3° of Triathlon Newsletter
April 2017. Vol 1, #4
Tava Talk
April is finally here--no foolin'! Hopefully we've seen the last of the bitter cold days and better training days. Unfortunately, April 1 was not conducive to us holding our first open water swim practice--make sure you watch Facebook for the rescheduled date. Race season is upon us and we want to be as ready as we can!
Speaking of racing, Michael Turch opened our 3 Degrees Triathlon season with an epic performance at Puerto Rico 70.3. Not only did he finish 14th in his age group, but he also qualified for Ironman 70.3 Worlds! At the end of this month we'll have more members racing at Westfield's Tri up in Chantilly, the first of 4 races in the REV3 Sprint Series! If you aren't racing, please consider signing up to volunteer for the race. It needs a lot of help and it's a great way to give back to community races and support your club mates!
The race kits and cycling gear are here and they are incredible! I can't wait to be out on the race course and see 3 Degrees making its mark in our awesome kits!
Our first birthday is coming up and your executive board is working hard to put together a birthday party worthy of the most spoiled toddler! Keep your eye out for announcements. As a first birthday gift to you, the board has voted to reduce 2nd year dues to $50 per member! Details coming later on renewals. We will also be giving away an entry to the Montclair Sprint Triathlon so keep your eyes posted for information about that.
March saw a huge increase in club training momentum. It was great to see so many people out training together. Remember to post when you're swimming or riding or running so others can join you--if you wish!
3 Degrees is running the water station at the Manassas Runway 5k/10k on April 9th. We need volunteers to help us hand out water to the runners. This is a fundraising opportunity for us so please let us know if you can help out!
Do not forget that we have a club on Strava and to use #3degreestri #3degreestriathlon and #3dtri when you post on social media! This way we can show the world what we are up to and attract other like-minded multi-sport athletes!
Swim, Bike, Run, FUN!
Tava
GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
By Doug Marocco
Heart Rate (HR) based training is a common technique used to monitor and measure your effort while at rest or exercising. Measuring your heart rate by using pre-determined zones in which to train at will allow you to make maximum gains with the least amount of physical damage to your body. If you are not using one already, a heart-rate monitor can be a nice piece of equipment for your training and racing efforts. By tracking your heart rate with a monitor you will know precisely how easy or how hard your heart is working.
You will benefit most from a heart rate monitor by knowing the zones that have been developed and comparing them to the “actual effort” that you are training at. This is a far more precise way than using “perceived effort” which can vary due to a number of conditions including climate, fatigue and nutrition among other variables. The process is to use these heart rate zones in your Periodization Training Program to make each session valuable. By using the below Heart Rate Monitor chart you can calculate your effort with each activity that you do on a daily basis.
The key to the Heart Rate monitor use is to know your training zones. The zones are based on a maximum effort. The zones are based on a person’s Maximum Heart Rate and therefor are different for each person depending on age and fitness level. Using a heart rate based on the maximum heart rate of the formula 220 minus your age is somewhat accurate but does not take into consideration of a person’s current fitness, background or health. Additionally each person is different and recovers differently so the math is not exact and should be used as a guide. Once you have measured your max heart rate and determined the proper training zones, you will be more effective in your training.
Most training sessions are conducted in zone 2 and this is reflected in the Base Training portion of Periodization Training Program. The build portion will have you working in zone 3 and the Intensity and Peak sessions including racing will be done in zone 4. Recovery will be in Zone 1 or even easier if required depending on how overworked your system is. These zones hold true as well for the weekly training sessions that was covered in the 3X3 article last month which advocates for an athlete to do a short (intense), medium (tempo) and long (sustained) effort in each sport, each week.
- Zone 1: 60 to 70 %; easy effort; ideal for warmup and cooldown session (RECOVERY)
- Zone 2: 70 to 80 %; conversation level effort; most of your training is done at this HR (BASE)
- Zone 3: 81 to 93%; reasonably hard effort; breathing and talking at the same time is difficult (BUILD)
- Zone 4: 94 to 100%; hard effort; the pace is sustainable for only a short duration (INTENSITY/PEAK)
Complete information on training zones can be found at:
http://support.polar.com/us-en/support/tips/Polar_Sport_Zones
Of note is that your heart rate effort will differ in each sport so you will need to test and be conscious of what heart rate to use depending on whether you are swimming, biking, running or cross-training. Your max heart rate for running which will push your heart rate higher since you must do more work to overcome gravity is higher than swimming or cycling. This is important to understand because your training zones will be different in each of the periods of training and with each sport.
The goal is to build up the volume of time and miles, then overload your training with even more training. Add some intensity then a little taper (recover) and race. Repeat this process several times each year, year after year and you will be a better triathlete. Sometimes you may feel good when you actually should be tired and the opposite is also true by being rested but slow and lethargic. Only your heart rate will give you your actual level of output from a physiological perspective. I have personally found and understand that the more you do in zone two or the 70-80% heart rate (and not higher) the better recovered you will be when you decide to include intensity into your workouts. However, often times people fall into the trap of doing most of their 80-85% HR for many/most of their workouts. When they do this, they do not have the ability to properly recover and can not go to a higher intensity if zone 3 or 4. This is a result of cumulative fatigue or soreness from the previous workout sessions in which the athlete has not fully recovered from.
This is very obvious when you cut volume in one sport because you should see better results in the other sports and will usually be faster. So for a weekly plan with a run focus of 5 runs, 3 bikes and 3 swims, the extra 2 runs makes it difficult to swim or ride at your normal pace. In some ways it is OK to overload because that is how you will get better after rest but the overload in one sport may not allow you to do quality sessions in the other sports when your plan calls for it.
So for this time of year consider using zone 2 to build your Base and on occasion (once per week, per sport) mix in some intensity or zone 3 and 4 efforts. Add in a few running races to get motivated for some early season goals and you should be "triathlon ready" by May.
Doug Marocco is a 9-time Hawaii Ironman finisher with a IM PR of 9:23:04, 2X USAT Age Group and 4X Military Triathlon National Champion.
COMING UP!
When: Times Vary
Where: Some awesome venue
Remember to check our list of Events on our Facebook Page! We have a large variety of races listed there that Club members are participating in. We also list any group training events there. If you're not on Facebook -- check a friend's page (or create an anonymous profile just for the 3° page.)
Add your races to our editable Race Schedule so we can cheer you on!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Jack Schreibman
Who am I? My name is Jack Schreibman, and I am a Federal employee for the Department of Transportation (Does anyone work in DC that wants to run by Nats park with me during the week). I am the father of two girls ages 11 and 8. I am runner, who loves to run for speed. A number of years ago, as my wife Marcie was supporting me with my running, she started trying some sprint triathlons. The next thing I knew, I was her Sherpa and she was adding more distances to her races. I was so curious to learn about this sport through the people I met on the race course, and see why they love completing Tri’s. Last summer, I was honored to be Marcie’s sherpa in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio when she crushed her first 70.3. During her training I was on the DL with plantar fasciitis. To cheer me up, Marcie purchased me a new bike, and told me to work hard, and see if I might enjoy bike riding. As I healed over the summer, and took my bike out, I realized that maybe it was time for me to take the plunge and try a tri. This past December, Marcie got me swim lessons (for my birthday no less), to help me with my form, and I am planning to complete my first sprint Tri this summer.
Why Triathlon? I have always been the guy who paces everyone for a 5k, 10k, or Half Marathon, and I believe that participating in Tri’s will help me become a better overall athlete. I watch how the training for Marcie, has made her feel better, has made her stronger, and has helped eliminate a lot of her stress, that I figure with the support of this group, what can go wrong? I also want to be a good role model for my girls. They know that swimming for me is difficult, and I want to show them that if you put your mind to something, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. I am hoping that these sprints go well, so that in 2018 I can compete at longer distances. Although, I still need to grasp the idea of doing brick workouts.
I truly appreciate being a part of this group. When I told members about my swim lessons, everyone gave me high fives, and provided me with advice on how I can succeed in the water. I have also made new friends that I enjoy training with. I am looking forward to this summer when the girls are at camp, and both Marcie and I can go out with the group for training sessions.
Marci Schreibman
Who am I? I came to triathlon in 2013 after finding out about the Tri it Now Series at the Freedom Center. Triathlon was something I always wanted to do and this small, women only event seemed like a perfect place to start. As is so common, I was hooked after that first race and the rest is history. I came to triathlon as a cyclist who despised running (now I only mildly dislike it) and could barely run a mile without stopping to last year I completing my first 70.3 in Ohio. I can’t wait to travel to Chattanooga with the club for my next 70.3 in May.
It is amazing what the body can accomplish when the mind gets in line. I pay for my triathlon habit by working as the Student Life Coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College, Manassas Campus. In my role at NOVA I get to interact with students in an informal setting and encourage them to get involved and reach their highest potential. It is a lot triathlon in that the students don’t realize what they are capable of achieving until someone pushes them. This is what I love about 3 Degrees, we are a group of individuals who have come together to support each other no matter our distance or speed. We bring out the best in each other.
I am also a mom to two girls ages 8 and 11 and partner in life with Jack. They push me each day to be my best and I appreciate their continued support (and patience). Life would be so boring without them.
Cycling Safety!
Warm weather is back -- we're all out more and riding more! If you are new to cycling alone or in a group take a few minutes and review rules for cycling safety and etiquette. There are lots of videos on YouTube ... like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODmB9LyYzKM
Meet your Board & Committee Members -
President: Tava Foster
VP/Treasurer: Steve Haidar
VP/Secretary: Marcie Pearlman
Board Members-at-large: Marc Monroe, Jacque Dietrichson
Committees:
Social Media Coordinator: Keasha Hall
Newsletters: Jacque Dietrichson
Training Coordinator: Vacant
Mentoring Coordinator: Vacant
Sponsorship Coordinator: Royce Adams
Merchandising Coordinator: Vacant
Webmaster: Pavel Santos, Christopher Mayers
We've had a great start! Let's keep this club progressing and growing! Here's YOUR chance to make a difference with your experience and talents! Consider volunteering for one of the vacant positions. A list of responsibilities for committees can be found on the 3° Facebook page (or in our Dropbox files.) Questions? Contact Tava or Steve.