The hustle and bustle of the holidays are here. This is the time of year where it's easy to feel overwhelmed and difficult to find time to fit in a workout. Trust me when I say you'll feel a lot better about things. Even if it's just 20 minutes, or doing a push-up/sit-up/core routine in the morning...do something you won't regret that you did!!
Were you at the Endure It Holiday Party? If not you totally missed the Endure It invasion of the dancefloor at Blackfinn late night. Thanks for everyone who came out, we really do have a great group of people. I'm not going to lie though it's weird seeing people in "normal" clothes and not cycling gear! Our facebook page should have some pictures up soon, and if you're not on facebook, we'll try to get some posted here as well.
Don't forget about meeting up at Waterfall Glen this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. There are no specified groups at this time, so if you're worried about getting dropped...don't be! But at the same time, everyone should run their own pace. We don't want those 6 minute milers to feel like they have to slow down if they don't want to.
Thanks again to everyone who made it out last night.
We are heavy into our computrainer season at Endure It, and we're pumped with the amount of people who have been coming to class to work every week! We have seen some big numbers and athletes fighting through some tough workouts, I keep hearing last Saturday was brutal. Let's keep in mind that we can't just go through the motions. You're sacrificing by getting up early, or missing time with your family, make sure you make the most of that time. Remember you'll never regret a workout.
Don't forget tonight is the Endure It Holiday Party...It's going to be Epic! Be at Blackfinn in Downtown Naperville at 7:00 p.m. Rumor has it David is already apologizing for "party rockin".
Rumor has it Fix and Bird are going to have a "Walk Off"
After we witness Bird and Fix "Party Rockin" on Thursday night I'm guessing we'll need some time to recap the events of the evening. Let's get together for a run on Sunday morning at Waterfall Glen. The plan will be to meet in the parking lot at the trailhead on Cass at 7:30 a.m. All abilities welcome, we will have maps of the trail for you and everyone will be able to run at their own pace. The trail is a 9.4 mile loop...and by no means do you have to complete an entire loop!
If you plan on joining us please let us know by shooting an email to endureitclub@gmail.com that way we will know that we should be looking for you in the parking lot. We will meet by the firepit at the trailhead, so when you turn off of Cass Ave. take your second right (the first right will put you in the parking lot which you can see off of Cass, it will work, but you'll have to walk to us at the trailhead).
Directions to Waterfall Glen:
From Naperville - 75th street East to Cass Avenue. Right on Cass Avenue. Continue on Cass Avenue past I-55. Waterfall Glen will be on the right hand side right after I-55 (make sure you turn into Waterfall Glen or the sign for Argonne National Lab, it's the same road)
One of my college roommates used to always say "Kids need consistency"...I believe that goes much beyond just kids. We are in that time of year where it might be easy to put off a workout until later in the day, or shorten it, or just skip it. But the bottom line is the more consistent you are the more successful you'll be. Have you ever thought back to a workout and wished you hadn't completed it? I mean unless something catastrophic happened (which we hope didn't) I can't imagine that you would. So as the hustle and bustle of the holidays increases here make sure you try to stay as consistent as you can! Get in the water...get on your bike...keep trucking along with the running challenge!
Oh yea, and you should come to the Holiday Party on Thursday night at Blackfinn...and here is why...
How is everyone doing on the running challenge? Today is day 12, get out there and get your run in...the longer you put it off the harder it's going to be! We'd love to hear stories about your running challenge so far, so if you have seen something funny, lost some weight, hit a PR, are loving life, hating it...we want to know so drop us a line at endureitclub@gmail.com
Here's an idea, who wants to run at Waterfall Glen on Sunday morning? It works pretty easily, everyone meets up at the trailhead off of Cass (if you don't know where Waterfall Glen is shoot us an email, or check back and I'll post directions in an upcoming post), and we all run. All abilities welcome, with that said everyone runs at their own pace...so if you're like Beert and are a speed demon go for it, if you're like Bird and float through the air, own it, if you're like Spyder and wear sweatpants to run that's cool too. We'll start the run at 7:30 a.m. You can run as much or as little as you want. The loop there is about 9.37 miles give or take a little depending on where you start your watch. There are mile markers and it's crushed limestone which is nice. Let us know if we should look for you (endureitclub@gmail.com)
Thanks to Spyder...we're still trying to figure out his real name...we have some sweet cross pictures to post here of our small, but mighty cyclocross team.
Byers getting in the zone...
And they're off, check out the look of pain for Byers, and check out Spyder...lookin sleek in all black
White shorts to a cross race...Byers is all about fashion
Spyder make the pass already!
Byers in action over the barricades
Not going to lie, Byers makes it look easier...sorry Spyder
Craig doing work, but where is the Endure It kit?
The grimace of pleasure
Is that Jeremy Powers? Nope sorry ladies, but it is Blaine and he's available...for more information on Mr. Texas Gold Blaine Reed contact us we'll give you the real dirt
Kenny B rockin out
Powering through to the front
"When I dip, you dip, we dip"
Don't lose it
Sweet kicks Spyder, we do have cycling shoes that aren't circa 1978 at the shop...
Powering out of the turn.
Don't forget that we're meeting up tomorrow at the store in Naperville to watch Ironman Hawaii at 3:00. We hope to see you there, if you plan on coming shoot us an email (endureitclub@gmail.com)
Also the Endure It Holiday Party is less than a week away. We'd love to get a number generated on how many people plan on coming so please RSVP to endureitclub@gmail.com
Enjoy the small amount of snow...Day 9 of the Running Challenge today!!
It's December, you're busy, and for many triathletes swimming is the last thing they want to do. Trust me when I say getting in the water now will definitely help you next season! We're not talking about cranking out 5,000 meter sets...but getting in what you can will be effective and helpful. Do you have 20 minutes at the end of your workout where you were thinking about grabbing Starbucks? Why not jump in the water for 15 minutes? You might be able to crack off 1000 yards and keep your feel for the water. Every time you can get in the water is going to help...and remember that you're probably never going to regret a workout.
In order to make sure you're using that time wisely here is a short 10 minute video to give you some tips on becoming a better swimmer:
Remember we're having a Kona Viewing Party on Saturday at 3:00 at the Naperville location. Come hang out and watch NBC's interpretation of our sports biggest event!
We are now on day 7 of the December Running Challenge. How has it been going for you? We'd love to hear from people about how their running challenge has started out, and maybe even post some of your success stories here. Shoot us an email at endureitclub@gmail.com to let us know how things have been going, and if we can share a story.
We have a couple of events coming up in the next week at Endure It. Saturday we will be getting together to watch the NBC coverage of Ironman Hawaii. Swing on by the store in Naperville at 3 to grab a drink and enjoy the off season, maybe gain some motivation to head out on a long run Sunday morning.
Next Thursday (December 15) we will be hosting the annual Endure It Holiday Party at 7:00 p.m. at Blackfinn in Naperville. If you plan on attending please let us know so that we have some sort of an idea as to numbers (endureitclub@gmail.com).
Do you want to be an Elite Badass? Check Kenny Powers tips...
It seems as if winter is starting to take hold of Chicago and with that means indoor training sessions...they don't have to be boring though! Riding on a trainer, or running on a treadmill can suck...but it doesn't have to! And why do you have to be restricted to a trainer? Riding on rollers can help pass the time faster, improve your pedaling stroke, and add an element of danger to riding indoors.
Here are a few ideas to think about when training indoors:
Bike/run/bike/run/bike brick...yes you read that right. Ride for an alotted period of time, followed by running on the treadmill for an alotted period of time...and repeat. Something that is fun to do as well is to increase the effort of the workout as time goes on.
Track workouts on the treadmill. This is great because you set the pace, run for the distance and boom...you're done. No cheating, no thinking...sounds good to me.
Tabata Sprints on your trainer...after a nice warm up go 20 seconds all out, 40 seconds off...and repeat 6-10 times. Crazy hard, but a great use of a short period of time.
When you're training indoors it's a great time to work on your efficiency, so don't forget to hit up those pedaling drills!
If you're trying to ride rollers...here's a hint...keep pedaling and don't blame the bike...and don't be this guy...
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday December 10 - 3:00 p.m. - Endure It Naperville - Ironman Hawaii Viewing Party
Thursday December 15 - 7:00 p.m. - Blackfinn Naerville - Endure It Holiday Party
Sunday January 8 - Various Times - Endure It Willowbrook - 2 Person Team Time Trial
Come check out the NBC coverage of Ironman Hawaii this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Endure It Sports-Naperville. Who knows maybe you'll catch a glimpse of an Endure It athlete out on the course...
Yesterday the December Running Challenge officially started, if you're joining us awesome!!! We have been pretty fortunate in regards to the weather we've had this fall, and if you've watched the weather forecast lately that's going to come to a close quickly. Just because the temperatures decline doesn't mean that you have to hibernate indoors. All it takes is a little extra preparation and you might find that your winter runs are the most enjoyable ones. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for those chilly runs:
Dress in layers - yes you've heard it before, but it's the best way to stay warm while running. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out just what to wear because you do warm up when you run. So if you dress in layers you can shed them as the run progresses.
Wear a shell - Dealing with cold temperatures is one thing...when you add the Chicago wind to it that's a totally different story. Rocking a lightweight shell as your top layer can help keep that wind out, and keep you warm.
Reflective Gear - we aren't left with too much daylight now and so as a result make sure you're visible to as many people possible. Sure you might not be the most fashionable...but would you rather have fashion or be laying in a ditch with a broken femur because the lady texting in her Range Rover didn't see you and then didn't even realize she hit you either.
Identification - whenever you're out training you should make sure you have some sort of identification. You never know what's going to happen, so it's a good idea to be as prepared as possible. We have some cool bracelets at the store which have USB connections to upload personal information, we really hope you never have to use that, but it's a great resource!
Run Loops - if you're not sure about how the weather might play out just go ahead and run short loops, that way if you wanted to drop off some layers you can do so.
Watch your footing - as the snow starts to fall and the ice starts to pile up make sure you are aware of the surface you're running on. If it's super icy and you want to make a pair of "screw shoes" go for it, super easy and kind of cool too! More on screw shoes in another post.
Have Fun - exercising outside is always fun, no matter the weather, you'll never regret a workout. So get out there and enjoy it. Running on a Sunday morning after a fresh snowfall could be one of the most peaceful experiences out there!
Upcoming Events
December 10 - Ironman Hawaii Viewing Party - This years Ironman Hawaii will air on NBC at 3:00 (we're pretty sure about that time) so come to the Endure It Sports in Naperville to hang out and watch the race. Who knows maybe there will be some coverage of one of the Endure It athletes competing...and no that's not a hint because we honestly have no idea.
December 15 - Endure It Holiday Party - 7:00 p.m. - Blackfinn Naperville...be there
Finally! It's December 1st and that marks the official start to the December Running Challenge. Hopefully if you're reading this you're in...if not, why the heck aren't you? I can find no better way to lay down some great base mileage and to help fight off those winter/holiday pounds by partaking in a little challenge.
Today's run is only 20 minutes...come on you can find 20 minutes to get a run in can't you? If not, you're just making excuses...so get out there and get the work done! Don't give me this excuse of "I rode computrainer today"...so did we, or "I have masters swimming tonight"...so do we. And besides if you're not in we will make fun of you endlessly at the holiday party on December 15th at Blackfinn in Naperville. Or we'll make fun of you at the Ironman Hawaii Viewing Party on December 10th at 2:30 at the Naperville Store. So basically if you're out you should be expecting some smart ass remarks.
You hear about "goal setting" all of the time in some form, whether that be goal times, life goals, field goals...just goals. Different things motivate different people. Many people (especially athletes) are goal driven...so with that said what are your goals? You don't have to share them with us, or share them with anyone, but it's not a bad idea to write them down and to take a look a them every once in a while.
Writing the goals down is one step, but having a plan to accomplish them is an even bigger piece to the puzzle. Basically within large goals, there are smaller ones to hit along the way. If you're not a runner and want to eventually run a marathon shouldn't you probably run a half marathon first?
Before the December Running Challenge starts tomorrow take a step back and think about what it's going to take to accomplish this goal. Are you going to have to set your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier, go to bed 30 minutes later, run during lunch, run to the grocery store to get something and then run home...it all counts. Everyone has a little time in their day to get that run in...are you up for it?
The breakdown of the challenge is in yesterday's post, if you want more details let us know (endureitclub@gmail.com) and we'd be happy to share with you.
If you need a little pick me up, or reason to get out the door...this usually seems to help. Warning if you're offended easily I might not watch it...
We are officially two days away from the start of the Endure It December Running Challenge. The running challenge is rather straight forward, you run every day for the month of December. Sound crazy? The crazy thing to me is people trying to say they don't have 20-50 minutes a day to get a run in. The beautiful thing about running is that you can do it right out of your back door, or front door, or on a treadmill...you get the point. This is a great way to stay active during the holiday season when we all tend to indulge a bit too much in the holiday festivities.
If you want to get involved with the running challenge send an email to endureitclub@gmail.com and we'll make sure to forward you the schedule or you can click here to view it. If you're too lazy to send us an email here it is...
That's it...pretty straight forward. We'd love to know how many people are participating so let us know (endureitclub@gmail.com). Also let us know if there are other things you'd like to see up here on the blog.
We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend and that you've started to work off some of that extra food you've been eating all weekend. We had a great turn out for the Turkey Trot in Naperville as is evidenced through some pics from our Post Trot Party. Thanks Dean for the Bloody Mary's, Beert for the bagels and coffee...and Bird for the visual stimulation.
Bloody Mary's By Dean
Bird and Blaine
A meeting of the minds
Turney that hat is ugly
Bird in a seductive pose
Not sure if he's a bike mechanic or an 80's porn star...
If you haven't checked the weather forecast for the next couple of days you might want to take a look. It looks like today, tomorrow, and Friday are going to be amazing!! We all hope you get out and enjoy it by doing something active. Whether that's breaking yourself in a "Turkey Bowl" football game with friends/family, getting dropped by your kids on their bikes, or getting in trouble from your significant other because you were out training when you were supposed to be cleaning the house make sure you enjoy this. It's probably pretty safe to say we're not going to have weather like this for quite a few months.
Don't forget that a group of us is meeting at the Naperville Endure It Sports store tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m. to head down to the turkey trot. We have a nice group of people meeting up already, and there is always room for more, so shoot us an email (endureitclub@gmail.com) to let us know if you're going to join us. We'll have some coffee and juice afterwords as well.
Our computrainer classes are in full swing and it's great to see the hard work everyone is putting in. The work will pay off, so make sure you stay the course. We are always looking for suggestions on things you would like posted to this blog, nutrition information, training information, more pictures, interviews with Bird...let us know at endureitclub@gmail.com .
To change up the triathlon videos a bit here is one to get you primed and ready for the Tour de France...oh wait it's not until July...still fun to watch!
Often times we hear questions like "why do you get up so early?" and I'm not sure about you, but if I don't get the workout done in the morning odds are it doesn't get done. Life happens, you get busy and your motivation falls off...so with that said, who's joining us for the Turkey Trot on Thursday?
We're meeting at the Naperville Endure It Sports store at 6:45 a.m. We'll chat it up a bit and then head down to the start. We are all super busy later in the day, so get up early and get a workout in...you won't regret it! If you're planning on joining us please shoot us an email at endureitclub@gmail.com so that we can make sure we have enough coffee/juice/bagels/EPO/tequila/worms/sport taps. We hope to see you there!
Here's Meb to give you a little motivation to get out and run...
Yesterday was the final Ironman of the season in the U.S. (next weekend there is one in Cozumel, Mexico) We had a couple of Endure It athletes which raced yesterday in Arizona and of those that I'm aware raced they all posted personal bests. I'm sure it was the "sport taps" provided prior to leaving which helped them.
If you're interested in racing there next year, you're going to want to make sure you're on the computer stalking the Ironman website today when registration opens.
As the weather here continues to be it's dreary self, motivation may start to dwindle. Just remember something is better than nothing. If that means you can get 20 minutes on your bike at home on the trainer than go for it!
The Naperville Turkey Trot is this Thursday, come and avoid the crazy parking mess in downtown Naperville and meet us at Endure It at 6:45 a.m. We will leave from the store together to head down to the turkey trot. If you plan on joining us please shoot us an email at endureitclub@gmail.com .
I stumbled upon this last week (well maybe Bird wanted me to search Linsey Corbin on the internet) but it's always fun to see how the pro's train...enjoy.
Our first round of threshold tests are done. I know they aren't easy, and believe me the hard work will pay off. The next couple weeks might not feel the best...remember you're using new numbers so it may be difficult, or it might feel easy. The important thing to remember is that we need to stick with the numbers we tested at. Don't go off of numbers you would like to have tested at...or you think you should have tested at...use the numbers you tested at!
Though we aren't Lance...
...we had some great results!
Upcoming Endure It Club Events
November 24 - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet at Endure It Naperville - 6:45 a.m.
December 10 - Kona Viewing Party @ Endure It Naperville - Time TBD
December 15 - Endure It Holiday Party @ Blackfinn - 7:00 p.m.
Thanks to those of you who made it out last night for the running clinic. I do think it was extremely beneficial, and something we could all use to help us improve our running efficiency! We'll try to get another clinic set up at the Willowbrook store in the spring. If you did miss it, unfortunately we didn't have any video cameras rolling because it was quite humorous at times watching us try to complete these drills. I have found a short video which helps to demonstrate some of the drills we incorporated last night.
We also talked briefly about the December Running Challenge. If you're interested in joining us with the running challenge please email us (endureitclub@gmail.com) and we'll get you set up with all of the information that you need. It is a great way to help stay motivated through the start of the winter and to help fight off those holiday pounds before they appear.
Some of us are swimming with a masters group tonight...are you? Why not? All levels are welcome!! For more information shoot us an email (endureitclub@gmail.com) and there is even a discount...why wouldn't you?
Upcoming Events
November 24th - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet @ Endure It Naperville at 6:45 a.m. (sign up for the race on your own though...sorry)
December 10th - Kona Viewing Party - Come join us to watch this years NBC broadcast of Ironman Hawaii...who knows maybe we'll catch a glimpse of one of our amazing athletes that raced there.
December 15th - Endure It Holiday Party @ Blackfinn - 7:00 pm...be there!
The Endure It Club will be hosting it's monthly meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Naperville store. We are hosting a Natural Running Clinic with Newton Running. Do you want to become a better triathlete, a better runner, or improve your "sport taps", or hang out with the coolest people wearing spandex and lycra on 5th Avenue in Naperville tonight? Then you should come check out Endure It. We can't guarantee you'll run like this...
...but we think you'll better than this guy...
...and if you don't look better than that guy at least you can say you met...
The One and Only David Fix...doing his best "Blue Steel" in Hawaii
Also there is a great masters swim group that meets at Naperville North High School for 4 practices a week (Tues/Thurs @ 7:30-9:00 p.m. & Sat. @ 6:30-7:45 a.m. & Sun @ 3:00-4:30 p.m.) which still has space and is open to Endure It athletes at a 10% discount. For more information on the masters group email us at endureitclub@gmail.com we have quite a few athletes there already and would love to have more of you join us.
Did you know Endure It now carries Speedo? There's no excuse for skipping swim workouts because you don't have enough gear. We have it, so stop in and check out our selection of suits and goggles!
This is definitely a time of the year where our swim training suffers. I mean who wants to jump into a cold pool when it's cold outside...and probably dark outside too? To try to combat this something that helps is to set small goals for yourself. Something as simple as I'm going to swim at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...how ever many times you want to...can be very effective. We're going to hit up a swim challenge in January, so stay tuned.
In the mean time check out a short clip of Kona runner-up Pete Jacobs getting his work done.
Things at Endure It are super busy right now so to help you keep everything straight here are some friendly reminders.
Threshold Testing is taking place during all weekday classes this week. Good luck, and at the bottom of this post I've copied some tips that we listed last week.
Wednesday November 16th - 7:00 p.m. @ Endure It Naperville - Club Meeting - Natural Running Clinic. We will have a tech rep from Newton Running to come present a clinic on Natural Running. Please join us and bring your running gear. If you plan on attending the meeting shoot us a quick email at endureitclub@gmail.com so that we can get a rough idea on numbers.
Thursday November 24th - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet @ Endure it Naperville at 6:45 a.m. Get your turkey day started with a little exercise! Avoid the parking mess that will be downtown Naperville, and meet at Endure It instead. We'll have some juice, coffee, bagels, and high fives...Bird might even demonstrate some "sport taps". We are planning on running down to the trot together and then meeting up after to jog it back to the shop for a light breakfast and to talk about how fast we "could" have run if we were actually in season. If you plan on meeting up with us at Endure It please shoot us an email (endureitclub@gmail.com) so that we can make sure to have enough food/coffee/juice/sport taps to go around.
December 15 - Endure It Holiday Party @ Blackfinn Napeville - 7:00 p.m.
Be there...nothing more to say other than be there!
For some tips on how to attack the threshold testing here you go.
Be as fresh as possible with a good night sleep, some breakfast before class, and I wouldn't recommend a super hard day of training before testing.
Make sure your mind is in the right place. This is going to hurt, think about that ahead of time and know that everyone else there is suffering along right with you.
Get a good warm up in, if that means waiting at Endure It before the coach gets there so that you can set up right away and start spinning then do it. You're not going to burn yourself out with a good solid warm up. You want to make sure your heart and muscles are geared up and ready to rock.
Once you start the test stay steady! If your power is jumping around like crazy it takes more energy. There shouldn't be 20-50 watt surges, that will hurt later in the test!
Remember as time goes on it becomes more difficult to raise that average power number. BUT at the same time do not go out too hard.
It's better to see numbers increase as the time goes on than to see someone peg it from the start and then fight for dear life to keep their numbers where they are.
Stay focused, don't worry about anyone else
Stay efficient on the bike, any movement not directly related to spinning the pedals is a waste of movement...also read waste of energy. So if you're bouncing around like a kid with ADHD who hasn't taken his meds and instead ate 3 large pixie sticks and 2 cans of Mountain Dew...you're wasting a ton of energy!
Break the test down into segments...first 10 minutes, next 5, next 5, next 5 and then every minute.
With those segments set little goals for yourself depending on how you're feeling. For example, if you're working really hard then your goal might be to hold the average wattage you're at. Or if it's easy you might want to increase the average wattage by 2 watts in a 5 minute range. The key is to make small goals!! If you think you're going to blow things up by 10 or 15 watts you might be setting yourself up for a disappointment.
Remember this is hard, it's supposed to be hard and you won't regret working hard!!
This classic event is one of a kind. It is a 2-person team effort with drafting enabled on our custom 12.48 mile time trial course. Strategy, teamwork, pacing, and sheer guts all play a factor in this race of truth. Scheduled opposite our threshold testing weeks, this is a great way to break up the Winter grind and monotony.
Course: 12.48 miles, mostly flat
Average Finish Time: 33 minutes
Start Times: 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm (4 teams per time slot)
Cost: $40 per team (additional races only $20 per team)
Divisions: Male, Female, Coed
Timing: Time stops when both riders cross the finish line
Find a partner, whether its a friend, the guy next to you in computrainer class, Dean Patsavas himself, or the sexy guy/gal from the produce section, anyone you think might look good in spandex, it doesn't matter. The time slots will fill up fast.
The first wave will begin promptly at 7am. To stay on schedule 10 minutes will be allotted for warm up on the Computrainers prior to your race. You are encouraged to bring your own trainer for warm up. There is plenty of space in the shop to set up and ride. It you're unfamiliar with drafting on the Computrainer, plan to arrive early enough to see at least some of the race prior to yours.
If you have been a frequent rider in CT classes already, you have a good idea of your current threshold wattage. It is ideal to find someone with similar power, but not necessary. If you are in search of a partner contact Dan at daniel.dziubski@gmail.com, he will find your time trial counterpart.
The first round of threshold tests at Endure It will take place next week. If you've tested before you know how painful this can be, if you haven't tested there is NOTHING to be nervous about!! But it will be rather painful, one way to think about it though is as soon as you start you have less than 30 minutes of suffering left. At Endure It we threshold test in a manner where we get your average power from a 30 minute effort. There are other ways and other protocols to use, but we have found that this suits us the best for right now. Obviously things can change.
So how should you go about attacking the threshold test. Instead of writing a long narrative, if you want that I'd rather talk than type so just contact one of us at the shop, here are some tips to help you prepare and execute the test.
Be as fresh as possible with a good night sleep, some breakfast before class, and I wouldn't recommend a super hard day of training before testing.
Make sure your mind is in the right place. This is going to hurt, think about that ahead of time and know that everyone else there is suffering along right with you.
Get a good warm up in, if that means waiting at Endure It before the coach gets there so that you can set up right away and start spinning then do it. You're not going to burn yourself out with a good solid warm up. You want to make sure your heart and muscles are geared up and ready to rock.
Once you start the test stay steady! If your power is jumping around like crazy it takes more energy. There shouldn't be 20-50 watt surges, that will hurt later in the test!
Remember as time goes on it becomes more difficult to raise that average power number. BUT at the same time do not go out too hard.
It's better to see numbers increase as the time goes on than to see someone peg it from the start and then fight for dear life to keep their numbers where they are.
Stay focused, don't worry about anyone else
Stay efficient on the bike, any movement not directly related to spinning the pedals is a waste of movement...also read waste of energy. So if you're bouncing around like a kid with ADHD who hasn't taken his meds and instead ate 3 large pixie sticks and 2 cans of Mountain Dew...you're wasting a ton of energy!
Break the test down into segments...first 10 minutes, next 5, next 5, next 5 and then every minute.
With those segments set little goals for yourself depending on how you're feeling. For example, if you're working really hard then your goal might be to hold the average wattage you're at. Or if it's easy you might want to increase the average wattage by 2 watts in a 5 minute range. The key is to make small goals!! If you think you're going to blow things up by 10 or 15 watts you might be setting yourself up for a disappointment.
Remember this is hard, it's supposed to be hard and you won't regret working hard!!
For a little motivation here is 3 time Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander completing a lactate test.
Don't forget the upcoming Endure It Club Events
November 16 - Club Meeting @ Naperville - 7:00 p.m. - Natural Running Clinic presented by Newton
November 24 - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet at Endure It Naperville at 6:45 a.m.
December 15 - Club Holiday Party @ Blackfinn - 7:00 p.m.
December 17 - NBC Kona Viewing Party @ Endure It Naperville - Details to follow
We all know that without a strong core our bodies won't perform to the level which we would like them to. But at the same time we sometimes ask what types of exercises can we do to help us build a strong core. We are also all super busy and trying to find time to do one more thing isn't the easiest thing to do. There are great resources out there to help with Core work, and we'll start to highlight some here on the blog. So to kick it off here is a short (6 minutes) video clip of Professional Triathlete Rasmus Henning demonstrating some core work:
UPCOMING ENDURE IT EVENTS
November 16 - Club Meeting - 7:00 p.m. @ Naperville
Natural Running Clinic presented by Newton
November 24 - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet @ Naperville at 6:45 a.m.
You'll definitely want to stop in to the shop to check out this new bike, and you just might have to get one...I mean you should always have one more bike than what you currently do right?
There has been a lot happening at Endure It the past few weeks with Computrainer classes starting up full force again, new 2012 bikes arriving daily, and the blog has been getting a great number of hits lately...thank you!! We are always trying to make an effort to improve, and to better help you as athletes. With that said what would you like to see more of? Email us at endureitclub@gmail.com and please share what you would like to see more of whether it be training tips, nutrition advice, upcoming event ideas, improvements to past events, gear reviews...if you can think of it send it on in to us!
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 16 - 7:00 p.m. Club Meeting @ Endure It Naperville - Newton Natural Running Clinic
November 24 - 6:45 a.m. Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet @ Endure It Naperville
To help keep everyone motivated through the winter months we're going to try to put up some videos (which we didn't take, we found on the internet) so here is one of the first ones. It's Macca running out in Kona with some of his posse.
Come to the Endure It Club Meeting tonight at Willowbrook at 7:00 p.m. Coach Sara Fix will be speaking about training, recovering and doing it all over again. There will also be a USANA Representative to speak about the benefits of supplementation for endurance athletes and free chair massages (first come first serve). We hope to see you there!
Smoothie Ideas
As athletes it's of the utmost importance that we fuel our bodies well before, during and after training. One of the best ways to do this (especially for the time crunched athletes that we are) is to make a quick smoothie which we can grab quickly and take with us where ever we might need to go. We have to send out a special thanks to Dan "Birdseed" Dzuibski for forwarding on these awesome concoction ideas!
The infamous Kenny Powers (who had a bike in Kona by the way, the picture is on my phone though so I'll post it some other time) claims that he "plays real sports, and isn't just trying to be the best at exercise".
Those of us that are "trying to be the best at exercise" should sign up for a computrainer class...otherwise you may end up living in your brothers house with a small gut, sweet facial hair, a mullet, and spend your time listening to self-motivation tapes telling everyone why you are the greatest...do you really want to be "that guy"?
November's here, Computrainer Classes are rollin', you don't want to fall behind do you? We still have room in some classes. I mean who wouldn't like a set like this:
Shut Up and Ride
And if you're still not convinced...Starsky and Hutch say "Do it, do it"
Don't forget the following events coming up:
November 3 - 7:00 pm @ Endure It Willowbrook - Club Meeting featuring Coach Sara Fix, USANA Supplementation for Endurance Athletes, and free Chair Massages
November 16 - 7:00 pm @ Endure It Naperville - Club Meeting - Natural Running Clinic presented by Newton
November 24 - 6:45 am @ Endure It Naperville - Naperville Turkey Trot
December 15 - 7:00 pm @ Blackfinn Naperville - Endure It Holiday Party
With the new computrainer season upon us it's important to remember a few things when setting up your bike on the computrainer. Erik was kind enough to make us a couple of YouTube videos to help out.
Computrainer has been off to a good start so far. Remember if you're not a MAP member you'll need to have a punch card starting tomorrow.
Upcoming Events
November 3 - Club Meeting @ Willowbrook - 7:00 p.m.
**Topic - Coach Sara Fix on completing 4 Ironman races in 14 months...and improving upon each one, USANA Representative on supplementation for endurance athletes, and free chair massages (first come first serve)
November 16 - Club Meeting @ Naperville - 7:00 p.m.
**Topic - Newton Natural Running Clinic
November 24 - Naperville Turkey Trot - Meet @ Endure It Sports Naperville at 6:45 a.m.
I'm pretty sure that the number of bikes you should own are what ever number you have plus one. If you're looking for that "plus one" (and not the wedding type of plus one, although you may have more fun with this bike than you will with some wedding dates) look no further than the new Cervelo S5.
The New Cervelo S5 Rival
Clean Lines
Why don't you have one yet??
Shown above is the S5 Rival which retails for $3800. Cervelo is always on the cutting edge with their technology and engineering. They are offering the new S5 at various price points which range from $3800 for the S5 Rival (pictured above) to $9000 for the S5 VWD Dura Ace DI2 Model (please be patient if we do not have all of the models in stock). There are also other models which fit in between. Shouldn't you be on the bike that Thor won a number of races on this past year?
This bike is not strictly for "roadies" or "tri-geeks" but has various options for how you can set it up, both super aggressive or more relaxed depending on your bike fit. These bikes will start to sell quickly, and wouldn't this be a great holiday gift to yourself? You deserve it!
If you have further questions about the S5 stop in to the Naperville store and check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Just a quick reminder that Endure It Computrainer classes are free through Monday. You don't want to miss out on what is already shaping up to be our best computrainer season ever. Our athletes are working hard already, and gaining fitness and efficiency each and every session. For more information about computrainer classes either call the store 630-323-6844 or email us at endureitclub@gmail.com
We're into our second full week of computrainer classes and classes are going great. Everyone seems to be motivated and is putting in some solid base work. Since we have started up again here are a few tips and things you might want to remember as we go through the classes:
The power numbers you were putting out last year are probably higher than where you are right now. This is totally fine, we typically expect about a 10% decrease in power right now from where you were when you stopped riding computrainer in the spring. With that said, everyone is different, so please don't get discouraged if you're not hitting numbers that used to be easy. Your numbers will come back, and we hope improve!
It's October! We are working on "base building" right now. These base training miles are critical to your training for a couple of reasons. If you don't have a base to build off of, you can risk injuries later in the season when we are putting forth some more difficult efforts. We know people don't like to do "easier" types of workouts, and we're trying to mix things up so that we can make this base training fun. If you are a triathlete who is training for a longer distance (half ironman to ironman) odds are you're "racing pace" will be around the percentages that we're putting out right now. If you think you're going to be pushing many more watts you might want to think twice...remember you have a long run to do too!
EFFICIENCY. I can't stress that enough, now is the time to work on your pedal stroke, to improve your cadence, maybe even to get refit on your bike. If you become a more efficient rider that will pay off huge come race season. I have seen a lot of people bouncing around on their bike looking for power at times. You DON'T need to do that, all you're doing is wasting energy that could be used to go faster. Really try to focus on your efficiency throughout classes, if you have questions about it, ask your coaches. When you watch them ride they aren't swaying side to side and moving all over the bike (even when they stand they are in a comfortable rhythm which is efficient).
Cadence is extremely important as well. We all have a natural cadence, something we feel comfortable with. If that cadence is below 90 (especially for triathletes) we should really work on improving that. Elite coaches and athletest have shared that the "ideal" run cadence is around 90...and they also shared that if you're riding at a cadence which is similar, running will come more naturally.
We have fielded many questions about the threshold testing dates. So instead of just springing it upon you here is our tentative plan:
November 14-18
February 6-10
April 23-27
Like I said those are tentative dates, and we just wanted to make sure everyone knew ahead of time what that schedule looked like. We have a few people signed up for our November Bike Challenge...but we're always looking for more, so if you want to join us on what is sure to be a fun time email us at endureitclub@gmail.com
I mean do you really want to miss out on all of this fun??
Byers and Gibson dropping the hammer on those guys...
The infamous Richier Bro's...Dave Jansen and is that Glen Marino rockin out there?
That just looks painful...but in a fun way I suppose
