Bike Trainer for the Winter

I finally set up my bike trainer for the winter tonight. I used to dread using an indoor trainer because of the monotony I've come to the point where I don't mind it so much now because I can watch movies, spinerval DVDs, or just watch TV. The spinerval DVDs are really helpful because they push you hard, and the time goes by relatively fast. The advantage of using a bike trainer is your actually riding your own bike so you can ride aero, should be already fit for your body dimensions, improves pedal efficacy, and is obviously more realistic than a spin bike (no free wheel). Here is a pic of my setup.

2009 race schedule

After careful consideration, this is my race schedule for 2009. I've included the date, race name, and type of race it is, A, B, C - A race is a top priority to do well, B and C are more preparatory races.
April 4th - Loop the Lake 8K - B
May 30th - Dam to Dam 20K - B
June 8th - Copper Creek Sprint - B (assuming that my wife doesn't do the race)
June 14th - Kansas Half Ironman - B
June 28th - Hy-Vee Triathlon - A
July 18th - Lifetime Fitness Triathlon - tentative
July 27th - Big Creek Tri - B
August 16th - Pigman Half-Ironman - A
September 14th - Ironman Wisconsin - A
October 18th - Half Marathon - C

This is what I have so far for the season. I have the races spread out far enough where I have enough recovery time, and the ability to include in a few peak weeks between the Pigman Half and IM Wisconsin. I would like to participate in a duathlon next fall as well.

Have you made your schedule for next year yet? What races are you doing next year?

New Triathlon Class (for those in Des Moines, IA)

I am coaching a new triathlon training class at 7 Flags Fitness Center starting January 5th. It is open to the public and for the first 6 weeks it is free for members and only $5 a day for non-members. Below are the details

Who
All levels are welcome, from beginners to advanced

Great way to change your workout routine to get in shape, lose weight, and improve muscle tone

What
2 workouts a day (Monday-Thursday) including pool work, spinning, running, and sport specific weight training
As the weather gets warm, the class will include transition training, open water clinics, and nutrition and race specific training

When
Starting January 5th – A great way to start the New Year!

Why
Great workouts for a new way to get in shape, lose weight, and improve tone
Training specifically geared for the Hy-Vee triathlon on June 28th

Cost
6 weeks FREE for members, $5 per day for non-members
After 6 weeks the fee is $199 for members and $299 for non-members per 6 weeks

How do I sign up?
Contact Matt Getting at mgetting@7Flags.com or at 515-490-4670

Class is already over half full, so sign up quickly!!

Race Season Planning

Now that we're well into the holiday season, and the racing season is pretty much done for the year it's time to reflect on your past season, and begin planning for next year. From a reflection perspective, I like to look at what went right and what are some of the opportunities I want to focus on improving for next year. How was the spacing of my races, did I do too many, not enough? Could I have made any tweaks to my training plan? I also like to re-evaluate pre-race nutrition and race nutrition and understand which was the best combination.
For race season planning, I evaluate what other things are going on in my life - baby, wife, job, vacations planned, other possible factors that could effect my races. Every year responsibilities evolve, and goals change. As I'm planning my season, I'm going to set my season goals first, then plan my races (as far as dates/location, and feasibility), then rank the races as either A, B, or C. A means it's a race I want to PR, where B and C races are more preparatory for the a races.
How do you plan your races?

Running with the Dogs

Whenever I have a recovery run or a semi-endurance run (4-8) miles I try and take my two dogs with me. Unfortunately the dogs don't get too many opportunities to go on runs anymore so they start off at a fast pace while still trying to smell everything around them. After a few blocks they get into a rhythm and all is fine and good - relaxing, calm, and peaceful. All of the sudden, for no apparent reason, one of the dogs will just stop by digging his paws into the ground, causing my arm to jerk backwards. He'll walk around, sniff, and then off we go again. This will happen at least 4-5 times between the two dogs on the run. Typically I have one dog leash in each hand, but there has been times when the dogs think it would be a good idea to go over to the other side, which causes the leashes to tangle, and then I face plant into the ground falling over the leashes. Good times - looking back it's pretty funny. One of my favorites is when we're running in the Greenbelt and Bailey, the more observant dog, spots a rabbit or other critter in the woods and darts directly into that direction, which pulls us off the path. It is often a challenge to take them for a run, but they love to get out and enjoy the fall running days.

Rae Gene Burger

On Saturday my wife and I attended the Annual DSMTri Clubdinner. One of the featured speakers of the evening was Rae Gene Burger. She began her endurance career by doing marathons - she did 35 by the age of 40. She decided that she wanted to give triathlons a try - she didn't even know how to swim, but she joined the YMCA and learned to swim - soon afterwards, she did her first Ironman. She has done Ironmans in Brazil, Japan, Europe, and made 10+ races in Kona - the World Championship for the Ironmans. By the end of her career - ~ 65 years old she completed 39 total Ironmans. Rae is also a dedicated mom and grandma.
The reason I bring this story up is because, a) it is a testament to how absolutely amazing the human body is, and b) anyone can accomplish their dream and goals if they are willing to put forth the effort, and make the sacrifices necessary. If you set the goal, put in the work, have the support system, and wake up everyday reaching for that goal, you can do absolutely anything.

For my birthday, I got a new aero helmet. Some studies have shown that wearing an aero helmet can increase your speed by 1 mph. There are a lot of unknown variables in validating the study, but 1 mph can be pretty significant in the longer races. For example, going 1 mph faster can save about 5 minutes off your biking time in an Olympic triathlon, which is pretty signficant. I hope to get an opportunity to take a ride this weekend to try it out. Below is a picture.