9/10    Thu   ET Masters at Life Time Schaumburg. 6:30pm
9/10    Thu   Note: 2009 ET Track season is over.  Good job everyone!
9/12    Sat    ET Run Club. Herrick Lake. 8:00am
9/13    Sun   Ironman Wisconsin - No group ride today.
 
9/15    Tue   ET Masters at Life Time Schaumburg. 6:30pm
9/17    Thu   ET Masters at Life Time Schaumburg. 6:30pm
9/17    Thu   Mental Strategies with Coach Craig
                    lululemon Athletica, Evanston.  7:00pm
9/19    Sat    ET Run Club. Herrick Lake. 8:00am

9/20    Sun   Diamond Lake Open Water Swim Event. 
9/20    Sun   ET Bike Club. Rotolo Middle School.  1:00pm
 
9/21   Mon   Tri 101 Seminar with Coach Joe and Coach Suzy
                    Central Park Athletic Center, Lisle.  Noon
9/22    Tue   ET Masters at Life Time Schaumburg. 6:30pm
9/24    Thu   ET Masters at Life Time Schaumburg. 6:30pm
9/26    Sat    ET Run Club. Herrick Lake. 8:00am
9/27    Sun   ET Bike Club. Leroy Oaks, St.Charles. 8:30am
 

 

Sunday September 20, 2009 

Race Director and ET Coach Craig Strong is pleased to announce the first annual Diamond Lake Open Water Swim Challenge.  Events will range from 1K to 10K in length.

Hey, Coach Joe!  Happy Monday to ya!  Yup...it was toasty this weekend.  I'm sure you can relate, though...it was just perfect for me and Kent. :)  Bang's Lake was the first Tri this summer where we didn't FREEZE before the race. :)  Kent did the Aquabike and I did the full Tri.  We weren't shivering after the race either.  Very refreshing for us...

I'm also very happy to report that I didn't freak out on the swim.  That was my only goal for Bang's Lake this year.  Last year, I spent about 15 minutes hyperventilating because I thought the seaweed monsters were trying to pull me under.  Plus, they had the course swimming directly into the sun!  Brutal!  This year, they angled it slightly to the left of the sun so it was much improved!  Plus, they doubled the number of lifeguards.  Unfortunately, they still used teeny tiny buoys so many people struggled to stay on course.

 

Click here to read the rest of Jen's article.

Coach Joe!  I did it! :)  And while I can't say that every moment was great, the overall experience really was.  I wouldn't have done it nearly so well without your help.  I'm so grateful for your caution, your wisdom, and your enthusiasm for this awesome sport!!

Mattoon Half Ironman. 

Finish time:  5:33:35
  Swim:  42:15
  T1:  1:54
  Bike:  2:57:20 (18.9 mph)
  T2: 1:23
  Run: 1:50 (8:27 min/mile)

I was 4th/12 in my age group, 58th/195 overall.  I know I can't change who shows up; if I just focus on my times, I'm ECSTATIC!

I followed my race plan with regard to execution perfectly: not too hard on the swim, low zone 3 on the bike, mid-high 3 on the run.  I had no sprint left for the run finish, but didn't walk at all either.

My nutrition went reasonably well.  One bottle an hour on the bike, gel after the swim and about every 45 minutes on the bike and halfway through the run, electrolytes at 45 minutes or so, and drink Heed frequently on the run.
 

Click here to read the rest of Judie's article.

This weekend 2500 athletes will attempt the Ironman in Madison, WI.  We'll be there to cheer on our athletes and friends as they climb Mt Ironman.  It will be an amazing day for both athletes and spectators.

 

To get us in the zone, here are the photos from Ironman Wisconsin 2008.  Enjoy!

 

Being Consistent
 
While it's been a long season for most of us and we do need to disconnect both physically and mentally to recharge our batteries, it's also time to plan for the upcoming year.  Often times athletes will put off both the planning and training for the following season until after the holidays.  This approach will make achieving higher fitness and racing goals very difficult if not impossible. 

 

Research has shown that significant decreases in fitness start to occur within as little as three weeks of no training.  This is the training principle of reversibility.  Basically we build fitness by applying just the right amount of workload (stress) to the body at the right time along with properly timed recovery to ensure growth.  Well, if we don't apply workload and stress to the body, fitness declines. Certainly you can rebuild the lost fitness and maybe do enough training to get a personal record (PR) next season, but why take the chance and why lose your hard earned fitness levels in the first place? 

 

When I look across the team athletes, those that are the most consistent in their year round training and execute better than 95% of the workouts in their plan are the ones that are injury free and have the most success in training, racing and life.  As my coach once told me, "Ironman comes to the smart and steady athlete, Joe."  Being consistent IS the path to growth.

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