Athlinks.com

Was checking some results recently on athlinks.com and realized a lot of people still don't know about this great site or that you can join the Midwest Triathlon Coaching group. If you haven't created a profile I encourage you to do so. You will be amazed that they already have most of your results already in their system, they are just waiting for you to claim them. Click on the link above, type in your name and check it out. You can create a profile and upload a photo.
Please join the MTC group using this link -

http://www.athlinks.com/affiliate/455/Midwest-Triathlon-Coaching.aspx

Do I need a Coach?

I recently got an email from an associate asking for some advice as she gets ready for Ironman Kansas 70.3. Her situation is not unique, so I felt some info about her and my response might be of interest to others, so here it is:

Bit of Background:

She is the mother of a young child, is married to a supportive husband. They both have strong athletic backgrounds - marathons etc., but this is her first 70.3. She shared that she was feeling overwhelmed and was very busy with work, family and other commitments. She also stated, "I am getting little bits of information from everywhere. It's hard to make sense of it all and put it into practice." She went on to explain that she had a "plan" but was already concerned about it. "It's kind of like training for my first marathon, fear of the unknown." She wrapped up the email with, "I'm not sure that I need coaching, I just have a lot of questions."

My Response:

Dear ____,

Interesting that you say you don't need coaching yet you are overwhelmed, confused and afraid. Isn't answering questions and reducing anxiety part of what a coach does? The main reasons people hire me are so they don't have to figure it all out on their own and, as my motto says, they arrive at the start line "confident to go the distance".
My advice would be, if you developed or picked a plan then commit to it and be 100% confident in it. If you aren't sure about it before you even start then its not the right plan for you, that anxiety will only grow as you do your training. I believe for an athlete to succeed they must have confidence in three things, without all three the chances for success are greatly reduced:

1. Themselves
2. The Plan
3. The Coach

There are a lot of resources out there - too many. I have worked with athletes that want to try every new thing they read on some random website or in an article in Triathlete Magazine. My job as their coach is to keep them focused on the task at hand and have them commit to their training rather than spend time reading blogs or articles with lots of conflicting "advice".
With that said, the best book on long course triathlon training is Going Long by Gordo Bryn. I have followed Gordo's career as an athlete and coach for many years. I spent a week with him at a training camp last summer and I agree with his coaching philosophy. I recommend his book to any 70.3 or IM athlete looking for more knowledge. But, though reading a book can be helpful, trying to put the concepts into practice for yourself for an event that is less than 5 months away is another thing altogether.
I had suggested earlier that you consider taking advantage of the Kansas 70.3 training plan I have put together for KC Multisport members, I continue to encourage you to do so. If we work together to achieve your goals the anxiety will fade and your questions about what, how much, when, how often, how hard etc. will start to be answered.
Regards,

Ken

Tips for the New Year

Been discussing goals and plans with a lot of athletes lately so wanted to post up some ideas that I believe are very relevant for this time of year.

1. Set believable and achievable goals – Have a look at your past logs (hopefully you have kept one, if not see point # 2) and your race results. You can certainly improve your performance by training smarter, getting others to help you and improving your knowledge. But if you want to go faster or further then you will also need to figure out how to train longer and stronger. Do you have more time to commit to your training? If not, then planning on smashing your PRs might not be realistic. Ultimately you will need to put time in the saddle, on the road and in the pool if you want to improve.


2. Create and follow a structured plan – To get where you want to go you need a map; the same is true if you want to arrive at your “A” race completely ready to perform at your best. The plan must factor in your work and family schedules, your “B” and “C” priority races, your strengths and weaknesses as an athlete, as well as your past experiences. Once the plan is made you need to follow it, but be willing to make adjustments along the way as necessary. You also need to log what you are doing so you can see what went right and what needs improvement.


3. Work on technique now – Once your training gets hard and heavy you will have less time and desire to focus on the finer points of swimming, biking and running. So now is the time to have someone film your swim stroke and provide pointers. Concentrate on pedaling complete circles while sitting on trainer. If your bike is not comfortable this is the time to get a new one or add some new parts and get re-fit on your existing steed. As for the run, work on improving turnover and minimizing the time your foot is on the ground. Most top runners can maintain 90 steps per minute or better.


4. Focus on becoming a “balanced” triathlete – By which I mean, focus on your weakness. Look at how you compared to others in your Age Group in the three disciplines and determine in which event you are losing the most when compared with others. Then concentrate on being stronger physically and mentally in that event. (A note for those who believe it is "okay" to ignore poor swim performances – swimming is technique based, you can improve your speed and efficiency relatively easily as compared to the other sports by improving your flexibility and balance in the water. See tip #3 then stop giving up time to your competitors by putting yourself through a four-week heavy swimming technique phase in the winter, your riding and running will have plenty of time to get in line before your first race)


5. Don’t be a “January Champion” - Too often people train really hard in January and February only to be mentally burned out or physically injured long before the real race season gets under way. Unless you are training for New Orleans 70.3 or some other early event, there is no reason to be logging big miles and high intensity sessions over the winter months. Instead save the motivation and desire for May, June & July, when you really should be working hard and training long. Being really fit on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you will be that much more fit on the 4th of July. The health clubs and spin classes are full of people who don’t miss a session in January but are no where to be seen in June.

New Uniforms & Training Gear

Due to popular demand I am excited to announce new uniforms and training gear for Midwest Triathlon Coaching athletes. I have been working the past few months with talented artist and good friend Arch Fuston to put together a great design. Through Arch's work at active.com he has been introduced to a custom cycling clothing company from San Diego called BLP that is developing a new line of high quality cycling and triathlon clothing called ZOCA. MTC will be one of the first groups in the US to be wearing these items.
In addition to cycling and tri jerseys pictured above we will have cycling and tri shorts, and tech tee's available. The best part of this whole package is the gear is being provided to MTC athletes at below cost due to the support of three MTC athletes that agreed to be jersey sponsors:

1. Davis Ketchmark & McCreight
2. Sullivan, Bautista, Morgan, Allen & Chronic, and
3. ACT Dental Practice Coaching

Deadline for the gear order was January 31st but thanks to some flexiblity on the part of the manufacturer the new top secret, extra special double extended deadline is now Thursday, Feb 11th. So to place your order click here.

If you have any questions about the gear please contact me at kwelsh1@gmail.com

Look forward to seeing lots of MTC athletes sporting the new gear in 2010!

New Year's Day Resolution Run

Please join us for the New Year's Day Resolution Run.

Which IM to do?

Few weeks ago I added to a discussion on the KC Multisport site regarding which Ironman to do. Have heard some feedback about it so thought it would be worth posting up here too.

Let me add to the debate as someone who has done 8 IMs and coached another 20+ people to successful finishes as well.

For a KC based athlete I would NOT recommend IM AZ or Cozumel. Too late in the year to peak, days are short, weather is cool/cold then you suddenly have to deal with hot or humid conditions. You are setting yourself up for potential failure. Even trying to peak for KONA in October has been tough for me. Florida would be a similar situation though it usually isn't as hot.We train in the heat and the hills of Kansas, 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 and where you can drive instead of dealing with the hassles of flying - IM Louisville or IM Wisconsin.

If you can't get in this year then wait and sign up next year. If you have to do it this year (not sure why?) but the regular spots are sold out then donate the extra money and get a Community Fund slot. Doing that is still cheaper and will make for a much better experience than trying to do an Ironman in Mexico. If you want to drink margaritas then take a trip after your IM.

If you are an experienced Ironman athlete who is interested in collecting T shirts from all the races then go do Arizona or Mexico, they are fine events. But if you are a "virgin" or are wanting to really do well then there are better choices.

Article in KC Business Magazine

Very honored to be featured in the September issue of KC Business magazine. It is a wonderful article about how I started Midwest Triathlon Coaching and some "business" lessons I have learned along the way. Bit intimidating to be on the cover of a magazine that features stories about top CEO's and others who are running huge companies. Thank you the staff and my friends at Anthem Media for all their support in the past and now. To read the full article click here.