Newbie News: Triathlon Tips
The ultimate test for an athlete, the triathlon. An intense combination of swimming, biking and running lead to the ultimate accomplishment.
It’s an accomplishment that someday I would like to tackle and conquer. It’s this reason why I recently attended a triathlon training seminar at Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago.
It was a very informative seminar and as I looked around the room I saw several others with curiosity, nerves and sheer determination on their faces. We covered everything from do I apply sunscreen before or after I put on my wetsuit? Do I need a wetsuit? What should I wear–tri-racesuit or swimsuit or sports bra? Can I run with an iPod? How do I attach my time chip? How long do I have to tread water before we actually take off? How do I remember where my bike is in transition?
Here’s what I learned:
#1: It’s very important to be prepared. If you rush to the race and aren’t prepared, chances are it will be evident in your overall performance.
#2: Pack a backpack the night before the triathlon. Here’s a checklist we were provided at the seminar..
RACE:
- tri-short/jersey or tri-racesuit
- race belt/number (you can purchase a race belt that securely holds your race number, so you won’t end up wasting valuable time with safety pins, etc.)
- chip strap (you can purchase this at any athletic store, it simply and comfortably goes around your ankle–most races provide zip ties that can be very uncomfortable)
SWIM:
- Wetsuit
- Goggles (always make sure to have an extra pair on hand, sometimes your nerves will have you adjusting and readjusting your goggles causing a snap–better to have backup just in case)
- Swimcap
BIKE:
- Bike (duh!–make sure to pump your tires that morning)
- Bike Shoes
- Bike Gloves
- Helmet (most triathlons with provide labels to attach to your helmet so you can match your race number to your gear)
- Sunglasses
- Water bottles (Professional triathletes like to run with water bottles in hand, it helps them pay attention to their swing and the rhythm of the water swooshing helps with keeping pace)
- Nutrition Bars and Gels (Clif Shot Bloks apparently taste like gummy bears and provide that extra yummy factor to help you go the distance)
- Spare Inner Tube or Tubular Tire (if you have a flat you might end up waiting forever to get it fixed, to save time do it yourself!)
- Spare CO2 Cartridges
RUN:
- Running Shoes
- Hat or Visor (keep the sweat out of your eyes)
- Nutrition Gels
TRANSITION:
- Towel (to stand on)
- Water Bottle (to wash off sand)
- Body Glide (sounds funny I know, but it helps slip that wetsuit on and off which helps if you are in a time crunch)
- Lip Balm
- Sunscreen
- Floor Pump
- Backpack with Wet Storage
- Post Race Clothes and Sandals (sometimes you won’t be able to get your gear immediately after the race–keep that in mind to make sure you have everything you need to hold you over in the meantime)
#3: If you are concerned you can’t buy a pricey wetsuit of your own, don’t worry most races allow you to rent a wetsuit for the race.
#4: Make sure to set up your transition area to be as organized as possible, think office cubicle!
#5: Try not to run with an iPod, it can be very dangerous. Try the water bottle trick I mentioned above to help your run.
#6: Always, always wear sunscreen. Get a very strong athletic brand, we’re not talking Banana Boat here.
#7: There will be many bikes in transition and you don’t want to wander around endlessly during transition, try to mark your bike and transition area. Tie a bright t-shirt around your rack, some people even mark their trail with baby powder and balloons!
#8: Don’t bring expensive bike computers, it may help your ride but is so easy to lose and has a high risk of getting stolen.
#9: Don’t be the last person to grab your bike, otherwise somebody else might grab your nice ride!
#10: Smile and have fun! You can do this!!!
Here is a great site I found that has some helpful stories from newbie triathletes.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
The only one who can tell you “you can’t” is you. And you don’t have to listen. ~Nike
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On YOUR Left: Bike Path Bi@*#ing
On your left.
On YOUR left!
On YOUR LEFT!!
ON YOUR LEFT!!!
Does this sound familiar? If you are a cyclist then you probably feel my pain. It’s simple, work with me here people, hold up your hands in an “L” shape. The one that looks like an “L” would be your left hand. Congratulations there you have it and now everyone is a winner!
I set out this morning to knock out some training on my bike for an upcoming ride. What you think would have been a lovely bike ride on a gorgeous day in Chicago turned into frustration from those who don’t have the slightest clue of bike path etiquette.
Not only is it just plain rude, it’s very dangerous for those actually using the bike path and I’m not talking about the beach-goers and tourists looking up at the sky.
Bare with me here while I list my biggest pet peeves for the bike path (you know that picture on the BIKE path with a bike frame, wheels and handlebars and says bike path that represent a BIKE path, spell it with me B (Buh) I (Eye) K (Ku) E (eee) path!)
RULE 1: When I say I am on your left that means I’m on your left. It doesn’t mean turn around and stare, it doesn’t mean walk further to your left, it doesn’t mean stand there with a clueless expression on your face. It means move over or you are going to have my front tire between your legs and trust me I don’t want to do that, it’s been done before and it’s not fun!
RULE 2: We drive on the right side, so we ride on the right side of the bike path. Pretend you are driving your car down the street, what happens when you drive on the wrong side? A crash. Ding! Ding! Ding! Please do not walk on the wrong side of the bike path.
RULE 3: Music and bikes do not mix. A bike path can be dangerous when you have you volume all the way up and can’t hear people like me screaming that I am on your left. Trust me I understand that music helps runners since I know that first hand, but please please please be aware of your surroundings. Just like crossing a street please look both ways and make sure you run on the very right hand side of the path to let bikes pass. For you bikers with iPods, please keep only one ear bud in because I don’t feel like screaming and losing my voice as I pass you.
RULE 4: Yes rollerbladers you may have some fancy footwork that you like to showoff, but please for the love of God, don’t hog the path with your criss-crossing moves and please listen to me when I warn you I’m coming.
RULE 5: Oh look there’s your neighbor, want to say hi? That’s fine by me just don’t stop abruptly in front of me and move to the side, preferably the grass to continue your conversation.
RULE 6: If you can’t keep your eye on your kid while you drink that Budweiser with your beer gut hanging out in all its glory, then don’t yell at me when I tell your kid to watch out and be careful as he jumps in front of me with no time for me to stop!!!! Fortunately I stopped just in time as the man yells “SLOW DOWN!” It leaves me boiling with frustration..Slow down. Slow down! Did he really just say that!?! He’s telling me to slow down while I am using a bike path, I repeat BIKE path to ride and train. Deep breathe. Please keep an eye on your small children, teach them that the bike path can be dangerous, teach them to look both ways. If you are more interested in your beer than your child’s safety then get a leash for the kid!!! Come on people!
Alright I feel better now. Just needed a venting session and I am sure all of my Urban Girl’s feel my pain. I would love to hear what makes you ladies tick on the bike path!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot. ~Clarence Thomas
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Le Tour De France Factoids
After watching an intense leg of the Tour de France last night, I found myself both eager to get out on my bike and full of questions.
How do cyclists qualify?
How did it start?
Where are my ladies at..don’t ladies get a chance at biking in amazing scenery?
What do all those different colored jerseys represent?
After lots of research, I would like to share my newfound knowledge with fellow cycling enthusiasts.
- The annual Tour de France covers more than 3,500 km throughout not only France, but neighboring countries as well including Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.
- This year is the 96th annual Tour de France.
- The Tour de France goes back to 1903 , when two sports publications La Velo and L’Auto were competing for readers. L’Auto wanted to create a race larger than La Velo existing race. The Tour de France was a huge success that doubled the readership of L’Auto.
- The race typically lasts 23 days (over a 3-week period) and cyclists are only allowed one day of rest.
- There’s about 20 stages, with each stage being about 50 to 200 miles long.
- There are 20 teams, with up to 10 riders per team making a total of 200 riders in the race.
- Some team riders clear the way for the team’s best cyclists. The best riding teams have members who specialize in sprinting, climbing hills and speed. As well as logistics support.
- A rider could win 4 to 5 of the daily stages and yet still end up finishing behind the actual winner.
- It’s also possible to win only one stage or no stages and win the race by staying close to the daily leaders day by day.
- The rider with the least elapsed time at the end of each day wears the prestigious yellow jersey.
- The green jersey is awarded to bikers with the best sprint points.
- The white jersey with polka dots is awarded to the king of the hills for the rider with the best hill performance.
- The white jersey is for the best biker under 25 years old.
- In 1984. the Tour Feminin was created for female cyclists to compete. It is only 625 miles and starts with the last two weeks of the men’s tour. Where’s the media coverage for this, ladies?
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
It’s a more intricate sport than perhaps people perceive. Most people think you get on your bikes and ride. The Tour de France coverage has explained that it’s a lot more than that. Hopefully, by the end of the week, people will start to understand it. ~Jeff Sobul
Reward Yourself: Skip the Junk
You worked for it.
You pushed yourself to the limit.
You feel every aching muscle in your body.
You deserve that piece of cheesecake (or maybe two) because you worked out all week.
Back away from the cheesecake, ladies. There are other ways to reward yourself than junk food and guilty pleasure-ridden foods.
Here are some tips on how to reward your hardworking ways without the looming guilt..
Reward yourself every week: At the end of each week, plan something fun you’ll do if you’ve completed all your workouts. A movie, a massage, a shopping trip, an afternoon at the beach, a manicure/pedicure, etc.
Give yourself an extra ten minutes: At the end of your workout in the morning, use that extra time to sit in the hot tub, take an extra long shower, pick up some coffee from your favorite coffee joint, stretch or nap.
Reward yourself every month: Plan bigger rewards for completing all your workouts in one month. A weekend trip, a girls night out, a new pair of running shoes, a new outfit, a day at the spa, etc. Choose something that makes you smile when you think about it and get moving!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Sweat is the cologne of accomplishment. ~Heywood Hale Broun
Size Matters: Portion Control
We hear it time and time again. The key to a healthy diet and weight management is portion control.
Eating less=fewer calories of course.
It sounds much easier said than done. Especially since we live in a world where bigger is better. Restaurants overload plates with heaping mounds of food and all-you-can-eat buffets are around every corner.
Believe it or not there is one tiny little change you can make to your diet that will make you feel like you are eating more, when really you are eating the perfect portion.
So overlooked is the concept of the plate. Plate size does truly matter when it comes to eating, since we usually tend to eat what we put on our plate. Instead of measuring food, begin with changing your plates instead. That way food portion management becomes something you can begin to do with very little thought. Make sure to take into consideration the diameter of the plate.
If you’d rather have a step by step guide there are also specific portion plates, they do exist. This one, for example, gives a specific size for veggies, meats and whole grains.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing. ~Walt Kelly
Energy Drinks Exposed
There are so many drinks out there on the market that promise to keep you on top of your game with providing both energy and focus. Are they too good to be true?
Here’s the proof and breakdown of all the energy drinks that are full of promises, from popular book Eat This, Not That! The Best (and Worst!) Foods in America.
5-hour Energy
This energy drink is 4 calories and has 0 grams of sugar. It promises that this energy shot takes only minutes to help you feel bright and alert, lasting for hours. The nitty-gritty truth is that it contains anywhere from 65 to 135 mg caffeine (so much so the company doesn’t print the content on the item). Sure this is no problemo for your average coffee drinker, but keep in mind caffeine overload may cause headaches, sleeplessness, nausea, hallucinations and a spike in blood pressure.
Starbuck’s Double Shot Energy and Coffee
This drink contains a whopping 210 calories, 26 grams of sugar and 146 mg caffeine. It offers a brew of B-vitamins, guarana, ginseng and natural proteins from milk. The nitty-gritty truth is that most energy drinks flaunt their beverage loaded with vitamins. But, how safe are they? A guarana seed contains twice as much caffeine as a coffee bean. Ginseng may react with certain medications. Think again before downing that can.
Red Bull
This popular drink promises to vitalize the body and mind at 110 calories, 27 grams of sugar and 76 mg caffeine. Sure caffeine may offer brain boosting qualities and added B-vitamins may be helpful for metabolism. But, mix the two together and what do you get? The sugar and taurine in this drink counteracts with those forces. Taurine, may also work as a neurotransmitter acts like a sedative not a stimulant. The one plus side, it’s half the size of many other energy drinks, meaning half the calories and half the sugar.
AMP Energy
At 220 calories, 66 grams of sugar and 152 mg caffeine, this drink claims to have an energizing blend of B-vitamins keeping you on top of your game at all times. This drink is basically a hybrid between Starbuck’s Double Energy Shot and Red Bull, but it has more calories and sugar. It’s pretty much a brew of sweeteners, herbal supplements and suspicious additives. Consider this a double Red Bull and don’t make it a habit!
And the worst drink of them all is..
Sobe Energy Adrenaline Rush
This drink promises to elevate your game at 260 calories, 66 grams of sugar and 152 mg caffeine. It also contains D-Ribose and l-cartinine which may sound exotic, but they are simply natural compounds for metabolism. This drink quickly send blood glucose levels soaring, setting you up for a major sugar crash. This drink contains as much sugar as five and a half scoops of ice cream!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind. ~Humphrey Bogart
Bicycle Mama: Chic Maintenance
Cycling.
You feel the wind through your hair. Hands sweaty and gripping your handlebars. Legs burning and pushing pedal by pedal.
Then it happens out of nowhere. You change your gears and the chain falls of. What to do!?!
I admit that when I need bike maintenance I turn to two people, either my dad or my husband. I’ve decided that it’s time to start learning how to maintain my bike all by myself.
The best way to start is to watch every move with tires and chains, step by step. So the next time it happens I can fix it all on my own. The Internet is always helpful, as well as local classes that may be offered. For instance, I’ve recently found a bike maintenance course at my local R.E.I.
Here are some tips on bicycle maintenance..
Chain Reaction: If your chain falls of take the rear derailleur in your left hand and rotate it towards the front of the bicycle. It’ll go that way easily (if it doesn’t, keep in mind you may have other problems) and will take the tension off the chain, so at the same time all you have to do is pick it up with your right hand, yes you will get dirty and rest it on the smallest front chainring. If you dropped the chain off the biggest cog, or your front derailleur is positioned in the highest gear, shift it into the lowest gear. Yes, you may be breaking the don’t-shift-unless-you-are-pedaling rule, but you are allowed to in order to get it back on.
Tire Trouble: First step, empty the tube with the remaining air. Second step, take your wheel off. It’s easier to take the wheel off if you turn your bike upside down first. If your wheel isn’t quick release, then remove the nuts with a 15mm box wrench or a crescent wrench. You may have to release your brakes to get the wheel to move through the brake pads. Third step, remove the tire. Use a plastic tire lever to move the lip of the tire over the rim, on one side of the wheel. Slide the lever towards the left to pull the lip over the rim all the way around the tire. Once it’s off start super inflating the tire to find the culprit. You will find that you either have to replace to tube or patch it. Once patched, inflate the tube just a little bit to insert in the tire. Stick the valve through the valve hole. With your fingers, work the lip of the tire into the wheel rim, on only one side. You may need to use a tire lever for the last bit. Once you’ve done one side completely, do the other side. Put your tire back on your bike and inflate fully.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
The bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon. ~Bill Strickland
