Hello STC Members and Happy New Year.
My name is Tim Sorensen and I am excited to be working with Sacramento Triathlon Club. I am a certified personal trainer through National Academy of Sports Medicine, aUSA Triathlon coach, andI run Total Body Fitness’ Peak Performance and Iron-distance training program. I was introduced to triathlons by a girl over 15 years ago, and now I must be one of the luckiest guys alive because I am marrying that same girl this month and I get to live the multisport life style. Over my yearsof racingand training with Sacramento Triathlon Club & Total Body Fitness I have witnessed amazing camaraderie and passion developed through the sport of triathlon. I couldn't get enough of it. My passion for the sport led me to train others. From thevery beginner toexperienced Ironman, it is all about progression and enjoying the process. I use the most innovative and cutting edge techniques to achieve your desired result. I look forward to sharing my knowledge of, and experience in, the multisport lifestyle with you. I will work with athletes of all levels, and in all disciplines.
Season Planning
Now is an excellent time to consider what you'd like to accomplish athletically in the upcoming year. As with many things, planning is the key to accomplishing your goals for your race season.
Triathlon is all about time management. How can you get the most out of your training so that you can go as fast as possible on race day? Even the folks that say, "I don't care how fast I am, I just want to finish" secretly don't want to be dead last. My advice, don't chase cut-off times. Chasing cut off times may lead to a DNF (did not finish) due to circumstances out of your control, i.e. flat tire, bad weather, bathroom stops. However if your time in training and racing is planned and used wisely, you can shave a lot of time off your race results by being smarter and not working harder, giving you some breathing room on race day.
If you'd like to set a personal record or race placement goal this season, it will require planning and organization of your race events. Prioritizing your races will help with your training, it also helps identify what you'd like to accomplish as an athlete.
Start by prioritizing races into A, B and C events.
A Races:
Your "A" races are those events that you will focus most of training around and will direct your training plan. More than three "A" races in a year is discouraged. These races are your main goals for the season and your training should gradually progress towards them. Your training should ramp up in intensity and specificity as you approach your A races.Put these on your calendar first and schedule them so you have the adequate time to taper, recover, and ramp up for the next one. This time will vary depending on the length of the events you plan on doing.
B Races:
"B" races are events that you'd like to do well at, but aren't your main goal races of the season. B races provide the experience needed for your A events. They are like dress rehearsals for your big day. They allow you test out your strategy and nutrition, as well as hone your race skills without the pressure of an A event.
An example would be a sprint triathlon prior to an Olympic-distance triathlon, or a 70.3 prior to an Ironman. Your training will not taper as aggressively around a B race as it would for your A race.
C Races:
"C" races are fun events you enjoy doing, but you don't taper for and are incorporated into the training plan. The purpose of "C"events is to keep youmotivated. In training, you simply cannot duplicate the energy of a race. A "C" race will give you that experience and intensity so that you a less freaked out on your "A" race day.
A good place to start is with a 12-month planning calendar. Put your A races on first and then add B and C events. It's important not to schedule C events close to your goal events. This time is reserved for more race specificity.
The biggest factor in endurance racing and training is fun. There are plenty of ways to get into shape, lose weight, and meet some pretty cool people. For me, triathlon fits all those criteria. Just like summer vacation, you get to swim, bike & run with your friends.