PETE AND CORRINNE UPDATE #11
Jarrett Pflieger
The OC International Triathlon is looming, but Pete and Corrinne believe they’re ready. 
This past week brought a minor break in the sweltering heat, but it was still very warm nonetheless. “Overall the week went OK. I felt a little out of whack with the Monday holiday,” Pete said. He participated in the group run on Sunday with the Triathica group. Normally the run goes through Whiting Ranch, but this time it went through the same run course as the OC Tri since we have many athletes getting ready for that race. Pete explained, “It was great to run the actual course and see what I actually have to do on race day. Knowing what to expect by doing the course works wonder for my confidence.”
Along with running the OC Tri run course, the group also swam in Lake Mission Viejo on Wednesday night. “Even though we didn’t get to swim the actual course, we still swam in the same lake where the swim would be. It helped to look around and get comfortable with where everything would take place on the 27th,” explained Corrinne.
Pete was a little concerned about the temperature of the water. “The water temp was fairly warm (84 degrees) and I feel if this warm weather trend continues wetsuits will not be allowed. I will continue to practice without it and if we get to wear them it will be just a added bonus,” Pete explained.
This was Corrinne’s first open water swim since she got her cast off a few weeks ago. She was taking it easy, but swam with good form and confidence. It looks like she will definitely be ready to give it her all in two weeks.
For next week, Pete plans to dial in his efforts on his running. “I said this last week, but this week I need to get serious about shorter distance tempo runs. I’m an ultra runner by trade; so short and intense distances are foreign to me. All the more reason to do them,” said Pete.
Corrinne will continue to train hard and recover from her bike crash. Her arm is nearly 100% so we are all expecting a strong performance in two weeks.
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing in their final week before the big race.
OC TRIATHLON COURSE TALK
Ron Saetermoe
We’re glad that the OC International Triathlon is back for a second year now since the race tragically ended in 1993 with Jim MacClaren’s crash that made him a quadriplegic. It truly is one of the great Southern California races.
I first did the race in 1984 as part of a relay team when I was working for Mitsubishi Motors. I’m a pretty good swimmer and the company team needed a swimmer so it all worked out. This was to be my second triathlon, and first as a member of a team. My first was in 1983 in Iowa – who knew!
Anyway, we thought we’d invite anyone out that wanted to sit in on a “course talk” here at Triathica. We’ll go over the course and discuss race strategy. We’ll also hear from Pete and Corrine, the two athletes we’ve had the pleasure to train for the past 10 weeks.
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Triathica, 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
For more information please contact Jarrett Pflieger at Jarrett@triathica.com or 949.273.6223.
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (Week of September 7th)
All of our group workouts are free to members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of August 31st
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Lake Mission Viejo (MUST RSVP – LIMITED SPACE — $2.00 GATE CHARGE)
Day: Wednesday, September 9th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, September 12th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 2 loops around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, September 13th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Mission Viejo Lake From the 5 N take Alicia Pkwy North Make a left at Olympiad Turn left to the Lake Mission Viejo |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the I-5 Freeway: Exit Bake Parkway and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Parkway South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building (Automotive Associates’ building) |
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #10
Jarrett Pflieger
Another very hot week and another week of training logged by Pete and Corrinne on their quest to dominate the Orange County Triathlon on September 27th.
Lucky for them, this extremely hot week also coincided with a recovery week in their Triathica training plans. In a recovery week, the workouts are meant to be easy and not stress the body too hard. Just getting the blood pumping a little and not pushing it will allow the body to repair itself from the previous two weeks of build up.
Even though the workouts were meant to be easy, Corrine was still feeling effects of the heat. “ This week I felt pretty tired and sluggish most likely from the heat,” she said, “or maybe it’s because I am up late with my kids, and their football schedules, combined with the fact that I get up at 3:45 to open here at Triathica. I’m getting a bit run down.” Corrinne also missed her swim workouts this week due to being so busy, but luckily her swimming is already pretty strong. What she is really trying to focus on right now is the bike and getting the pace up in the run. When it comes to pure distance, she’s got that covered.
“I am also trying to train for a 50 miler in November. It’s rough trying to start trail running when you haven’t done it for a couple of months. The weather has just been too hot! I am really looking forward to some cooler temps,” Corrinne explained.
As for Pete, a notorious over-trainer, the heat made sure he didn’t push himself too hard, even if he wanted to. “ This past week really felt like a recovery week because it was so hot. I was forced to take it easy and focus on properly hydrating,” he said.
He got a little carried away on Tuesday and tried to throw an extra trail run in after he had already done his bike/run brick earlier. It really zapped his energy levels and from that point on, he made sure he took it easy for the rest of the week.
Looking forward, Pete is focusing on staying disciplined during the holiday. The three-day weekend can be enticing for an over-trainer to fit an extra workout or two in when it is really unnecessary.
This next week, Pete is hoping cooler weather will give him the opportunity to improve speed on the run. He plans on doing some tempo runs with shorter duration and higher intensity. Like Corrinne, he has the distance portion down, just needs to work on the speed.
Check back in next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing on their quest for the OC Tri.
FUNDRAISER RECAP
Sara Davis
First of all, thanks to everyone that attended my fundraiser Monday to help me get to the Sprint World Championships in Australia. It was definitely a huge success. Triathica helped out a ton with contributing to the raffle and all of the support for which I am very thankful. It was a wonderful gathering of friends, family and even some people who I have never met before, but wanted to help out a local athlete. It made me very excited and I felt so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.
I also want to give a special thanks to my friends who lent their musical talents for the night. You guys sounded great. In the end, the fundraiser helped me pay for my ticket to Australia so thanks to everyone!
When I get to Australia I am doing it the cheapest way I can. My friend Lindsey told me about couchsurfing.com which is an organization where world travelers let other world travelers stay on their couch or in an extra bedroom while you are visiting and will sometimes even act as personal tour guides. She said it was an amazing way to meet people and make life-long friends. I am either doing that or staying at a friend of one of my waterman’s teammates, Micah Carlson knows in Australia.
Either way I am excited to meet new people. I have traveled to other countries on my own before so I totally comfortable in a new environment. Four days before the race I will be staying in a condo at the race site that my friend has set up for me with five older triathletes that always win their age groups. It’s a good environment to be in since they are all very serious and ready to win.
I really don’t know what to expect at World Championships, but it has to be a huge event. There are socials, parades, opening ceremonies, etc. I almost feel as though I am going to the Olympics. My nerves haven’t hit me yet, but I am very excited to experience something completely new. I never thought that after only my second season of triathlon I would qualify for world championships! Well, I will let you all know how it goes and thank you everyone for all of your support! Train hard while I’m gone!
WINTER TRAINING FACILITY
Ron Saetermoe
It may be smoldering hot outside now, but in the next month or two, you can expect things to change. The days will get shorter, and the air colder. It may be hard for you to get all your workouts in due to weather or dislike of riding in darkness. That’s where Triathica comes in.
We have literally everything you need to get your workouts in, all in a cozy, climate controlled facility. Don’t let the comfort fool you. Indoor training is the perfect way to focus on your workout and your workout alone. No worrying about cars, obstacles, visibility, flat tires, waiting for a lane, wearing a jacket, etc. Everything is in a controlled setting which helps you take your workouts to the next level.
With the racing off season and winter approaching, we’re announcing our best deal to date . . . one that will probably NEVER be repeated . . . a six-month membership for just $180.00!!! This is a huge savings off our standard membership of $50 a month.
We know the economy is tough and many of you have been holding off on spending any extra money. However, we also know how dedicated you are to the sport of triathlon. So we’re hoping that this offer will get those of you that are on the fence to come on in and “train like a triathlete.”
Here’s how it works: Enroll in any of our four memberships from September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009 and you will get to train here at Triathica for just $180.00 ($30.00 per month). Your fees are due upon enrollment but we do have a monthly installment option of $210.00, or $35.00 per month.
Your membership begins October 1, 2009 and runs through March 31, 2010. If you want to come in before October 1st to train you will need to buy a regular membership for $40.00 (for an “associate” membership) until October 1st (for the month of September we’re bringing back the three training zone assessments in swim, bike and run with your paid membership — a $150 value.)
Our thought is that with winter coming and daylight savings going, you’ll want to do more of your training indoors. And what better way than with our PowerTap spin bikes, CompuTrainers, an Endless Pool, and Landice treadmills, the smoothest and most quiet treadmills you will ever run on?
Give us a call or come on in. 949.273.6223, Jarrett@triathica.com or 26475 Rancho Parkway South, Lake Forest
TRIATHICA “STREET TEAM”
Jarrett Pflieger
As many of you know, we are trying our best to reach our 200-member goal by the end of the year. We believe Triathica has the potential to be the literal hub of triathlon in Orange County and once we reach our membership goal and prove it can work, we would like to move to a large, more centrally located facility that offers more to our members.
We are doing alright on our own, but we need help. We are currently putting a “street team” together to help us reach our goal and would like you to be a part of it. Here’s how it will work.
The street team is open to anyone (member or non-member), who would like to make some extra money and contribute to the growth of the sport of triathlon. Basically, all you have to do is tell your friends, family, or whoever else might be interested in training like a triathlete at Triathica, or maybe they are already a triathlete. If they come sign up as a member and give your name as the referral, you make an easy $30, no strings attached.
They sign up, you get paid, the end. We will provide materials, coupons, and some training if you want to make some real money, or you can just mention it to people you know and see what happens. If you are thinking about signing up yourself, just bring in a friend with you to sign up and you will almost pay for you first month’s dues. Depending on how many people you bring in, we’d like to give you free services as well including video analysis, coaching, spin classes, training plans, etc.
It’s easy to be on the team. Just send your name, email, and phone number to Jarrett@triathica.com and we will put you in the system. Every time someone uses your name to sign up, you get a $30 credit to your name. A check will be mailed out to you at the end of every month.
If you have more questions, send us an email or call 949.273.6223. We would love to have you on our team.
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (Week of August 31st)
All of our group workouts are free to members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of August 31st
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Big Corona near the lifeguard station next to the jetty
Day: Wednesday, September 2nd
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops around the buoys
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, September 5th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 2 loops around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, September 6th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Big Corona – Corona Del Mar From the 405 N take the Jamboree Road Exit Make a left at Jamboree Turn left at Macarthur Boulevard Turn left on to CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway Turn Right on Marguerite Turn right on Ocean Boulevard Park at the beach ($8.00) or on the street (free) |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the I-5 Freeway: Exit Bake Parkway and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Parkway South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building (Automotive Associates’ building) |
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #9
Jarrett Pflieger
Another week gone by and another week of training logged for Pete and Corrinne.
Corrinne is almost 100% recovered from her hard spill a few weeks back on the bike where she broke her wrist. She recently took a trip to Catalina for a nice couple days of relaxation, and of course training. Corrinne is a triathlete now, no opportunities for training will be missed. “I had some great runs through the trails there and the swimming was fabulous. The water is so clear there and the fish are gorgeous,” she said.
Other than her trip to Catalina, her training has been pretty consistent. There was nothing too out of the ordinary. Pretty much the same goes for Pete this past week. Being sponsored by Hammer Nutrition products, he has enjoyed the benefit of training with some of the best products out there.
This past week he has really focused on proper fueling during workouts and proper diet when not exercising. He has been trying to increase his protein intake to help his body and muscles recover from workouts. “I love the chocolate Hammer Whey. I found it helped reduce a lot of the soreness from my intense workouts.” Proper post workout nutrition is crucial for fast recovery and increased intensity for the next training session.
Overall, nothing too crazy this week from Pete and Corrinne. It’s actually good that everything is falling into place and getting more consistent since the OC Tri is only a month away. In the next few weeks they will hit their maximum training week and then begin to taper down for their race soon after that. Lets hope everything stays on the right track and they can just dominate the race on September, 27th
Check back in next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE REPORT
Sara Davis
Everyone has that disappointing race, mine just happened to be at National Championships, not exactly the race you’d pick for everything to go wrong. Everything did seem to go wrong, even flying to Alabama was difficult; I actually think it’s quite funny now that I think about it, but we’ll get to that later. When I thought about going to Alabama, I always thought it would be in the middle of nowhere. I thought, “what a horrible spot for a venue.” I was proven entirely wrong and the venue in Alabama was amazing. The people were great, the nicest and most welcoming people I have ever met, and every one had a country accent, definitely amazing. USAT did a wonderful job with this event.
With delayed flights it took me 18 hours to get to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I arrived at my hotel at 12:30am. Not a great start to the trip. I woke up that morning around 8:30 and immediately got on my bike to ride the course and check out the run course. The ride started out beautiful, but also humid and hot. The course was a two laps so I only did one lap. It down poured on me the whole time. It was the kind of rain that hurt, but at least I wasn’t extremely hot. The run course had three really large hills, which fortunately I felt prepared for. After my short pre-race training session I went to lunch with, who turned out to be, all age group podium racers and an Ironman legend. We went to this small country breakfast place in which our waitress’ name was Dixie. The menu was hand written on a 3X5 flashcard, the kind of place you can only find deep in the country. I love the country. Then it was time for packet pick-up. I’ll tell you this much, there is nothing like a big triathlon event. It’s so funny to see how everyone is showing off their equipment, almost as if they are peacocking trying to intimidate their competition. I always enjoy people watching on days like this.
I subscribed to the saying, early to bed, early to rise. On race morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. bright and early, oh wait, I mean dark and early. My hotel was walking distance from the race so I walked down to where I had to rack my bike the night before the race. What’s nice about National events is they have everyone’s rack spot marked, so there’s no fighting for space, or getting there extra early for the perfect spot. It’s already picked out for you! I got all my race equipment situated and I had to be out of transition at 7:00 a.m. sharp. I had an hour to burn because my wave didn’t start until 7:54, so I spent the majority of it waiting in the port-a-potty line.
As I was getting ready for my wave I jumped into the water to take a couple strokes. There are so many girls in my wave that there wasn’t enough room on the starting block. I had to tread water and even this was difficult. The current was so strong that I had to work to stay behind the starting line, when I say work, I mean I was literally doing backstroke to stay in the same position. The start gun went off. The first 1/8th of the mile was with the current; the remainder was against this very strong current. We got to the first buoy very quickly and as I was going around the buoy I got this horrible smack to the face. My goggles were off around my neck and as I lifted my head I saw blood on my hand. Man, I got a bloody nose, are you serious? Since I am in a lake and not an ocean, I decided it was okay to go on. Swimming against this current was horrible. In Olympic Distance swims I usually swim in the low to mid 20’s. My swim was 41 minutes. This swim took me 7 minutes longer than my half Ironman swim. Real swimmers really had an advantage in this race.
After the swim, with blood dripping down my face, I rushed to transition, took a deep breath and was off on the bike. The bike was a good rolling hills course, it was catch up time for me. Right away I passed 5 or 6 girls, I kept passing and passing more girls. I felt great. Then, the unforgivable happened. I shifted my gears while I was going too fast and boom; my chain fell off of my front ring. I tried to shift it back right away and it didn’t happen. Really? I got off my bike and put my chain back on my chain ring as I watched racers re-pass me. It was one of those times where you just want to throw your hands up in the air and just quit, but I couldn’t. I could not live with myself if I quit. I got back on my bike mid-hill and started riding. This time I could feel the soreness in my legs from stopping suddenly. I had about a lap and a half to try to re-pass the girls that I had already passed before, so frustrating. Finally, I got back into transition, got my running shoes on and I was off.
It was hot, it was humid, it was pretty much miserable. The only hope I had to survive the heat was pouring water on myself at every aid station. The run course was one of the most difficult triathlon run courses that I have done. The hills were both long and steep, but the good thing was that in this race what goes up goes back down, so we had an equal amount of fast down hills. As the race went on, I went faster and as the finish line came closer I saw one of my breakfast buddies in front of me. I thought, “Oh I can catch up to him and we can finish together.” As I speed up through the grass through the finish shoot, which was 200 yards or so, I felt great. I was pretty much sprinting. Out of nowhere I felt my ankle roll and before I could do anything I was flat on my face, 20 yards to the finish line. Yes, I face planted in front of all of the spectators. As I was on the ground I heard the spectators gasp and even one yell, “You can do it!” As I got up I was already laughing.
I couldn’t believe that something happened at every leg of the triathlon. I came in 40th place in my age group, which is very disappointing for me. But, overall I still had a great experience. My bike split was amazing for having to stop in the middle of the race and my run split was good as well. The good thing is, I know I can do better and improve. Everyone will have a horrible race sometime in his or her career. The thing I learned was to keep going when things get rough and to always keep my head up. The day would have been more disappointing if I wasn’t able to laugh about it at the end.
