Long time...

Sorry I've been MIA.  Having a baby will do that to you.  I was able to get right back into my coaching after having my baby but getting back into my own training has been a different story.  It's definitely given me a different perspective with my own training.  Priorities shift when having a baby.  I involve her in my runs and incorporate her in my strength workouts a lot of the time.  I'll hold her and do squats or heel raises.  Do planks or push ups over her and make silly faces.  She loves it!  She joins me on runs and loves the outdoors.  Bike and gym time have been hard to come by, harder to get a babysitter than I thought it would be.  I thought I'd be able to do a race beginning of the season but that isn't going to work out like I had hoped.  I'm hoping to do a race mid to late season.  We want to set a good example for our daughter and show her how fun it is to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

On the coaching front my athletes are doing fantastic!!  Lauri had a very successful first race of the season making it 2nd out of the water, 4th on the bike, and having a great time on the run.  Robert posted a PR at the last 5k he did.  Way to go guys great way to start the season!!  Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season goes.

Protein and Sports Drinks

Here are a couple of articles on sports drinks and protein.

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/The-Truth-About-Endurance-Athletes-and-Protein.htm

http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/09/should-you-use-carbohydrate-protein-sports-drinks.html

Congratulations Lauri!

Congratulations on qualifying for Nationals!!  Way to go Lauri!!!  So proud of you!!!!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013!  The holidays are winding down...  Off season is in full swing for triathletes and marathon season is just starting up.

With a new born my half marathon season will start later than it normally does.  Also, my tri season will  probably start a little later as I work on getting back into it all after having a baby.  What a journey motherhood has been so far!  I'm really enjoying it!  I opted for an unmedicated home birth.  I figured since I have successfully completed two full Ironman races I could go through labor without any pain meds.  From what I had heard and read about labor I figured it would be like an iron distance race... an endurance event.  It was more rewarding than an IM because of the wonderful little bundle of joy I received but so satisfying knowing I endured labor without any drugs.  Such a sense or accomplishment.  My labor was quick and it was more like an olympic or sprint tri than an iron distance tri.  I can take that labor experience and apply it to my future racing and training.  I'm hoping the example my husband and I set for our daughter rubs off and she enjoys triathlons (or any of the one sports involved) as much as we do!!

I hope you all had a wonderful 2012 and 2013 brings much joy and fitness to you!!

Happy training and off season relaxing!

Coach Angy

Off Season...

Most people have had their last race for the triathlon season or are about to.  Off season is a time for a break and relaxation.  Not only a physical break from the regular racing season training but also a mental break.  Here is a great article on recovery in the off season.

Enjoy!  Happy resting!!

11 Ways to Recover From Race Season

By Karen Buxton • For Active.com

Fall finds most triathletes wrapping up their race season and looking forward to some well-deserved rest and recovery. For the same reason that you should build rest days into a week of training, as well as reduced-volume weeks into your training cycles, your body and mind need time to recover at the end of the season too.

This rest period should be four to five weeks within your yearly cycle to help you properly recover from the accumulated wear and tear of in-season training and racing. You've logged endless hours in the weight room, at the pool, on the bike, and in your running shoes; and now you need to take a physical and mental break from your highly structured training schedule.

This is your offseason—a chance to give your body the time it needs to rest and repair following the racing season.

More: How Long Should Your Offseason Recovery Be?

If you have trouble sitting still, you can engage in some light activity—especially if you want to try a new sport. This can help you maintain a decent level of fitness without putting the stress of structured training on your body and your mind. Just be sure to take a few total rest days, without any physical activity, too. Taking a day or two of complete down-time each week is a great way to let your body know that you care.

Alternatively, you don’t want to prolong these periods of inactivity for the entire transition period, or you will have to begin from square one when you start prepping for your next race season.

More: Time Investment Tips for the Offseason

Here are 11 things you can do to help your body get the rest and recovery it needs during this transition period:

1. Lose the training log and relax.
2. Do absolutely nothing for at least a few days.
3. Ditch the road bike and hit the singletrack on your mountain bike.
4. Take to the running trails.
5. Ride or run with a beginner triathlete.
6. Lock up the heart rate monitor and exercise by feel.
7. Try something different like yoga or Pilates.
8. Take long walks with the family and/or dogs.
9. Take the kayak for an easy paddle.
10. Stay away from the master's swim group and don't count yardage.
11. Sleep in, sleep in, and sleep in some more.

Great end of season race...

Congratulations Lauri on her 1st place finish at Cy-Fair Tri today!!  Way to go!!  I'm so proud of her!!!    She has worked really hard and it shows!!  Perfect way to end her season!!!!

Great races!

Two great races by Aloha Multisport athletes today!!!  Lauri had a PR at Du the Bear and Robert had a great performance at the IBM Classic!!!!  Way to go guys!!!!