Watch first, then do your intervals.

Hi everybody...

Sprint and olympic race season is upon us already with events like the Protest DU, the Rookie, and the Skeese Greets Tri all knocking on our door. Just a quick video reminder that these races, although significantly shorter than a 70.3 or full Ironman, demand just as much focus and effort. In fact, unless you're comfortable with a heart rate of 180, these races can hurt quite a bit more than their longer incarnations.

Listen to Jonathan Vaughters, director of the Garmin-Transitions pro cycling team coach one of his stars, Christian Vandevelde through a shorter time trial. Vandevelde, incidentally, is a man of serious talent, having finished fifth in the Tour de France a couple years ago. Oh... And if you've got about 12k burning a hole in your pocket come and see us, because he's riding a tricked out Felt DA. Now I'm in no way implying that if you buy one, you'll average 30mph at the Rookie. But one thing I can do, is follow behind you on my scooter yelling clichéd phrases of encouragement to make you feel faster.

Watch the video. Get pumped up. 30mph or 13mph, it makes no difference, you're out there doing it.

Watch first, then do your intervals.

Shop ride Sundays: Schedule for April and May

We had a great long ride this morning, 38-miles about as fast as I recall it. Well done to the lead group including Roberto the owner of Taco deli who provide those delish' breakfast taco's we have each week for hanging with the long ride, also good to get to ride with Dan Carroll from High 5 Events and Dave Mclaughlin from DCM Photography and those great pictures from the last Driveway Crit bike races.

Also a great turnout for the Intermediate group, lead by Laura, Shane, and Kim from the LAF; in fact with a few new riders in the no-drop with Jeff and Hugo, including Elizabeth Quintanilla, CEO of EQ Consulting on her first ride on her new Felt bike from the shop, we had a real cornucopia of Austin amateur cycling and business.

Just a reminder, no headphones please, no aero bars while sitting in, and no taking risks. If in doubt or confused, have a read of the shop ride etiquette rules posted on the web site.

So, well ahead of the game, here are the planned rides for April and May 2010! Thanks for the feedback, please feel free to comment here, or on the facebook page if you want to see something else, some changes, or just to tell us how much fun cycling in the ATX is!

April
4th NO-DROP SHOAL CREEK Special ride;Intermediate: South +Intervals; Long: South(38-miles)
11th All rides: South + Mechanic workshop at High School. Rides then continue (NO-DROP 20,30,38-mile routes)
18th NO-DROP RIDE; South + Transition clinic ready for Lonestar Sprint/70.3
25th NO-DROP ONLY! (Lonestar Sprint/Olympic/70.3)

May

9th NO-DROP ONLY! (The Rookie Triathlon!)
16th NO-DROP RIDE; Intermediate+Long: HILLS
23rd NO-DROP RIDE; Intermediate+Long Head North West; Transition clinic (Basic+Advanced for CapTex Tri)
30th NO-DROP RIDE; Intermediate+Long: South

Shop ride Sundays: Schedule for April and May

Shop ride Sundays: Back to normal

This week the shop rides are heading back to the traditional south routes after a few weeks of variation. One reason for this is it's a race weekend, another is because well, we understand some people want to measure their progress against static routes.

More interestingly for this weekends ride, we will have a handout with a schedule for all the rides through April and May. Copies of these will also be available from the shop. I have to say we've got some useful and fun things planned for the ride, including a mechanics workshop out on the ride, two transition clinics ready for the races and some new and alternatives routes.

So for this week it's No-drop 10-miles out and 10-miles back; Intermediate about 30-miles South; and the Long group will do the Buda+loop and always I suspect there will be an informal blast back into town. All rides leave 8:30 prompt.

As always, can I remind the riders to stay single file out on the old San Antonio Road, it makes things safer for you, and easier for the car drivers to pass. See y'all Sunday!

Shop ride Sundays: Back to normal

Lake Travis Tri, Sunday, April 18th

Lake Travis is officially 100% full so says the LCRA. Can you believe its' been two years since we've seen lake levels this high. Thank you El Nino!

A great way to celebrate this good news is by registering for the Lake Travis Triathlon and CapTex Swim scheduled for the weekend of April 17th and 18th.

These two events are hosted by Rick Margiotta and Brad Davison owners of RB Sports and the Capital of Texas Triathlon.

This weekend has something for everyone. All the details are listed below. If you're not ready to toe the start line, why not sign-up to volunteer. Hope to see you out there!

The CapTexSwim at Lake Travis

Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010

What: Open water swims of 750 meters, 1500 meters, and 1.2 miles

Where: Pace Bend Park - Mud Cove, Spicewood, TX 78669

Start Times: 1500 meters at 9:00am

750 meters at 10:00am

1.2 miles at 10:30am

Entry fees: $40.00 for one event, $50.00 for two, $60.00 for all three. Day of event registration will be available with an additional $10 late fee.

Sanctioning: USA Triathlon sanctioned. Non-USAT members will be required to purchase a one day license

Awards: Top overall and masters (40 +) male and female, wetsuit and no-wetsuit, in each event

Age groups broken down by male and female, wetsuit and no-wetsuit

19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ (14 and under in the 750 meter event only)

Special recognition is planned for multiple event finishers

The Lake Travis Triathlon

Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010

What: Sprint Triathlon, 750 meter swim, 20 Kilometer bike, 5 kilometer run

Where: Pace Bend Park, Spicewood, TX 78669

Start Time: 9:00am

Entry fees: $60.00 early entry thru 4/12, $70.00 late after 4/12

Sanctioning: USA Triathlon sanctioned. Non-USAT members will be required to purchase a one day license

Awards: Top 3 overall male and female

Top Masters male and female

Top Grand Masters male and female

5 year age groups starting at 14 and under (special consideration must be given for participants under 15)

Top Clydesdales and Athenas

Lake Travis Tri, Sunday, April 18th

Give it a TRI!!

What: Tri Zones Training Camp
When: Sunday, March 21, 4:00pm
Where: Jack and Adam's, 1210 Barton Springs Rd.
What to bring: a towel or camp chair

What you need to know to begin triathlon training?

Is that a triathlete you see in the mirror? Have you heard that the Danskin Women's Triathlon is a life-changing experience and you wonder if you can do it? Learn about what it's like to train for a tri and what you'll need to do to get started. Gain the confidence that YOU CAN DO IT whether your goal is Danskin, Skeese Greets Women's Tri, or The Rookie! We'll have fun as we show you the basics of what to expect as you train for your first tri.

Tri Zones also has other free training clinics throughout April and May!

Give it a TRI!!

Shop ride Sundays: Long and steady

This week the Intermediate and Long groups will be "going long" and "taking it steady".

Unlike last week where we set out to do pacelines, this week see's just a slightly longer ride for those getting ready for their first Olympic or Half Ironman triathlon. Tammy, Kim and James will take the Intermediate group about 40-miles, ideal over distance for an Olympic triathlon. Zac and I will be taking the long group somewhere near 60-miles. The rides will take different routes, so you'll need to decide prior to leaving.

As always, the No-drop ride with Jeff and Hugo will go south, 10-miles out and 10-back regrouping when ever needed. As always with the other groups there is scope to go off the front for all or part of the ride and go faster if needed. The point of this week though is long and steady rather than race pace.

The group ride leaders are meeting tonight to work on the ride schedule through May, we'd love to hear feedback, please leave comments, here or on Facebook and we'll work them in.

One last request, the ride escorts got together to discuss ride guidelines and Zac put this together[PDF]. We like to make sure everyone reads it at least once.

Shop ride Sundays: Long and steady

Training for training

This past Saturday morning, some friends and I rode the hills of Westlake, chewing our respective stems up Terrance Mountain, Redbud and Toro Canyon. Not really talking, just feeling the burn of long slow climbs, and the sting of the steeper pitches. There were a few deer still feeding on the side of the road and hardly any traffic at all. People walking their dogs, and houses with mortgage payments that I can not fathom. A couple of the out and back climbs so steep that we stated laughing and collapsed on our bars at the top. No heart rate monitor. No computer. No zone to stay in or planned route.

At Taco Cabana then, before work. Checking Paris-Nice updates on Twitter and talking to one of our customers about his race schedule. The blur of work, and laughing with the guys (and girls) about some of the crazy questions we get. Brian, showing me the old steel framed Colnago that he is bidding on. Checking the Chronometro results and talking to Sam about the course at Fayetteville next weekend. Bikes, bikes and more bikes. I love it...

This is not the training plan to win races. This is the training plan to stay fresh in the sport. According to Jack, the average customer in our shop has a life span of about three years. Since I've been working here over two years now, I assume that some of the friends I've made will be gone by seasons end. Triathlon is, quite simply, a sport that breeds neurosis. It can consume our lives and all of the endless details can keep us awake at night. Three complete sports, done back to back, without stopping. It really is a lot to wrap your head around.

After my first three years racing and, unbelievably, never wining Kona, I was fairly spent. Workout schedules are still schedules, it seems. 6am runs never really get easier to wake up to. Essentially, the sport was turning into my grandmother. I loved it to death, I just really didn't want to hang out with it anymore...

Just a reminder to everyone feeling the same this season. It's OK to not race and just have fun. Explore new bike routes. Rent a canoe at Zilker, instead of doing core class. Dodge boulders on the greenbelt, instead of strollers on the trail. Endurance sports are all developmental and as long as you stay relatively fit, sliding back into the sport will be quite easy. Triathlon is only getting larger, the performances more unbelievable and the training methods more scientific. Go out, explore the world, be a spectator for a while and remind yourself what got you started in the first place.

Training for training