At the risk of sounding like those commercials that promise you can loose a bunch of weight while still eating any and everything, I’m going to let you in on how to get faster by doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but you won’t have to raise your heart rate, put out 300 watts, or really even break a sweat. What I’m getting at is that there are several ways to become a faster triathlete while sitting at home.

First, you can easily stretch while watching your favorite nightly programming. Just sprawl out on the floor and work those tight spots out. You can easily incorporate a good routine that fits within the usual 30 minute TV show. While you’re at it, why not take it to the next level and incorporate some self body-work. Use devices such as The Stick, or the T.P. Massage Kit to really break up trigger points or lengthen your IT band. In fact, I am rolling out the arches of my feet while I write this! While you want to remain focused on what you are trying to accomplish, you can still follow the basic plot of today’s programs.

Take the minimal effort to drive yourself to your local massage therapist, chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist, the list is endless, and get some professional body-work. We spend so much time beating up our bodies that we need to replenish and rejuvenate as well. When your body is functioning correctly you will be able to get the most from your body and your training. Third, track your progress and look over your program. Hopefully you are using some form of tracking, either a web based program like TrainingPeaks, or the simple pen and paper method. Either way, by logging your workouts, you are able to look back on what was effective and what didn’t work. Look for trends in your training. When did you have good workouts? Can you pinpoint anything specific about the lead in to that workout or period?

On the subject of tracking your training, try tracking your recovery. For one week take note of the time you spend stretching, doing yoga or your hour massage. We all know that recovery is the key to strong training and faster racing, so why not track it like we do our weekly yardage or hours? TrainingPeaks.com even allows its members to track their nutrition. Once a month note what you eat every day for one week. The system allows you to compare your calories expended with your calories taken in, so you can see if you are in a calorie deficit, or surplus. This is useful if you are trying to determine your optimum training or racing weight.

Finally, and the ultimate in terms of ease of use and price, SLEEP! Take your sleep patterns seriously. If you regularly get less than 7 hours of sleep per night, try getting 8 for one week and see the difference. Once you experience the extra energy, you won’t be so tempted to watch Jay Leno. Adding in naps is great too. I deem a twenty minute snooze as a N.A.P, or Natural Adaptation Process. It is the most basic and effective form of recovery, and it’s free.

So, with very little effort you can take your training to a new level. The key is to just get started and incorporate these modalities into your daily routine. Try any one of the suggestions above and see the results for yourself, or your money back!

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Wife, Mother, Career Woman… and Triathlon?
By Coach Amy Kuitse

You are a wife, mother, and career women, in addition to other roles you play. You have gotten involved in triathlon now because you don't have enough things on your plate already! (Yeah, right.) As it goes with "us" type A, goal-oriented, driven women, a couple of sprint distance triathlons will not be enough. We will want to train a "little" more to see how much we can improve. Then the lure of racing longer calls us for the next challenge. Before we realize it, we have a closet full of triathlon equipment, we start looking for a new bike and we have registered for a half or even a full Ironman. You wake up the next day and wonder, “how can I balance and manage all these things in my life and race triathlon at the next level”.

A friend bought me the book, 'Going Long' by Gordo Byrn, when I registered for my first IM. On the inside cover he wrote, “Amy... and so it begins”. As a woman with numerous roles, his statement meant two different things to me. First was what the journey of IM would mean . The second was the question about balancing and managing the things in my life along with the demands of training.

First and foremost you need the open communication and support of your family. Sit down and talk with your spouse/family about your aspirations as a triathlete. Share with them why you want to do this and what kind of time, commitment and discipline this will require of YOU. I highlight YOU this way as each of us will have a different view of what we will need to do in order to be ready for the starting line.

Second, have a plan. Make sure your training is structured and consistent so that your family knows what to expect. Let them know about changes that come up along the way. This may include things like changes in training days, days off, training phases, etc. Not only does this keep them informed about your training, but it allows them to be part of what you are doing. For example, my 16 year old daughter will be racing on mom's old tri bike with clips & pedals this summer. She rode her "new" bike with me during my 45' run off. We combined our schedules so we could do this together.

When scheduling training or looking at a plan, consider how this works with your family schedule. Have a willingness to train at different times that may minimize stress on your family. This article is not meant to be a plug for coaching, but this is one very valuable aspect, as a woman, for having a coach. My coach is aware of weekly and monthly commitments and he creates a training schedule, for me, that works around them. Create a monthly calendar that includes everyone’s activities. Color code it for each person. It helps the rest of the family see what each other is doing and have an appreciation for the commitment you are making to your training.

Make a commitment to carve out weekly family time. This can be as simple as a movie night at home, playing a game, sitting together at night to have a snack and talk about the day or the week ahead. Keeping the lines of communication open is key! Commit to time together and let your family choose what defines family time. Don't center it around anything triathlon related as they, like you, will need a break from it.

With that in mind, recognize that you will have moments you will be tired, irritated; things will come up and your training day will go out the window. Be honest with yourself and your family about your fatigue and frustrations. Find a way to let the fractured training day go. Have a plan for how you will deal with this too.

In all of these ideas mentioned, there are two keys - communication and planning. I do believe we can balance the challenges that triathlon presents with more important things in our lives. This balance will become unbalanced at time. If we have recognition of this and communicate with our family we can keep things more balanced for everyone in our house.

So... it begins, gals! As a woman you were born to be a multi-tasker. Triathlon is the perfect sport for you!

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