The Triathlon Journey

Got a recent email from an athlete asking about the benefits of coaching.  He was specifically interested in how I might be a bit different than other coaches in the area and how my history in the sport affects my coaching approach.  Thought the ideas would be worth sharing with others here...
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Thank you for contacting me.  I would be happy to chat with you about your long term goals and expectations.
I do take a longer term, more balanced approach to the sport of triathlon than many others in the community.  I did my first Ironman in 1994 so I have been in the game for a long time, seen coaches and athletes come and go.  I have athletes that I have been working with since I started coaching in 2006, many years longer than any other coach in this area.  I have athletes that I have taken through a multi-year progression, leading them from their first triathlon all the way to doing the Ironman.
I believe most people can accomplish the vast majority of their goals if they are willing to dedicate the time required, not only in the short term (this week/month/season) but in the long term, over years of training.  In my case, I had to work very hard over the course of a ten year journey to finally learn enough about myself as an athlete and about training techniques etc. to qualify for my first Ironman World Championships in Kona.  I believe that puts me in a BETTER position to coach age group athletes than others who were able to qualify for Kona at their first Ironman.  I certainly envy their athletic abilities but don't believe personal ability makes them a better coach for the average Age Group athlete.  Just as in any other sport, the best athletes aren't necessarily the best coaches.
This perspective is certainly one of the things my athletes tell me they get from my coaching and I have enjoyed watching people grow through the sport I love.
Two other benefits my athletes highlight are higher levels of personal confidence and accountability.  Ultimately they are the ones that must do the training and racing but knowing they have followed the lead of an experienced coach rather than trying to figure it all out on their own is reassuring.  Kind of like hiring a lawyer rather than trying to defend yourself in court... having objective advice is a better solution.  As for accountability, knowing that I am going to check their training log has helped my athletes do the things they know they should when motivation is perhaps lacking.  I can't force them to do the work but they know that I "know" they didn't do the session; sometimes that is enough to provide the extra push out the door :)
If you would like to discuss further or have specific questions please give me a call, happy to chat.
Thanks again for reaching out to me, best of luck with your triathlon goals!

2012 MTC Racing Team

Midwest Triathlon Coaching
2012 Racing Team

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The MTC Racing Team is an exclusive group of great athletes, but it is not exclusionary; you don’t have to be “fast” (although you may be).  It is for all current MTC coached athletes, formerly coached athletes and other members of the “MTC Family”.

MTC Racing Team members will receive:

• MTC Racing Team T-Shirt
• MTC Visor or Winter Beanie
• MTC Decal
• Invitation to Racing Team training events
• Recognition and camaraderie from your fellow Team members

You will also be eligible for Team pricing from the following:

• Garry Gribbles Running Sports
• Elite Cycling
• XTERRA Wetsuits
• Rudy Project Sunglasses & Helmets
• Zoca Performance Gear
• GU Energy
• Tri Tats
• MTC "Event Specific" coaching plans

Requirements

There is no cost to be part of the MTC Racing Team.

When you join you agree to race at least FIVE times in 2012 wearing MTC gear before, during and after the event - shirt or tri top (hat doesn’t count).  At least three of the five events coming from the following list:

• Rock the Parkway
• KC Triathlon
• Topeka Tinman
• Shawnee Msn Tri
• WIN Triathlon
• Jackson CO Tri
• Redman Triathlon
• Any 5150 Triathlon
• Any 70.3
• Any Ironman

End of Season Bonus – if you meet the requirements, or refer a client who becomes an MTC coached athlete, you will receive your choice of either a free month of coaching ($175 value) or a running jacket with MTC logo.


If you are interested in applying for the MTC Racing Team contact Ken Welsh at ken@mwtricoach.com

5th Annual Resolution Run

Signing Up for an Ironman

IM Wisconsin Swim Start

Ironman is the biggest triathlon commitment you can make, not something to be taken lightly.  Here are some pointers to consider before you sign up and to help with planning once you have made the commitment.

1.    If you haven’t done at least one well executed 70.3 then stop reading right now, you are not ready to sign up for an Ironman.  Ideally you should have done a couple Half Ironmans before you sign up for the Full. Preferably you have run a stand-alone marathon and gone 100 miles on your bike before beginning your Ironman year as well.  The build up for Ironman is hard enough, if you have never done a 100 mile ride and/or a 20 mile training run then you likely aren’t as mentally or physically ready as you could be to try to put it all together.

2.    Pick the right race - For a Midwest based athlete I strongly encourage you to do one of the three “end of summer” Ironman events – Canada, Louisville or Wisconsin.  The reasons I suggest them are:

a.    Longer summer days make it easier to get up early or stay out later

b.    More options for prep races such as Kansas 70.3

c.     More training buddies around in the summer (maybe others read this article too!)

d.    For Louisville and WI, they are close enough you can drive there on race week and for a “Recon Trip” in July (see para below)

e.     The terrain is similar to what we have in our area, rolling hills, can be hot, can be windy – ie. Kansas in the Summer.

f.      Amongst them you can then look at each race individually, they are all different.  Wisconsin and Canada have mass start swims and hillier bike routes. Major characteristic of Louisville is the heat and humidity (though we have had exceptions in two of the last three years)

3.    What about some of the others?

a.    St. George & Texas – Too early.  Unless you really love spending 5 hours on your trainer or doing 18 mile runs on the treadmill, these races aren’t for you. St George is also very hilly; a great challenge but not for your first one

b.    CDA – not as tough as the above but still early.  It is a beautiful location and the race conditions are often good (with a cold swim) but you must fly and you are going to be riding 80-100 in March.

c.     Lake Placid – time of year is better, it is also a beautiful location but it is hillier than what we have here.  You can go down to Arkansas for the hills but if you want to do that, then pick IM Canada instead.

d.    Florida - Too late in the year to peak because the days are short and the weather gets cool/cold.

e.     AZ or Cozumel – Same as Florida, only worse because once you get there you suddenly have to deal with hot and/or humid conditions. I have heard of people wanting to do Cozumel because it is a “nice vacation spot.” I agree, Cozumel is a wonderful place and I would encourage you to go there, but not as part of your Ironman.  When you are racing an Ironman, especially your first, pick one that makes life easy.  No need dealing with foreign languages, different food options, strange customs etc.  If you want to drink margaritas then take a trip after your IM.

4.    Couple other notes

a.    IM Canada is beautiful, I am bias having raced it 5 times but the advantages to Louisville and WI are you can drive instead of dealing with the hassles of flying.

b.    If you are an experienced Ironman athlete who is interested in “collecting T shirts” from all the races then go for it, the others are fine events. But, if you are a "virgin" or want to do well then pick a race that plays to your strengths and stick with it. I strongly believe part of what finally helped me qualify for Kona at IMC was I had raced there 4 times previously so I knew the route very well and knew how I was supposed to feel a the different points on the course. That knowledge only comes with experience.

c.     You don’t have to do Ironman every year, in fact your probably shouldn’t. Taking a year away from Ironman training will allow you to increase motivation so you are ready when it’s time to go again. You can often make more improvements in your 70.3 and marathon racing when not burdened with Ironman training. You can also do Century rides or focus on Olympic distance for a season.  All things that will make you a better Ironman athlete when you come back to it.

In summary, we train in the heat and the hills of the Midwest, so for your IM, especially if it is your first IM, do a race that will provide you terrain and conditions you are accustomed to.

Hopefully you have made the right decisions based on your needs and requirements. Once you have signed up, here are some things to do:

1. Have an “off-season”. For most of the races we are signing up a full 364 days before the event it is tempting to want to start “training” right away.  You must give yourself an opportunity to relax and be away from the sport mentally and physically for at lease a few weeks before your training season begins. The training will be hard enough come June, July and August, no need to hammer yourself in November and December.
2. Don’t wait on booking your hotel; they fill up as fast as the races do.
3. Plan on doing a Recon Trip, preferably in July. There are organized groups you can join at every IM or you can go there on your own or with some training buddies.  You want to plan the trip late enough that you are ready to ride the whole route but early enough that you can still impact your training significantly.
4. For a Sunday race plan on being at the race site no later than Thursday afternoon. This is a huge event; don’t start the weekend by feeling rushed.
5. Avoid adding other big non-triathlon events during your Ironman summer such as trips.  Travel is for later, the summer is for training.

New Uniforms

  

Photo of the new MTC cycling jacket and running singlet.  Few pieces available now, next order will deadline end of March.  Order form available on request.

Resolution Run #4

Can't believe it but here we are once again well into December which mean January 1st is just around the corner so it's time for the 4th Annual Resolution Run. Hope to see everyone January 1st at Muddy's on the Trolley Trail at 51st Street.

Should I run a marathon?

Have recently had a couple athletes send me their race plans for 2011.  In these two specific cases they had listed the Olathe Marathon in April.  Since I have had the same conversation with other athletes in years past, I thought it might be worth a blog post.
The question is, for a triathlete doing a 70.3 or full Ironman later in the year (Aug/Sept) as their seasons' "A+" event, should they run a marathon such as Olathe in April or Lincoln in May?  An interesting article titled "Should You Run a Marathon in Preparation for an Ironman? on Active.com by Amanda McCracken was sent to me by one athlete.  In it Amanda provides some great reasons to do so - base miles and mental prep are points with which I completely agree.  Where I disagree with Amanda is with the timing - "at least three or four months out from the Ironman" is far too close.

Early on in my IM career I followed the advice Amanda is providing; I regularly did the Lincoln Marathon in early May before doing IM Canada in August.  As I progressed in my understanding of the demands of the sport and developed a stronger understanding of what works and what doesn't for myself and others I have changed my feelings.

Doing a marathon nine months out from an Ironman, as she starts the article mentioning, does make sense to me and I have had a number of athletes do a marathon in the Oct - Jan timeframe before taking a break then starting their IM prep for Canada/Louisville/Wisconsin in Jan/Feb/Mar.  So I am not opposed the running the marathon, rather I no longer agree doing it in Apr/May is the best way to prepare.

Building up running mileage out of proportion to cycling mileage early on might seem to make sense since the weather is cold and so riding isn't much fun.  But the taper before the marathon and then the 2-4 weeks that an athlete might take to be fully recovered from the demands of running 26.2 at race pace can set the athlete's IM prep back as much as six weeks.  I have also seen a mental let down after a big event like a marathon.

Best story I can share is from my '98 season.  Third IMC, had a new bike and I really wanted to do well.  Trained really hard early and I set my marathon PR (3:07) in May in Lincoln.  Thought I was doing great but then did my slowest Ironman in August...  Lots of circumstances that went into that result but after that year I never ran as fast at the marathon but set a 25 minute PR at IMC #4 (over an hour faster than #3) and another 20 minute PR at IMC #5 in 2002.

So, if you are interested in doing an Ironman then doing a marathon ubefore hand is a great idea.  (Same can be said for having successfully completed a few 70.3 events and a Century bike ride or two.)  But that marathon need to be completed in the Fall before your Ironman season so you have the Holidays to mentally and physically recover and can start your Ironman journey in the New Year.