Come out and join us for this annual event. Here are the details:

‎10:00 AM Group ride through the swamp.(show up by 9:45 at latest)
12:00 PM Party/Expo/Swap meet begin. Food and drinks will be provided. Greenbrook Racing, Morristown Running Company and Paramount Adventure will all be on site.
2:00 PM Change your tire speed challenge. Prizes to be awarded to fastest changer.
3:00 PM Party and expo shut down.
Where: Meyersville Grange (near the Meyersville circle) on 623 Meyersville Road.
What to bring? You, kids, spouse, significant others…Old tri/running/biking/swimming gear for the swap meet.

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The 2011 season is ending with some impressive results for Start-tri athletes. Early in August, Coach Kristin Cacicedo and husband Mike (competing at Ironman Florida in November) ripped it up at Born to Tri in Asbury Park, NJ. Barbara Reuven also got on the podium in this tough event with a stellar field of NJ athletes. Big shout out to other Start-tri friends competing at BTT, Meghan Helwig, Laura Fucci, Laurie Beland, Michelle Faul, Joe McMahon and all others…

Moving north to Burlington, coach Mickey took on the challenge at the USAT Sprint Nationals. Unfortunately, the start of the race was pushed back to 12:30 making for a hot race and a death march to the finish. However, many others suffered as well and Mickey was rewarded with a spot to race at worlds in New Zealand 2012 along with friends Joe Patanella, Ed Wright and Mickey Syrop!

The next stop for Start-tri was on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. Coach Jason had a strong finish at the Timberman half Ironman on only four weeks of training!!! Also, showing their stuff were Ed Riley, Barbara Reuven with a PR and Lawrence Writer. Great job everyone.

Raphael Zagury decided he was up for the challenge to take on the Toughman 1/2 Ironman in West Chester, NY after competing at Ironman Lake Placid at the end of July. Well, Raphael blasted through the competition and ended up on the podium in his very tough age group!!!

Next up for athletes, the Buckman tri in Round Valley, NJ (www.greenbrookracing.com) and Pocono 1/2 Ironman. Good luck to all athletes. Finish the season strong…

***Save the date***Saturday November 5th, 2011 will be our annual Tri Expo/Tri Swap Meet/Party at the Meyersville Grange. Come early to ride and stay to hang out. Food and drinks will be provided. All are welcome. More details to follow.

Finally, if planning for 2012 season…see below:

If interested in pre-planning your season, you can still lock in 2011 prices this fall. Our pricing for 2012 is below:

TIER I: $295 /month, $75 setup fee

TIER II: $180 / month, $75 setup fee

TIER III: $100 / month $75 setup fee

Train smart, Race hard…

The coaches

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Well we are getting closer to the first camp. The weather in NJ has been somewhat damp but hopefully it will be fine up in NY next weekend. We’ve rented out some space from High Peaks Cyclery that we will use for Friday’s post- swim session. Will be discussing race strategy as well as the rest of the weekend ahead. Looking forward to meeting all of our attendees and a great few days of training.
For those attending, the weather in the Adirondacks is very changeable – pack to the forecast temperature but include gear so you can train rain or shine. The race itself has been everything from rain all day to sunny to super-hot. “Ask me again in 10 mins” is the local’s response to “What’s the weather going to do?”

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Mark your calendars for October 30th. Start-Tri.com and Paramount Adventure will be hosting our 3rdannual Triathlon expo, mini bike clinic, and end of the year party for any and all triathletes in the area.

Details:

11:00 AM Casual ride at various paces (depending on who shows up) leaving from Meyersville Grange.

12:30 PM Party/Expo/Clinic begins. Food and drinks will be provided. Starting Line Sports and Marty’s Reliable Bicycles will all be on site with gear. Paceracing will be on hand to unveil 2011 calendar.

1:30 PM Change your tire speed challenge. Prizes to be awarded to fastest changer.

1:45 PM Aero positioning on a Time Trial bike.

2:00 PM Bike Maintenance

2:30 PM Staying injury free during your training

3:00 PM Party and expo shut down.

Where: Meyersville Grange (near the Meyersville circle) on 623 Meyersville Road.

What to bring? You, kids, spouse, training partners, significant others….

Call me with questions or for more details. Mickey 908-790-9328 or Email mickey@start-tri.com also check the web atwww.start-tri.com

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For those of us that live in the Northeast and other parts of the country that are going through serious heat and hig humidity keep these tips in mind…

• Bring plenty of extra fluid on your rides and runs
• Supplement your hydration with an electrolyte drink (think about extra salt content)
• Back off the intensity if the heat is too oppressive
• Try to go out early in the morning or later in the evening
• Enjoy swimming outdoors:)

We’ll be in Lake Placid this weekend cheering on the many athletes at IM USA.

Train smart…

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Start-Tri is pleased to announce that we are now using TrainingPeaks software.  TrainingPeaks enables our athletes to upload there heart-rate, GPS  and power meter files direct to their profile.  We, as coaches, can look through the data, make assessments and use this information to set the next set of workouts.  TrainingPeaks enables us to put all of your exercise routines and workouts in one place – we upload upcoming workouts based on your requirements and you receive a daily email of what is next on your training plan.

The software also enables us to:

• Monitor fitness and health trends over time
• Track exercise, nutrition, weight, stress & more
• Search and record routes
• Apply exercise programs and meal plans
• Plan and schedule your own exercise & meals

If you’d like to learn more about how we are using the software, drop us an email : contact@start-tri.com

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Start-tri.com would like to congratulate many first time and veteran finishers in a multitude of races this summer…Here are some recent finishes:

Bassman Sprint Triathlon in April-Scott Johnson, Tucker McKeever, Lawrence Writer, Steve Varley
Doc and Sok Sprint Triathlon in May-Steve Varley, Tucker McKeever, JT Thompson
Jerseyman 1/2 Ironman in May-Lawrence Writer
Black Bear 1/2 Ironman in May-John Bye
Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon in June-Tucker McKeever
Ironman Germany in July-Lawrence Writer…you are an Ironman!!!
Randolph Sprint Triathlon in July-Gene Boyle, Steve Badian, Mark Gropler, Maryfaith Burke, Heather Lukeman, Pete Rouillard, Wendi Zimmerman, Jaclyn Sullivan, Suzanne Corbett, Robert Tallman, Mike Van Allen
NYC Olympic Triathlon in July-Tom Maney, JT Thompson
Ironman Lake Placid in July-Scott Johnson, Gene Boyle, Jason Norman, Mickey Cassu…you are Ironmen!

Also, with a strong showing at Ironman Lake Placid were all of our Start-tri.com campers-Walt Skrinski, Robyn Ritter, Mike Peretta, Scott Johnson, Gene Boyle and the coaches!

If looking for a great way to close out the season, September in the Metropolitan area always boasts a multitude of good season-ending races. Be sure to check the racing calendars at Raceforum.com or active.com

See you at the races!

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You probably already keep a log of your training as a running record of how you’re progressing but do you keep one for races?  We tend to find that memory plays some funny tricks when it comes to racing – and the longer the race distance, the more susceptible you are to ‘selective memory’.  It’s a similar process to the one that makes you want to sign up for a race the day after you said ‘never again’ as you crossed the finish line.

Q) When should you write your race-day log?
A) The sooner the better – details will begin to slip away the longer you leave it and this is an information based process where details really matter

Q) What should I record?
A) As much as you can.  The sort of information you want to include might be:

• Pre-race nutrition
• Weather conditions
• Specifics about the transition setup
• Positioning during the swim-start – did you see others in different locations at the start?
• Swim itself – a bumpy ride or a smooth one?  Any aches or pains?  Good draft or no-draft?
• T1 – any specifics that were good or bad
• The bike beginning – did you go out hard or hold back?  How was the mount?
• Nutrition on the bike – how much, how often and what?
• ‘Comfort stops’ how much and how frequent (sounds gross but key to hydration levels)
• Hills – how did they feel – did you spin up or mash larger gears?
• Incidents / observations on the course – any mechanical issues?
• T2 – same as T1 – any specifics – e.g. did you need to stretch, did you have all the gear you needed etc.?
• Run – transition phase – how did it feel?
• Mid-section of the run – good pace?  Able to hold it?
• Experience any stiffening during the run or any ailments or injuries beginning to present themselves?
• How was your run nutrition? Did you take anything on the course and if so what and when?
• Comfort stops on the run?
• Notable hills or other course features
• Finishing – how did you feel over last sections of the race?  Any issues with cramping or other ailments?

If you have a computer device that records your heart-rate then you should combine this with your notes – it can be a good reminder as to how steep those hills really were!

Q)What is the point of all this?
A) When you start to look over your times, you will inevitably begin to wonder where you might have saved some time.  As time progresses, your view will become less objective as you begin to forget the details.   With a set of race-day notes to look over, you won’t be suffering from selective memory syndrome and  you’ll know whether you really could have pushed that much harder on the hill or run 7:30′s when your notes said 8:00′s were killing you at the time.  It also serves as a good data source for where you want to concentrate your training efforts moving forward as well as providing excellent information for those race-reports that your friends are dying to read!

Train safe.

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We just completed our last training camp up at Lake Placid and for those following the tweets, you’ll know that DOT had been planning some roadworks on the descent down to Keene.  They haven’t quite finished (we think) although the work they’ve done has turned a bumpy and somewhat dangerous road surface into a sweet piece of pavement.  We tried a couple of times to get a clip of the surface and just about succeeded the second time around.  The camera was attached just below the handlebars and you’ll note there wasn’t much in the way of cushioning.  We actually have footage of the entire downhill but, to be frank, it’s quite nauseating to watch it.  If there’s enough demand, we’ll stick it up on youtube or something.

For those wondering what it was like up there this last (July19-21st) weekend:-

We dodged the bad weather and had ideal conditions for riding the course on the Saturday, temps ~65-75F.  Sunday saw a few light rain showers as our athletes were doing their long runs – we found them quite refreshing given that they were intermingled with some sun.  Water temperature for the lake has gone up significantly from a couple of weeks ago which, given the amount of rain, was a bit of a surprise.  It is now ~65F although this was taken from a heart rate monitor strapped to one of our wrists – never know how accurate that really is.

Anyway, hope you find the clip useful and train safe.

contact@start-tri.com

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Here are some general tips for improving your efficiency on the bike.

Pedaling
Smooth pedal stroke
• Using a fixed gear bike to improve smoothness in your pedal stroke.
Use of a fixed gear bike will focus you on your pedaling technique as well as increasing leg speed and strength. The mechanics of a fixed-gear bike require you to pedal as long as the bike is moving forward. Inexperienced riders should consider using a fixed-gear bike on a stationary trainer for the first couple of rides.
Pedaling continuously will develop a smooth pedal stroke as you spin down hills and increases leg strength as you climb the hills. Generally, gearing for a fixed-gear bike will be light (42×19, or about 60 gear inches), which is a nice balance for various types of terrain.
You might consider using an old road bike, adding a fixed-gear rear wheel from a used bike shop. Unthread your chain from the rear derailleur, shorten it, and place it around the small chainring in front and the single rear cog, and you’re done. You can also use a track bike for this purpose. You will need to install at least one brake before you go out on the road.
One-Leg Pedaling
One-leg pedaling is another approach to adding strength (and variety to your indoor training at the same time). Normally, when you pedal with both legs, the leg that pulls the foot through the bottom of the stroke and back up to the top of the 360 degree “cycle” is under used (as the other leg, when pushing the crank through the downstroke has significantly more power and thus allows a bit of slacking).

Learning to pedal a complete, 360-degree circle with both legs working together will make you a better rider. Practicing with one legged drills will embed this idea into your pedaling style.
1. Warm up on the trainer for 20 minutes while pedaling with both legs.
2. Unclip one foot from the pedal. Rest it on a chair or stool just outside the left pedal circle.
3. Pedal at 90 rpm using your right leg, using an easy gear until you get accustomed to the feeling of one-leg pedaling. The muscles that lift your thigh and push the pedal over the top will fatigue quickly at first, but you’ll improve rapidly.
4. After a few minutes, switch to the other leg.

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