Howzitgaun,
I realize my greeting this week is technically English,
or Scottish to be precise in "dialect," but I couldn't resist. My
latest addiction for passing the time during a jog, on my trainer, or
at my CAD tube at work are "Coffee Break Spanish" podcasts. I have
arbitrarily decided to brush up on my Spanish, and this is a pretty
easy and portable way to do so. What's great is that the narrators of
the podcast are Scottish. What's even more great is that they are
speaking Spanish Spanish (as opposed to Mexican or Puerto Rican Spanish
that is often heard in the US.) For those of you versed in the
subtleties of the accents of Spanish-speakers, this means lots of
dip-thongs, lisps, and use of the Spanish word for "y'all." I love it!
How
does this relate to your training, you say? I may be reaching for this
one, but here it goes. At the end of the figurative day, I will be
better at speaking Spanish for my practice, even if my pronunciation
becomes distorted by the underlying Scottish accent. This is not so
different from training with our good friends from the Track Club, Velo
Club or Masters' swim group. Does running 4x100m relays with the Track
Club prepare you for a run in a triathlon? You will (likely) never hand
off a baton in the middle of the run, but doing interval work can only
make you faster. Does riding your road bike in a pack with the Velo
Club and gluing yourself to someone's back wheel prepare you for
sitting on your aero-bars in a non-draft legal race? Assuming you are
not doing ITU racing, it will at the very least improve your handling
skills and push you further than you might otherwise be willing to go
(seriously, you have to be able to keep up with those guys before you
can draft, and it's easier said than done.) Will flip turns prepare you
for an open water swim? No, but swimming 4200 yards under the watchful
eye of a coach certainly will.
At the end of the literal day,
practice in the individual disciplines with the people who know them
best can make you better at triathlon on the whole. You may not need
all of the knowledge you gain, i.e., the fact that "gracias" is
pronounced "gra-thee-as" in Spain, but you will be a better triathlete.
So go forth and learn from the neighbors, be they across the pond or across the street.
Calling all graphic artists/artistically inclined people/people who know how to draw with something more advanced than crayons
- Last year, many members voted to get new kit. Now is the time to get
a design pinned down and go with it. However, my designs have evoked
the responses "too obviously done by an engineer" and "sigh" (with
disappointed head shake.) So I need your help. Our last kit was
designed by a member, and I'd love to have your input again. Please let
me know if you are interested in submitting a sketch.
Epic Races Swim and Tri Clinics -
Club
sponsor Epic Races, formerly EST Events, is offering three tri/swim
clinics over the coming months. The first one is February 14 at
Whitmore Lake High School. The best part is that Tri Club members get a
special discount at registration; just enter "AAtriclub-clinics" and
the price will go from $35 to $20. Clinics are appropriate for both
aspiring and experienced triathletes. Check here for more information.
Running Fit
was recently named one of the top 50 running stores in the nation at
the recent Running Event in Austin, TX. See why by checking out their
stores and some of the events below.
7 February - Super 5K
Join
Running Fit in Novi the morning of Super Bowl Sunday so you can make
room for all that chili and cheese dip in the afternoon. Check out www.runsuperbowl.com for more information.
10 April - Martian Invasion
Running
Fit has announced, for the first time ever, prize money for the Martian
Marathon. News from RF reads: "to be eligible, men must run under
2:25:00 and women under 2:50:00. The top three men and women who finish
within the required standards will receive $1,000, $500 and $300 for
their respective performances. This added incentive is in addition to
more than $4,000 available in the Meteor 10K, and Asics shoes will be
awarded to all age division winners."
The race is April 10th in Dearborn Heights, and includes a 5K, 10K, half, and full marathon. Check out www.martianmarathon.com for more information.
Workouts
Thursday, February 4
Trainer Ride at Two Wheel Tango with AAVC - Some of the fastest
cyclists in town are in the Ann Arbor Velo Club. Now you have a chance
to train with them in the off season. Grab your trainer and bike and
head to Two Wheel Tango's Jackson Rd store from 6-8 p.m. for an
organized ride. If you don't have a trainer, please e-mail
dave.vannette@gmail.com, as he may be able to scrounge one up for you.
Saturday, February 6
Indoor Cycling at Body Specs - This Saturday @ BSI from 8-9 am.
Bring your own bike, trainer and $5. The format has been changed up a
bit to include not only a great cycling workout, but also some core
strength-building to increase power and speed. Please arrive by 7:45 to
allow time for set-up.
Run - Heather Woolls will be
leading runs out of Gallup Park at 11:00 a.m. She has even put together
a forecast of the weeks to come. Any pace is welcome.
Week 3. mile
repeats (for 10 miles total...of course you can do less mile repeats
for fewer miles)...includes 3 miles warm-up, 2 mile cool down, and any
number of repeats to please you...I'll be doing 5.
Week 4. 10-12 easy miles
Week 5. 14 miles hilly
Since
all routes are out of Gallup, there are lots of opportunities for loops
and shortcuts, so you don't have to run the whole thing. Please meet at
the wooden car bridge. For the ambitious, make it a brick after doing
the Body Specs workout.
Sunday, February 7
Hyperfit Trainer Ride - Club sponsor HyperFit is offering a free
trainer ride on Sundays at 8am, with fellow triathlete and seasoned
cycling instructor, John "Milk" Loudermilk may be filling in for Zoe
Metro; either way, you are in good hands. This week, we will be doing a
threshold test, a great way to benchmark your training. Here is Zoe's
description: "Sunday morning rides at Hyperfit USA. Come set up your
bike and trainer and ride for an hour or two. Informal "class" - bring
towel and water bottle. I'll have a workout ready, but feel free to do
your own thing too. Invite your friends: anyone with a bike and trainer
is welcome - no fee, your company is enough for me :-) But no
complaining about my music! (well you can complain, but I'm not
changing it....)"
Hyperfit is located at 670 Airport Blvd in Ann Arbor.
Tuesday, February 9
Tuesday Track Club Workout - Come have your butt handed to you by
the track club. Workout starts at 7:30 (not 7:00) in the field house.
The bad news is that the price is now $5, but the good news is that we
get the track all to ourselves (that means no more pole vaulters or
8-year-old's out-running you.)
This week: 8x600 m; 400 m jog.
Trainer Ride at Two Wheel Tango with AAVC - Some of the fastest
cyclists in town are in the Ann Arbor Velo Club. Now you have a chance
to train with them in the off season. Grab your trainer and bike and
head to Two Wheel Tango's Jackson Rd store from 6-8 p.m. for an
organized ride. If you don't have a trainer, please e-mail
dave.vannette@gmail.com, as he may be able to scrounge one up for you.
OK, that's all for now. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Em
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