Kirk Nelson, Team Sport Beans/NTTC

On July 17, during a training run in the mid-day heat, I passed out 60 minutes into a run.  I was feeling fine during the run, despite the fact that it was very hot.  I was running with a friend and we came to a fence that we had to cross to continue on the trail. I told Craig(my friend) I was going to urinate before crossing the fence. I began to feel light-headed while urinating and ignored the feeling, thinking it would pass. After urinating, I took one step toward the fence, passed out, and fell like a tree face first into the fence.  I cracked three of my upper teeth and tore open my lower lip. My neck and back were also jarred. After 6.5 hours in the ER, I finally got stitched up and had my teeth temporarily covered.  The following day, I had 3.5 hours of dental work and a temporary 3-piece bridge put in. I will eventually have 2 root canals, 2 crowns, and one implant put in for the 3 cracked teeth.
 
The final diagnosis by the ER doc was "syncope micturition" or passing out while urinating in laymen's terms, no doubt due to dehydration and the quick stop in strenuous exercise and subsequent drop in my heart rate. I had eaten a balanced breakfast prior to the run but was likely lacking water and electrolytes coming off a weekend backpacking trip at high altitude.
 

Thank God that Craig was with me on this run.  I normally run alone, especially during the mid-day. Craig flagged down a car to get us back to my vehicle and then drove us to the ER.

November 5, 2007 

Here is this week's swim workout, it's one that will get your heart pumping.  I don't advocate speedwork during the base phase; however, I think throwing a fast one in every once in a while keeps us all on our toes.  Continue to work on your stroke - it's very important this time of year.
 
BEGINNER:
Warm up:
200 free, nice and easy pace, 50 kick somewhere in the middle of the warm up.
Main set:
4 x 150 free with 1:30 rest in between.  Do the first one fast but not all out and time it.  Use the same time for the remaining 150s.  By the time you are on to the 4th one, you will be working much harder to keep the pace.
Kick set:
100 kick; completely stretch out your arms before and after.
Cool down:
100 easy
Total yards:  1000

Training for a TRI takes commitment-physical, mental, time, etc. Be sure you work through your goals, time, and expectations with the ones you love. Sit down with your spouse, kids, fiance, boss, or whomever prior to embarking on the TRI venture. This is a critical element in the overall experience. The more they know and understand up front, the better. You don't want to be halfway through your program and run into conflicts that could have been avoided by talking it through in the beginning.

Your weekly training time can range from 6 to 20 hours a week, depending on what you're training for and where you are in the program. Needless to say, a hefty time and energy commitment is involved. It's important to note that the time commitment is not just the minutes shown on the schedule. For example, a Masters' swim workout might require getting your things together, driving to the pool, changing, the workout, changing back, driving home or to work, etc. A 1-hour swim workout could take 2 hours by the time all's said and done. The same goes for any other session. Keep this in mind as you think through your training capacity.

Gravel Ahead
In addition to discussing the time commitment of the sport with friends and family, you should discuss the potential shift in energy. For example, you might be tired after a long bike ride and not feel like getting up early on your day off to get ready for that garage sale. It's important for you to realize your schedule and overall energy level might go through some changes. Discuss these potential issues with those in your life.

When I was asked to review the Blueseventy Helix wetsuit, I was excited. I love checking out new things, and Blueseventy is definitely at the forefront of the multisport wetsuit industry.

Despite being excited, I was also hesitant, because the idea was to use the wetsuit in IM, Wisconsin, to really put it through it’’s paces. At the time, it was less than 2 months to the race, and I was already dialed-in with all my equipment. I decided to go ahead and try the Helix in a couple of open water training swims and then decide if I would make the switch for Moo.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package from Blueseventy was the anatomical design of the suit. The leg and arm pieces of most wetsuits are tapered cylinders – straight tubes that are bigger at one end, and smaller at the other. The Helix is designed to match the shape and bends of the body – duh! Next, I noticed how well constructed the wetsuit is – all points on the suit where stitch lines meet are reinforced. (Seems pretty basic, but just look at what you’re in now to see!)

I could spend several paragraphs outlining the structural features of the Helix (Did I mention that I’m an engineer?), but what I really wanted to see is how it felt when I swam. The first time I headed to the lake with it, I was in a rush and forgot my body glide. ‘Crap … Oh well, if it’s going to chafe, it won’t bother me till after the swim.’ I was ready for he traditional struggle that I am used to with other wetsuits– kind of a cross between stuffing a sausage, and wresting a rubber band, trying to rotate the shoulder and arm position of the wetsuit so there are no folds in the neoprene?

October 27, 2007

Ok, back to drills.  This one is a drill emphasis workout.  I am really big on using the catch up drill.  If you don't know this drill, please look HERE .
 
BEGINNER
100 easy swim
4 x 25 kick, concentrating on keeping the ankles close together (no wide kicking); 5 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on pull portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on push portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on recovery portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
2 x 50 freestyle; taking 10 seconds between each
4 x 25 kick, concentrating on keeping the ankles close together (no wide kicking); 5 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on pull portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on push portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
4 x 25 catch up drill focusing on recovery portion of stroke; take 5-10 seconds rest between each
100 cool down
Total yards:  1100
 

Photo Courtesy Rich Cruise Photography 

It's our sports version of Michael Jordan taking on Dr. J in one on one, and the Silverman Triathlon is providing the venue.

Triathlon legend Dave Scott takes on the man of the hour, Chris McCormack on the Silverman 1/2 iron course on November 11th battle head to head on the Nevada Silverman Course.

“We are thrilled with the signing of Macca - who is currently one of the hottest names in the sport of Triathlon. We look forward to the excitement he will inevitably bring to the race,” said Silverman Race Director, Frank Lowery. “The Battle of the Ages will be a competition that no one should miss. Never again will we see two triathlete legends, such as Macca and Scott competing head to head on such a tough course.”

Macca as he is affectionately known, is one of the most affable athletes in the sport of triathlon. Chris entered the professional triathlon circuit in 1996, as an inexperienced rookie, but rapidly rose to success only eight months after his debut, taking the World No. 1 position and destroying arguably the greatest field ever assembled in triathlon history, to win both the 1997 Triathlon World Championships and the 1997 ITU World Cup Series.