as I ease myself carefully back into training following my enforced time out.

I ticked over quite well through the week managing 3 steady swims and 3 slow runs (which were all very uncomfortable), but the highlight was actually finally riding outdoors for the first time this year (Woohoo High Five!!). As forecasted the sun shone on Saturday & the temperatures rose from the minuses up to a dizzy 12 degrees in the afternoon. A small bunch of us had a nice 2 hour ride around Musselman Lake, which was still completely frozen over with people walking their dogs on it (this still catches me by surprise!). So nice to sit outside the coffee shop afterwards in the sun. Sunday was colder & windier but we headed out again for 2hrs 30. This extra 30 mins was a bit much for me - I clearly have a 2 hour limit of endurance for the time being until I am more recovered.

Cold, gusty, snowy conditions for today & the next couple of days. The word on the street is that that is the last of the cold weather though & the back end of the week looks more favorable. BRING IT ON!! (gently).

 

Horizontal to Vertical

You may (or may not) have noticed that I have not posted recently about my training. There is a reason for this - there hasn't been any. Following a rather unpleasant 5 week period of being mostly horizontal and barely able to stand up, I am now able to start back training very gently. Given that I was training like an animal prior to all this I now have to make a huge adjustment as I am only initially allowed to train very lightly.

Whilst I may now have to adjust my ambitious August Ironman goals, it is a great relief to get moving again. In the last few days I have been able to sit on the trainer & spin easy for 45 minutes, run gently for 20 minutes, and in the last 2 days I have ventured back in the pool to knock out a mighty 1km!!

My return to the world of training has coincided with what I am hoping is the arrival of Spring. The snow has finally mostly melted away and the temperature has dared to creep up to the dizzy heights of above zero. As I write this the sun is shining in through the office window and very nice it is too. We are even hoping to get out into the big wide world and actually ride outdoors this Easter weekend.
Might even include a coffee stop!!

Racing in Scotland - how bad can it be?

It is currently March Break here which means a lot of lucky folks are away on training camps in the sun. Alas, no training camps for us this season so we are stuck here with the intermittent weather. At the start of the week the sun was shining and the temperature popped into double figures. I made the foolhardy prediction that winter was over, but it shows how much I know as although the sun is still shining, it was snowing overnight & the temperature is back down to -8 with a very chilly wind.

We were chatting with a friend this week about the weather conditions that we had to race in in Scotland. We realised how many tales we have of racing in horrific conditions. The worst one for me was certainly the Ben Nevis Trail Half Marathon in May 2012.
The conditions were so bad that on the way to the venue at the Ben Nevis Ski Centre we passed numerous vehicles that had been blown off the road by the wind & were lying in the fields. The race should have been cancelled as it was so dangerous - gale force winds (the worst in 40 years I believe) & torrential rain driving in sideways. The race was started a couple of minutes early to avoid us all getting crushed by the toilet block that had blown over and was making it's way across the car park towards us on it's side. The marshals were all hiding in cars & all the race route markers had blown away resulting in the entire field getting lost and just milling around unaccounted for on the side of a mountain. I got so lost that when I eventually finished I had run over 16 miles in total (3 miles over the race distance). I still managed to come fifth, though this did not alleviate my anger!! Strangely the finish line was moved so it was inside a cafe - you had to open a door and walk in to cross the line!!

Here is a picture from the start line. None of our group are in it as we were still hiding behind a building. Note how hardy the Scots are still racing in shorts!!

Tasting Success

Having a well thought out plan for your nutrition and hydration, both for racing and training is essential for good performance.
You plan your session, what you are going to wear, what you are going to carry…. even what music you’re going to listen to. How is it then that we so often see people falling apart on bike rides because they have not had breakfast or people slowing down on long runs because they never thought to carry any fluids or food. Don’t leave it to chance!

Everyone is different, so it can take time to figure out what strategies work for you.

Try different foods before a session, different timings and different types of energy drinks, gels and bars and so on in training.

Race Day Nutrition should be the result of a lot of trial and error and even when you trial it it still may not quite work out on race day due to variable conditions, however, failing to plan can be more disastrous!

It is important to start early so that you give yourself enough time to find what works for you. Many products are available in single serving packs so you can try different brands and combinations. This can also apply to pre and post workout meals. Try different variations and see what works. Some people cannot stomach food when training and it may take quite a while for you to get used to this without having to slow down or feel nauseous. Also know what nutrition will be available on the race course - it may be easier for you to use that rather than lug your own round the course, but what if they run out?
There is also a lot to be said for being self sufficient.
Eating while running or biking can initially be a bit tricky and getting the fluids or solids to settle in your stomach while you’re bouncing up and down can be a whole other matter!

Nutrition can have a real impact on the quality of your sessions. For shorter training sessions generally less than 60 - 90 minute, you should not need to take on any extra energy. However if you are doing a longer session, for example greater than 90 minutes, then it is essential you take some food with you. You need to keep topping up on carbohydrates so that you don’t run out of energy. Things you can take with you to easily eat in action include: Energy bars, Energy gels, Jelly sweets, Dried fruit, Sports drinks etc.

Practice during training and if this is an area where you are struggling, it might be a good idea to have a session with a sports nutritionist or speak to your Coach about the best place to start.

Happy munching!!

Are your Goals just Dreams?

Most of you have probably picked your races for the year

1) because they fill up so early or
2) because they cost a fortune and it takes you a year to pay it off!

Now your training is fully underway you should have already thought about what you want to achieve from your race. This could be improving your finish time, perfecting your nutrition strategy, finishing on the podium in your age group or simply completing your first race. The list is endless.

No matter what the goal(s) are, you have to incorporate them into your training program otherwise they will remain just dreams. It is no good getting to race day with great intentions, yet along the journey you did nothing to help you actually achieve them. This may sound crazy but we see it all the time.

There are numerous goals you can set in your triathlon training season, however, choose the ones that are most important to you and the least complicated.
You have probably heard of Smart objectives but it is an effective way of working out how to break down and process your plan for World Domination. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed. Write your plans down, and reference back to them regularly to ensure you’re on track. And keep everything positive!
This process is always much easier with a coach as it tends to keep everything more specific and realistic!

If for example you want to improve your run splits, this will require some planning, structure and time. You cannot expect to turn up on race day and expect to finish a 10k in 40mins, yet all year you’ve been training at 5min kilometers! (… and people really do think like this!!!) If you want specific run times plan it in, break it down and get training.

Another Goal you may want to work on could be your perfecting your Race Day Nutrition. This crucial area can make or break your race day, especially in longer Ironman distance events, but so many people do not incorporate this into their training, or think about it way too late. Just because you can stomach 4 energy gels on a training run does not mean you stomach 14 on race day! You have to plan your strategy, find what works for you and practice it.

Your race may seem like a long way away but it will be here before you know it.

Don’t leave your Goals to chance - work out what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it.

You know what they say ....
Fail to plan, Plan to fail!!

Retul Bike Fit March Special Offer, Aurora, Canada

Happy March Everyone!!

To celebrate nothing more than the start of a new month we are giving you a Special Offer on Retul Bike Fits.

The first 10 people to book a bike fit this month will receive 15% off the listed price.

This brings the price of a single bike fit from $235.00 down to $199.75 and the price of a double bike fit (eg. Road bike & TT bike) from $330 down to $280.50.

We are hearing a lot of people saying that they are going to wait till they get out on the road before they get a bike fit. This is NOT the right way to do it - get properly fitted now over the winter so that when you hit you the roads you will be fully adapted to your new position. Adaptations can take time so do it now!!

To learn more about Retul Bike Fitting go to the website ..... www.athelite.net/retulbikefitting

To book your bike fit go to www.athelite.net/bike-fit and enter RETULPROMO as the coupon code at checkout.

Any questions let us know!! Bikefit@athelite.net

Morning Warnings

If you are training for an important event or are trying to stick rigidly to a training plan then it is often far too easy to keep stubbornly trudging along even if you are worn out and tired. Sometimes it is necessary to train slightly fatigued especially if you are coming to the end of a training block and approaching a recovery week. 
This is just part of the overloading process that leads to the adaptation phase after which your base level of fitness should hopefully have  gone up a notch.

What you do need to do though is listen to your body and keep an eye out for signs of over-training. This is best done in the morning. As Joe Friel puts it in his Cyclists Training Bible - you have to listen to your 'Morning Warnings'. ''Every morning on waking your body 'whispers' what it can handle that day. The problem is, most of us refuse to listen''.

Keep a pad by the bed and in the morning think about your;

1. Sleep Quality

2. Fatigue

3. Stress Level

4. Muscle Soreness

5. Heart Rate

For the first 4 rate yourself  honestly from 1 to 7 with 7 being the worst. Also record your resting heart rate whilst still lying quietly in bed. Compare this to your known normal resting heart rate (your average morning heart rate taken during your recovery week)

If you score 5, 6 or 7 for the first 4 indicators or your heart rate is +/- 5 beats from your normal resting heart rate then consider it a warning that something is wrong.

A couple of 5's might simply mean you need to reduce the intensity or distance today but a couple of 6's probably means that you need a complete day of rest.  

You are best not ignoring these warnings as eventually your body will become fed up with you not listening and give you a cold or an injury instead, which is going to result in a lot more than 1 day off in the long term!

If you have training diary then enter these morning tests on it. You might find that you have a pattern forming that you can preempt in advance or discuss with your coach.

Significant results in the water!!

Yesterday saw the last session of our current 6 week block of Swim Stroke Correction Clinics. We are so impressed by the changes to all of the athletes who attended this course. Throughout our Coached structured weekly drills and swim sets we have seen our  swimmers undergo some serious transformations.

Whatever their starting point, everyone developed their Breathing, Rotation, Hand Entry, Catch & Pull Through, Body Position, Push Phase, Recovery Phase and Kick and therefore their propulsion & efficiency.

We had swimmers who managed to get their time per hundred meters down from 1.40 to 1.22.

We worked on everyone's Stroke Rate with the biggest change being an adjustment over the 6 weeks from 45 strokes per minute to 71. This is a dramatic change and one that has very positively affected their propulsion, efficiency & swim speed.

We have been working on another clients CSS (Critical Swim Speed, or Threshold Pace) over the last 4 weeks with fantastic results. Everyone should know their CSS pace and complete one CSS set a week. After 4 weeks of focusing on this important and usually neglected training zone this swimmer got a Personal Best in both time trial tests on the last day of the course. They subsequently moved their CSS pace from 1.37 to 1.33 in 1 month. This is a Great result.

So next week we move onto our ALL NEW ATHELITE SQUAD SWIM SESSIONS. 

See the previous Blog posting about this and to see more details and to book on go to .....

http://www.athelite.net/squadswims

NEW Athelite Sunday Squad Swims, Aurora, Canada

This Sunday 24th February is the last of our 6 week block of Swim Stroke Correction Clinics. We have seen some fantastic improvements in everyone on the clinic as we have focused on a different aspect each week. The focus areas included;

Breathing
Rotation
Hand entry
Catch & Pull through
Push and Recovery Phases
Kicking
Stroke Rate and Rhythm
CSS (Critical Swim Speed)

We are now excited to announce a BRAND NEW SESSION that we will be running from the start of March;

ATHELITE SQUAD SWIM SESSIONS

This Squad Session will now be a regular fixture (as long as the College Pool is open).

The structure of the session will be Warm up, Drills, Pre Set, Main Set and Warm down.

As with the Stroke Correction Clinics there will always be 2 Coaches Pool Side so everyone will still receive corrective feedback & guidance throughout the session.

Where; St Andrews College, 15800 Yonge St, Aurora ON L4G 3H7

When; 1st session is March 3rd then 3/24, 4/7, 4/14, 5/5, 5/12, 5/26. onwards

Why not every Sunday? Pool is subject to closure during College holidays.

Session times; Each session is 90 minutes. 10.30am - 12.00pm.

Distance; 2 - 4km depending on ability.

Cost; Pre book online at www.athelite.net for individual sessions or blocks of 6 at $20 per session.

This is a rolling program so the Block booking is just for your convenience. If you can't make a session, don't worry, when you have attended 6 sessions then just pay again.

Drop in $23 per session.

NO REGISTRATION OR ANNUAL FEES

Where do I book?  http://www.athelite.net/swim-analysis-one session

Suitability; Suitable for all Triathletes & regular Freestyle fitness Swimmers as long as you can swim 400 m freestyle continuously.

Swim at your own pace & ability - don't worry about being too slow, we can adjust the sessions accordingly for all abilities.

Benefits

Get all the benefits of attending a Squad Session with the added bonus of Stroke Correction Guidance throughout. You will not get this in a big Masters session.

• Work harder and have much more fun that you would training on your own
• Learn & work on new areas such as modern drills, stroke rate, pace management etc
• Receive continual observation & stroke correction guidance
• Regular testing over various distances/paces
• Develop your Technique as well as your speed & endurance.

... and much much more!!!