Team Athletic Mentors News

By:  JoAnn Cranson

Are you like me and getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge? “Why can’t I sleep like I did as a teenager?”

As we age we produce less of a growth hormone which allows us to not get into as long, deep sleep like when we were young. With this in mind, there are a number of things we can do to set us up for better sleep:

• Limit caffeine. Everyone is different, but I find I can’t have caffeine after 2 pm. (The half-life of caffeine is around 5 hours.”  Meaning if you took in 200mg of caffeine, after roughly 5hrs, half of that (100g) will have been excreted.  But some people metabolize caffeine
  faster or slower than others!)
• Keep a bedtime schedule as consistent as possible. This helps our bodies to know when to start slowing down and when to start waking up.
• Your bedroom should be dark and cool for better sleeping.  Consider using a sound machine.
• Really do your best to reduce your stress and try to slow your brain down when it gets close to bedtime.
• Stop screen time at minimum an hour before you want to go to sleep. Even if you use blue-light glasses, it doesn’t matter.
• Don’t drink alcohol before bed. You may feel like this helps you fall asleep but it hinders good sleep throughout the night.
• Stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Make sure you are hydrated before going to bed.
• Some medications are prone to interrupt your sleep.
• Exercise during the day has shown to help you sleep, but not right before going to bed.
• Lower light levels about an hour before bedtime.  Make sure to get natural light in the mornings.  This helps regulate your body.
• Magnesium – I take 30 minutes before bed.   I take Magnesium as di-magnesium malate, magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate blend to get all the different benefits.  7 out of 10 adults are deficient in Magnesium!

In training, it seems like we are so focused on our workouts, racing and nutrition we forget how essential sleep is for our recovery and overall health. We need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough quality sleep raises the risk of many diseases and disorders.  These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.  Sleep prepares your brain to learn, remember and create.  As you sleep you can reduce inflammation, pain and increase metabolism.  According to the National Institute of Health “The brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep”.  

There has been MUCH emerging work in the form of pre-eminent sleep and the impact on our lives. Researcher and author Matthew Walker has a lot of good information.  Click on this link to listen to one of his talks.

It is important to understand the 4 stages of Sleep to help us realize we need all these stages each night.  Here is a link to a great article from VeryWellHealth by Kendra Cherry.

Are we choosing to get less sleep because we go to bed later and get up at 4:30 am to workout with only 5-6 hours sleep?  If this is the norm for you, you may want to reconsider.

With all these things in mind, we need to prioritize our sleep.  It is a choice to be intentional about setting ourselves up for a good night’s sleep.  For me, some nights I win and some nights I lose.

The post Where Oh Where Has My Sleep Gone? appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Kellen Siems

My name is Kellen Siems. I am 14 years old and a freshman at Hackett Catholic Prep. This is my second year racing for Athletic Mentors. I competed in many triathlons and 5K races this past spring and summer.

I started off the triathlon season with the sprint distance at the Grand Rapids Triathlon, moving up from the supersprint distance last year.  I then did the Cereal City Triathlon for the first time. I was back doing the Shermanator.

My favorite triathlon was the Michigan Titanium Olympic relay. My sister and brother were on my team. Brie swam, Sean biked, and I ran. I made sure to train hard because I had not run a 10K in a while. We were able to cross the finish line together and ended up winning third place.

When I first heard about the relay we decided I was going to do the running portion. When I got the news that I was running I had to start training. Training consisted of me going out over the summer and running three to six miles. Some days I would head to a track to do short hard interval runs to improve my speed. When I finished every workout I made sure to stretch to help prevent pain and discomfort later. I also made sure to drink lots of water before and after every workout.

The post Why Running appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

An interview with program director: Terry Ritter

What were some highlights of year four for the program?

We were able to win a number of local road races in the Elite class, on both the west and the east side of the state (Waterford and Grattan), with multiple juniors. 3 of them did the 2023 Iceman in the PRO class, with Jonathan Meyer getting 13th overall. Jon also raced in his first PRO criterium field at Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD). Charlotte raced up a junior class at ToAD and took 2nd in the 17-18 field for the 5 day omnium. Jack Kozlowski took 3rd in his Cat. 4 omnium as well. We also took a few wins in the Elite field for a couple of gravel events in Michigan, and had a few of our juniors score top 10 overalls. Katja Opfer (10th grade) won the MiSCA Varsity girls series, netting all 6 wins, while Charlotte Rosinski (10th) was 2nd and Lauren Schultz (12th) was 3rd in the series. James Meyer (11th grade) won a race and finished 2nd in the MiSCA Varsity boys series. And we had a split squad for Barry Roubaix, with 8 of our kids doing the Fayetteville USAC MTB National. The remaining 2 boys and 5 girls were able to win the team competition at Barry for a 3rd straight year and win the boys and girls overall. We also won the 15-18 Junior State Cyclocross Championships with Eli and Charlotte.

How was this year’s team ambitions different from last seasons?

This was the first year we graduated a significant group from the program as September came, as we had 5 seniors in our 15 riders. Watching them progress from just a few years ago (and one of them from 4 years ago) was rewarding to see. This older group helped set the tone and we attended 2 National MTB USAC events as well as USAC MTB National Championships in PA. We also took 9 kids to ToAD, which was awesome. The seniors took a lot more responsibility in some areas which is part of what they experience on TAMJD. They left a good expectation for the younger riders.

Any news on the success of TAMJD alumni?

Three of our seniors, Jonathan, Hunter Post and Spencer Blaz, got cycling scholarships and are attending Fort Lewis College in CO, Kings College in TN and Lees McRae in NC, respectively. Elizabeth DeFauw, a past rider of ours, went to Bissell and is attending Marion College in IN this season. The fact they are competing in MTB and road while at school makes us all proud in the program. But the big news was Kellen Caldwell, who graduated from TAMJD 3 years ago, winning the College National Road Championships! I coached him the whole year until his performance there and a 5th at Green Mountain Stage Race caught the attention of a national level development team. Kellen is chasing his dream of being a General Classification rider for a professional team someday.

What are some changes you plan to implement for the coming season?

This off season we plan to have a monthly ZOOM meeting with the parents/kids to share some important information about various topics, like nutrition and sports psychology. We feel this will help the riders prepare for more success in 2024 and also keep them engaged throughout the downtime. We are also going to do some VO2 testing on most of the same subjects from last year this winter to see what growth they have made and get a better grasp regarding changes seen with the junior physiology. We are always tweaking the coaching offering and will also get a more detailed schedule for the season out that will help parent’s plan and also allow more group rides, which the kids enjoy. We’ll also be looking at maybe doing MTB Marathon Nationals and Gravel Nationals.

If you could dispel one myth about the program, what would it be?

Many coaches that I talk to from MiSCA teams feel our success at TAMJD is due to all our kids training together. That’s an important part when it happens, but is also pretty rare. The fact they are offered personal coaching through Athletic Mentors, which most take advantage of, is really where the secret sauce is, I’d say. The other thing is that we set a bar and do our best to keep the kids on task so that they can learn about meeting expectations they agree to. All of this is wrapped in an environment where we get them to feel comfortable trying new things in cycling (road, gravel, CX), and that keeps it fun and gives us more options as a team. Many people within MiSCA are surprised at how well our kids do on things other than MTB racing.

What are you most proud of looking back on the past four years?

We’ve had juniors here and there that we’ve worked with in TAM for a long time, but putting together a dedicated junior development program has been a challenge. MiSCA changed that by offering a lot of young MTBers, but we still had to work to do what we felt would make them most successful and also keep it fun. That was selling the values of personal coaching and trying different cycling disciplines. Both of those things have shown to be very beneficial for the kids goals and their enjoyment. To see that you’ve provided them with an opportunity no one else has makes management feel all the work we dedicate to the program is worth it.

The post Catching up with Team Athletic Mentors Cycling Junior Development appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By: Brie Siems

My name is Brie Siems and I am 14 years old. I am a freshman at Hackett Prep. I enjoy being  outdoors and have a passion for being active. I  participate in many sports such as soccer, swimming, running, basketball, and skiing.  I like triathlons because they include swimming and running. This past summer, I competed in many triathlons in addition to running in multiple 5k races in the area.

My brothers and I volunteered at the Kid’s MiTi triathlon in Grand Rapids this past August. I really enjoy volunteering at races. I watched so many kids arrive in the transition area to set up.  They were so happy and excited. For some of them, this was their first kid’s triathlon ever. I was able to help set up the food table and mark the kids’ arms and legs. It was fun to see all of the kids gathered at the water start. I helped some kids get their socks on in transition and take their heavy bikes off of the rack for them. I was even able to hand out all of the medals to the kids when they finished. It wasn’t that long ago that I was one of those kids who was new to triathlons and learning the basics. Now, I am helping kids in the race. It’s a good thing to give back and encourage others who are new to triathlons.

I also had the opportunity to race in the MiTi Olympic Relay triathlon the next day with my two brothers, Kellen (14) and Sean (16). This triathlon is a 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run. I was encouraged to do the swim leg.  The swim course looked very long and it was my first time swimming this distance with no break. It was also my first time racing in a wetsuit, which really does improve speed and comfort in the water.  Luckily, I have been training on a swim team so I was ready!  We all have strengths and weaknesses,  but it was perfect because I was better at swimming. The race ended well with each of us getting a finisher medal and a 3rd place overall Olympic Relay medal. My brothers and I worked hard but also worked well together as a team.  

Athletic Mentors provides great support and opportunities.  In addition to helping with gear, it provides a network of people that help you out.

The post Growing in Triathlon by Volunteering and Relay Racing appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

• Building Endurance – Consistent training gradually builds endurance, which is crucial for completing the varying distances of a triathlon. Regular sessions condition your body to handle the demands of the race, preventing burnout on the big day.

• Muscle Memory – As you repeat the three disciplines of swimming, cycling, and running, your body develops muscle memory. This means your movements become more efficient, leading to improved performance and reduced energy expenditure.

• Moderating Plateaus – Progress isn’t always linear, and training plateaus are common. However, with consistent training, you can push through these plateaus and continue to see improvements over time.

• Injury Prevention – Consistency also plays a role in injury prevention. Gradually increasing your training load with regularity allows your body to adapt and grow stronger without succumbing to overuse injuries.

• Customized Training Plans – A coach will design training plans that align with your current fitness level, taking into account any pre-existing conditions or limitations. This tailored approach minimizes the risk of injuries while maximizing progress.

• Goal Setting – A coach helps you set realistic yet challenging goals, breaking down your long-term objectives into smaller, achievable milestones. This approach keeps you motivated and focused on continuous improvement.

• Technical Expertise – Triathlons require mastering three distinct disciplines. A coach can refine your swimming technique, enhance your cycling efficiency, and optimize your running form. These technical adjustments lead to improved overall performance.

• Monitoring and Feedback – With regular assessments and feedback, coaches ensure that you’re on the right track. They can analyze your performance metrics, suggest adjustments, and provide insights for ongoing enhancement.

First Triathlon

By: Jay Campbell

On July 18, 2023 the top cyclists in the world raced a 22.4 km time trial on a hilly course that ended with a 2.5 km climb at 9.4%.

You can watch the highlights here: https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/highlights-2023-tour-de-france-stage-16

These are my takeaways for us mere mortals trying to get faster at the cycling leg of a triathlon.

1. Workout in the aerobars as much as you can!!! There is a very old study that measured peak power in upright and aero positions for elite cyclists vs. triathletes. Triathletes had higher peak
   power in the aero vs. upright position while it was the opposite for cyclists. [Peveler, W. et.al. Effects of Training in an Aero Position on Anaerobic Power Output, J. Exerc. Phys., 2004 7(5), p.
   52.] Not surprising. Athletes are strongest in the position they train in. I am continually amazed at how many of the Tour de France cyclists “sit up”; during the time trials, but then that is how they race and train. It shouldn’t be surprising however that the winner of the time trial stayed in the aero bars all the way through his final sprint. It is the most efficient position IF YOU HAVE TRAINED FOR IT. I know training in “aero” is not possible when riding with groups. But, with all the time most of us spend on a trainer, there is no excuse for not doing the bulk of that in aero.
2. If you have the cash, buy a rear disc wheel, aero socks, and aero helmet. Every rider in the time trial was outfitted with this gear (actually I think I saw one rider in a road helmet). The aero advantage of these items has been shown in the wind tunnel on a wide variety of riders. In triathlon we still do not have the limitations on sock height that the Tour has. I am convinced that just about any sock is “aero” and the more sock the better. So pull on those full length compression socks if you don’t mind having a long transition (or are doing a duathlon.) If you are in the market for an aero helmet, check out Smith’s helmet –“Jetstream TT” helmet.  The innovative helmet (“Redeemer”) worn by the Uno-X Pro Team at the Tour is on a whole new level – very unusual design and is not available to the public yet.
3. Wear long-sleeves? About 90% of the riders had long-sleeve speed suits despite temperatures close to 90F. All of the top 5 finishers had long-sleeves. OK…maybe you are not ready for that, but at least go short sleeve vs. sleeveless. The aerodynamics on this are well established. I have seen some “arm-coolers” at Nationals. They are worn like arm-warmers but are well-ventilated and aero.
4. Workout in the aerobars as much as you can!!! DIDN’T I ALREADY SAY THIS? I tried to count the number of riders who switched from a time trial bike to a road bike for the final climb. [A bike change in the middle of a stage of the Tour is not that unusual.] I estimate it was about half including the #2 finisher, but not the other four in the top five. Switching to a lighter bike when gravitational forces predominate over aerodynamic forces often makes sense. I also tried to determine under what conditions riders “sat up” or “stood”.  Generally, they “stood” when
   speeds dropped below 10 mph (only on one very steep section) and when sprinting at the end.  The best time trialists were only coming out of the aero bars when their speed dropped below
   16 mph. Many riders “sat up” when their speeds dropped to 20 mph. However, even at 16 mph there is significant drag making the aero position beneficial (IF YOU HAVE TRAINED FOR IT). I have heard arguments that it makes no sense to “stand” for the final 100 meters of a time trial as the increased drag wipes out the additional watts generated by standing. Maybe the winner of the time trial believes those arguments, as he remained in the aero bars during the final sprint. He was the only finisher I observed who chose to do that.

HERE IS A DRILL: Do a hilly workout while staying in the aero bars the entire time. It is true that when you are going very slow up a hill there is little advantage to be in the aerobars, but it will make you stronger in the aero position. You will be like the triathletes discussed above who actually have a higher peak power in the aerobars vs. upright. Now you can reserve “sitting up” for the occasions where you need to stretch or slightly change muscle groups.

To answer my own title-question, there are a few things triathletes can learn from the Tour de France Pros. But your time is better spent watching the triathlon pros. Only triathletes would think of stuffing a water bottle down the front of their jerseys to get more aero. (See Gustav Iden.)  https://www.triathlete.com/gear/bike/expert-tested-the-water-bottle-jersey-trend-produces-shocking-
results (607) Fast or Fiction: Does a bottle down the front of your kit make you more aero? – YouTube.

Now get on the bike and in your aerobars!

The post Can Mere Mortals Learn Anything From The 2023 Tour de France Stage 16 Time Trial? appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  JoAnn Cranson

What is happening to me? I’m still very active, walking, running, cycling, swimming, playing with the grandkids, yet…. I’m not as strong as I was a few years ago!! The inconvenient truth is that we lose muscle mass as we age into our late 50’s, 60’s and beyond. By the time we are in our 80’s statistics show some have lost over 30% of our muscle mass!! What?? No wonder it is harder to get up that big step or balance oftentimes feels off.

If you feel this way, you’re not alone.  I’m fighting this muscle loss, too. To combat Osteoporosis, balance issues, muscle loss, slower metabolism and to increase calorie burn, I’ve found that the best thing to do is WeightLifting. I realize many women are not keen on this.  But you also want to stay active, burn fat, strengthen bones and have good balance as you age, right?

I’ve weightlifted off and on in the past to get faster at cycling. This year I knew I needed to do it for more than cycling, I needed to do it for my overall health. The weightlifting, whether at home or in the gym, is not simply for toning. To increase muscle mass, you must lift somewhat heavier weights. Now this doesn’t mean you are lifting like a body builder, but small weights doing it fast with lots of reps will not work either.

I’m here to remind you that it’s never too late to start!!  I was listening to a podcast about lifting and learned about a study that was done on 90-year-olds that had not lifted weights before they entered this study.  After 12 weeks of lifting two times per week, they all showed significant improvement.  Click here to review the study.

Before you start weightlifting you should:

1. Check with your physician before anything else to make sure you are healthy enough to be lifting weights.
2. Ideally find an experienced trainer to get you started. (Athletic Mentors can work with you in their gym or remotely).
3. Develop a training routine.  Do strength training 2 to 3 times per week (make sure to have a day of rest in between – even once per week is better than nothing). Normally you will do the same exercise for one or two sets starting with 6 to 10 repetitions, then as you build strength you can do 3 or 4 sets. I normally do between 6 to 9 different exercises per workout. Between sets I rest about 1-1 ½ mins depending on how strenuous the exercise was.
4. Get a weightlifting buddy.  You can encourage each other.  Alternate taking turns and you will get your rest break while your buddy is lifting.  Watch each other and help your partner keep good form when lifting.

Tips:

• Lift the weight slowly; lift to a count of 4 and lower to a count of four. Start with 3 to 5 lbs., then hopefully over an extended period of time you can build up to 10, 15 or 20+ lb. weights depending on the exercise. You should be able to feel your muscles having to “work” when lifting.
• Don’t use other muscles to compensate when you are lifting. If you can’t help compensating, then do less repetitions or use lighter weight until you gain more strength to only use the muscle you are using in the movement.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles to help protect your back from strain. The great thing about strength training with dumbbells or other free weights is that it is also working your “core” muscles – abdominal area – which is a great help with balance.

If your doctor has advised you that you have osteoporosis or are in the beginning stages, it is super important to begin strength training right away and stick with it. Strength training can help prevent bone loss and can even help build new bone. You will need to focus on hip and back exercises as that is the most damaged by bone loss. Here is a good website to give you professional advice on lifting – https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/weight-training

For the cherry on top, weight lifting increases your metabolism, burns fat/calories not only when you are exercising but afterwards. Check out this article about it, https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/strength/calories-burned-lifting-weights

When I’m lifting consistently I see significant improvement in my strength, balance and calorie burning too! Give it a try and don’t let your age get in the way of your overall health and feeling strong!

The post Weightlifting: A Guide for Seniors appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By: Christina Vipond

Most sports have an off season which allows an athlete to have some well deserved time to take a physical and mental break. The off season also allows an athlete to return to basics, work on building a strong foundation and work on skills.  For cyclists, this may be difficult to schedule into the season as there are so many opportunities for training and racing the entire calendar year. Gravel racing alone runs from March through October. Cyclocross season takes over from there and fat tire races happen all winter long. There is also mountain bike racing, crits and indoor racing.  For many athletes, training and racing an entire season is not an issue. For other athletes, it may be beneficial for not only an end of the season break but also a mid-season break. 

Photo courtesy of Rob Meendering

A cyclist usually plans the race season around  peak or big events mid season and at the end of the season. Training and racing up to those events helps prepare for peak performance. Peak performance requires a huge amount of energy and focus. Most people can identify acute fatigue, this is what is felt after a hard workout. Athletes can generally recover quickly with nutrition and rest. However, it can be more difficult to recognize chronic fatigue which accumulates over time. It’s a slow build up from stress on the body’s systems, physically and mentally. By mid-summer, an athlete may have been training and racing for months to prepare for a peak event. A well timed mid season break following the event can be beneficial for the second half of the race season.  

It may seem counterintuitive to take a break in the middle of the race season. However, many studies show fitness will not be lost with a short break (up to 10 days) and can help avoid burnout and injury. A mid-season break is different for each athlete. Some athletes may require only a small break, while others may require a few days completely off the bike. Just like the end of the season, a mid season break is a good time to focus on basics such as proper sleep and nutrition. This time can also be spent with easy activities such as walking or gentle stretches. This period can be followed with a few days of short, easy rides. 

After the mid-season break, it is time to start rebuilding aerobic capacity, endurance, and mental focus. A structured training program is key to the overall performance and health of an athlete during the entire training and racing season. Be sure to talk with your coach at Athletic Mentors about your program, stay strong, stay focused and have fun the entire race season!

The post Mid-Season Break appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Christina Vipond

In training or racing, the only thing we know for sure is that we won’t know what the weather will be until we are on the start line.

Race season typically begins in March. We could get lucky and have a warm, dry day or we could get snow or cold, rainy weather. Usually, the morning is cool and may or may not warm up so having kit ready for any weather is essential.  

Some athletes can tolerate colder weather, others aren’t so lucky. Thankfully, the technology for clothing is such that it allows for layers of clothing to be worn without affecting movement required for racing. Drinking warm liquids before and during the race can keep the body temperature warm. Its is also a good idea to consider eating more carbohydrates if you are a person who shivers as shivering can break down glycogen.

The opposite side of the spectrum is intense heat. The last week of May was unseasonably warm in Michigan with temperatures reaching upper 80s and into the 90s for an entire week. There have been studies done that show just 10 days of heat acclimatization training improves time trial performance and power output when racing in intense heat. Unfortunately, that isn’t realistic with the unpredictable and inconsistent weather. Other studies have shown that aerobic fitness is an effective strategy for heat stress. An overall aerobically fit body can keep blood flowing and keep the heart pumping blood to muscles in all temperatures. 

Drinking plenty of fluid seems obvious but drinking too much water can lead to a condition called hyponatremia. Drinking too much can dilute blood sodium levels which can cause athletes to collapse as well as more severe health issues. Urine color is one indicator for hydration. Clear urine along with high volume can indicate too much hydration. However, if urine is  dark or low in volume, this could indicate dehydration. When an athlete is dehydrated, blood is sent to the skin to increase sweat for cooling. This means less blood is going to muscles to deliver oxygen and nutrients. This can cause muscle cramps, decrease power output, increased heart rate and increased breathing. 

Not only is drinking important in heat but eating can be affected as well. Hot weather can also decrease appetite as well as upset stomachs.  Liquids with drink mixes, electrolytes or soft gels when racing can be helpful

Here are tips which may help race performance in extreme heat (may seem obvious but are good reminders):

• Staying in the shade as long as possible when available. 
• Use an ice sock.
• Drink cold fluids before, during and after the race.
• Do training rides in a warm environment (or without a fan if indoors). This is a good way to experiment with different drink mixes and electrolytes to learn what works for your body in extreme heat. 
• Wear sunscreen, sunburns amplify heat stress and dehydration.

Weather can be unpredictable. Training for all types of weather to understand how your body responds to cold and heat as well as how to compensate is an important component to healthy racing. 

The post Race Weather appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Olivia Perrine

I got into triathlon by accident, all because of a twisted ankle. It was my aunt’s twisted ankle. She was signed up to race the Tri Goddess Triathlon with my mom in August of 2022, but after a training session that was a little too intense, she was left with a sprained ankle and unable to race. When my mom explained to me my aunt’s situation, she went on to say that, “I didn’t want to race alone, so I just signed you up.” That was on Monday, and the race was on Saturday. It wasn’t much of a heads up, but I didn’t really mind. Earlier in the month I had debated joining my mom and aunt anyways, but I never brought myself around to doing it. Now the decision was made for me. Despite being somewhat unprepared (I had done plenty of running over the summer but little to no swimming or biking), I was excited for the race. I am competitive by nature, I like to challenge myself, and it makes me happy to be active outside, so I knew I would have fun. 

I did have fun, and though I was sad my aunt couldn’t be there, I was glad that I got to participate. I was proud of myself for stepping outside my comfort zone to try something new and challenging. The whole racing experience was unlike anything I had ever done before, and it was thrilling. From the hectic transition periods, to running with jello-legs after biking, to running through the woods before the finish, I loved every second. I enjoyed the race, and knew it was something I would do again next summer, but I didn’t think about it beyond that. So when I was asked if I wanted to be part of Athletic Mentor’s triathlon team, I responded mainly with surprise. My only experience with triathlon was from the one race I did with my mom. I didn’t know that there were competitive teams for kids my age. But as I learned more about it and talked with my parents about what it would look like, I could feel myself getting excited. Being part of a team would mean that I would be more exposed to the world of triathlon, a world into which I had only a glimpse. Ultimately, I decided to become an Athletic Mentors triathlete to challenge myself, to supplement cross country, and because I want to do an Ironman some day. 

First, I decided to become a triathlete to challenge myself. It is easy for me to stay in my comfort zone and avoid situations that are new because they are uncomfortable. But when I avoid those new situations, I stay stagnant. I want to grow, learn, and improve, and no one can do that when they are avoiding change. Becoming a triathlete, though exciting, would be a challenge. Like any sport, it takes hard work to be good. For me, it would take hard work to get better at swimming. The process of improving will be uncomfortable at times. I knew this, and it initially was a cause for apprehension, but I soon realized it was actually a perfect opportunity to get better.

Another reason I wanted to become a triathlete was because I knew it would help me be a better cross country runner by making me stronger and giving me more race experience. There have been countless studies that show how cross training improves an athlete’s overall strength and prevents injury. This is because when you use your body in different ways you use different muscles. So instead of getting all my training from running (which is hard on the body and could lead to injury), I will get endurance work and strength from swimming and biking that will prevent injury. In addition to cross training, racing triathlons will benefit my cross country season by getting me more familiar with competing. Though the environment at a triathlon is different from a cross country race, it is still a race and will therefore help me become more comfortable with a race-atmosphere. The more competitions you do, the better a competitor you will be in terms of strategy and mental toughness.  

Finally, I chose triathlon because I want to do an Ironman some day. An Ironman consists consecutively of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. Endurance sports are my strength, and I think an Ironman would be a great test of that strength. By starting triathlon training now, I will gain experience and build a training base that will prepare me for the Ironman training and race. 

Whether by action or by choice, no matter what your goals are, I have found that choosing triathlon is a fun way to challenge yourself.

The post Why I Chose Triathlon appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.