5/26   Tue   Masters Swim at Life Time Schaumburg.  6:30pm

5/28   Thu   ET Track.  5:45am, 9:30am, 6:30pm.  New AM location.

5/30   Sat    ET Run Club.  Herrick Lake.  8:00am

5/31   Sun   Tri 101 seminar at lululemon.  6:30pm

 

6/4     Thu   ET Track.  5:45am, 9:30am, 6:30pm.

6/6     Sat    ET Run Club.  Herrick Lake.  8:00am

 

The Heritage YMCA group and Experience Triathlon have joined efforts to deliver triathlon and endurance programs to adults and youth in the Naperville, Aurora and Oswego communities.  We believe that triathlon is a great way to make new friends and develop a healthy lifestyle.

 

Our first program is an 8 week summer outdoor triathlon training class for adults. 

 

For additional information and registration click here. 

 

After two years of doing triathlons with nothing but a homemade training plan, a fake mustache, a tuxedo jersey, and little improvement, I decided to hire Coach Craig Strong from Experience Triathlon.  He helped me put together a training plan for my biggest race season yet (4 Olympic distance triathlons, a 10 mile run, a 200 mile relay, and a half ironman) and was flexible around my travel and time constraints.  It was easy to access the online training log and Coach Craig was always able to make recommendations if I fell off the wagon or needed to switch my schedule around.  I also did some individual swim coaching with Craig and I went from a poor fake-mustached swimmer to a much more respectable fake-mustached fish-like human.
 
So after training hard, but not as hard as I could have, I was off to Memphis for my first tri of 2009 with my fake mustache and tuxedo jersey in hand.

 

ET-Youth triathlon training class is a 6 week program designed to introduce youth to the fun and exciting sport of triathlon. As one of the fastest growing sports in America, triathlon offers a great way to stay healthy and fit in a safe way. The combination of various types of cardio training coupled with the strength built during swim, bike and run workouts is a scientifically proven method to build high levels of fitness.

 

All levels of participants from first timers to seasoned junior athletes are welcome. Athletes will work on drills, games and workouts in all 3 sports (swim, bike, run) and the all important 'transitions' from segment to segment. The ET coaching team will share their expertise and mentor each child on their journey toward a healthy lifestyle.

Wed     10-11am      Starts Jun 10    click here to register for Wed
Sun          2-3pm      Starts May 31   click here to register for Sun

 

Registration for 2009 Summer Camp in Madison on July 31 - August 2 opens soon.

 

Ten athletes and three coaches in an isolated house in the back woods of Wisconsin.  No, it's not the latest reality TV show.  It's the 2008 edition of the best weekend of the summer - ET Summer Camp!
 
Friday afternoon: a pleasant three mile run down a back country road, with the sun shining above and promising great weather ahead.  The pace was relaxed, though we had quite a nice little hill right in the middle of our out-and-back course.  We'd be back to tackle that hill again - this time on our bikes - in the days to come.
 
After the run got our body temperatures elevated just a bit, it was back to the lake house for a cool-down swim in the aptly named Pleasant Lake.  The water was great, the day was beautiful, and spirits were high.  With two team members to escort us on kayaks, the rest of us headed out to the middle of the lake.  Here is where one difference from last year's summer camp was seen: we split into two groups, with the more advanced group swimming all the way across the lake and back, and the second group not going quite as far.  This approach was used in all of our activities, allowing some ETers to get a more challenging workout, while making sure that nobody was forced into a workout that was uncomfortable for them.

 

 

Take Your Swim to the Next Level
 
What makes the swim portion of Triathlon so difficult?  Or, more precisely, why do most of us find the swim so difficult? 
 
It is true that swimming is more technical than, say, the other components of triathlon. 
This is why few Triathletes can swim as well as they can run or ride a bike.
 
But in my 18 years of coaching swimming, I have found that most people's troubles are pre-technical, although few realize this.  By pre-technical I mean that the troubles stem from a problem more basic than faulty stroke mechanics.  Most people's difficulties in swimming begin with a poor sense of balance in the water.  Your body must be balanced properly before worrying about things like the timing or placement of your arms, hands, and legs.  Proper balance in the water is the most fundamental component of efficient swimming, and efficient swimming means faster and, more importantly, easier swimming.  Think of balance as the foundation upon which to build a house: if the foundation is weak, the house will not be structurally sound.

 

Click here to read the rest of Coach Craig's article.