Sandy Orlando Post published:April 22, 2024 Post category: BEYOND THE FINISH LINE / BLOG / Mental Strength / Racing & Events Every athlete brings a unique story to their event – and needs a strategy for managing their nerves, Feeling race ready involves more than just a training plan. It also involves conquering some nerves! Getting ready Every athlete comes into race day with their unique story. This might be their first race ever – a new distance – a goal race – a comeback – or a dragon to slay! It’s safe to say that in most cases, pre-race nerves are real. And without a strategy to deal with them, they can make a big impact on how the race goes. Here are a few thoughts on how to manage those nerves: Know what to expect of the course. If it’s hilly or requires a lot of turns, be prepared for that. If there is a long stretch of flat without scenery, be prepared for that. Physical and mental training – even if it’s simply knowing advance of what to expect – can help alleviate nerves. Taking some time to drive the course before race day is one of the simplest ways to become familiar with the course. Read the rules. Don’t assume every race is the same with respect to wearing earbuds, penalties for littering, carrying a phone, permitted bike or running gear. Triathlon has very specific rules for drafting and passing. Athlete guides are published before each race to give all athletes the opportunity to know the rules. Read it! Hydration and nutrition on the course . Even a short race can pose challenges if consideration isn’t given to what and how frequently hydration is available. A hot day or an upset stomach might require a change of plans – plan ahead. Know what works for you, and how you will carry it. Weather. Be prepared for changes, especially if traveling to a destination event. Assuming that the usual weather pattern will hold can lead to being unprepared for a sudden change of temperature or conditions. Know how to get there. Nothing is worse than leaving too little time on race day and feeling the pressure of not making the race site with enough time to use portalets or pick up a race kit. Make a list and pack in advance. Arriving without shoes, goggles or a helmet causes more panic than necessary. Consider whether throw-away clothes for a cold pre-race wait, or warm clothes for post-race chills might be worth packing. Perspective. Have a mental back up if the event doesn’t go as planned. Any number of situations can change the day, even with the best preparation. The day doesn’t have to be a write-off, and important lessons can be a valuable take away that could be worth more than that shiny medal. by Sandie Orlando, CLPT Coach

C.Lewis Post published:March 5, 2024 Post category: Bike fit / BLOG / Training Prep By Sandie Orlando, Assistant Coach, CL Performance Training Photo credits: Steve Pennell, Instagram @fotostevezoom New Bike Fitting New bike day is super exciting, but don’t let the excitement of getting on your new ride stop you from getting it set up properly. By properly – we mean a bike fit session. Most reputable dealers will include a bike fit with the purchase. However, when it’s a ‘new to me’ bike – purchased from a marketplace or bike swap, getting in for a proper bike fit is easily overlooked. The “let’s just see how it feels” approach is tempting, but can set you up for discomfort and unnecessary saddle changes that might be avoided. There are many capable bike fitters out there, including our own Coach Al, who helps athletes local to the Burlington, ON area with a fit session that can help guide the decision for a new bike build or purchase. Read more about that process here. Coach Sandie documented her new bike fit with D’Ornellas to share the process and explain why the initial fit and set up is so important. (And to show off her new ride…!!) Old bike shoes aren’t a good place to start for a proper bike fit. New bike deserves new shoes. The old bike (Specialized Ruby Comp) has a lot of kms on it and is still a great bike, but my arthritic thumbs can’t handle the clincher brakes and manual shifters so easily now. It’s finally time for an upgrade – to a Specialized Roubaix with electronic shifters and disc brakes! When you go for a bike fit, you bring everything you would normally wear to ride, plus your shoes and other bike parts – in case they are recruited into action. Unfortunately, the old shoes, pedals and cranks didn’t transfer over…too worn out and the power crank arm was too long for the bike frame size. Upgrades number #1 (shoes) and number #2 (power pedals). Fortunately, the handle bars and stem were a perfect size. After a good warm up under the expert eye of Neil, he could see a few things that needed adjusting. Not the saddle, however, although there are so many choices on that wall. With the proper frame size, the handle bar width and stem length was perfect, and only needed slight adjustments to ensure the reach was set properly for shifting and braking. The tilt of the bars and position of the hoods was adjusted slightly to reduce fatigue for longer rides and prevent neck and shoulder pain. Hip angle measurement makes certain the height and position of the saddle (forward or back) is correct, and the knee is positioned properly over the foot. Fine tuning for leg length discrepancies are determined when hip angles are being measured. In my case, the cleat position needed a slight adjustment to even things out. Most people are not perfectly symmetrical to begin with, so it’s not unusual for this type of adjustment to be made. Making this adjustment made me realize my TT bike probably needs a fit update to help alleviate the knee and shoulder pain I’ve been putting up with all winter. Cleat placement is fine tuned. The placement should be recorded so when the cleats need replacing, they are positioned correctly. The final part of the fitting is done and I’m sent home with my new ride and instructions for using and caring for all of the upgrades. Charging the shifter batteries is new. A through axel is new – and means this bike won’t be going on my trainer any time soon. I passed on the suggestion of the different style of trainer that could be used – and the bento box that screws on instead of wrapping around the stem. You have to leave something for the next spending spree, after all. Excited to get out and ride!

C.Lewis Post published: October 31, 2023, Leisure cycling can give your body and mind a break. Post category: BLOG / Injury Prevention & Management / Motivation / Recovery / Training Prep The months at end of the calendar year are a good time to take a break from ‘training’ once the target races are over. Our bodies need recovery time but even more importantly, our brains need to be refreshed. Staying in training mode can easily wear out an athlete’s motivation and interest in putting in the hard efforts required for the next training block . It can be difficult to step back for athletes who ‘ need ‘ to be doing something to feel healthy and happy. Whatever is driving that ‘need’ is worth taking a look at. For some athletes, the lack of structure can be disconcerting, especially if it’s tied in with not having a goal. Those athletes might find participating in a local fun or holiday run gives them a purpose to stay active without having to get after a PB or new distance. Trying out a new sport can fill the gap for athletes who like variety and the social aspect of training. That bootcamp, water aerobics or zumba class might be challenging enough to work up a good sweat without posing the risk of injury. Pickleball….you decide…. Take some time during this phase to reflect honestly on strengths and weaknesses. Off season is perfect for addressing imbalances, skills and persistent ‘niggles’ that can present as injuries when the training load begins to ramp up. Laying down the habit of doing core and full body strength training will pay off. Getting back to doing drills in the pool with a focus on form can start to build better habits and muscle memory that are important to support a strong swim. A complete mental break might mean doing some easy touring rides, hiking in the woods, participating in a yoga class or chatting with other bobbing heads while pool running. Read about the cycling tours and pro races, new developments in gear technology or races that are being introduced next season . With enough time away from training – inspiration and motivation are likely to kick in. That’s the time to get out the planning calendar, talk with your coach  and set some goals. Then….get back to some foundation work that prepares the body to take on new challenges. Off season weather usually means indoor workouts. Make the most of them to get stronger.

by Sandie Orlando Open water swimming is notorious for causing stress for triathletes. Even proficient pool swimmers can feel anxiety when faced with dark water, a wetsuit or lots of other bodies thrashing around them. Each athlete experiences this differently. Some are just excited-nervous and it goes away quickly. For others, it can be persistent, paralyzing, race destroying and sometimes turns them away from doing triathlon at all. Dealing with open water swimming anxiety isn’t about getting over it once. For some triathletes, it’s persistent and requires strategies to just get through it – every time. Understanding how your body responds and figuring out how to deal with those reactions is more productive than trying to understand why it happens. Sandie is an anxious open water swimmer who got through Ironman For those who are in the latter category, the well-meaning advice from those who have no issue with it at all sometimes isn’t that helpful. It helps if you understand what the anxiety comes from in the first place, but recognizing how your body reacts and adopting tactics for dealing with those reactions can be more productive in the long run. It’s hard to start when open water swimming anxiety is persistent. The accomplishment of doing it is worth the discomfort when you have a big goal. Here are some ideas that can help: Take the pressure off yourself in early open water swim sessions by leaving the ‘workout’ behind and just get accustomed to being in the water in a wetsuit. Your balance in the water will feel different with the buoyancy, which can throw off your rotation. The feeling of constriction on your chest and neck can cause a feeling of panic and shortness of breath. Work at going a little bit further or longer each time and giving yourself time to rest and gather yourself mid-swim. This is especially important when dealing with waves or chop in certain segments of the course. If you tend to get out of breath and start feeling panic 100m or so into your swim, try doing a warm up to get your heart rate up before getting into the water. By getting your heart rate and breathing rate up, it helps your body deal with that spike when you first start swimming, making it less shocking and uncomfortable. Run up and down a hill, do jumping jacks, run on the spot – whatever gets your heart rate up! Deal with colder temperature shock up front. Let some water into the front of your wetsuit when you first get in. Your body heat will warm up that layer of water and act as a bit of insulation – and lubrication. Get your face and head under water by doing a few dolphin dives. This also gives you a chance to check that your goggles aren’t leaking or fogging while you can stand up and adjust them. Do some short, fast efforts in the water as part of your warm up and let your HR settle after each before starting into the longer sets. Then practice your ‘alligator eyes’ sighting to remind yourself of the pattern in combination with taking a breath. This also helps get you more accustomed to keeping your face and mouth in the water. Remind yourself to keep your core tight and your body in a straight line. Practice breathing to the side while keeping one goggle in the water. This helps avoid the tendency to lift your head and over-rotate, which just adds to the feeling of struggling. Try breathing with every stroke instead of every three or five as you would in the pool until you settle into a rhythm and your breathing calms down.  Ignore the plants and critters. There is nothing in the weeds or lake water that’s likely to be dangerous or particularly interested in you. Murky water just means there is silt or sand at the bottom which you are swimming over. You are meant to be horizontal and kicking at the top of the water anyway. Use your sighting to remember that other people are around you and to appreciate the landscape above the water line instead. In training, swim with other people for safety, but ignore how fast and great they look. Do your own thing and work at slaying your own dragons while focusing on staying calm. Use positive self-talk. Instead of saying “I suck at this and I hate it”, try saying “I’m getting better at this and I’m okay”. Give yourself points for showing up, even if it didn’t go so well. It makes a big difference! Tags: anxiety , open water swimming

MAKING YOUR MARK “You. Are. An. Ironman.” Those four words are compelling for endurance athletes who dream of hearing them when crossing the finish line of their first long course triathlon. Coach Sandie ready to become an Ironman in Mont Tremblant It means they have finished an event consisting of a three-point-eight-kilometer swim, followed by a 180-kilometer bicycle ride, followed by running a 42.2-kilometer marathon. This must be accomplished consecutively, before the cut-off time at midnight. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. (Wikipedia) The Ironman event was first conceived in 1978 with a field of fifteen competitors. Now, Ironman events worldwide attract thousands of participants who compete for a coveted entry in the annual world championship event in Kona, Hawaii. Professional and amateur triathletes – male and female – between the ages of twenty to eighty-five, compete together on the same course. The Ironman brand has become iconic; finishers tattoo the logo on their bodies to commemorate their accomplishment. That tattoo represents more than something physical. It represents everything it takes to become an Ironman: time, support, money, and most of all, courage. The extraordinary physical training required to become an Ironman is critical, but it takes a lot of time. The athlete must commit to six to nine months of regular swimming, cycling, and running, with progressively longer training sessions on weekends. Most of the athlete’s free time is consumed by a schedule of two training sessions a day, six days a week, with one day reserved for recovery.  Beyond the hours spent training, athletes must plan bike routes, prepare nutrition, maintain their gear, and do a lot of laundry, while meeting their work and family obligations. Athletes must be organized and disciplined with their time management to fit that much training into their lives. Understandably, the Ironman training schedule has a significant impact on relationships. Family life must adapt to a partner or parent who is out of sync with normal life and must be in bed by 8:30 p.m. so they can be at the pool by 5:30 a.m. When every electrical outlet has a different training gadget charging, and the smoothie blender needs constant cleaning, families often feel that the Ironman training lifestyle has taken over. The athlete’s partner ends up carrying a heavy load, both figuratively and literally. Aside from being a sounding board for all things triathlon related, partners also carry the load of helping an injured or completely spent athlete return to being functional. They also become “sherpas” to help manage the amount of equipment that accompanies an athlete to a race. At home, the impact of Ironman training is clearly visible: the living room features an indoor bike trainer, the kitchen has an entire cupboard dedicated to bike bottles, and the freezer has a strange assortment of ice packs. Relationships can be tested unless the athlete’s partner is willing to participate in the Ironman training lifestyle. All the extra equipment and nutrition required to become an Ironman means family budgets are also strained. Race entry fees for an Ironman event are several hundreds of dollars, plus the cost of travel and accommodations at the race destination. The most basic gear includes a wetsuit, swim goggles, bicycle, helmet, and running shoes. An athlete training for Ironman usually does a few triathlons as part of their training, which means more entry fees and travel costs. It also means they no longer use the most basic gear, so they have a gym membership, swim training tools such as a pull buoy, paddles, fins and a snorkel. They have a carbon fiber triathlon bike fitted by a professional and mounted on a trainer that has a power meter and the ability to synchronize with their training software. Riding outdoors requires a bike computer with GPS capability to track distance, speed, pace, power output, and calories while providing route directions; sometimes on a second bike. For the run, they need a watch to monitor heart rate as well as distance, pace and speed. Every three or four months, they replace running shoes, and potentially have a pair of carbon-plated shoes for speed workouts. The cost of training for an Ironman adds up quickly, but all the expensive gear and technology means nothing if the athlete doesn’t have the will to do the training. It takes courage to commit to an Ironman training program, and an incredible amount of will to stay with it given the time, cost, and demanding lifestyle. This is a solo sport that tests each athlete without giving them the comfort of a team for support, so each athlete must rely on their own motivation and drive. It takes courage to swim in open water, or to ride a bike for six hours in summer heat on unfamiliar roads. Athletes must face the prospect of having a flat tire or crashing the bike on every outdoor training ride. They need mental strength to push through the feeling of wanting to stop on a ninety-minute run after riding one hundred kilometers. And it takes dedication to get into the pool at 5:30 a.m. in February. That dedication comes from having the will to start the journey in the first place and the courage to keep going when it gets hard. The medal high after 14.5 hours Becoming an Ironman means finishing the race before the cut off time; athletes who miss the cut off have done the training and the race – but won’t hear those four, magic words. Not every triathlete is willing to make the commitment and do what it takes to become an Ironman. There are shorter distance triathlons that satisfy their interest in training for and competing in multisport events. The motivation to become an Ironman is unique for every individual who makes the commitment to do it. Some want to know how far they can push themselves physically and mentally. Others are celebrating overcoming an addiction, or injury, or disease. And some are simply compelled by wanting to hear those four words that signify they have done something extraordinary; something that can never be taken away from them. “You. Are. An. Ironman.” Article written for a university course for a general audience who may not understand what an Ironman is in the first place! – Sandie Orlando

Performance Swim If you are on our site, you probably already know that triathlon is an endurance event that consists of swimming, cycling, and running, in that order.  There are a variety of different distances in triathlon racing – the Sprint Triathlon is typically a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.  The Olympic distance is a 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run.  Half Iron distance is 1900m swim, 90k bike and 21.1k run.  Iron distance is 3800m swim, 180k bike and 42.2k run.  The swim is the most daunting leg for many athletes. Whether you’re a seasoned triathlete or a newcomer, understanding the unique aspects of triathlon swimming can help you approach the sport with confidence and strategy. Open Water vs. Pool Swimming It’s important for triathletes to practice swimming in open water – and get comfortable in their wetsuit if they plan to wear one for their race.  Compared to pool swimming, open water swim can feel like a different sport altogether. Here are some key differences: Visibility : In open water, you can’t see the bottom, making navigation more difficult. Swimmers often rely on sighting techniques to stay on course and avoid drifting off-track.  One suggestion for sighting is to practice lifting just your eyes out of the water and taking a quick look forward every 6-8 strokes – being careful not to change your overall body position or the rhythm of your stroke as you do so.  Water Conditions : The water can be rough, cold, or warm.  It can be late water or it can be salt water in the sea or ocean – something that can mess with you if you’re never swam in salt water before (the taste in your mouth!).  In pool swimming, you’re guaranteed a controlled environment, but in triathlon swimming, conditions can change dramatically. Other Athletes : The start of a triathlon swim often includes hundreds or even thousands of athletes. The “mass start” can be chaotic, with swimmers kicking, splashing, and jostling for position.  Many races these days have transitioned to time trial starts to help make athletes feel more comfortable – but this isn’t a guarantee for every event so triathletes should train for different start scenarios.  Wetsuits : Wetsuits are often worn in triathlon swims. A well-fitted wetsuit provides buoyancy, helps with speed, and keeps the swimmer warm. However, it can feel restrictive, especially around the chest and shoulders. It’s important to get comfortable with your wetsuit before race day and practice swimming in it. Swimming Techniques Success in triathlon swimming requires more than just speed. Athletes have to conserve energy for the bike and run that are still to come, so efficiency is key to keep the legs ready for the rest of the event.   Here are some things to consider and work on: Breathing : In open water, the ability to breathe smoothly and consistently is important – but also the ability to be comfortable missing a breath if necessary (for example if another swimmer is right beside you splashing water in your face when you turn that direction) and comfortable breathing to either side.  If you usually breathe to the left but there is a swimmer there, you may need to breathe to your right instead for at least a few strokes, and want to be able to do that without losing your balance or rhythm.  Sighting : Frequent sighting (looking ahead) is crucial for navigating through open water. Aim to sight every 6-10 strokes, depending on the conditions.  Use a “head-up” stroke technique where they lift their head slightly out of the water (just enough that your eyes are out so you can see where you are going – but not so much that it causes your lower body to drop in the water) to spot landmarks or buoys. Kicking : Triathletes should practice swimming with very little kick.  The kick should not be the driving force of the swim stroke – it should only be enough to keep the legs high in the water and help with body balance in the water.  Unlike pool swimmers or even athletes who are swimming only an open water swim race (without the bike and run to follow), triathletes want to save their legs for the rest of the race.  Race Day Training Training for the swim portion of a triathlon requires a mix of skills development and endurance building. Here are some essential components of triathlon swimming training: Open Water Practice : Get accustomed to open water swimming as much as possible. This allows you to practice sighting, dealing with waves, and handling other athletes. Interval Training : Interval sets that focus on speed and stamina can help improve both your technique and endurance. Long Swims : Incorporating long, steady swims into your routine builds the aerobic endurance needed for race-day swims. Strength and Mobility : Cross-training with exercises like strength training, yoga, or Pilates can help build the strength and flexibility needed for efficient swimming. Staying Relaxed & Managing Anxiety Open water swimming can trigger feelings of claustrophobia, panic, or anxiety, especially for first-timers, which is why it’s important to practice as much as you can in open water and with your wetsuit on so you’re comfortable with compression around your chest and shoulders.  Here are a few strategies to manage these feelings during your training and your races: Focus on your breathing. Deep, controlled breaths can help calm nerves and regulate your body’s response to stress. Keep your strokes smooth and relaxed. Tensing up can waste energy and increase fatigue. Visualization is powerful.  Before race day work on visualizing a calm and confident swim. Training in a group can help you acclimate to the chaos of a mass start so that race day. In conclusion, for many triathletes, the swim is the most challenging part of the race, for both physical and mental reasons.  However, with proper training and mental preparation, athletes can approach the swim with confidence. Open water conditions can be intimidating at first but they also offer an exciting challenge that sets triathlon apart from other endurance events. Getting in enough training and including some time focussing on open water and triathlon specific efficiency will help you succeed in the swim portion of your triathlon.