I got my workout in the freezing water today again but you know what? I am starting to get used to the temperature of the water here. Sounds crazy, I know, but there is something about it that is different than any other body of water I have swam in. I also talk about some travel tips with your bike and what to look out for this weekend in San Francisco!
Duration : 0:4:47
Tomorrow is an exciting new race day for me. I have been trying to figure out when to start competing in duathlons and I chose tomorrow for that day. I started thinking about my last race and the weakest, for me, is my swim. I had a very specific deadline in my head and when I came out of the water 2 minutes behind schedule, it threw my entire race off…. you know how competitive I am!
In addition I have some footage of me working on my bike mount and dismount to help decrease my transition times. I am using my “Tri-Clips” for the very first time in a race.
Duration : 0:6:0
A quick recap of the 4th of July Duathlon and preperation for the Key Biscayne Trilogy #2
Duration : 0:6:23
We arrived in San Francisco without any problems. Checked into our hotel and I headed out on a five mile run. There is no way I could have properly prepared for running on these hills… man it is tough! I ran past where the race transition area will be for the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon and also went to check out where I will be exiting the water. By the way, did I mention that it was FREEZING out there!
Duration : 0:4:37
I’m a 15 year old female. Recently I’ve been on a bit of a health and fitness spree, and I’ve added swimming into my exercise routine. I really enjoy swimming, and as I am interested in doing a triathlon in a few months/year once I’m decently fast on all of the events, I’m starting to time myself and train for a sprint tri distance. I timed myself (on front crawl), however, and I was disappointed to see that it took me 20 seconds to do 25 yards, and I’m *terrible* at turning (water goes up my nose and then I swallow a bunch of water and come up gasping for air), so it only gets worse afterwards. I looked it up, and it seems like 10 seconds is a desirable time for 25 yards, so I’m starting to think my technique might be a bit off, because no matter how much energy I put into it, I can’t go past 20, and I feel like I should be going faster. From your experience, is there a "key" to gaining speed, or will I just have to keep trying?
First of all, 10 seconds for a 25 is HAULING!! There are few women in the entire world that can go that fast. A more reasonable goal for someone of your experience is 15 seconds … then a BIG goal would be to break 14.
With regard to your turn, here is a long explanation of how to do a turn. It assumes that you already take long strokes and can do a somersault. If you follow these instructions, I doubt you’ll get water up your nose which is almost grounds for quitting!
This is a VERY THOROUGH explanation on how to do a flip turn. Read it, study it, practice it in front of a mirror and, when first in the pool, out away from the wall.
First of all, as you are coming into the wall, keep your head down (chin tucked in) in the water … do NOT look forward at the wall. Looking forward is a very common and terrible mistake. Look at the BOTTOM of the turn target.
You must glide into the wall with your hands at your hips (chin tucked in) however, the shorter the glide the better. So, your glide should only be about 2-6 inches long. A lot will happen at the end of that glide.
You might want to practice the following instructions for doing the somersault aspect of the turn out away from the wall so you don’t have to worry about being too close or too far away.
Do the next few things sequentially, but so close together they almost occur at the same time.
As you get to the wall (or practice away from the wall), with your chin tucked in and at the end of your 2-6 inch glide, when you think your head is going to hit the wall … do a dolphin kick and DUCK! As you dolphin kick and duck (remember, your hands are at your hips) you turn both palms of your hands so that they are facing the bottom of the pool (palms facing the bottom is absolutely CRITICAL — many swimmers will turn one hand, but not both).
As you curl at your waist your head goes to where your feet WERE. As your head comes around press on the water with the palms of your hands (remember, palms are facing the bottom of the pool) – it is almost as if you are pulling the water from the top surface of the pool toward the bottom of the pool. If you do this properly, your head is going to come around to your hands and your hands will end up around your head or your face. It will feel as if your hands are doing very little.
If your hands are not turned as I described, you’ll do your turn improperly and you’ll feel one (or both) of your hands waving or swirling around in the water out away from your body. Still (and always) keep your chin tucked in.
Your feet should end up about 1.5 feet under the surface of the water and you’ll be mostly on your back. The moment before your feet hit the wall, begin your push off. Your toes will be facing upward toward the sky and tilted either left or right. Which ever side your toes face, that is the side you’ll twist onto AFTER your feet leave the wall. That means as you push off the wall, you’ll be on your side and then twist onto your stomach after you push off. Still (and always) keep your chin tucked in.
All of this time, you MUST keep your head down (chin tucked in) – with hope, that aspect of the turn is very clear! If you keep your chin tucked in, with the exception of your hands being stacked and your arms squeezing your head behind your ears, you will already be in streamline position. All you’ll have to do is stretch your arms out and you’re gone! You already know how to push off the wall.
I am packing up and saying goodbye to Florida as I head out to San Francisco California to prepare for my Escape from Alcatraz Race. I just finished packing up my bike and realized that I am WAY over-packed! This will be an interesting week of video blogs while I am out there so please stay tuned!
Duration : 0:6:31
Yes, today was suppose to be my day off but there is no way I can let a day go by without dipping my toes (frozen toes) into this cool, brisk water. I need to try to overcome that hyperventilating sensation you get when you are first submerged. It takes a good 5-10 seconds to get your body under control so you can continue with your swim.
It was very busy at Aquatic Park today… HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
Duration : 0:2:46
The time is ticking…. ticking… ticking away and my race day approaches. Only a couple more days before the big event and I think it is time to reveal my secret weapon, my Computrainer. This amazing piece of equipment allows you to train on a bike from the comfort of your patio or garage. What is especially unique is the Real Course Video that allows you to actually ride and feel the course!
Duration : 0:8:2
What an amazing day and what an amazing race. Anybody who has the opportunity to do this race, you MUST do it. It is going to be tough to beat this one event though I must now hunt out that next perfect race. The weather was kind enough to hold off for the day and we had perfect weather conditions. Calm waters, no breeze, no rain… yeah! This video will break down the race section by section. I have lots of information to tell you about so if you have specific questions, please ask!
Duration : 0:6:23
This is it. It all comes down to tomorrow. The months and months of physical training I have done in combination with the mental hurdles of this particular race all boil down to tomorrow morning. I went to pick up my race packet this morning and it was a muddy mess. I can’t imagine what it will be like tomorrow if the rain does not stop. Good news on that front, however, and it looks like the worst of the weather might come on Monday and NOT tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed!
Duration : 0:3:36
