FauxRunner’s report on TriCoachGeorgia Ironman 70.3 Augusta Training Camp

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Full text taken from the FauxRunner’s Website here.

Ironman 70.3 Augusta Training Camp

The Ironman 70.3 Augusta Tri Coach Georgia Training Camp was one of the most anticipated events in my training calendar. Mr. FauxTriathlete had done it 2 years ago and I knew he’d benefited from it. There is more than one post that I want to write about this weekend (detailed tips and recon on the course, my personal experience on the course this time, other random topics that conversations over the weekend sparked).

Why attend a training camp? Why this one? Here are my 5 reasons to attend the TriCoachGeorgia Augusta 70.3 Training Camp.

 

1. You get to have a packed, intense, well organized and informative weekend

Remember the days long ago as a kid when you were excited for a sleepaway camp or even a sleepover, that was the excitement the days leading up to the camp. For the ridiculously low price of $100, the camp offered entries to two events – the Gator Fest swim (1.2 or 3.4 mile distance option), and Ride for a Reason (the 56 mile bike ride on the race course); along with seminars on injury prevention and race day strategies.

It’s all about the butt and gut. Strong glutes and core make all the difference in all three sports.

Increasing stroke rate on the downstream river helps you go faster. (I don’t know anything more about this since I’m such a bad swimmer anyway and I like my recovery stroke. If you have any questions on the how and why, I’m sure Ryan will be happy to answer questions)

If you take the first 10-15 miles of the bike course in blazing glory and excitement after the swim, the last 10-15 miles of the bike course will take you down.

Roads at Miles 17-25 are bad. You will find out how well your bottles are secure. Hugging the white line provides the relatively smoothest rides.

 

2. You realize that it is an Ironman 70.3, not P***yman 70.3

Yes, the word was said. Harvey is not one to mince words and the normally offensive word was appropriate as he drilled into us that this race was business and not a stroll in the park.

And I realized as much the last time I rode the course and at about mile 40, I told Mike that this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And it IS. There is a lot of marketing from Ironman that says “Nothing is impossible”. Very true. But only IF you put in all your effort and all your heart and even parts of your soul into it. Running 13.1 miles after biking 56 miles after swimming 1.2 miles is NO JOKE!

It will be hot, especially during the run – train to run in the heat of the day. It sucks, yes. But better now than on race day. 

It will be hilly on the bike course. But it gets flatter the more you ride hills. Prepare on hills, or simulate hills on the trainer if you are a flatlander. 

 

3. You come out of it feeling like the badass you are

(If you’ve been reading my journey and/or know me in real life, you’d know that I never use any out-of-dictionary words. So this one is special!)

My tryst with the Augusta bike course last month left mental scars that I’d worked hard to heal. I put that out of my mind as I started my ride and tried to focus on the fact that I had done the 56 miles once and I’d do it again. I had not only my determination backing me, but I also had the encouragement of course veterans who gave me cheers as I rode out. Chad who reminded me to tighten my core at the hills. And Brian who told me to leave the scars behind and ride. And Katie, who was the sweeper and rode with me until the first aid station. And Jeff, who stayed with/near me from the first water station until the end.

Even those riders who had a harder ride than they expected – you are a badass. You rode the miles fair and square. And now you know your strengths and weakness. Race day will bring back familiar roads and the memory of how to whoop the 56 miles.

The river swim is a source of nervousness for so many (me included who hates the cold water). But we all tackled it, we faced our fears. Even though Gator Fest 1.2 swim was my third dip in the river, I was still nervous and joked to Brian if he would yell at me again if I didn’t get into the river this time. I gave him no chance to. My wave was called. An extra breath of 1-2-3 and I slid in and started. That’s badass.

 

4. You make mental notes of the race course that mean something to YOU

When you do the camp and you do the course, there are some things that you pick up that are special to YOU. My notes might mean nothing to you and yours might not mean anything to me. But those are the little things that will get you through on race day. Maybe a memory of you toughing it out, or one that you rode next to a friend and shared a joke, or one that just gladdened your heart and made you smile.

The kelp and underwater plants in the river were actually beautiful and not creepy – with the sun shining through making patterns in the water and plants swaying smoothly along the flow of the river. 

Mile 32 is *my* hill, which is in the middle of the longest climb, where I had to stop the first time around. And funnily, there’s a farm next to it call “Laid-Back Farm”. When I passed that spot, I gave an internal cheer.

The road to the completion of the first run loop is one of the worst – going towards transition and I’m sure many athletes would be picking up their bikes by the time I’m running. But towards the end is *my* fire station where I fell last time and the firemen took care of me. 

 

5. You actually look forward to race day because you get to see your friends again!

Camp makes memories. There is nothing else to be said there.

I renewed friendships with people I’d met before and I made new ones. And I got to know people who I’d only known as a FaceBook name. And felt connected to other kindred spirits. I laughed, I blushed, I giggled. And for a brief moment, forgot that I had a real life to go back to. I reveled in the wonderful hospitality and organization of the TriAugusta Club and Mayor Awesome Jeff Spires.

Remembering that there is only 7 weeks minus 2 days left in the #LongRoadToAugusta brings me waves of nervousness but also excitement knowing that we are all together in this individual sport. We train hard and we play hard.

 

If you are planning to race Ironman 70.3 Augusta, I highly recommend this camp for recon and knowledge. If you have any questions about the race or the Augusta 70.3 training camp, please contact the coaches at TriCoachGeorgia and they will be more than happy to help you with your queries. Or join the TriAugusta club through the very active FaceBook group!

Kids and Families Come First! – TriCoachGeorgia

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Conditions in the Southeast and specifically Georgia have gone from bad to worse. The heat and humidity have become even more unbearable. However, the Reapers of TriKidsGeorgia and TriCoachGeorgia just keep at it. They have goals in mind and nothing will get in the way.

With July in the books, the team can now focus on the big month of August where many will join together at the Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman training camp on August 7th to 9th. This will include the Gatorfest and the Ride for a Reason. Many are racing the Tri to Beat Cancer later in August and this will serve as another important team event.

Coach BigBad‘s second free transition clinic for the Tri to Beat Cancer sprint triathlon to benefit the Cancer Foundation of Northeast Georgia was another huge success. Nearly 50 turned out and it was also supported by Georgia Cycle Sports Concepts, our partner. The focus was similar to the last clinic with time to bike and run after and contained an open water swim at Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia. The next free clinic will be held at 7:30 am on August 16th at the same location. See the facebook pages for updates.

Crows Lake Sprint Triathlon was held locally in Jackson County, Georgia aka home of the Horses, Angela and Reuben Adams. Ty Chambers aka LoneRanger and Brad Shepherd aka the Scalpel hammered home more great results with a PR and top finish in AG respectively.

Along with the TriKidsGeorgia, namely the Hayes and Stansells, Troy Garland aka Rolling Thunder was back at it, crushing a couple of road races. These likely helped the TriKids later at Youth Nationals. Lots of smiles and podiums were also garnered.

Skidaway Sprint Triathlon at the Landings Club in the Georgia Endurance Series via our affiliate Go Race Productions is next on many of the team’s list. This outdoor pool fast flat bike and run triathlon is a wonderful beginner race. Several team members including Xena aka Gina Farrell, EMANBOOM aka Esteven Price, a relay of Coach Slayer and #14 aka Jake Gayer and the Waltmans aka TaxSlayers made their way to the Georgia coast to do their jobs. Huge days were achieved with Xena on the overall female podium, EMANBOOM just off the overall male podium and taking AG, Jr Tax Dr 1st AG, Jr TaxSlayer 3rd AG, and the Slayers as the RedReapers taking 2nd. Special shout out to TaxSlayer for a huge bike split and our friend Joe Triathlon representing www.all3sports.com, as he was up on the overall male podium as well.

While #TeamHargrove crushed an Alabama Youth Triathlon, several TriKidsGeorgia headed to Ohio for the National Youth and Junior Championships. The races were not draft legal but were still very exciting. Participants included the Keaton, Harry, Jack Stansell, the Hayes and Duncans. Race results were stellar and the team was all smiles before and after the event!

Also in Ohio, our young stud Cullen took on USA Triathlon Junior Elite Nationals. Lauren (see below) Benedict was to race the Youth Elite Nationals. These races required qualification and were both draft legal. Cullen really did us proud with a strong performance. Sadly, Lauren wasn’t able to compete.

Lauren and Taylor Benedict worked hard all spring attempting to qualify for the USAT Youth Elite Nationals. Lauren qualified with Cullen in the great state of Washington at the Tri Monroe June and put in 8 weeks of hard work when a Friday training ride resulted in a severe bike crash. Her injuries were bad enough to sideline her for the next four weeks. It was a huge let down for this highly competitive Youth Elite and a highly emotional day for the whole Benedict family and Coach Spartacus.

Taylor remained mentally strong and showed up race day ready to compete. She had a solid day in her event and we know it could’ve been better if she not had the stress of seeing her older sister broken down from the crash the previous day.

It should be noted that this sport is as much mental as it is physical and any added emotional stress usually negatively impacts the physical performance. These girls will come back healthy and hungry next year. The team now turns the page to the next set of races.

There is even more to look forward to in August. We begin with Lake Logan Half Ironman in Canton, North Carolina is next week. The Lake Logan Half debuted in 2014 to amazing reviews and a sold out field.  Ironman Steelman 70.3 is just around the corner for #TeamHargrove, including both Taz and Coach KimPossible. Richard B. Russell International Triathlon will have team representation.

Later this month, the World Championship 70.3 for Speedy Gonzalez aka Lester Benitez is approaching. Taz aka Wes Hargrove and Judas Priest aka Judith Garrard turned down their slots this year to focus on other races. There are many other big training and racing events for the team. We can’t wait to see what unfolds.

My First Ironman Experience – a detailed race report by Gator – TriCoachGeorgia

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One of our original coached athletes, Chris Keysor, aka Gator, took a huge risk racing his first Ironman – Ironman UK. He did it abroad with his family in town in the United Kingdom at Bolton near Manchester. This required a great deal of logistical planning and pragmatic adjustments. He was supposed to race with Coach Slayer but that didn’t work out quite as hoped so he had to race alone. Fortunately, this allowed Coach to be on the course as sherpa and friend along with his wife Julie.

This is one of the hardest courses on the Ironman circuit. The weather on the day was horrible with winds gusting to 30mph and pouring rain for the early half of the day. His results were strong, his coach and he were satisfied with his day, and his family was all smiles. Gator wrote up a nice little summary that we thought might be of use to first timers and those racing difficult courses on tough days. Have a read and see what we mean:




My First Ironman Experience – a detailed race report by Chris Keysor aka Gator

Overall this is one of the tougher Ironman races due to the climbing and narrow roads; however, those factors are off-set by the cooler weather. In addition to the every day factors of the course, this day was specifically challenging because of the rain and wind.

I originally signed up for this race because Harvey was going and I thought I would be able to tackle the training and logistics better with him in attendance. Of course with his injury in early spring he was out of the race but was still there to guide me through the race. Oh and don’t forget having his lovely wife Julie there gave us someone that could get around the UK with ease.

Leading up to the race we arrived in Manchester on Thursday morning (3 days before the race). After little sleep on the flight over Thursday was really a wasted day, but we got to see the town and have a casual dinner. We did not sleep during the day so that we would get a good rest. Also, I assembled my bike in the hotel room. Luckily with the Scicon case there is very little re-assembly to be done. On Friday we took the train over to Bolton and started to get familiar with the town and get checked in.

Saturday Julie and Harvey drove up from London and we started to work through the logistics of racking the bike and my transition bags. Bolton has two separate transitions and a different finishing spot – making logistics particularly challenging. Luckily, Harvey suggested that I take a quick spin on my bike, which resulted in my first flat of the race. Interesting that the flat occurred with a latex tube with sealant in it. However, I made the change and decided to carry a 2nd spare tube on the race.

We had the pasta dinner at the hotel and made a fairly early night of it.

There were 2,157 people in the race and about 343 registered  in my age group. Of the 343 registered 266 finished (78%) and 27 started but did not finish (about 10%).

Swim Notes

• The swim was a time trial type of start where you lined up according to anticipated swim time and jumped into the water two or three at a time.
• The water temperature was 16 degrees Celsius (61 F) so as soon as I hit the water I started to hyperventilate and had to pull to the side to get used to the water.
• It was raining at the end of the first lap so we got pretty wet and made sighting of the buoys very challenging.
• The second lap of the swim (2-1.2 mile laps) was really enjoyable and I got into my rhythm.
• On the way to the water exit, I was able to see the lake grass on the bottom. It was so cool because it looked like golden hair waiving up and made me feel like I was going really fast. Sadly not true.
• I exited the water 88th in my age group.
• My goal was 1:20 and I was out in 1:18.
• It was still raining and quite muddy in T1

Bike Notes

• The bike is what makes this course. Over 5,400 feet of climbing you are usually either going up or down through the various villages and pastures around north England. Interesting that my Garmin recorded over 7,200 in gain but corrected out to 5,400.
• What made this race particularly notable was the rain on the first lap and the 20-30mph winds whipping you around on the wet roads and even once they dried out. I had a number of times that the wind moved me on the bike. As a result my down hill speed was very limited.
• It started out as a cold ride with a rain vest and arm warmers but finished with just my aero shirt.
• The crowds were incredible. They lined up through the villages and on the three main climbs. It was like the tour de france where the crowds leave you about 2′ to ride through. Not necessarily a good idea to get that close to someone that has lost most of his or her mental abilities. But never the less an incredible experience.
• On the second large climb I remember averaging 100% of FTP and wishing for another gear so I could cool it down a bit. I am a spinner up hills and really can’t pedal efficiently at 50 rpm. These big power efforts aided the 1.17 Variability Index. Burning lots of matches.
• Harvey and Julie drove my family out to the one of those hills to see us go by. A one hour drive resulted in a 3″ video of me, but I didn’t see them. Just too many people.
• The roads were really rough with people flatting and losing stuff off the bikes. I lost two gels and all my caffeine. By the end of the bike my mental fatigue was really high. I was experiencing joint strains and then my right eye started getting blurry as my brain was focusing on my dominant eye (very strange).
• The other thing about the roads is many of them were really skinny “2-lane” roads. I think 15′ wide total. Oh and did I mention that they drive on the wrong side of the street?
• I finished the first lap feeling pretty good and even made it up the 2nd climb in really good shape. There were not a lot of riders around me at that point making the roads more tolerable.
• After the second climb I started feeling fatigued. The wind continued to mess around with the bike and it was a struggle.
• The third big climb began a death march and my power really started to drop. (Mile 95ish)
• My family was at the transition of the bike, I heard them but couldn’t pick them out of the crowd.
• When I dis-mounted off the bike my feet were stinging on each step making me wonder if I was even going to be able to run. Turns out it was just from my feet being damp for 6 hours.
• I finished the bike in 61st place climbing 27 spots. I was 53rd fastest bike, not stellar versus other bikers.
• My goal time was 6 hours at 175 NP watts (73% FTP). I rode for about 6 ½ hours at 189 NP (79%). Also, Variability Index was at 1.17. I haven’t had a VI index that high since road racing, but suggest it was because of the hard climbs and coasting down hills (wind limiting speed).

Run Notes

• The run started with getting see Jolie and the kids. I hugged Aiden and he told me to go win. Zoe said she loved me and wanted me to finish but don’t dare hug her. I kissed Jolie and headed out.
• Harvey ran with me for 100 yards or so to give me some advice (it is going to hurt and try not to walk).
• My first ½ mile was around a 10 minute pace making me wonder how this was going to go.   By the end of the hill I was down to nine minutes and feeling really great.
• Interesting that the lack of caffeine did not hurt me on the run. My mental fatigue went away and my legs felt almost fresh.
• The run started out with a leg to get us in downtown Bolton and included a run along a gravel path down the canal.
• Once we got downtown we started a 3 loop course down one of the wide residential streets and ending at the finish line downtown. There were thousands of people along the route including church groups, bars, house parties and schools. At the finish line people were lined up 4-5 people deep with lot’s of cheering and music.
• The run course was just as hilly as the bike with two main climbs a lap, one lasting about a ½ mile. From the second lap on I walked the hills to preserve energy.
• When I ran by the finish line the first time I was at about 12 miles and really was devastated when I couldn’t go down the finish chute.
• Each time you went by the end of the loop you received a colored hair scrunchy that you put on your arm. Different color for each lap. All those macho men with hair scrunchies.
• The first lap ended around 13 miles and a pace of 8’50”.
• By the second lap I was down to around 9’03” .
• On the third lap I walked the hill and at the top started running again. I found a set of heels to follow and just hung on for the next 2 miles.
• At the turn-around, we both walked the sag stop and I introduced myself. We walked and talked to the end of the sag then he said see you at the finish. I let him go ahead not knowing whether I could start running again.
• About 50” later someone in my age group ran by so I started off again and by the end of the residential neighborhood I caught my new friend again and we ran into the crowd filled downtown.
• Jolie, the kids, Harvey and his wife Julie were on the last corner. Harvey had Zoe up on his shoulder and she was cheering, Aidan was next to the barricade and gave me a big smile and thumbs up.
• As we ran towards the line my new brit friend grabbed my hand and said we finish together mate.
• They announced Kyle and Chris you are Ironmen!
• I finished 42nd and had the 28th fastest run.
• I had the goal of 4:10:00 (9’30” pace) and I finished in 4:03:30 (9’18” pace).
• Who would have known my first marathon was my relative strength.

Transition Notes

• Normally I wouldn’t write anything about transitions but mine were horrible. 10:50 on the first and 6:45 on the second. Compared to the first place guy in my age group I had 10′ extra in the tents.

Big Thoughts:

From a data standpoint I was a little above target at 189 NP watts (.79 IF). That shows a good strong effort. However, what was real telling was the 1.17 VI. I don’t think I have ever run more than 1.1 VI. For instance Raleigh was 1.06. I am a much better pacer than that. But on this course on that day I could only heat it up going up the hills and much of the time down hill I was just coasting and holding on for dear life.

I think the other major finding was what happens without Caffeine. I think my neuro function was fatigued and shutting down causing my eye issue as well as pain in my right knee. Losing the Caffeine was a bigger deal than I would have thought.

Run – I know this Marathon won’t translate into anything else. However, it once again proves that pain is all in your head and you can get through anything if you want. I really need to get that mind set if I want to be under a 7’30” run on a half again.

Overall, I gave it my best shot. I had hoped for a 12 hour finish and made 12 hours 11 minutes. After an 8 month journey I will take the 11 minutes and declare a goal reached. So in the big picture, I am really pleased and think I will be in great form for my August half.

Really don’t know if I could ever finish another one of these. There was a certain fear of failure of a goal that drove me home.

Don’t be a Dodo Bird: Hire the Best Triathlon Coach for You – TriCoachGeorgia

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Everyone thinks their triathlon coach is the best. How can everyone be right?

INTRODUCTION

I am in the somewhat unique position of being a licensed professional psychologist and also a certified triathlon coach. I have noticed that these jobs have quite a few similarities. As such there are some things that can be said for each based on the other.

Good coaches are in many ways good psychotherapists and vice versa. Some of the best realize that you have to have a tool box of techniques and not just use one tool for each person. They also realize that a strong connection with their client or athlete trumps any techniques they may be versed in as the fundamental factor of change or improvement.

 

REPETITIVE SOCIAL DISCUSSIONS

I can’t tell you how many times I have read a good blog or a social media post about whether a coach is worth it, if I should get one, and/or what makes a good coach. Sometimes posts have a single sport focus as in should I get a running, cycling or swimming coach? Regardless, these are valid questions for many triathletes, including those new to the sport, those often injured, and/or those trying to improve their times.

The responses generally are favorable towards getting a coach if you can afford it. This usually is suggested because he/she helps you with scheduling, guiding training and racing, tailoring training to your limiters, or helping you to not kill yourself or be too lazy. The social media responses often indicate that nearly everyone has the best coach and they recommend their particular coach.

I love the praise as a coach (and psychotherapist) but wonder if it lacks validity without a wealth of data supporting it. This bias toward positivity for the current professional or type of treatment has been referred to in the psychological research by Rosenzweig as the Dodo Bird verdict. There is some debate in the field on the accuracy of the verdict but its a powerful reminder that human factors play a huge role in outcomes.

As a psychologist, I have seen how this same verdict plays out in the psychotherapy domain. Therapy clients love their therapist way more often than they hate them and often go out of their way to praise him or her. The discussion of the reasons behind the Dodo Bird Verdict is probably better left for a graduate psychology class. For triathlon blog purposes, I just want to show you how the psychotherapy outcomes research applies to coach selection and draw some conclusions about how to proceed in a hunt for the best coach for you.

By now you are probably wondering how you can not be a Dodo bird,which goes back to the Lewis Carroll book Alice in Wonderland, where the Dodo bird says after the race is decided that “everyone has won and all must have prizes.” Is every psychotherapist or coach a winner? Do we just look better to active clients because of a bias?

TRIATHLON COACHING IS LIKE PSYCHOTHERAPY 

How this applies to psychotherapy and coaching is that both are quite similar human services that are striving for positive outcomes through techniques that go above and beyond the common ones like therapy/training rooms, certifications, communication lines, rapport, and shared goals. There is a limited amount of common approaches in coaching and psychotherapy and there is a paucity of outcomes research in each, but moreso within the field of triathlon coaching.

Thus, we have to draw some conclusions from similar fields of applied human performance about coaching not based on anecdotes and marketing materials, but more heavily on the major findings in psychotherapy outcomes research. The latter are summarized below.

RESEARCH FROM PSYCHOTHERAPY

There has historically been minimal psychological outcomes research evidence, until more recently for particular disorders. But, from researchers like Wampold, we have learned some interesting findings like:

  • 1. one type of psychotherapist or technique is often not significantly more effective than another might have been (in helping maximize a human’s functioning or lowering the discomfort).
  • 2. treatment is better than no treatment,
  • 3. a variety of psychotherapist variables like sex,race, etc. did not account for much if any variance in outcomes.

WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO

So, if not the therapy technique (provided they are one of the vastly used or common types of techniques) or the match of sex, race, or other variable about the provider, what makes one psychotherapist or coach and his/her techniques better than another for you? It largely boils down to goodness of fit and strength of bond. Yes, it is the relationship or alliance that matters most. 

HOW COME WE HAVE TO FALL BACK ON PSYCHOTHERAPY OUTCOMES RESEARCH FOR COACHING?

Back to coaching to not get too far afield. Like their counterparts in psychotherapy, the field of triathlon coaching is not documenting outcomes very well unless you think tweeting every good athlete race and not the bad ones, or listing all accomplishments and not listing failures on a webpage is documenting outcomes.

Also, one can argue about the type of outcome that needs to be measured. How many did the coach lead to a podium or world championship qualification? And just because a coach prepared a Kona Qualifier, what has he/she done with helping Joe or Jane Age Grouper to fulfill his or her potential? How many DNS’s (did not starts) or DNF’s (did not finishes) did they produce? Who is the best value in terms of what they bring to the coach-athlete relationships? Does a particular coach have flexibility to use different tricks of the trade or do they use the same ones for all athletes all of the time to motivate or improve an athlete’s performance?

As can be seen with these questions, not only would the research be difficult to conduct for a triathlon coach, it would be a very complex question. Ultimately, the athletes suffer for lack of a acceptable answer to these questions. They have to go by word of mouth and advertising that is inherently biased and negative information is often obfuscated.

A BETTER WAY TO APPROACH THE QUESTION OF WHO THE BEST COACH IS FOR YOU

So we end up back to the questions we started with. How should you make the call about whether to have a coach and who would be the best coach for you? There are lots of tips to help you with triathlon coaching selections already. A quick google search will help you find them.

My suggestion is to attend to the goodness of fit more than other variables. Don’t allow the Dodo Bird Verdict to cause you to short change yourself. Here are some ways to figure out the elusive, yet essential, goodness of fit. In other words, these suggestions and questions below will help you determine who really is the best coach for you:

TOP 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A TRIATHLON COACH

  • 1. What can you afford? This is important as if you are overpaying you will regret that soon after and if you are underpaying you might undervalue the services.
  • 2. Generate a list of coaches through various means that you think you will jive with, can trust, and might work harder or longer for.
  • 3. Ask for HONEST opinions from trusted resources on what coach would fit with you. Maybe target those triathletes with coaches that you trust and/or have seen improve.
  • 4. Ask coaches privately who they would be coached by and why?
  • 5. Scan their social media if that is an area that may be important to you and gain clues. Some give none, others give moderate amounts, and some give lots of shout outs. Will that help or hinder you?
  • 6. Be aware of your personal preferences. Do you perform better for cheerleader, hard nose, or nerdy types. Do you work harder in other areas of your life for a more stereotypically maternal or paternal type regardless of sex? Be careful not to settle for someone that won’t push you outside your comfort zone if you want to improve.
  • 7. Interview the coach and ask for outcome information, training approaches, and current and former athlete names (preferably ones that fired them). Make sure there is nothing that sounds fishy. Trust is key. Ask each coach for a list of a few current and former athletes. Then call these athletes and ask for input and what reasons are given for the failure or success.
  • 8. Assess how much time they will have to communicate with you and how transparent they will be with answering the questions you may have about the big picture or little things like lingo (e.g., negative split, tempo, lactate threshold).  In doing so, see what kind of caseload they have and what other demands or limits they might have (like no communication between 9am to 5pm).
  • 9. Ask for a sample training week of training sessions to review after you give them your availability. Maybe have them assess your current regimen and comment on it.
  • 10. See if they have any questions of you and if they are able to offer a realistic plan for your progression and an honest assessment of your potential based on your accomplishments to date. Provide more information about your goals, short- and long-term as needed.

MAKE A DECISION

Now you should have more information that you need to feel most comfortable with your decision. Weigh out the positives and the negatives for the sample of coaches you investigated. If you are one who goes by feel to some degree, it may be best to honor your visceral feelings (i.e., your chemistry with the coach you think brings the most to the table in terms of goodness of fit).

If you are not comfortable, table the decision and do more investigating or “sleep on it” for a few nights. You may ask the coach you decide on if they are amenable to a 3 month trial to see how the fit is and try not to make a long term commitment if you are nervous. However, invest fully after all of this time investigating the most important variable, how aligned you will be with your triathlon coach.

SUMMARY

To summarize, in my opinion, favorable psychotherapy outcomes are like favorable triathlon coaching outcomes. Positive outcomes are difficult to come by but definitely there for the taking with hard work, motivation, and good guidance.

Psychotherapy outcomes research tells us that psychotherapy (vs. no psychotherapy) is worth the time and money and there are not a lot of techniques or variables that stand out except in some narrow cases. However, the one variable that clearly does is how closely the psychotherapist and client are aligned or how good they fit together. This relationship is of the utmost importance and seemingly translates well to triathlon results/outcomes in my opinion.

Triathlon coaches are generally valuable resources for triathletes who will mostly be more effective than with no coaching for the vast majority. No particular coaching style or technique is shown to be all that more effective than another no matter what you may be led to believe on the interwebs. The best coach for you is likely the one that is likely to get the most out of you due to your strength of bond.

Finally, do not listen to the Dodo Birds. Be careful choosing your triathlon coach (or psychotherapist for that matter) based on what you read in a form of social media. If the price is right, and you have done your homework in interviews and a bit of background assessment, invest in a coach with whom you think you can build a meaningful bond. It most likely will give you better race results.

Augusta Half Ironman Training Camp – TriCoachGeorgia

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As the 2015 Tri Coach Georgia Augusta Half Iron Training Camp approaches, we are getting daily emails about the camp. Some are folks sharing their excitement, some question why we have changed formats or the order of events, other folks question places to stay, where to eat, what can friends or family do while participating in the camp. A lot thank us for hosting the camp which leads me to reflect back on how we got to this point and why we do this at all.

Coach Slayer and I met several years ago through BeginnerTriathlete.com. I was a newbie prepping for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Augusta and looking for a used wet suit. Phatknot as was his handle in BT was selling one (and a newbie himself). We connected and I drove to Athens from Augusta one rainy March morning and met him at his now infamous Pain Cave on Slayer Lake; Although he had yet to place even a toe in said lake. We met at his house, I grabbed the suit and headed back home with us both happy about the transaction and never thinking of seeing one another again.

Fast forward to August when I was sitting in the Marriott Riverfront Hotel at my first ever triathlon camp and across the room I see Phatknot (I didn’t come to know him as Slayer until Ironman 70.3 Augusta race weekend when he stayed in my home and that’s a whole other blog about that!!). We acknowledged one another and during a break began recollecting as to why we were familiar to one another when we realized simultaneously that we had done business together earlier in the year.

We swam, rode and ran together that weekend and left the camp completely at peace about the race course and what to expect on race day. We also became friends and followed similar paths in the multisport arena which brings me to this camp this year.

We do this camp for many reasons. One is that we love the sport and the people that make it what it is. Another reason is we want everyone to have a chance to be the best athlete they can be whether that is a world champion qualifier to a cut off time beating finisher. We also know several very dedicated athletes that didn’t make cut off times and are still champions in our eyes because of the commitment to themselves to do their job. We do it to give back to a sport that has brought us new friendships and has taken us places we would have never thought to go without triathlon. We do this for the reasons why we went to our own camp, to ease the apprehensions of the newbie.

I received an email last week by someone telling me how nervous they were about the race. They were following the training plan and triathlon and long distance runs weren’t new to them and they were still nervous. The unknown does that to us. We fear, sometimes to the point of non-action, that which we do not know or understand. As coaches, we help you face those fears so there is no apprehension. A quote on my Road ID is, “Know pain, No Fear” as I believe fear is simply a lack of knowledge.

We do this camp so you can have no fear. We want you fearless on race day from knowing you have went through a long, hard, hot and arduous weekend traversing every inch of the race course guided by coaches and other athletes that have been in your shoes. We all worry about the cold and dark river. The river weeds, the current, the snakes and the alligators. We all worry about the bike course and hills (they get flatter the more your ride them) and the heat. We worry about that miserably long, flat run course. It takes mental toughness to run a straight, flat 1.5 mile segment only to turn and do it again another 7 times and we teach you how to do it. We do this camp so you see all the course and have the tactics to crush it!

We do this for all of you. We would do this for just one of you. We do this so on race day you #DOYOURJOB and #REAPWHATYOUSOW!

See you at camp.

Brian Patterson, aka Coach Spartacus

The Training & Racing Never Stops – TriCoachGeorgia

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As our famed Augusta 70.3 training camp directed by Coach Spartacus approaches, the fun never ceases in the land of the Reapers! Racing is thinner in the hotter areas but still carries on throughout the month of July.

Training is getting serious as a heart attack for many of the team facing huge races in August, September and October. Coaches Spartacus, Slayer, BigBad, and KimPossible are going the extra miles to get their athletes ready to rock!

On July 19th in Bolton, United Kingdom, Gator aka Chris Keysor took on the Ironman UK as a destination race and his first and perhaps only 140.6 distance race. Along with Gator’s dedicated and loving family and 1000’s of spectators, Coach Slayer and DocSlay aka Julie Gayer were there in support. Coach Slayer could not race due to his injuries from the April bike wreck but was honored to be on course for his athlete and good buddy.

Gator trained very hard for the race, executed his race plan perfectly, and it showed as he banged out a top age group result on a beautiful, albeit very rigorous, course under very challenging conditions. Many of his supporters followed along closely from home. The pictures tell the story and now he moves on to his A race of Ironman Augusta 70.3 in great shape!

Meanwhile, back in Georgia, the TriKidsGeorgia just kept hitting it hard in their training and racing. They travel the world and still find time to get sessions in. Even the adults have found time to travel long distances to train together.

On the youth side, Simon crushed the Georgia State Swim Meet. We also had Freeman take 2nd place in age 6-7 and Jack achieved 3rd in age 8-9 at Chopped Oak Youth Triathlon in Clarkesville Georgia. This was a great showing for the boys there and these races are always a fan favorite!

Also, TriKidGeorgia Keaton joined the crew to train with his teammates in Athens from his home in Atlanta. It paid off as he was back on the top of the sprint triathlon podium in Jacksonville, Florida at the Jacksonville Tri Series. He was joined by HOSS aka Bradley Odom, who raced and made the podium for the olympic distance and who battles through some trying times at work but still manages to do good racing!

EMANBOOM aka Esteven Price and All3Eedee took on Tri the Parks Mistletoe Sprint Tri. All3Eedee represented our affiliate www.All3Sports.com well with a 2nd in AG and EMANBOOM took out his new bike and burned it up on the hilly course with a mixed terrain run. He took 3rd in a stacked Male Masters.

Special shout out to Katie Fredo, BreakingBad’s girl, who crushed her 1st triathlon ever with the help of Coach Spartacus’ free training plan. Let him know if you want it as well.

Gruesome aka Dr. Lisa Harrigan showed up on the age group podium in the First Capital Sprint Triathlon in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The race, at Guthrie Lake in Historic Guthrie, consisted of a 500 meter open water swim, 12.6 mile bike, and 5k run. Now, she moves on to an even longer distance triathlon.

Down in the land of the Hargroves, Columbus, Georgia described by TriColumbus as the “mecca of triathlon”, Tom Hargrove repped the Reapers proudly at the Chattahoochie Challenge Sprint Triathlon.

Rolling Thunder aka Troy Garland and Virginia Brooks got back to their racing roots and took on the Escape to Blue Ridge Tri the Mountain. This was an incredibly scenic sprint triathlon race in the North GA Mountains. The swim was in the crystal clear waters of Lake Blue Ridge. The bike was an 18 mile out and back crossing over the lake with mountains towering in the background. The run left the Marina and headed towards town on Old Highway 76 and he was cheered on as he entered the Historic town of Blue Ridge ending in front of the Gazebo with the band “Playing On The Planet” rocking as he ran past the finish line. Both performed admirably and Virginia grabbed a top spot on the age group podium sporting her Reaper kit!

Finally, Coach Cube aka Fred Meher of our friend firm, TriCoachFlorida.com brought the heat and felt the burn as he raced the next in the MultiRace Mack Cycle Triathlon/Duathlon Trilogy Series. Many of you know this is the the oldest triathlon series in South Florida. Cube has been stellar fighting through the elements this year in spite of big changes in his life including moving houses, building his coaching firm, and working hard, and his results were strong again. He proudly took 2nd in age group.

With July soon in the books, the team will soon focus on the big month of August where many will join together at the Augusta 70.3 half ironman training camp on August 7th to 9th. This will include the Gatorfest and the Ride for a Reason. Many are racing the Tri to Beat Cancer in Athens, Georgia later in August and this will serve as another important team event.

As you can see, the team is busy and happy. If they aren’t racing they are training. And if they aren’t training they are hanging out and laughing together. Hope you can join us. Thanks again for following along. We will look forward to seeing you soon perhaps at one of our free open water sessions, a triathlon clinic, or training camp!

Triathlon Coach Kim Hargrove and TriCoachGeorgia Interviewed for the Wall Street Journal

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So the story goes that over at TriCoachgeorgia, we have been working hard at building our website www.TriCoachGeorgia.com. This is a major undertaking as anyone who has taken on such a task knows and it’s a fluid process as we keep unrolling new facets.

We have been working with the best multimedia brand developer, Mr. Flynn Kaplan of DoggHouse Productions. He has designed new art, helped organize our content, made us standout. In short, he has raised our google rating to the highest levels.

Thus, we should not have been surprised when we were cold called recently by the Wall Street Journal writer, Ms. Rachel Bachman. When we asked her how she got our our name and number, she said she searched for Triathlon Coach and we were the first ones that came up on her search. She was writing on the topic of how to hack time. In other words, how do busy triathletes find the time to train.

After interviewing Triathlon Coach Slayer and Triathlon Coach KimPossible, she also interviewed one of our athletes, Seth Waltman aka TaxSlayer. She obviously interviewed some other athletes. In the end, she took the content she wanted most and that came from Triathlon Coach KimPossible. Below you can see the article in its’ entirety. There are many great tips therein. The moral of the story is if you work hard, often their are positive results. Hence our team hashtags of #DoYourJob and #ReapWhatYouSow!

 http://www.wsj.com/articles/secrets-from-triathlon-training-how-to-find-extra-hours-in-the-day-1434989146

Freedom and Liberty – TriCoachGeorgia

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The Summer keeps on rolling for our reapers. July 4th was our nation’s independence day and our crew went out strong for their country, families, and team. Lots of smiles, PR’s, and podiums again were the story. TriKidsGeorgia and TriCoachGeorgia represented well alongside many of their counterparts from other clubs and teams.

Early in the week the TriKidsGeorgia had their King of the Mountain championship before bike practice. However, little did they know that to win the title and the donated KOM jersey from World Champion Melissa Hauschildt and her husband Jared they would have to climb the mountain of pickled beets by eating 6 in the quickest time among their male and female counterparts. This competition was designed to keep it fair despite age and ability as every kid can eat pretty fast. Congratulations go to all the participants, even those who vomited, and the winner Ellie.

Later in the week, several of our athletes ran through the pouring rain in the famous longstanding Peachtree Road Race. According to their website, the Atlanta Journal Constitution Peachtree Road Race, organized by Atlanta Track Club, is the largest 10K in the world. In its 46th running, the AJC Peachtree Road Race has become a Fourth of July tradition for thousands of people throughout the metro Atlanta area and beyond.

Darth Vader aka Darsh Cook, Kim M., the Duncans (Caroline and her Team Dad David), IronMouse aka Amy Peavy-Smith, the Drs. Terminator, and new team member Wendy Metcalf ran hard. The latter even achieved a massive PR in her first race with the team under the stellar coaching of Kim Possible. Kim M. also did the #PRR race after scoring a midweek 3rd overall woman at the Robbins AirForce Base 5k!

Over at the Firecracker 5k/10k Road Race in Hampton Georgia, Rolling Thunder aka Troy Garland and Firecracker aka Erica Carter both took top honors in their respective age groups (RT at 5/10k and FC at 10k). The former even took an astounding two minutes off his previous 10k PR!

In Devil Hills near the Outer Banks of North Carolina, TaxSlayer and TaxDr. aka Seth and Becky Waltman and their kids Ben and Allison ran the Freedom 5k while on vacation on Monday July 6. Results were strong across the family. Lots of smiles were to be had too.

Many of the other Reapers are digging deep for their late season races. Long bricks and runs are on the docket and the team is already stacking up yards and miles in all three disciplines.

A couple of the other bigballers from the team, BigBen aka Richard Nasser and Speedy Gonzalez aka Lester Benitez are staring down their Summer half ironman races, Ironman Muncie 70.3 and HITS Kingston, NY 70.3 respectively.

To wrap things up in this weekly summary blog, we should mention that training and racing are not all that is going on with the team. We are losing weight, keeping fit, and giving back to the sport in various forms and fashions.

We are working hard and looking after our families. We also find time to socialize online and in person. We support the TriKidsGeorgia achieving their dreams. The team is all about developing a close community that is welcoming of diversity and a range of ages, ethnicities, orientations, and abilities.

We don’t court professionals and elites. We court you, the everyday man and woman who uses multisport athletics to round out your life. Give us a call if you want to learn more about what we can offer you!

 

It’s Heating Up! – TriCoachGeorgia

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It’s been a relatively mild weather pattern for the earlier part of the year but June has seen a massive jump in humidity and heat. We are all finding our paces dropping and heart rates increasing. We try to find the cooler spots and times to train just as we are hitting the meat of our training years. Some races are still taking place but it’s definitely time to step back some pace expectations and play strategy more conservatively.

Some big races took place this weekend. First and foremost was the Ironman Coeur D’Alene which took place in record highs. Breaking Bad aka John Dunavant headed out from Augusta, Ga to Idaho in hopes of slaying the 140.6 distance. He was one of the many negatively affected by the cancellation of last year’s Ironman Lake Tahoe due to the fires and smoke nearby.

BreakingBad raised money for the Ironman Foundation Community Fund Program, benefitting non-profits in Ironman cities, as a part of Team IMF. Many don’t know that a $100 registration fee gets you on the team and a $3,000 fundraising commitment gets you to the start line. He learned a lot out there and did his team proud.

Back near the home bases of the team, as part of the Georgia Endurance Series that still has several race to go, the Go Race Productions that we sponsor put on the Hartwell sprint and olympic Triathlons concurrently. The Olympic swim takes place in Lake Hartwell. The course was 1500 meters clockwise with buoys being placed at 150-200 meter intervals. The bike course was a 40k loop on rolling hills and the 10k run was an out and back course, which is fairly flat.  The sprint course was approximately half the distances of the same courses above.

We had the following athletes racing the Olympic, Rolling Thunder aka Troy Garland, Xena aka Gina Farrell, Social D. aka Danielle Cheek, and Tax Slayer aka Seth Waltman (sprint). Joining them in her first race sporting the reaper was new team member, Virginia Brooks. In the sprint, the TriKidsGeorgia sent Jack H. and Jack S. to compete. Results were fantastic across the board with every racer on the podium. On a tough course with tougher conditions, the athletes dug deep, the TriKids showed great sportsmanship and the event drew great reviews too!

The team had great representation at the 5k for a Kidney. The 5K for a Kidney was held at Oconee Veterans Park (OVP) in Watkinsville, GA and benefited the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), which is a national 501(c) charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. OVP is a favorite park  of many of our local Athens runners and the race is where TriKidGeorgia logo designer Caroline took Overall Female and 14th overall! Also CJ O’Mara PR’d the distance took 2nd overall and 1st in AG.

On Sunday, the team sent an athlete to the Chattanooga Waterfront Olympic Triathlon. According to the website, “this sellout intermediate distance triathlon is one of the top races in the southeast, brought to you by Chattanooga Track Club and Team Magic in the heart of downtown Chattanooga., Tn.” Athletes faced a fast, down river swim, a challenging bike course and a scenic run along the city’s TN Riverwalk. Longman aka Karl Langenbach, did smashingly. He took 8th AG and swam 9:05 MINUTES faster this year than he did last year. Also , he ran his fastest 10K since college there.

Finally, the MadHatter aka Michelle Hughes jumped in a local Colorado short course race, the TriBella Sprint and nailed a 1st in AG and 7th Overall. She continues to crush her season with Coach Kim Possible helping her PR every distance.

All told, it was another stellar week for the team that is reaping what they sow. We continue to grow, perform well, and smile more than most firms. The TriKidsGeorgia have great role models for life and we welcome our new additions to the team with open arms.

 

Quick and Dirty Triathlon Transition Tips – TriCoachGeorgia

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Quick and Dirty Triathlon Transition Tips

 

Transitions are Essential Parts of Triathlons

Trust me, Coach BigBad. I have won and lost races in transition. Indeed, transitions can make or break your race relative to the competition. In this blog we give you a brief review of some tips to help you shorten them up and gain the time that may help you improve your race day performance.

No Substitute for Preparation

Everything starts the week before. Don’t neglect assessing the course if possible. This will help you know about how to dress and gear the bike on race day. Practice all fine (e.g., snapping helmet) and gross (e.g., mounting the bike) motor movements at least three times. The week before, make a check list that will help you prepare on the nights before the race. These are widely available on the interwebs so don’t slack off and come in unprepared. Regardless, here is an example.

Sample Transition and Race Day List

Swim Tri shorts, swimsuit, or tri suit 2 sets of goggles (i.e., one tinted and one normal) Bright-colored towel Wetsuit Bike Bike Helmet Cycling shoes and socks (if wearing) Sunglasses Water bottle(s) Nutrition Tool Kit: tube, CO2, levers, multi-tool Floor pump (pump up your tires before you leave home but leave the pump in your car just in case) Run Running shoes (2 pairs if you have a late start time. One to leave in transition and one to warm up in) Race belt Hat/visor Other Training device (Garmin, Timex, etc.) & heart rate strap Body Glide Sunscreen Vaseline, powder, band-aids Blunt nose scissors for sticker origami Post-race, warm change of clothes.

Day of the Race

On the morning of the race, get there in plenty of time, be mindful of how long it will take to park and set up transition. People take for granted the time spent waiting. Avoid the stress and be an early bird.

Set up transition on a small towel. Make sure you know where your spot is. Some mark their race with some bright materials like xmas tinsel and others use bright chalk on the ground. Rack bike according to your needs and position, knowing which side is necessary (depends on the race) and make sure it is in the proper gear (easy gear if there is a hill leading out of transition)

The Race is On

T1:  Make sure you know where you bike is as state above!  This will save you a lot of time and frustration.  If a wetsuit or skin suit is worn this may sound simple, but remember to TAKE it off (I’ve done the bike portion in a skin suit before, not my finest moment). Stand up while taking it off, this will save time.  Also, what you wear during the swim is what you should wear the WHOLE race (ironman excluded, if desired).  It is WAY harder to put a dry garment on a wet body than you think.

Make sure you put your helmet on and have it buckled before you leave transition (I also have left my helmet in may car so make sure you have this and your cycling shoes).  Either put your shoes on at your bike or have them attached to your bike and put them on after you mount.  Make sure you know where the mount line is and mount your bike only AFTER the line.  If the area is congested, move to the side or up a few feet/yards to get onto your bike.

T2:  Coming into t2, know where the dismount line is and slow down well before you reach this area.  Dismount BEFORE the line.  If you keep your shoes on your bike make sure your feet are out of them. If not, while getting into t2 be careful not to slip on your cleats as you will be in a hurry and still have momentum coming off the bike AND you will be more tired than you think you are.  Head into transition toward you rack (know where this is again)!  From here place everything in their proper spot, take helmet off and grab everything you need for the run, shoes, gels, hat, RACE BELT and have a great run!

Conclusion

Again, preparation and practice will make your life a lot easier on race day. Also it will help with your race time. Hope you all have a great race and we look forward to seeing you out there. #DoYourJob and #ReapWhatYouSow!

TriCoachGeorgia Announces New Team Member Option

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Brand Explodes

TriCoachGeorgia as a team and as a brand has grown in leaps and bounds since their inception in 2012. The kits and other gear with it’s Reaper and logo on it are some of the easiest to spot and are visually alluring. They don’t just look good however. The team has taken the Southeast and other parts of the country by storm. It’s difficult to list all the accomplishments but there are many. Some are tangible and others like the level of camaraderie are less so but still clearly evident throughout the community online and at races.

For example, our Ironman course training camps in Augusta for the 70.3 and Ironman Chattanooga, as part of the Free Facebook Forum, are among the most well attended in the country. These are met with almost uniformly positive feedback. Registrations continue to pour in.

Proof is in Results

The website is one of the highest ranking websites in triathlon coaching and our private facebook forum is perhaps one of the most active in the country. The team has won the USA Triathlon’s NCC Challenge in Division IV, were top 10 overall, and, pound for pound, the team’s athletes logged more yards and miles per person across sports than many of the biggest clubs in the country.

On the national level, TriCoachGeorgia has had numerous world championship qualifiers at 70.3 and 140.6 distances as well as Xterra. Locally, many of their athletes are killing their local triathlon series like the Georgia Endurance Series for Go Race Productions and the Multirace Series in South Florida. Results at races reflect the team’s motto’s of #DoYourJob and #ReapWhatYouSow.

Give Back

This team of Reapers are promoting the youth and beginner participation in the sport via service to sport such as free coaching for the TriKidsGeorgia and free clinics for beginners. One example is our series of free clinics for the Tri to Beat Cancer for the Northeast Georgia Cancer Foundation. We have volunteered at many races and offered support to athletes regardless of team. We also promote healthy fueling options via free webinars such as the ones given by Coach Slayer for Generation UCan.

You can Join Them

Because of all of these accomplishments, there has been a ground swell of interest in joining the team. For those choosing not yet to utilize our coaches but want to be a part of the team, we have an affordable option. This new team membership option as opposed to the coached athlete option is being announced to meet a need in the larger community looking for a home within a bunch of other misfits that seem to fit so well together. Please have a gander and contact our head coaches, Coach Slayer and Spartacus, if you would like more information.

USA Triathlon National Challenge Competition Champions TriCoachGeorgia 01
TriCoachGeorgia

Father’s Day 2015 – TriCoachGeorgia

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After another grueling week of training and recovering from last week’s races, the Reapers of  TriKidsGeorgia  and  TriCoachGeorgia  moved on to whatever challenges faced them. All of our athletes have a lot to brag about so far. There’s never enough time to capture it all but we sure do try!

Weekdays and nights are jam packed with swim meets for the youth. These TriKidsGa also practice bike and runs three times weekly under the supervision of Coach Slayer and parent and athlete assistant coaches. They’ve not let anything stand in the way of their progress as athletes.

Gruesome aka Lisa Harrigan headed out from Oklahoma to Kansas for the Tinman Short Course triathlon at Lake Shawnee. She entered from the Beach and followed a clockwise pattern for the swim course for the 400-yard course. Then she was challenged by the rolling terrain of Southeastern Shawnee County. There were beautiful countryside views and a tailwind on her way back into transition. Finally, she ran counterclockwise around the lake on the paved running path. This was a 3.1-mile out/back. She did awesome and took home 3rd in AG!

Xena flexed her leg muscles at a local road race. She took home 1st in AG in the Miles for Meals put on by Fleet Feet Savannah. The conditions were stupid for this race, but Xena managed to overcome and do her job.

Coaches BigBad and Slayer led the first of three Tri To Beat Cancer training clinics at Sandy Creek Park. Many attended and the feedback was uniformly positive. There will be two more of these clinics before the race.

The Northeast Georgia Cancer Foundation and Tri Coach Georgia are teaming up to once again offer FREE transition clinics and open water swim practices for this popular race in Athens, Ga. Participants received good on course exposure and were well pleased with the free coaching and training plans. Optional runs and bikes were offered.  This clinic began with an informal talk, where questions and concerns were addressed. We then proceeded to practice what we’ve taught. Equipment, safety and technique were covered to help participants get comfortable with triathlon challenges. Come and join us in July and August!

Later in the day, Coach BigBad hit up the Georgia State Cycling Road-Racing  Championships and nudged  himself to the overall podium! According to the their website, the GCS brings the best events in Georgia together for a year-long points competition. The events offer a varied group of races with great venues, community support, prize money and racing competition.

Alan W. of Watkinsville Jittery Joe’s also banged out another Go Ruck Challenge with one of the TriKidsGeorgia Dads, Marcus W. They were up to their usual hi-jinx there. If you haven’t seen this new form of misery, go check them out.

Enthusiasm is key for Keaton of the TriKidsGeorgia. He drove from Atlanta to compete with Hoss aka Bradley Odom in the Jacksonville, FL Sprint Triathlon Series. The swim was a 1/4 mile in the Atlantic Ocean, with the bike and out and back on the flat coastline of scenic Amelia Island. The run finished up with 3 miles out and back through the North Fletcher island community. Results were as expected, stellar with another 1st in AG for Keaton and Hoss digging deep to show #NoQuit!

In addition, our young stud Cullen and his younger counter part 13 year old Lauren Benedict went to Monroe, WA this weekend to re-qualify for his third and qualify for her first National Championship respectively. “TriMonroe is one of four venues that offers athletes between the ages of 13 and 19 the chance to race in the Elite draft-legal format and earn a spot on the starting line of the USAT Youth Elite or Junior Elite National Championships.” Both performances were pretty amazing considering all the travel it took for him to get to and from there from his adopted home at Cal-Polytechnic, where he is on their Triathlon team, and for her from the Southeast. Both qualified for nationals in their respective divisions!

Sunday started with a roster in South Florida with Coach Cube of tricoachflorida.com. He was leading his AG at the Multi-Race Olympic Triathlon Series until late in the run and ended up second despite a lack of quality training time as he moved homes. Still, it was a great showing and top notch performance in the sweltering heat!

Over at Callaway Tri, new coached athlete Hacksaw aka Trey Sawtelle busted loose and finally broke the 50 mins barrier after 11 years, good enough for 2nd AG and a top overall placing percentage. He was joined by Tom from #TeamHargrove, who banged out a 2nd AG, and TriKidGeorgia Mom and Daughter Lindley aka Fred who dropped 8 mins off her time. Also there was Social D aka Danielle Cheek and hubby Mad Dawg and their son Hammer aka Haden and a host of other friends of the team.

This highly successful Sprint Triathlon, now in its ninth year, featured a 1/4-mile swim around Robin Lake in four to five feet of water (or less, closer to the shore); a 9-mile bike along nine miles of gently rolling terrain and a 2-mile run along Robin Lake Circle. The easy and scenic course is popular among beginning triathletes.

Finally, the team boasted the two Horses, IronHorse aka Reuben Adams and DarkHorse aka Angela Adams on the grueling Ragnar Relay in some ridiculous terrain and muddy conditions. Their team came through for their leader Dani of Total Training Center in Athens Georgia on her 50th birthday. Both suffered and learned a lot!

As you can see, the team just keeps steamrolling through the season. Athletes of all ages are smiling and busting PR’s, qualifiers, and podiums wherever they go. We can’t wait to see how the rest of the year goes. Thanks for reading and contact us if you are one of the many who are interested in, or who have already expressed interest in, joining up. We would be glad to provide you with references from past and present athletes.