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.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #8
Jarrett Pflieger
The Orange County Triathlon on September 27th is drawing near, and Pete and Corrinne are doing all they can to be ready.
They both had another good week of training and are seeing dramatic improvements in their performance. Being able to train with power (watts) on the CompuTrainers is really making a difference in their cycling ability and power output. When Corrinne first began training at Triathica, she was clueless about cycling. “When I first started, I had no idea what watts or cadence was,” she explained. Now she gets excited to compare her power output from recent workouts to those in the past.
One of Pete and Corrinne’s favorite marker set workouts is riding the Orange County Triathlon course on the indoor CompuTrainer setup at Triathica. They both rode the course on Thursday the 20th and compared the numbers to a previous ride of the course.
The most notable increase is their jump in average power. Corrinne gained over 20 watts for her average in just a few weeks. Pete jumped up 20 watts for his average in less than a month! The more power output you can sustain on the bike, the faster you will go, period. Pete and Corrinne are seeing this firsthand on their outdoor training rides. They have both dropped minutes off their times for the Santiago Canyon loop, the same course for the actual OC Triathlon, mostly due to their indoor training on the CompuTrainers.
They both have made dramatic improvements in all areas and hope to continue progressing. Corrinne said,” I really feel like the power workouts have increased my watts. I would like to get faster, and I am really working on keeping my cadence at 90 or above while trying to keep my watts above 130-145. I would love it if my power output was a little higher.” Corrinne is almost completely healed from her crash a few weeks back and is looking forward to her maximum training week coming up.
Pete also attributes much of his success to being able to train with power. “I feel my watts have increased because of the power sessions on the CompuTrainers at Triathica. After today’s ride I felt stronger, almost like I could ride again,” he revealed.
It is great to see Pete and Corrinne bringing up their cycling skills to be more in line with their running ability. It isn’t easy transitioning from a pure runner to a triathlete, but Pete and Corrinne are well on their way. Check back next week to see what Pete and Corrinne are doing next.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #7
Kelli Whittaker
Pete and Corrinne are well on their way to success at the Orange County Triathlon in September. Pete continues to train like an animal and Corrinne is just getting back into the swing of things after her unfortunate cycling mishap several weeks ago. Her broken wrist is healing well and she said that she is, ”Excited to get back out on the road for the first time since the injury.”
Corrinne has been taking advantage of the CompuTrainers at Triathica. It allows her to get a great workout indoors, probably much better than out on the road, without the risk of crashing and re-injuring herself. “I really like the CompuTrainers because it is such a controlled environment. No cars, stoplights, or flats. Just me and my workout,” she explains.
One thing Corrinne has been able to do ever since the injury, even with the splint, is swimming. She is now a regular at Lake Mission Viejo and likes to swim back and forth between the buoys to get a feel for open water. Even better is the fact that the lake is the same location as the OC Tri she will be competing in. Corrinne likes the lake swimming but is still unsure about the ocean. She saw a sting ray swimming beneath her last time she swam in the ocean and has been tentative to go back.
Pete, on the other hand, had been out racing like a man possessed. He recently completed the Camp Pendleton Sprint Triathlon and came in 10th in his age group. He felt that his swim split was a little slow and hopes to improve in that area by utilizing Triathica’s Endless Pool and going to our group swims on Wednesday nights in Corona Del Mar.
Pete and Corrinne are both diligently following the training plans they received for attending the 12-week OC Tri camp put on by Triathica. One workout in particular, a speed workout on the bike, gave Pete some trouble. “I found it difficult to hold an RPM of 120 at 300 watts. I was close but felt very tired after,” he said.
They were both very excited to get their training zone assessments completed. Pete revealed that, “Having my training zones helps keep my training session focused. I feel confident after my session when I stick by the training program.” Corrinne also finds the training zones helpful because it lets her know, “Exactly where I need to be in my workout intensity-wise. It’s hard not to waste time training at too low an intensity, but having my zones allows me to save a lot of time and train efficiently.”
Looks like everything is coming along well for both. We hope the progress keeps coming in the final months leading up to the race. Check back in with Pete and Corrinne next week to see how they are progressing.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #6
Kelli Whittaker
Corrinne had her doctor’s appointment this past Thursday and they took the cast off! Her wrist is still broken, but now she has a plastic brace that she can take on and off. She explained, “The plastic brace is so much better. It’s pretty comfortable and it allows me to work out.” Thursday was her first workout after the injury and she rode the OC Triathlon course on a CompuTrainer at Triathica. She said, “The workout felt good. I was slower than usual and noticed that I got tired pretty quickly, especially on the hills, but I was just happy to be back.” She didn’t eat much before her workout and really noticed the difference. Corrinne said, “I had no idea how much nutrition can play a role with your physical ability. I feel like if I would have ate and given my body the right fuel I would have done better.” She feels like the CompuTrainers are building back her confidence on the bike, which is something that she really needs right now.
Corrinne went to Catalina this weekend and planned on running some of the trails and doing some swim workouts in the ocean. She really isn’t wasting any time getting back into the swing of things! She is still determined to race in the OC Triathlon on September 27th and Corrine and Pete both just signed up for the California half Ironman in March 2010.
Pete also had a busy week, although he says, “Training without Corrinne is very different and I hope that she will be back at full strength soon.” His back has been bothering him, so he has been focusing on getting himself back to full strength. The chiropractor has been a big help and he explained to Pete that taking preventative measures with your health, especially when you are working out hard, is important for success.
Pete likes having the 9-week training plan that was provided by Triathica at the training camp and feels like having the guidance has really helped him see results. Pete says, “It (the training plan) has given me the ability to mix up the workouts because every workout is a little different. The swimming aspect of the workouts have been very challenging and they have made me step up the intensity.”
He is participating in the Camp Pendleton Triathlon on Saturday and is excited about the race. He says, “It will be a good practice run for the OC Triathlon. I’m really going to focus on my transition times and on my speed in each event.” Pete is very excited about his progress and can’t wait for the OC Triathlon on September 27th and for the half Ironman in March 2010. This week Pete dropped his time on the CompuTrainer by several minutes on the OC Tri course and was very excited about the improvement.
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #5
Kelli Whittaker
Another busy week for Pete and Corrinne “training like triathletes” at Triathica.
Pete says, “the biggest update of the week for me is that I have a race plan to closely follow now. I am looking forward to executing the swim, bike, run and strength training over the next 9 weeks.”
Pete worked out a lot this past week but says, “my favorite workout has been riding the course on the CompuTrainer and monitoring my progress through the report system. Looking at my previous results helps me to fine tune my pedal stroke and improve my Watts per Kilogram ratio.” He attributes his continued improvement on the bike to the data he can view during and after a CompuTrainer workout.
Unfortunately, Corrinne had a rough week. She went to Camp Pendleton on Tuesday to ride the Camp Pendleton Triathlon bike course, but on the ride she took a bad fall and broke her wrist. She said, “the fall was disappointing, but I got lucky that it was only my wrist. When I fell there was a lady that was walking by that helped me up, she took me to her house and actually drove me all the way back to San Clemente where I had parked my car because I couldn’t ride back.” When Corrinne got back to her car she realize that her car had been broken into and her wallet had been stolen. Corrinne said, “it was just a really bad day, but I am not going to let it get me down. This experience reminded me that the kindness of a stranger can really make a difference and I gained a new friendship with the lady that helped me.”
Corrinne was unable to train the rest of the week, but says that next week she will start riding on the CompuTrainers. She believes that “it’s a set back but its not going to defeat me. I am just going to get right back into it. This accident really made me take a step back and realize what I want and come up with alternative ways to make sure that I’m still successful”. She is not going to be able to race in the Camp Pendleton Triathlon coming up in a few weeks, but she said that she is still determined to compete in the Orange County Triathlon at the end of September. That is determination at its finest! Her next doctor’s appointment is this Thursday and she hopes for good news.
Pete says, “Corrinne’s accident makes me sad, but I know that she is going to bounce back, she is determined and I will help her in any way possible.”
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing on their road to triathlon glory.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #4
Kelli Whittaker
Corrinne and Pete have had another busy week training. They both attended the 12-week training camp seminar last Saturday on triathlon rules and safety and really enjoyed themselves. Corrinne is already excited over the progress she has made stating, “I really think this camp is going to give me an advantage in my future races.” She also couldn’t believe that people actually die from triathlons every year because they are not prepared. 1.5 out of every 100,000 die yearly on average during a triathlon event. This really shows you how important it is to properly prepare yourself before a race and that safety should always come first!
They went back to the Orange County International Triathlon bike and run course and repeated the workout they had done the prior week. Corrinne was stunned when she shaved ten minutes off her bike time. She said, “knowing the course makes a huge difference. It gave me more confidence and I believe the confidence really helped.” According to Pete, “this time around the course was much easier for me. I knew what to expect and that gave me more confidence. Overall it was a very encouraging workout for both of us.”
Pete and Corrinne are now both being sponsored by Hammer Nutrition. Hammer Nutrition is providing them with some of their products and with nutrition plans for the 12-weeks of the training camp. Pete says, “having the protein powder, nutrition bars and all of the other products Hammer provides has really helped me. I feel like the combination of their products and my hard work will take me to the next level and I’m very thankful to Hammer for their support”. Corrinne also stated, “having Hammer products at my disposal has made my life so much easier. Instead of scrambling to find some sort of supplement to re-fuel my body after an intense workout I can use the Hammer products that they have provided to regenerate my body.”
Tune in next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing!
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #3
Kelli Whittaker
Pete and Corrinne have had another busy week “training like triathletes”.
Corrine started the 12-week training camp last week and says, “she was really impressed with what she learned about triathlon essentials and is really looking forward to the future lessons”.
She has also really enjoyed the group swims stating, “I’m glad I learned how to transition faster. Ron taught me how to get into the ocean water quickly and how to get out of it quickly”. He taught her to pop up when her hand touched the sand instead of getting up early and fighting through waist deep water. She explains, “the group swims have helped me tremendously because everyone is out there learning together”.
Pete started the training camp this past Saturday and is looking forward to the experience. He says, “I am eagerly anticipating the training camp and the free 9-week training plan we all get for being in the camp”.
Pete and Corrinne’s week of training went “fantastic”. They rode the Orange County Triathlon bike course and then ran part of the run course. They were both pleasantly surprised with their performances. Pete said, “we discovered that the run was very hilly and it was a challenging course, but I’m very happy that we did it because now we know where we are and the next time we train there we will be able to gauge our progress”.
Pete also led the group bike ride for Triathica Saturday. He took the riders through Santiago Canyon and had a blast leading the group.
Corrinne and Pete both continue to use Triathica’s facility and attribute much of their training success to the equipment inside the training center as well as the knowledge of the USAT certified coaches that work there. According to Pete, ” Triathica just makes training easy, everything is here at your disposal”.
PETE AND CORRINNE UPDATE #2
Kelli Whittaker
Pete and Corrinne
Although the path to becoming a triathlete is exhilarating, it has been challenging for Corrinne because of her history as a long distance runner. Accustomed to four to five hour runs, she now needs to break up her training into three very different sports. The change has been challenging, but she says that it has been well worth it. She loves the fact that you get to change things up. One challenge she has recently faced is changing the way she runs. Now she takes short, fast runs instead of long, slow runs, so that her body starts to adapt to the new fast pace.
She also just completed her first ocean swim this past Wednesday at Triathica’s group swim at Big Corona. After the swim she said that she was ecstatic. She is normally deathly afraid of swimming in the ocean because of her extreme fear of sharks, but she put the fear behind her and did very well. She realized that she actually is a much stronger swimmer than she had thought and believes that with a little more training she will be comfortable in the water.
Pete a “returnee” to the sport of triathlon just completed the Breath of Life Triathlon in Ventura. It was his first triathlon in awhile and he really enjoyed the race. He said that it was a “flat, fast race.” He finished 8th in his age group and was happy with his overall performance. He was pleasantly surprised with his biking and attributes some of his success to his training on Triathica’s CompuTrainers. He also realized that he needs to focus on getting a faster 10K split.
Pete will be joining Corrinne in the 12-week training camp hosted by Triathica and looks forward to seeing the improvement and knowledge he gains form the experience. Look for an update on Pete and Corrinne’s training progress in next week’s newsletter.
MEET PETE AND CORRINNE
If you’ve been by the club lately you may have already met Corrinne Wallace because she works the front desk here. Corrinne also is in charge of mapping our rides and runs and is sort of our social coordinator.
Pete is a friend of ours that has been a triathlete for many years. He’s a dedicated runner now and coaches running at Snails Pace.
If you pick up a copy of Competitor Magazine you’ll see our latest ad on page 36. The “Transform” ad features Pete and Corrinne in the ad as our “heros” that landed on the mystical island of Triathica.
Essentially, Pete and Corrinne are our “test subjects.” We have already put them through their training zone assessments and will be working with them in the months ahead. They will be attending our 12-week training camp, and will follow the 9-week training plan prescribed in the camp.
Corrinne is a “newbie” and Pete is returning to the sport. They are both ultra-marathoners, which besides meaning they’re crazy, means they race distances in excess of a normal 26.2-mile marathon. Some of these races go 100+ miles.
You’ll be seeing more of them around Triathica and www.triathica.com. When you see them chat them up because they’re both really neat people.
