Update #2: Building Up Your Base!

Hello again!

It's really feeling like SUMMER here in Cleveland, so it's time to hit training hard! You did a fantastic job at our last brick. I really saw some great improvement from many of you! This week we'll bike a little longer and run just a little farther to build up our base. Be ready to tackle a hill on your bike this week, and don't forget to bring some water or sports drink--in this heat, it is easy to get dehydrated REALLY quickly, and that's no fun at all.

For both bricks, remember, you MUST HAVE A HELMET. No exceptions!

Finally, Open Water Swimming will begin NEXT WEEK, Tuesday July 6th, at 6:30pm at Columbia Beach, Bay Village. This is an excellent opportunity to get in the water and see what open water swimming is really like. Even if you are an experienced swimmer, you'll benefit greatly from having some time in the lake before the race! And if you're not an experienced swimmer, don't worry--we'll have plenty of people on hand to help you out. You can always touch the bottom and we stay very close to the shore. The Cleveland Triathlon Club swims every Tuesday, too, so lots of people will be around for safety. Please bring a towel, some goggles, water or sports drink, and swim cap (brightly colored is even better!) for safety reasons. Goggles and caps are inexpensive and can be found at any sporting goods store.

Here are this week's goals:

SWIMMING:

--if you are already a swimmer: you should be getting in the pool 2-3 times a week and swimming 1500 yards or so a session. Warm up and cool down with a steady 3-400 yards, and make sure you add in 4-6 100s at race pace in the middle of your workouts to really wake up your arms!

--if you are not primarily a swimmer: You should be gradually increasing your distance a bit each session, and swimming 3 times a week. It's better to get in the pool often and swim a little less each time if you are pressed for time. Swimming is 99% technique, so the more you get used to the water, the better! One lap to the other end of the pool is 25 yards. Try to swim 100 yards without stopping! Race distance is 400 yards so you want to build up to that.

BIKING:

--Take advantage of the Friday morning spin classes at the Ride and Workout! www.rideandworkout.com Or, be sure to ride your bike at least twice this week for 40 minutes each time. Don't forget: most of the race is on your bike, so you want to feel very comfortable on it, and also you want to have enough energy to have a good run!

RUNNING:

--if you are already a runner: You should be building up a nice little base by now, and should include a run of at least 3-4 miles this week. Remember, the race is a 5K, so you want your body to be used to going farther than that. However, to avoid injury, don't increase your mileage more than 10% a week!

--if you are not primarily a runner: You should be running 2-3 times this week and gradually increasing your time. For example, if last week you ran or ran/walked 20 minutes as your long run, this week try to go for 25 minutes. The race is 3.1 miles so you want to work up to that distance in training.

NUTRITION:

--Are you hydrating before and after workouts? It is especially important to do this as the weather gets hot! Be sure to consume fluids before, during, and after all workouts--even biking and swimming! Although you may not feel like you are sweating much, you are...and if you do not rehydrate you'll feel sluggish the next day and have a poor workout.

I'll see you at this week's brick workout! Happy training, and don't forget--Open Water Swimming starts NEXT WEEK! Get excited! :)

As always, check the blog for updates at www.evotri2.blogspot.com and don't forget to make your workouts COUNT by logging them in at www.plus3network.com and earning money for your favorite charity!

Sara and Team Evotri