Race Specific

  • Blogs, Mindset, Race Specific

    Post Race; What Should I Do the Day After a Race?

    Post Race; What Should I do the Day After a Race?

    What’s up Triathletes?
    What you do the day after a race can be a little confusing. It depends if the race you just completed was a long, hard effort, an “A” race or just a training race – meaning you are still training for a faster or longer race in a few weeks or months. Most races will take more out of you than a normal training day due to getting up early and all the mental and physical fatigue regardless of how hard you raced. It’s a call you must make based on how you’re feeling when you wake up, how long your race was, and what you’re training for.

    Sleep – Please take the day after the race to sleep in or at least take a nap the same day of the race. There is no better recovery tool than sleep.

    Complete DAY OFF – If this race was your “A” race and you’re ready to take a break, take a complete day off. Take the time to analyze the race results while they are fresh in your mind by writing a post- race report. Go through all the details of the race exactly how you remember them and write down what you struggled with and what worked well, along with all the race data. You can use the information for strategy and planning for future training and your next race. If you have a coach you would want to review the notes with your coach sometime during that week again while it’s fresh in your memory if you wait too long you won’t remember these things.

    Active Recovery – Another option is to do a little active recovery. That means training for 1 hour or less at a very aerobic pace, with low heart rate. Some examples:

    – a 45- minute easy spin at 90 rpms with HR under 120.

    – A yoga class or some mediation and breath work

    – 45- minute swim with fins

    – 30-45 min low heart rate run and 15 min stretch and foam roll session

    Massage – Heat and Ice bath- getting a post- race massage can really help speed the time of recovery along with sauna/ hot plunge and cold plunges. All this just helps to improve circulation and move the lactic acid out of the muscles so you can get back to regular training without feeling the fatigue in your body from the race.

    The mistake I see a lot of athletes make is going right into a hard training session the day after a race and by the end of that same week they are exhausted or sick because race day can be very taxing on the body if you don’t allow one or two days of easy training to ease back into your routine you can end up getting sick or really tired by the end of the week. So even though you may have tapered or gone easy the entire week before the race I still recommend taking one or two days very easy after the race and by the end of the week get back into your training program.

    Nutrition – The last thing to consider post race is a good nutrition plan. Hopefully, you rewarded yourself somewhat after the race with a treat that you would not normally eat – like ice cream or pizza. If you are working on your power to weight ratio sticking to your nutrition plan post race can really help you get a big jump on your calorie deficit because you burn so many calories on race day. If you continue to eat healthy that day you will feel so much better the next day. I also really believe in a special reward for race performance, so if you’re craving that pizza or beer or some kind of celebratory food, that’s the day to do it. It’s always your choice.

    Then, the next day after the race get back on your nutrition plan of clean eating and drinking tons of water to recover and it will help make you feel so much better going back into your training program.

    I hope this article helps you in some way!

    Feel free to ask me any questions or leave a comment.

    Wishing you well,
    Coach Erinne
    Full Circle Coaching
    Where Performance Meets Balance

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  • Blogs, Race Specific, Run

    How to Take Minutes Off Your Triathlon Transition Time Instantly

    It’s all about the socks

    Socks or no socks???
    I don’t recommend wearing socks for short course racing or training (sprints and Olympic distance triathlons) because it slows you down.

    Not wearing socks can  save you tons of time in your transitions.  Putting dry socks on wet feet while balancing on one leg is no easy task, especially when your heart rate is at 160 or higher. So, why not learn to race with no socks. It’s simple really!

    Powder and JellyMy trick to not wearing socks is using baby powder and some kind of non- petroleum type lubricant.

    Put your run shoes on and walk/run for just five minutes.

    Notice areas on your feet where you feel any chaffing or rubbing around your heel or anywhere on your foot.  That is the place you want to take your foot out of your shoe and add a little dollop of lubricant.  Then continue running for just five more minutes, then put socks on if you are running longer.

    Watch How to Video Here

    Next time you go running do the same as above but run for 10 minutes. Continue adding five minutes duration onto each run with no socks.  The baby powder helps absorb moisture in your shoe from the swim and or sweat. Using a squirt of baby powder in each shoe with a little lube on all the rubbing points will help you stay blister free and allow for a super quick transition. Of course make sure you are using Riplaces to make your transition even faster. Riplaces are elastic, no tie laces that allow you to slip your running shoe on like a slipper, no tying needed. Use fullcircle to receive a 10% discount on a great pair of laces.

    Happy Transitioning!

    Remember to comment if you liked this blog and or have any questions you’d like me to answer regarding triathlon training, racing or heath and wellness.

    Wishing you Well,
    Coach Erinne

     

  • Blogs, Erinne, Race Specific

    Pinch Me, I’m Dreaming!

    Erinne Guthrie

    Pinch me, I must be dreaming – It’s official! I’ve started my training for the ITU (International Triathlon Union) World Championships for Sprint Draft Legal Race in Cozumel Mexico, September 15, 2016

    This level of competition is all new for me, as I’ve never competed at Worlds’ or even Nationals’ (even though I’ve qualified many times). For whatever reason, it wasn’t important to me to travel and compete at this level until now. I’m not sure why at the age of 45, but I am choosing to go for it! This race is totally different as it is a draft legal race on the bike, which makes it a completely different type of triathlon than the way I have been competing for 20 years. I’ve only done 1 draft legal race which is when I qualified by the skin of my teeth. I started in first out of the water and ended up 9th across the finish line. With almost zero training going into that race, my friends talked me into competing because all I had to do was get top 10 in my age group. I said I think I can do that even though it was only a few weeks after my retinal re-attachment surgery (read that story here).

    So, this is real, I am going to Cozumel in a few weeks (EEK!) and I have been training pretty seriously. I have also never talked about my own personal racing as I am always focused on helping my athletes. So this is new for me as well. I decided I’m going to share my journey with whoever is interested in reading along. So, if that’s you, I will be sharing a personal blog every week or so about how my training is going and all the ups and downs of managing life, my daughter, the training and all the stuff in between!

    In my first post about my journey, I wanted to specifically thank my sponsors without whom this journey would be much more challenging. Triathlon may seem like an individual sport but that is far from the truth on many levels.

    So, thanks to Body Health and my favorite product of theirs called  Perfect Amino, which I cannot live without my daily 10- they completely allow me to recover and hang on to the muscle that I seem to burn so easily when training hard. I’ll explain more about how I use them in a nutrition post coming up soon (use our promo code for a 10% discount when purchasing if you want to try them, FULLCIRCLE).

    Thanks to TEAM Footworks, where I have been shopping for running shoes and accessories for the last 20 years. If they don’t have it they will get it. I love Laurie, JP, Ralph and the team there, they are knowledgeable and very helpful (mention Full Circle for the best pricing).

    Thanks to my amazing client Audrey Ross who I admire greatly as a successful business woman,  entrepreneur, athlete and friend who owns Miami Real Estate for supporting me on this journey.

    Thanks to All 4 Cycling  and all the team at their 2 stores. I needed a new road bike to be able to compete at this race and I am ecstatic about the TREK I got. Simply put, it is the Rolls Royce of bikes for me; Look for a great post about the details of this bike coming up (mention Full Circle for the best pricing when shopping at All 4 Cycling).

    Thanks to Riplaces my favorite elastic laces on the market today! I use them in my running shoes and Vibrams (use our promo code Fullcircle for 10% off your purchases).

    I am filled with gratitude by all the people and companies supporting me on this journey; MOM, thanks for the plane ticket.  Marc Pro – I use this thing everyday (use our promo code FULLCIRCLE for 5% off).  doTerra Essential Oils a large part of my daily health and wellness routine.

    Also, a big thanks to my Full Circle Team, my coaches, In Balance Physical Therapy, The Stretching Company, Partners in Health and the multitude of fellow athletes, friends, family and colleagues wishing me well and supporting me along the way.

    On top of it all, I feel super excited for this to be happening during an Olympic year and with the USA women’s triathlon team having a chance to win GOLD at the Olympics; It’s both inspiring and motivating.

    Thanks for reading and wishing you well,

    Erinne

  • Bike, Blogs, Race Specific, Swim

    Aquabike – What is it and Why you should try it

    What’s up Triathletes?
    Multirace is now offering an AQUABIKE at many of their races in 2016. This is an added bonus for those athletes who are unable to run. An Aquabike is the swim/bike portion of the triathlon. So, you can choose to do the sprint, international or Half Ironman distance race minus the run. This can be a great way to stay involved in the sport of triathlon even if you have an injury and are unable to run, or simply just don’t like to run. I will recommend an Aquabike to athletes who want to learn how to push hard in the swim and bike and not have to worry about suffering on the run because your race is over after the bike. This is a great way to stay competitive and learn to pace yourself at a higher intensities just simply because you don’t have to worry about running off the bike. When triathlete’s have an injury that doesn’t allow them to run, racing an Aquabike can keep your swim and bike competitive and ready for when your injury heals and you can race a complete triathlon again.

    I spent a whole year unable to run 10 years ago and I was able to stay in shape and still keep racing by competing in Aquabikes. Not many races offer them in Florida so this is a great added feature to racing with Multirace this year. If you are competitive, there is good news too! MiamiMan is the Long Course Aquabike Qualifier for World Championships this year. So if you do well you can qualify for World Championships in the Aquabike and travel to compete on an international level to represent the United States!

    If this is something you are interested in sign up today.
    Any questions please reach out to me for professional triathlon coaching.

     

    Erinne Guthrie is a USAT Level 2 Coach since 1999 and Owner of Full Circle Coaching. Our triathlon programs offer the most effective way for triathletes to break through the obstacles holding them back from their ultimate triathlon performance. Erinne has over 20 years of experience motivating triathletes across hundreds of finish lines worldwide using techniques that focus on ways to increase their individual strength, speed and conditioning using holistic methods, expert coaching and accountability to out perform the competition. Email Info@fullcirclecoaching.co.

  • Blogs, Mindset, Race Specific

    PLAN Your Race & RACE Your Plan

    PLAN Your Race & RACE Your Plan

    This coming week is about getting mentally and physically prepared for race day. 

    Not much fitness can be gained between now and Race Day on Sunday. 

    I encourage all my athletes to write out a race plan.  Starting from Saturday morning before the race, to the end of the race and even post-race recovery strategies. 

    I ask them to include everything they plan to do to prepare for the race, what they will  eat, how much sleep and any other important details.  It is all written out in a positive light, especially the race itself. 

    After you have written it out you can close your eyes and visualize the race scenario exactly as you want it to go many times before the race start.  By positive I mean like this:   “I will start off to the side of the main swim pack and duck dive under the waves, repeating my mantra (reach for the buoy).  I will sight every 5 strokes to stay on course. If I get out of breath I will roll over on my back to breath for 5 breaths and roll back to swim, kick and breath.” 

    Avoid the negative thoughts by thinking “I won’t get a flat and I won’t walk.”  Instead say “I will run the entire portion of the run course” or “I will change my flat quickly if it happens.” 

    If you don’t know how to change a flat, get to the bike store this week and ask them to show you. It is very easy.  Also, check your bike tires for any gashes that could potentially lead to a flat.

    Join the Nutrition Reset Live on Triathlon Obsessed, April 25-28th. Click HERE to save your spot!!

    Curious about Full Circle’s Triathlon Transformation program?
    You too can become the triathlete you always dreamed of! Use this link to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session Now! http://WWW.SCHEDULEYOU.IN/5ZISVAU

    Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.

  • Blogs, Race Specific

    “The Iron Man Finish Line is easily the MOST awesome place on earth.” – Brad Hobbs

    One of my swim group clients, Brad Hobbs and I met once a week for a few months before his Iron Man Triathlon. Recently, I emailed Brad to see how it went. Below is his reply:

    PROGRESSION
    Slow and awesome. Really…really….really….hot. 97-98 degrees and much hillier than expected. People were dropping like flies on the bike and run due to heat, once I saw that I wisely slowed up and thought “Just finish.” I didn’t want to spend a year training and then have to DNF because of overheating. Biking took about 45 minutes longer than expected. I started off strong on the run and between the 7th and 9th mile, I had a stomach issue. Nothing sounded good and I did a bad job forcing calories down. After a uuuhhh,pitstop…. I felt good and just did the Iron Man shuffle, jog, crawl from about mile 10 all the way to the end.

    SWIMMING
    As terrible of a swimmer as I am, I’ll be 100% honest. It was the easiest part of any triathlon I have ever completed. Other than your weekly class, I only did a hand-full of long pool sessions so I was a little worried. The big thing your class helped me with was heart rate and breath control, just getting into a groove. I never once felt panicked or like I was working. The gun went off and I just had a nice and relaxing dip in the lake. I was expecting to be on the slow side between 1:30 and 1:40 but I finished at 1:25 and got out of the water totally pumped! That’s a credit to your teachings being put to use!

    THE FINISH LINE
    The Iron Man finish line is easily the MOST awesome place on earth. I put a beer in my special needs bag and cracked it open in the last mile, chugging as I crossed the finish line. Best moment of my life.

    DOING IT AGAIN
    I’m not sure how much mentally I’m ready to hard train for something. Iron Man training took a lot out of me, but I definitely want to complete another one. I learned soooo much in the first one.

    “The Iron Man Finish Line is easily the MOST awesome place on earth.” – Brad Hobbs