Let the Training Begin . . .

Lots of new events to mark on your calendars, ladies!

Cycling group workout:  Begins this Tuesday evening, May 11th, meet at the Manasquan Reservoir Visitors Center parking lot, 311 Windeler Road, Howell, NJ.  This will be a beginner women ride, no one will be dropped.  Meet at 6:15 to ride by 6:30.  Start out approximately 45 minutes, easy pace more about learning good riding skills, group riding and anything else cycling-related that you may have questions about.  Please RSVP with how best to reach you in case there are any last minute changes due to the weather, etc.  I can be reached via email at moira@staystrongmultisport.com.  HELMETS ARE MANDATORY EQUIPMENT!    In addition, if you are interested in a slightly more advance woman's ride, contact Kerri Martin of Second Life Bikes at kerri@thebikechurch.org to get on her mailing list.  There is a ride most Tuesday evenings from Asbury Park.   Thursday evenings there is a ride from the Windmill in Long Branch, see either the Sandy Hookers or Jersey Girl page on Facebook for more information, or contact Aaron Levine at alevine45@gmail.com for more information.  

Swim workouts: Start this Friday, May 14th at Victory Park on the Navesink River in Rumson NJ.  They will continue every Monday and Friday thru late June in the river then move to the ocean when water temperatures warrant.  Fridays will be a clinic, Mondays will be more of a swim workout.  See the map for street location.  Best to park on: Lafayette, Washington, Allen, 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets, Hunt, Church even Park if needed. Only a block or 2 away.   Meet at 5:45, in the water by 6PM.  There will be lifeguards present.  I've been told that as of last week the water was 68 degrees.  Wetsuits are a good idea, but not mandatory. 

Workshop:  Our next clinic will be all about bikes!  On June 3rd  beginning at 6:30PM we will go over basic bike maintenance, what you should check before you ride, what you should carry with you when you ride, how to change a flat and other basic issues that could come up on a ride, and more.  This clinic will be held at Second Life Bikes, 21 Main Street, Asbury Park NJ.  RSVP a must, by Friday May 28th to moira@staystrongmultisport.com.  The clinic is opened to registered participants of the Jersey Girl Triathlon only.  (Second Life Bikes is a youth earn-a-bike program and community bike shop. One of the keys to their survival is donations in the form of: used bikes, helmets, tools, parts, volunteer time and money. Contribute and/or participate when and how you can.)  

Sign up now! If you are still trying to make up your mind about the race, I'd suggest you register now.  As of 7AM this morning there are only 77 spots left.    Tell your friends, don't delay!  Online registration available from Split Second Racing. 

Facebook Group:  If you have not done so already, please join the Jersey Girl Triathlon page on Facebook, it's a great way to share information and exchange ideas and questions.  

Training:  Now that all those workout details are out of the way, lets get to this month's training tips.  I promised I'd discuss the upcoming four week block of training and it's purpose.   This early part of our training is all about foundation, or base training.  Workouts in this phase should be done at an easy to moderate pace.  The time spent at each workout is just a suggestion, you need to adapt to your own available time and fitness level.  A rule of thumb is approximately a 10% increase per week.  Obviously if you've just finished the New Jersey Marathon you can handle more than an hour of running a week.  If you are also training for a longer distance running event (like a half or full marathon) I'd suggest you keep your long run training schedule but look at the total time per were training and substitute some of the middle distance runs with swim and bike training.  Use common sense and stay in tune with how you feel.  Each of us needs to make a commitment to our training plan, and not cheat on the workouts we may not want to do, whatever that may be!  A triathlon is a three sport event and you need to get thru the swim, the bike and the run to get to the finish line!  Make a mental note to focus on your technique during each workout.  It's really not important how fast or how far we go but rather that we go forward in a safe and efficient manner.  Training efficiently makes the most sense, if you don't have a training partner who can look at your swim stroke or pedaling technique or footstrike while running, do some research on the internet.  There are lots of articles and tips available online, check out Triathlete Magazine, Runners World, Bicyling, US Masters Swimming, Tri Newbies to name just a few.  Promise yourself to make time each day for your workout.  There are no big blocks of time in the schedule but I do understand how hard it is to find an extra half hour or hour each day on top of our already busy lives.  If you work out in the morning, then lay your workout clothes out the night before and put them on as soon as you get up in the morning.  Pack your gym bag and put it in your car so you can go right to the gym instead of going home after work if that's your time.  Find a partner to train with, it's much more difficult to blow off a workout when you've committed to train with someone else.  I do understand how hard it is to resist the call of the couch after a long day -- we all need to find whatever trick necessary to avoid hearing that call!

Thank you!  I'd like to thank everyone who attended our get-together on May 7^th, I was amazed by the size of the crowd.  So many people attended that we ran out of literature, even though I'd made 200 copies of most of the information.  Everything will be posted on the Jersey Girl Triathlon website over the next few days, the basic training plan is posted there already.  I'd especially like to thank Christine Clifton Bekes and Shore Runner for allowing us to use the store.  We had so many attendees that there was no room for anyone to shop!  Please stop back again and mention the Jersey Girl Triathlon for a special 10% discount on your purchase.   I was inspired by the energy in the room and by all my speakers and ambassadors who gave their time to share the experiences.  Please reach out to me or anyone else if you have additional questions or would like more information about anything we spoke of.       

In the meanwhile, happy and safe training!

Moira    moira@staystrongmultisport.com

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