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In Defense of Late Sleepers...
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Wednesday, 28 March 2018 23:10
By Kelly O'Mara, aka the "Salty Triathlete" (triathlete.com)
Every weekend, some friend texts me wanting to meet at 7 a.m. (or, God forbid, earlier) for a ride. No, just no. It is Sunday. I am sleeping and riding at a reasonable hour. Like 10 a.m.
You’re laughing. You’re thinking, “10 a.m. is ridiculous, lazy, everyone knows you have to ride earlier than that. Who does this girl think she is?” I know you’re thinking that because everyone thinks that, because we’ve all been conditioned to believe earlier is better.
We think of early risers as go-getters, hard workers. We cajole people not to waste their days, and we wrap it up in a sense of moral superiority. Studies have found those who arrive at offices earlier are perceived as better employees—even if they’re working the same total number of hours at the late risers. Built into our society is the adage: “The early bird gets the worm.” There’s no saying like, “The worm would probably be better off sleeping in.” ...
Overtrained? Eat More!
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Tuesday, 27 March 2018 23:10
Use these three simple but effective nutrition changes to help dig yourself out of a hole.
By Jeff Gaudette (triathlete.com)
If you’re a fairly serious athlete, you’re bound to go through periods in your training cycle when you over do it. Even elite athletes, who have coaches literally monitoring almost every step they take, can fall into the trap of training too hard and pushing their body beyond its limits.
While finding the perfect balance between putting in the necessary miles and allowing for proper recovery is the Holy Grail, the reality is that many often overstep the tight rope that is optimal training and find themselves bordering on being overtrained and desperate for recovery....
Cheerleaders, Hardasses, Devil's Advocates...
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Monday, 26 March 2018 23:10
By Susan Lacke (triathlete.com)
The right tribe will make you a better athlete.
It’s widely known that the same stimulus will always yield the same results—that is, if you always run the same pace, in the same shoes, on the same course, you’ll eventually stop improving as a runner. You’ll plateau—or worse, get into a rut. That’s why so many training plans advocate for mixing things up with speed work, hill repeats, and training tools.
The same is true for your training buddies—though there’s something to be said for a long, quiet ride or a character-building solo run, it’s well-documented that training with others make us step up our game in ways we wouldn’t necessarily do when working out alone. This phenomenon is known in academic-speak as “social facilitation,” or performing better in the presence of others; You probably know it as “throwing down,” “talking shit,” or “I’ll-be-damned-if-I-get-dropped-today.” ...
Inspiring and Share-Worthy Words....
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Saturday, 24 March 2018 23:10
Mimosas, Nutella & Comaraderie...
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Thursday, 22 March 2018 23:10
The third of four YWCA Indoor Triathlons went down on March 18, and did so with a record turnout. Eighty athletes--the race's enrollment ceiling--crossed the finish line, three more than in February, and eighteen more than the series opener on January 22.
We reached out to several of the finishers, seeking the one, or ones, who appeared to be having the most fun. We're going to share what we learned about FRANCIE STEICH (photo - 3rd from right), starting with the fact that she is a total HOOT!
Francie placed 2nd overall—women, starting with superstar NICOLE CUENO, whose time was ridonkulous, much faster than the men's course best, rocked the overall Top 3 places—in the long event, clearly demonstrating she has a great aptitude for the sport, though she is a novice, having only done two outdoor tris over the past decade-and-a-half.
Here is some of the fun stuff that Francie shared with us via email:
The YWCA indoor tri was amazing! I did it with six of my amazing co-workers - many of whom had never done a tri before. They were such an inspiration. I was happy with 2nd place in the long course, especially because the woman who beat me was five years my senior and finished four minutes faster than me - that gave me a lot to be excited about in the next five years of my athletic career. To top it all off, my colleagues and I celebrated with mimosas and brunch when it was done. I can't wait for the outdoor YWCA tri this summer--I'll be bringing my two daughters to witness all the amazing women in action! ...
