My First Triathlon

As we embark up on the 2012 Midwest triathlon season, many of you are gearing up for your first races.  That first triathlon can be an incredibly exhilarating albeit intimidating experience.    Let me share with you the story of my first triathlon.

It was 2001, I was a junior in college and I had no idea what the heck I was doing.  I had competed in a couple of Indoor Triathlons and thought it would be fun to take this sport outdoors, so I registered for the J-Hawk Earlybird Triathlon in Whitewater, WI.  I packed up my road bike (an early college graduation present), my boyfriend (now my hubby), and a few other accessories into my Ford Escort (the H2O Bug for those of you who have known me that long) and headed up to Wisconsin.  Little did I know how this sport was about to change my life.

I will never forget arriving at that race and seeing all these other athletes who clearly knew what they were doing.  I distinctly remember saying to Gene, "I can't do this, let's go home."  I saw people in head to toe spandex, tricked out bikes and shoes that clipped into their bike pedals.  What?!?!?!  I was definitely out of my league.

The swim for this particular race was a 500 yard swim in a pool.  That I could handle and people were probably even impressed by my speed.  I quickly learned that the swim is a VERY small portion of the race.  Only seven minutes of this race, to be exact.  I fumbled my way through T1 and headed out on the bike for the longest 13 miles of my life.  I think I had only had the bike a few weeks and was in no way prepared for the gusting winds and country roads.   It took me over an hour.  After a slow T2 (I was exhausted), I headed out for the run with heavy legs.  I recall taking a wrong turn and crying in a panic that I was going to get lost in the trails of Whitewater University.  Thankfully I found my way back on track and managed to cross that finish line.

By the time I was done it was a gorgeous, sunny and mild spring day.  And I felt awesome.  I totally sucked at the race but I had finished, and gotten a taste of that feeling of accomplishment that I still cannot get enough of.   I had totally gone out of my comfort zone and done something that, at that time, almost no one that I knew had.  From the moment I finished that race I was thinking about when I would do it again.

Is your first race coming up?  Is it going to freak you out on race day when you arrive?  Absolutely, but those race days jitters are just one part of the whole experience that you will learn to embrace and even look forward to.  Even to this day, after completing upwards of 75 races, I still feel like I want to puke when I walk into transition on race morning.  Don't let it scare you away, it may just change your life like it has mine!

-Coach A www.sparkmultisport.com

Ready to Tri Clinic- June 6th

You or anyone you know going to become a first time triathlete this year?  Raced before but not quite sure what the heck you were doing?  Come to this clinic lead by USA Triathlon Level II Coach Angela Park to learn everything you need to know about having a smooth race!  

Register now!

Spark Summer Tri Clinic Series

Email angela@sparkmultisport.com to have info sent directly to you!

What! A! Week!

Wow, it has been a rough week for Coach A and several of my Spark Athletes (Oh, how I just want to call you all Sparklers, but I know I would get my butt kicked by some for that! ;)  I ended up with a vicious flu and spent the night in the hospital, one of my athletes is having some serious knee pain that needs to be nipped in the bud, and yet another athlete missed a whole week of workouts due to an insane work schedule.  What else do we all have in common besides a bad week?  We had all trained for and were scheduled to run yesterday's Lakefront 10 Miler, where it was 40 degrees and raining with 20 mph winds.  None of us made it to the race.

How you handle a week like this is what makes or breaks you.  For some, this might be the final push in the wrong direction that derails them from their regular workouts.  For others, it may cause them to question their goals and whether they can really be accomplished.   For me, it reminds me that I need to slow down, listen to my body and prioritize my life again around things that are going to make me feel good.

I have missed many races in my career but have almost always come back stronger after I  have had to sit on the sidelines.  Why?  Well, once in a while we all need to slow down and take the long view.  Is a week of not working out going to destroy my entire season?  No.  In fact, I think this week has brought some clarity that I did not previously have.  It is no surprise that I was running around with the world's longest to do list when the flu took me down flat on my back for 48 solid hours.   During those two days I got to thinking about what I could do to clear my plate, breathe a little and enjoy life a little more.  And, in fact, I have taken some very big steps to accomplish those goals.  I am feeling better already (despite my lack of workouts) and am ready to start Monday with a fresh perspective and less stressful schedule.

So, the next time you are sidelined by an injury, illness, or plain old stressful week, take a step back and try to identify what you can do to correct and avoid this situation in the future.   Sometimes a few bad days is all we need to help us realign our attitude and goals and appreciate what we have a little more.  Stay tuned for future posts about coming back after more serious setbacks...are you reading Derrick Rose?

-Coach A www.sparkmultisport.com

Spark Summer Tri Training Group 2012

Spark Summer Tri Training Group

April 30^th- August 26^th, 2012

Join USA Triathlon Coach, Angela Park, and fellow triathletes for a summer training program targeting both of Chicago’s downtown Triathlons- South Shore and Chicago!

What is it? A group of 4 (min) to 10 (max) triathletes training, learning and competing together!

Who can do it?  Anybody who has ever wanted to do a triathlon, is looking for a new challenge or who wants to take their triathlon training to the next level!

Will we actually do a triathlon?  Yes!  Our target races will be South Shore Sprint triathlon on July 28^th and

Chicago Triathlon (sprint or Olympic) on August 26^th.

When and where will practices be?  The practice schedule is:

Mondays 6:30 pm- Run Speed Workout- Lakeshore Park Track

Fridays 6:30 am- Swim, Bike or Brick Workout -Olive Park

All workouts will be one hour except for a few occasional longer combo workouts on Friday mornings.  

Run practices will meet at Lakeshore Park Track, Chicago Ave. between Michigan Ave. and Lake Shore Drive. 

Friday workouts will meet at Olive Park (5oo N Lakeshore Dr)

What will practices be like?  Every workout will be catered towards the group’s specific needs and tailored so that each individual is challenged but not overwhelmed.  A detailed practice plan will be given to participants so they know what equipment is necessary and what to expect each day.  Coach Angela has years of experience working with groups and will structure the workouts to meet each individual’s fitness level. 

What does the Training Group include?  The training group will be lead by USA Triathlon Level II certified coach and personal trainer, Angela Park.  Each group member will receive a training plan for the events and,

due to the small size of the group, lots of personalized attention. 

Angela will also be at South Shore and Chicago to coach, calm and cheer you on. 

Finally, the benefits of group training include camaraderie, motivation, and fun!

What do I need to join?  The items you need to train for and complete your first triathlon are- goggles, swimsuit, bike (any type), helmet, and running shoes!  A wetsuit can be helpful, too.

How do I sign up?  Registration and more info now available through angela@sparkmultisport.com. 

Cost:  1x per week $320, 2x per week $560

There will be no practices the week of May 28^th.

Signup now…space is very limited!

Newbie vs Veteran??

I have a friend and colleague who is a phenomenal athlete.  Not sure how to sum up his athletic abilities but he is a beast in the pool and won at least a couple of national titles at the 2011 US Masters Meet.  For a couple of years now he has talked about doing the Chicago Tri but has never followed through.   Knowing how competitive he is (and I am), I challenged him to race and bet that he could not beat me in the Sprint distance. 

 At first it was a joke, now it is ON.  Loser buys dinner.  

Here is what he has going for him:   He is a great swimmer, a natural athlete, and he is a really good swimmer.  I can't really think of anything else.  Oh, except that he is a guy.

Here is what I have going for me:  Over a decade of experience, solid at all three sports, I actually know how to do a quick transition, the right equipment...I mean, seriously, this list could go on and on.  

My Chicago sprint time last year would have placed me 41st out of 1024 men.  Do you think that a tri newbie can come in and actually beat someone who is a pretty decent triathlete with years of experience?  My prediction is he will beat me by 4 minutes in the swim and that lead will be completely gone about halfway through the bike.  Or, I could be totally blown away by what happens when I place a bet with someone who has the competitive spirit of a warrior.  Either way, this bet and all our friends/colleagues knowing about it, could be just the "spark" I need to have the race of a lifetime.  

What do you all think?

-Coach A  www.sparkmultisport.com

  

Do you need a Customized Training Plan?

Thinking about your upcoming racing season, do you have a training protocol in place? Certain days to swim, bike and run? Do you know how fast and what volume you should be doing? Or are you just going to wing it?


A training plan is good for everyone, why not just Google "Sprint tri training plan" and get a decent plan?  Those plans are fine for some, but less than fine for others. Besides, who just wants to have a "fine" season? If you are ready to have a STELLAR season, answer the following questions to see if a customized training plan is right for you.


-Is this at least your second of multisport racing?
-Have you at least loosely followed a "generic" training plan in the past?
-Do you have more than 3 races (any distance triathlon or any type of run, bike and swim events) planned for this season?
-Do you have more than one race where you want to excel this season?
-Are you the type of personality that works well with structure?
-Do you have specific goals you want to accomplish throughout the race?


If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, a customized plan will do wonders for your training. It will help you train smarter and more efficiently, race fast when you want to, and make the most of your training hours.


Contact me today to get yours!
-Coach A www.sparkmultisport.com