Every fall, coming off a long spring/summer season of racing, I find myself less interested in hard workouts and more interested in just riding. In season, my rides have focus and purpose. As the weather turns colder and the leaves begin to change, I find my mind and body longing to ride – simply for the pure joy or riding. It is a difficult shift for me as I love to train and race. But, I also have learned that pushing through the longing for rest results in burnout. If I want to be fully ready for racing next summer, I need to take time to joy ride.
Colorburst Tour, sponsored by the Rapid Wheelmen, offers the perfect opportunity for a pure joy ride. This event, which starts and ends at the beautiful Fallasburg Park, offers distances ranging from 17 to 100 miles, with gravel riding options as well. With a pancake breakfast before the ride, SAG support, refueling stops, and a warm meal after the ride, it creates an incredibly enjoyable day.
This year, with a full blue sky, crisp cool air, and a good dose of fall breezes, I rode 100 miles of beautiful Michigan countryside. Across rolling hills and flat farmland, I let go of all speed and power expectations and focused on the pure joy I feel as I roll along with no agenda except to take in the beauty surrounding me.
At the end of the day, I felt full of gratitude for a healthy body, a bike I love, beautiful, quiet roads, fall colors, and friends to chat with along the way. And, pure JOY.

The post The Joy Ride appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Kaitlyn Patterson, Team OAM NOW cyclist

I’ve been working on a pretty cool project that has escalated over the past month that I would like to explain.  It can be a bit hard to explain to people both within and outside of cycling so I’ll do my best to cover what I’m doing and why.

Zwift is an interactive online cycling program that you can pair to a smart trainer or a power meter ride on a virtual course with other riders logged in from around the world.  You can chat with riders around you, join group rides, do pre-written or custom workouts, or even race. If you have a smart trainer, the resistance will change based on the elevation changes of the Zwift course. Overall, it makes riding the trainer 100% more engaging and can be a great training tool.

At the beginning of the summer, Zwift rolled out a program called “Zwift Academy,” open to any female cyclist. It included a series of workouts, a pre and post Functional threshold power (FTP) test and a designated number of group rides to complete over a three month time span. After this “qualifying period” a panel of professionals would analyze power data and other information and select 10 semi-finalists they thought had the potential to be professional riders. The semi finalists continue the program and compete for the grand prize of a one year contract with the Canyon/SRAM team.

When I read about this at first, I was intrigued but I thought it was a bit sacrilegious to ride the trainer in the summer and I only had a couple months of freedom before medical school started. However, I thought it was a pretty cool idea and I joined the Facebook group to keep tabs on it. Through the summer, an impressive community of women from around the world converged on this platform- sharing stories, equipment tips, training advice, and such. Most of them were not in it for the “grand prize” or any prize at all but the pursuit of improvement and inclusion in a community.

At the end of July when I was preparing to move to Ann Arbor to start school, I began to plan how I would continue to train most efficiently with the demands of school. I knew my days of riding my mountain bike endlessly from our front door were over and I knew the trainer was going to turn into an important training tool for me. So just for fun, I looked at the Zwift Academy requirements again. It would be a lot of work to finish the program by the August 31^st deadline but it had already elicited the spark of a new challenge and there was no turning back.

Despite occasionally feeling guilty for riding inside in August,  Zwift Academy turned into a great outlet for me for several reasons. It definitely helped me fit in a lot of high quality efficient workouts as my volume declined. It also reduced the amount of time I was on the road during the time that I was most anxious about cars due to recent accidents. However, I didn’t post any of my Zwift rides on Strava, because I wasn’t quite confident enough to explain what I was doing or why.

Ore to Shore was a success amid school and Zwift

Fitting in the workouts around races and outdoor rides turned out to be more of a challenge than expected because the workouts were legitimately hard. However, I managed to finish Zwift Academy by the deadline.  I figured I would likely have a chance at moving on but due to the time constraints, I didn’t do all the workouts at the highest quality and my power numbers didn’t improve much in such a short time. However, one week after the conclusion of the program, my name was among the ten from around the world to move on. (Check out the bios from the semi-finalists here.) I was excited and pleased but also surprised with their selection.  I was very honest with Zwift Academy about my school and racing plans but they advanced me nevertheless.  I thought this was pretty cool for several reasons:

First, one of my goals of medical school is to avoid sacrificing myself mentally and physically in the process of medical training.  Yes, this is historically how it has been done and I may be judged for wanting it to be different. However, I think that the University of Michigan is on board with this and it is cool that Zwift Academy acknowledged this too.

Secondly, my involvement with this project is not driven solely by the pursuit of a pro contract.  But I don’t think it is all about the pro contract for Zwift Academy either.  The enthusiasm of the Zwift Academy community exceeded expectations and I think there is a lot of power in using both community and “gamification” for some impressively rewarding fitness and satisfaction gains – and not just for the highest caliber athletes.  I think building and strengthening an underrepresented community in the cycling world will benefit the sport at all levels. So I was pleased that Zwift acknowledged that I might have something to bring to this community, even if it does not necessarily mean being the optimal candidate to fulfill a professional contract.

The next round of workouts started up last week and I have the months workouts in my Training Peaks. The semi-finals include one outdoor workout, one specific Zwift workout and one Zwift group ride or race of our choice. It is actually a pretty relaxed schedule that allows me to continue to spend time on my mountain bike. The semifinals run through the end of November.So it will definitely be an interesting ride no matter what and I’m excited to see what the next few months hold.

The post My Zwift Academy Ride appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Tammy Shuler, Team OAM NOW athlete

On March 31st, 2014 I was matched with a young boy named Cainen, through a site called “I run 4 Michael”.  A friend told me about the group, and that they had the same motto I had. “I run because someone else can’t and I can.” After visiting the sight  I signed up. It took two months before I was matched.  They gave me Cainen’s mothers contact information. We hit it off right from the start.

She was a single mother caring for a severely handy capped boy. He was 2 almost 3 years old. He couldn’t walk and was nearly deaf and legally blind. He had sever Down’s syndrome and possibly autistic.  As a member of the group you are encouraged to post on Facebook, twice a week, include pictures and positive thoughts about running.

 Over the last two and a half years I have been in contact, through Facebook, texts and private messenger, with Cainen’s mother Melissa. I have run more than 10 marathons, two Ironmans, two half Ironmans, a 100k, multiple other triathlons, and races, as well as all the training that goes with that, and dedicated it to Cainen through Facebook. Saturday I got to meet Cainen and his family. I was given the honor of pushing him in a “BOB” stroller at a fund raising event for children with brain cancer in Wisconsin. He is a sweetheart.

He loves the feel of the vibration and the wind on his face. His mother has lost 80 pounds during our friendship. I like to believe that these posts and encouragement had something to do with this. She has also gotten married and had another child Charley, who is a healthy active boy. fI gave Cainen all the metals I had collected over the past two and a half years. As well as some tee shirts. I think he likes them. I have a forever bond with this amazing family, that I can not thank “I run4″ enough. I hope to make the Briggs & Al’s children’s run, walk , an annual event with Cainen, my buddy.

The post “I Run 4″ appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By: Roxane Kippen, Multisport Team Captain

It is very hard to believe that another triathlon season is coming to an end.  This year has been another of hard work and much success for Team OAM NOW multisport athletes.  The best part about my role as a team captain is celebrating the victories of our outstanding group of triathletes.

Our multisport team members range in age from 19 years old to flirting with retirement and each decade in between is well represented.  We are a diverse group made up of teachers, students, attorneys, and finance, IT and engineering professionals.  A healthy balance of all life has to offer is important to us.  On top of things like work, school, family and other worthy causes; we find time to train, race and promote active lifestyles by volunteering in our communities.

As I look back at our stats from two years ago, I am amazed at the growth in the numbers.  We have nearly doubled in team members and have gone from competing in 24 different triathlon events and a total of 50 triathlon finishes to competing in 31 events with over 90 finishes.  Of the 90 finishes, over two thirds resulted in top 3 podiums.  There were 61 podiums in 2016 versus 37 podiums in 2014, including 11 first place overall finishes.

First Place Overall Finishes in 2016

Danielle Nye                     Gull Lake Sprint Triathlon

Elaine Sheikh                 Bear Lake Olympic Triathlon
Tri Del Sol
Michigan Titanium Olympic Triathlon

Jeff Nordquist              Seahorse Triathlon
Grand Rapids Triathlon Olympic Aquabike

John Meyers                Double Time Duathlon
Shermanator Duathlon

Kathy Braginton          Gull Lake Triathlon Masters
Shermanator Triathlon Masters

Todd Anthes                Gull Lake Olympic Triathlon

Other highlights for the season include Tammy Shuler’s perfect 8 for 8 age group wins, Elaine Sheikh’s double top 10 finish at USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals in both the Sprint and Olympic distances for the second year in a row, Lindsey Lilley’s top 5 overall finish at Michigan Titanium, her first iron distance event ever and Brian Reynolds’ top 10 overall finish at Ironman Wisconsin, his first iron distance event ever.  In addition, Danielle Nye and Elaine Sheikh represented Team USA at the ITU World Age Group Championships this weekend in Cozumel, Mexico!

As a team we have a common goal to balance work, life and sport.  We are a family and love to share in each other’s successes and encourage each other through challenges and setbacks.  While we always enjoy being on the podium, the journey is more often a larger victory. We are thankful we have such great sponsors that support us in doing what we love and allow us to be proud stewards of the sport.

The post 2016 Triathlon Wrap Up appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Andy Guelzo, Team OAM NOW cyclist

When I first started on my adventure into the adventurous sport of cycling I had some wonderful people to teach me and show me the do’s and don’ts. The small tricks to cycling that most people don’t find out until it’s too late are the things that can make the most difference. Sharing those tips to the beginner cyclist is what needs to be done so that everyone can feel joy of riding to its highest level. The 3 biggest tips I can share are eating properly, getting a correct fitting bike, and finding someone or some people to get guidance from. These tricks can be used from anyone beginning to ride to someone that had been in the sport for a while and wanting to hone in their riding.

1.  Eating

When I began in my cycling career eating while riding was an outside concept to me. I never thought that eating would work and not upset my stomach.  Eating allows your body to keep up energy levels and keep your body from “bonking”. Bonking is when your liver can’t keep up with your blood glucose levels and the brain and nervous system run low on fuel. This in turn causes muscles to not have adequate supply of energy. When eating during a ride, it is best to start early when going for a ride longer than an hour.  After about an hour is when your body starts needing to replace its fuel stores.  Eating early will allow your body to keep up with digestion and supply the body with useable nutrients. Use fuel in the form of  gels for the simple carbohydrates that are metabolized into glucose within the body for use in cells. Also, I carry bars for rides over 90 minutes for their assortment of carbohydrates and proteins. Having the proper nutrition will allow your body to perform the best possible.

2. Bike Fit

It doesn’t matter how fit or strong an athlete is, if you cannot put the most force possible into your bike you will not go as fast as possible. Having a bike that fits properly will also allow you to be more comfortable and be able to ride longer without causing damage to your joints.  Just like any other machine, if the person working it cannot use it comfortably it will not be used with maximum efficiency. Most local bike shops have some kind of fitting service, 3rd coast cycles in Hudsonville for example has everything you need to be fitted properly. They can fit the bike to your exact body specifications. I cannot stress the importance of a bike fit because I believe that it is the single most important “upgrade” you do to your bike to go faster.

3. Don’t do it Alone

It doesn’t matter if you want to just ride for fitness or if you want to race, group riding is one of the best training tools out there. Other people will be able to push you to go faster and go further than you normally would if you were on your own.  Riding in a group will make it easier to meet new people. Most groups have at least one person that has been riding for quite a long time. These people have a special heart for the sport of cycling and want to share as much knowledge as possible.  These types of people I find are not looking for a reward of payment. What they want is to see their love for the sport move into someone else who is just starting out in feeling that same passion. A mentor like this can usually do more than any other person you will meet. For me, Athletic Mentors coach, Team tech guru, and all around fantastic road trip driver Terry Ritter has been this person for me. The friendship and bond created will be one that will go on forever. His passion for the sport and the growth of up and coming riders leads too much more than just doing well in races. It leads to a life time attraction to wanting to ride a bike. To take this further, getting in contact with a personal coach to work with you on a training plan to reach your goals is even better. Having a coach will give direction and make reaching goals more possible.

The post Cycling Tips From Andy appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

– By Collin Snyder, Team OAM NOW cyclist

This year has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. When the season was in its early strides, I was already showing sings it was going to be a good year. I put the time in over the winter and dividends were coming in. Then right when it started, it ended. On a training ride, I broke my kneecap (non-displaced patella for you medical people), putting the brakes on all plans for the year. Seven weeks later I was on the bike, but nowhere close to where I started. In fact, my first week back, it was hard to do a ride over a 20 minutes

I re-adjusted my expectations, and decided to just roll with the punches and enjoy the summer racing. Due to the still weak knee, I decided to do Lumberjack on a geared bike. This is so unheard of for me, I actually had to buy a rear MTB wheel that wasn’t single speed dedicated. I raced and struggled. The results were similar on the road. I showed up, put my all into it, but it just wasn’t there. To make matters worse, not longer after Lumberjack, I broke a rib in another crash. This just wasn’t my year.

In mid-August, I took a little break from the road to race a bucket list race; the Breck Epic, a 6 day MTB stage race in Breckenridge Colorado. My rib was healed, I had some training under my belt, but I really didn’t know what to expect. The race ended up living up the hype. Being from Michigan, I just wanted to finish. I raced smart everyday, always metered my efforts with the altitude always at the back of my mind and bottom of my lungs. In the end, I finished 16th in my age group for the six days, and had a top 10 on the last day.

When I came back, I wanted to use my re-found fitness while it was still around. With shifting of some of the races this year, Labor Day weekend was free for me to head out of state to race Shenandoah Mountain 100. This is a race that I’ve raced five times prior, with my last experience in 2013 soured by the remnants of a hurricane which dumped heavy rain for a majority of the race. This year, I was just going to have fun.

When the race kicked off, as always it started fast, but this year, I decided not to kill myself and watched my single speed competition struggle to hold onto the likes of Jeremiah Bishop’s wheel while spinning at 190 RPM. This is a big change for me. Normally at these NUE races, I kill myself at the beginning, get in a good position, then slowly fade and then struggle to stop the bleeding as fresher competitors pass like I’m standing still.

I rode my pace up climb 1 and 2 of six without seeing another single speeder. When I reached the bottom of the second descent, I saw a racer begging for a tube. I figured I was just riding my bike and I had a tube on me and another about 10 miles up the road at the next aid station, so why not stop and help him. Good karma right? Helped him out, took a nature break, and was on my way.

Going up the fifth climb, also affectionately known as “The Death Climb” due to the fact its about 18 miles long, I rode my pace. Slowly, one by one, I started passing people. Most were geared, but four were my single speed “classmates”. As I reached the top and started going down, I pass a guy messing with his bike who then realizes I’m a single speeder also. Panic sets in (for him), and he puts it in high pursuit, bombing down the 5 mile, super rocky, 2500 ft decent. He passes me like I’m standing still.  Although I’m a good descender, I’m still a flat lander, so I ease off knowing I want to live to see another day. Midway down the trail, there’s a short climb which the SSer comes back into view, and he’s walking up it. I manage to scale it without walking. With one more 25 minute climb to come in the closing miles, I know I’ll have him.

I make it down to the bottom safely, reach the last aid station, take a NASCAR style stop, and I’m in hot pursuit. When I get to the start of the last climb, he’s out of sight, but I do a steady tempo, never becoming impatient. Although slow, it was faster than I’ve ever gone up that climb in the 5 other editions. I actually had gas left in the tank, what a concept! Midway up the climb, I see him, and he had nothing left. The grade was too much for his blown up legs. I put a poker face on and stand up to “dance on the pedals” as he hiked next to his rig. As I pass, he says he’s got nothing left and congratulates me on my effort. I ride safely up and down the last mountain, and roll in nearly 25 minutes faster than my personal best. I place third in the Single Speed Class, beating my previous best by 8 places.

This race really mirrors my recovery. I re-adjusted my expectations, aimed for fun over results, and sure enough, I managed to accomplish both. Sometimes it’s a bunch of crappy setbacks that makes you step back and realize why you’re in this sport to begin with. This mindset will continue into cyclocross season where another training disruption is imminent. My wife and I are expecting our first child, about a month before Iceman.

The post Slow and Steady. appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Michelle Dalton, Team OAM NOW triathlete

“My husband and I are Triathletes”. This statement is usually met with blank stares or at best polite nods. Sometimes an explanation is required. “We race in events that require us to swim, bike and then run.”

James and Michelle Dalton have been competing in triathlon for over a decade!

We have been competing for over a decade in this sport, both here and in our native Australia. We were introduced by a friend whilst training for a half marathon in Sydney. She was a Grandmother – and I thought well if she can do this, I would like to give it a go. And I did. And then James did. And we have been hooked ever since.

It’s not easy having two endurance athletes in the family, especially with two small children, jobs and lives. We have to balance very carefully training with work and family. And it has worked well. Mostly.

This year we are both training for our first Ironman in Cozumel Mexico in November. An Ironman is a 2.4 miles swim followed by a 112 mile bike and then a 26.2 mile run. It’s a huge event and requires many hours of training – in our family that means Ironman volume training times two. After people get over the shock that you are actually thinking of attempting such an event on purpose, they often ask us the question of how we manage to both do the work and have time leftover for everything else.

The answer is that sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. The key is to have priorities. Family is always first. We have explained to our children that this year is a lot of training and time away from them to try to fit in long bike rides and runs. And when we are done, it’s their time.  And at 9 & 11 they sort of understand this. I also think the opportunity to watch mum and dad work very hard for something that they want and are passionate about but are not going to win is very enriching for them. They get that it is important to work towards your dreams. To try your very best no matter what. I believe that in watching us train toward our first Ironman, they are learning some valuable lessons in dreams and hard work.

In terms of training – we have to be on a schedule. We talk at the beginning of the week about who has to do what and when. And we try to stick to it as much as possible in fairness to the other person and the girls. We don’t always get this formula right and sometimes this means missing something but you have to have balance. But at the end of the day, we want each other to succeed so we do whatever we can do help each other out.

The challenge of balancing training, family, and everything else life demands!

Our household isn’t prefect! But what we have learnt about training and racing together has enabled us to be more structured in our approach to training, more flexible when things go wrong and more patient with the other when you things get tough. Its also helped us to teach our kids some valuable lessons along the way.  Determination, perseverance, commitment, healthy choices and doing something that you love.

This is a challenging year but when we cross the finish line in November, it’s all going to be worth it. And to have the other one racing beside you, makes the finish line look even better.

The post Balancing Ironman Training and Life (x2!) appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW triathlete

As August rolls around, there is an abundant list of great local races. So many, in fact, you could race every weekend in August, both Saturday and Sunday on some weekends. I like having so many options, but how do you choose? One long standing local race is Shermanator. The Shermanator Triathlon is a fund raising event for the Community Scholarship Program of the Sherman Lake YMCA in Augusta, Michigan. With the saturation of local triathlons to choose from, Shermanator has seen the race participation decline over the years. But as the participation has declined, this race venue has only gotten better. At one time, this venue had the weediest lake I have ever had the opportunity to swim. With the weeds so thick in places, you could grab them and use them to pull your way through the water. The country roads on the bike course had been patched and re-patched numerous times. With the possibility that some holes hadn’t been patched at all, riders had to use extreme caution on the bike. Over the last few years, there have been numerous changes on the swim and bike legs of the race. With a weed abatement program that has been put in place in the lake, I never saw or felt a single weed! The bumpy roads have all been repaved making it a super fast course for a Sprint Tri. Shermanator is also an unsanctioned event; therefore, it is always wet suit legal.

Kathy prepares to dismount during the Shermanator triathlon

After focusing on long distance races the first half of the season, I shifted my training focus on building speed for the Sprint races at the end of the season. I have had several top finishes at Shermanator over the years, but an overall win has eluded me at this race. One advantage to racing local is you know your competition well going into the race. I knew I needed to keep the swim close, make up as much time on the bike as I could, and hope it didn’t come down to a foot race on the run. Unfortunately, that is how it played out and I had a 30 second deficit as I started the run leg. While I gradually reduced the deficit on the run, it wasn’t quite enough and I missed the win by 16 seconds.

So, still in search of the big W this season, I made the last minute decision to race Three Rivers Tri. This race played out similar to Shermanator and, sadly, I was not able to keep the swim close enough. I made up the deficit on the bike and was able to exit T2 in the lead. However, the lead did not last long and I was quickly over taken on the run. I wound up second overall to a woman visiting from Pennsylvania. She was racing Three Rivers as a warm up for the Full Ironman at MiTi the following day.

While I was not able to walk away from the 2016 Tri Season with a win, I was, unexpectedly, able to walk away with so much more. During the awards ceremony at Three Rivers, my sister pointed out a 13 year old finisher that had been racing alongside her. We listened as they called her 15 year old sister to the top position on the podium. We expected to hear the younger sister’s name called next, but no more Age Group names were announced. We watched as the young girl walked away with a look of disappointment. It turns out Age Group awards were only given to 14 and older participants. While she had actually finished ahead of her older sister, she would not be receiving an award. That weighed on me as I walked away from the awards presentation. I ran into the 2 young girls in transition as we were picking up our gear, and it hit me as to what I needed to do. Three Rivers marked my 55th triathlon. I have a basement full of medals and trophies and this young girl did not deserve to walk away empty handed. She was a winner and ought to be recognized! I walked over to her, took my medal from around my neck, and told her I wanted her to have it. She initially said no, but I didn’t give her much choice in the matter, and placed the medal around her neck. She told me this was her very first triathlon and I told her I wanted her love the sport as much as I did.

Kathy claiming second place in the 3 Rivers Triathlon

As I drove home, I felt a totally different sense of victory. A win doesn’t always mean finishing in first place. Sometimes coming home with no medal at all, can be the biggest win of them all.

The post Wrapping up the 2016 Season appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

–By Todd Anthes, Team OAM NOW triathlete

Many a triathlete, including some more seasoned than others, have probably thought about how to choose the right race distance. The typical races are usually a close variant of one of the following:

1. Sprint (0.5mi swim, 12.4mi bike, 3.1mi run)
2. Olympic (0.93mi swim, 24.8mi bike, 6.2mi run)
3. Half Ironman (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run)
4. Ironman (2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run)
5. Ultra (anything longer than Iron distance)

I can’t speak to the ultra-distance, as I don’t have that much patience, or training time, but I can speak to everything from Iron distance on down.

The first “rule” is that you don’t start with an Iron distance race. A proper build-up to competently undertaking an Iron distance event is likely a multi-year build of training intensity and volume. There are probably a few exceptions to the rule, but they are not you. Athletes come to triathlon for many reasons including the pursuit of  variety in training; an injury in one of the disciplines in which the athlete concentrates (i.e., mandated cross-training); a friend or family member introduced the athlete to the sport, potentially through a triathlon relay; or simply the challenge. A smart move is for an athlete start with a sprint or Olympic distance event, most likely a sprint. Even if the athlete is a seasoned participant in one of the three disciplines, putting all three events is a challenge . . . especially if you are new(er) to one of the three. The sprint distance is a great way to break the seal of triathlon and become introduced to transitions, pacing, and nutrition. Maybe a first year triathlete could race 3-5 sprints distance events over a first triathlon season culminating in an Olympic distance event.

Another consideration, if not a recommendation, is where to race. Some athletes find great comfort racing close to home for a sense of familiarity, including being able to sleep at home. Other more adventurous types might prefer the buildup to a destination event. And female athletes might even like to start with and all female event.

Building a “Olympic” season might not mean you are done with the Sprint distance. A strong recommendation is to race multiple distances in a season when you are starting out for different kinds of efforts, as well as to see what distances suit you. So, if your second or third season finds you branching out to finding success at the Olympic distance, your race and training schedules should not ignore the harder, shorter efforts found in the Sprint distance.

The jump from racing Olympic distance to Half Iron is a big one. I suggest a season dedicated to a build where you start with a solid training plan, and ending with your Half Iron event. A lot changes when you increase your longest race distance by 100%. Such a jump in distance requires, more precise training and recovery, nutrition, support at home, sleep, and a number of other things.

If you take the jump from ½ Iron to Iron, it makes sense to do this over a number of seasons. The quickest “proper” or measured jump to Iron might be a four or five-year span, with the last two years racing multiple ½ Iron events in a season. I know the die-hard athletes to whom rules don’t apply will ignore such advice, but even a runner will tell you that if you are a 5K runner and want to try a marathon, if you want to be able to progress beyond the goal of finishing (a notable goal in itself) and  truly race the distance,  a training plan that allows your body to adapt to the longer stresses is advisable.

Not everyone feels the need to climb the ladder of triathlon distances, but if you do, give your body and mind the proper base before climbing to fast. And do yourself a favor, do a ton of research on the topic, or better yet, consult a qualified coach.

The post Picking the Right Triathlon Distance appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.