Warning! Do not race “Challenge Miami” without this:
It’s race week Are you ready? I hope so…
This one tip will guarantee your best race day performance!
1- race plan: Create your race plan. It’s a map for your mind to follow visualize and then perform your perfect race performance.
It’s very simple, write out by hand or in notes on your phone everything you plan to do from the morning before your race to after you cross the finish line.
Important things to include, be very specific! The more details the better.
All nutrition during the day before the race and before, during and after the race. Get -paces for the swim, bike – use power if possible – or heart rate- rpms and run
Negative split – each portion of the race. This means to start a little conservative and build into your speed that you have trained for the distance of the race you are competing in. This is very different for the sprint and the middle distance
Sprint race is zone 4-5, the whole time unless it’s your first race and you just want to finish. Middle distance I recommend to start in zone 2, and build into zone 3, for all three disciplines.
Use TriCalc3.com, I love this app!
Your time goal numbers have power. If you want to improve and do your best you need to give your numbers energy!
You need to know your paces and give yourself mini goals for each portion of the race.
This app allows you to predict your race time down to the minute!
See image for example from one of my athletes.
Mantra Do not forget to include your mental skills and mantras for each section of the race, this is imperative.
After your race plan is complete you can take 5-10 min every day and imagine your perfect race!
Include all your senses
How it will feel to be in that perfect flow state
Your mantras for each section of your race
Some of my favorites are: Swim; Long and strong, Bike; perfect circles perfect power, Run; fast arms fast feet.
Follow your individual pace plan and give it all you’ve got to the end!
Science proves that when you want to quit there is usually up to 20 % more in your tank and lastly, whether you believe you can or you cannot, it’s true!
So choose to believe in yourself and your plan. You got this and I believe in YOU too!!
Click this link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session and let’s do it! Let me help plan a routine that works for you, but you have to make the choice.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of the 16 week Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.
Anything Can Happen on Race Day; How Will You Handle It?
I’ve raced over 200 times if you include all my 5ks, 10ks, 1/2 marathons, Sprint, Olympic 70.3 and IRONMAN triathlons and I can tell you from experience that anything can happen. Good things and challenging things.
We always celebrate the good stuff, but so many times it’s the stuff that goes wrong that makes us better, push harder and gives us even more desire to finish, no matter what.
Here are a few of my most memorable: – Flat tire at 2 hours in, on a 70.3 bike in the middle of Texas – Wrecking on slippery roads during a rainy bike section, road rash – Paper cuts in my thigh from putting bike number on incorrectly on my bike – Severe jelly fish stings in my mouth and up my nose – Seasick and sea lice all over at Gulf coast 70.3 – forgetting my run shoes at home, driving back to get them, missing my wave start and getting a PR because my adrenaline was so high. – My contact lens popped out of my eye just before my race start, driving back to the hotel to get another one, missing my wave start and again having a killer race because I was determined not to not race.
This is a short list of mishaps.
I have also witnessed a few epic challenges where athletes had some serious setbacks but persevered.
I was at St. Anthony’s Olympic Triathlon when one of the pros came out of the water with a missing tooth after being kicked in the face and went on to win the race overall.
Another good story at St. Anthony’s is an athlete running the race portion in bare feet because another athlete accidentally took his running shoes.
In 2018 at IRONMAN Kona World Championship winner @danielaryfe was going to quit the race during the swim portion due to severe jellyfish stings; she decided to keep going out of respect to the sport and ended up breaking the world record by over 20 minutes!!
My point is anything can happen, and if you remain calm and just keep moving forward amazing things can still happen.
It’s what you are saying to yourself in these situations that will dictate the outcome and how you feel about it.
Saying negative thing like “I’m sick, I’m so slow, what am I doing out here etc,” is likely to get you slowing down or even stopping.
Imagining a big red STOP sign in your head and refocusing your attention on what’s going right, even if it’s that’s something small can completely redirect your focus.
One of my athletes was able to take one hour off her IRONMAN PR by simply switching a negative mantra to repeating a positive mantra when she started having an issue on the run.
Mental skills are not to be ignored as an important skill to master. Have you ever had a mishap in a race? I’d love to hear what happened. Please share in the comments!
If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call us at 786-586-6057 today or click this link to schedule a complimentary triathlon strategy call: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.
Here are some quick tips you can apply this week and on race day to make it a great race.
# 1 Rest during Race Week
I know you’re concerned about losing fitness when you take rest days or easy days but this is so untrue.
Resting makes you get stronger and faster. Your body is able to recover, rebuild and absorb the training.
Now, this doesn’t mean sit on the couch and eat ice cream.
An easy week leading up to the race means reduced volume and a few well placed ORPS (Over Race Pace Sprints). See a sample week below.
Can you imagine driving your car without putting gas in it? How far do you think it would go? How fast?
Not very! That is my point.
Plan your pre post and during the race nutrition, NOW.
This one factor can throw all your hard work down the drain.
#2 Eat for Success before, during and after the race
You can be the fastest and strongest runner out there but if fueled wrong your body won’t deliver the performance you desire.
Why risk it?
If you’re looking for some suggestions on pre-race meals check out my blog: Top 3 Tried and True Pre-Race Breakfasts. This is individualized, so stick to what you’ve used in training for your race and adjust for higher performance on race day.
Always choose real food while not on the race course. As a healthful tip, too much sports nutrition is not healthy!
#3 Stretch With reduced activity this week you may be feeling a little tight. Break out the foam roller and get in the sauna and or hot tub and stretch your whole body a few times after your easy runs this week.
Follow along with this video for an awesome stretch session:
#4 Write out a Race Plan and stick to it –
A race plan is something I recommend so you have a map to follow guaranteed success.
Write out everything you will do from Saturday morning when you wake up to Sunday after completing the race, including all of your race day goals.
This includes:
Eating meals that will support your race complex carbohydrates, quality protein and good fats.
What sports nutrition you will use during the race and when to eat it
Warm up training routine
Your goals for the race itself
Heart rate and pacing plans during the race and
Your recovery details post-race- (What’s your reward??)
This can be as detailed or simple as you like.
The important things are to write out your goals in a positive light.
Avoid statements like, “I hope I don’t quit.”
Instead, write “I will run at my goal race pace from aid station to aid station” or “I will hold 8:15 minute miles for my last 3 miles.”
You may also want to include any concerns you might have about the race and write out your solutions to them in case they occur.
For example, if you’re concerned about how to pace the bridges in the race, pace yourself more gradually as you start the climb. You’ll have energy at the top of the bridge to run down with momentum and good form.
Or, if you’re worried about pacing yourself for your goal time, use an app that can create a pace chart to follow to help keep you following your plan toward your goal.
Then, I would include goal finishing times based on solid training paces and heart rates you know you can achieve, so you aren’t guessing your finishing time. Then announce it to your friends and on social media!
#5 Sleep I know, I know, you’re super human and can get by on 5 hours of sleep. Wrong!!!
You are only fooling yourself.
You can do this a few time a week, but if you are consistently sleeping 5 hours or less a night you’re being less productive and sacrificing good performance from your body and brain.
I believe in putting science to the test. Get 8, plus hours of sleep a night for 5 nights in a row and I guarantee you’ll feel superhuman even without caffeine!
#6 Get Your Race PacketEarly Pick up your packet early. Wear your compression socks, browse the expo as you sip on some organic coconut water. Then get off your feet and avoid any chaos.
# 7 Mantra’s Half and full marathons are long distances and you can lose focus easily during the race.
Pick a few mantra’s to keep you present in the moment as well as focusing on your breathing.
# 8 Hit the port o potties before you start There are lines of people for the bathrooms along the race course. Avoid the wait by emptying your bowels before the race starts.
# 9 Start with a Disposable Water bottle Skip the lines at the first 3 aid stations. Add a pinch of real sea salt or your favorite electrolytes. You can stop at the aid stations farther down as it gets less crowded.
#10 Smile Have fun and enjoy every second of this opportunity to race! Cheer your fellow runners and be grateful for your awesome, strong, successful body.
Now go have an awesome race!
I am wishing you all your best race 🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻
Namaste, Coach Erinne
*Bonus Sample Week Leading up to Race Day
Monday – Sleep in, stretch using foam roller and write out your race plan; Put your race plan for the weekend and send to your coach for feedback, get a massage.
Tuesday – Start with dynamic warm up then easy 20-40 minute run at your aerobic threshold (AE) (180 – age = heart rate average for this run). In other words very easy! Include a few 4 x 1 min ORPS (over race pace sprints) at slightly above your goal race pace. If you are just racing to finish, keep it steady and include a few pick-ups in intensity. Finish with total body stretch and core routine specific to running.
Wednesday – Easy 45 minute swim or bike followed by total body foam roll and stretch. Visualize your entire race exactly as you want it to go and use all your senses and emotion of how it will feel to be out there running and crossing the finish line with your goal time.
Thursday – Similar to Tuesday
Friday – Day off, mental and physical prep, pick up packet today.
Saturday – Run race warm up 15-20 min, with 2-3 x 1 min ORPS. Stretch, compress and rest. Follow your nutrition plan for the day, prepare for temperatures accordingly with layers.
Sunday – Race Day, make it a great day follow your plan and don’t forget to SMILE and Enjoy! You Got This!!!
If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text us at 786-586-6057 today or better yet, click this link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session. This is a complimentary 30 minute session to ask me anything about triathlon, health and wellness or holistic lifestyle/ nutrition.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.
I have athletes that don’t fully understand the benefit of tapering for a race. They show up on race day feeling flat and tired and wonder why they don’t get that podium or personal best.
It’s definitely a skill to be able to tune into your body and feel if you are recovered from training or not. There are so many tools these days that you can track your training and use an APP to tell you if you should train hard or you need to recover. I use Garmin, HRV, TrainingPeaks to help my athletes gauge their level of fatigue but there is an inner knowing as well. I believe in just asking your body and you usually get the correct answer. But will your ego allow you to rest? That is the question. So, I say experiment with different amounts of easy/ recovery days after blocks of training days and find your own sweet spot. If you need to recover in a hurry these suggestions below work great!
Other things to consider about your recovery/ taper leading up to a race. Is it short course or long? Is it an A, B or C race? “A” priority races definitely require a bigger longer recovery leading into them , IF you want to have that peak performance. “C” races can be trained right through.
How many days you take is individual to you and your circumstance. As a rule, the longer the race the longer the taper.
Ironman taper can be from 2-3 weeks, 70.3 can be 7-14 days Olympic distance 5-7 days and a Sprint 3-5 days.
Some athletes need more or less depending on age and experience level.
With all that being said, if you need to get recovered fast, here are my top recovery recomendations and tools.
Sleep: Did you see that article about how much sleep Roger Federer gets a day? 12 hours!
Studies show sleep is the absolute best, legal ergogenic aid out there. My minimum RX for fast recovery is 8 hours, but 9-10 would be better for 2-3 days minimum. You will feel like a kid again with tons of energy after you get this much sleep.
Do some Working IN (my definition of building energy instead of depleting it). Examples of working in are taking a restorative yoga or Tai chi class. Don’t have that much time? take 10-20 minutes and walk barefoot or simply lay on the earth, on the grass or the sand on a beach. Get in the ocean, lake or even a pool and just float around (not training). Meditate. Practice silence and listen to nature.
Breath Work – 1,3,5 or 10 -20 minutes of just sitting or laying and breathing. If you type in ” Breath Work” into YouTube search there a ton of videos teaching you how to breath to improve energy. Try one. or check out Wim Hof – The Ice Man and follow his breathing techniques on Youtube.
Ice Bath- This can be uncomfortable but works sooooo well and is so worth it. As little as 2 minutes a few times a week combined with above breath work and meditation is like magic for resetting your nervous system and actually proving effectiveness against anxiety and depression! Even a 1 minute cold shower can stimulate the nervous system in a positive way. Check out my video here- on my Wim Hof Ice Bath Experience (I am so excited to have just taken my first Wim Hoff Breath class and will be including his breath work and ice baths at my 2020 Ultimate Tri Camp! Check out the Video Here )
Massage – Getting a deep tissue massage every or every other week can really help your muscles stay supple and recover quickly. Contact Jeff Lindsay, he’s an FC favorite! 305-720-7920 / For a soothing or invigorating in-house massage.
Compression Socks – After a training session massage and an ice bath put on your compression wear for improved circulation and ultimately faster recovery.
Normatecor E Relax – or any other brand of segmented compression can improve circulation and help you recover quickly
Hyperice Hypervolt, Theragun Vibration Therapy or Marc Pro and Compex can all be helpful modalities to help your muscled recover quickly and of course there is good old fashion
Recovery Session Our Amazing sponsor Athletix Rehab offers awesome recovery sessions that include many of the above suggestions, without you doing the work. They do it for you, while you just enjoy. Contact Athletix Rehab Recovery if you need physical therapy or one of their other amazing services. Don’t forget to ask for your Full Circle member discount. Ph (305) 501-0231.
If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text us at 786-586-6057 today or click this link to schedule a complimentary triathlon strategy call: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.
If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text us at 786-586-6057 today or click this link to schedule a complimentary triathlon strategy call: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.
Miami Man 2018 International and 70.3 Race Essentials
By Erinne Guthrie, USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach
I recorded this webinar to make it easy for you to access any time you need to review the most important race tips to use at your next International or 70.3 distance triathlon race.
Should you have any questions please reach out to me, Coach Erinne (via text is fastest) 786-586-6057 or, schedule a call and we can discuss further. Use this linkto schedule your call: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
I give this clinic live before most of the Multirace Triathlons in Miami, Florida. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if it helped you in any way have a better race experience, thanks for your time!
Click the link below to access the webinar recording now!
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.
Coach Erinne Full Circle Coaching Where Performance Meets Balance
786-586-6057
This situation can be even more painful for a half or full IRONMAN due to the amount of time and money invested to even just get to the starting line.
When the results turn out terrible, it’s time to take a real hard look at your training log over the previous 2-3 months leading up to the race. Now sometimes there are situations that are out of your control, like tacks on the road, bad weather etc. But you can usually prevent most of your races from going south.
You need to look and be honest with yourself. Did you really put in the volume and intensity that your training program called for? Did you do those hard intervals that your coach had in your Training Peaks? Did you hit the minimums for long course racing that include 3 swims, 3 bikes, 4 runs and 2 strength sessions per week? Did you train on similar terrain and conditions to your race? Long course racing is no joke, and it’s hard for me to see my own athletes struggle on course as I watch my IM Tracker.
My goal as a coach is to actually make training a little bit harder than the race will be so that you can handle all the race day stress and logistics; saying to yourself, “So that’s why she made me do 25 bridge repeats, etc.”
It takes a lot of mental and physical fortitude to toe the line at a triathlon (long course and short course) believe it or not. You hear people talk about it like its no big deal. But, not everyone comes out of the womb swimming, biking and running!
If you have not been challenged and had to work hard to overcome set backs in your training, success on race day is unlikely. It’s really all about the journey and race day is the test. Did you do your homework? Most of the time all the reasons why your race sucked are right there in the training log, where you skipped that swim, bike, or run. Decided to take 10 days off instead of two, eat pizza and drink beer.
If you made the commitment to sign up for the triathlon race, you might as well do everything you can to get it right! Listen to your coach!
So now, I know you are super motivated to get it right next time! Recover well, write out the whole painful experience, so you can look back before your next race and remember not to let that happen again!!!!
Happy Racing!!!
Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne
If you can relate in any way, I invite you to link here and schedule a call with me today or, text me at 786-586-6057 to request an appointment.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.
Race Tips for Your Next Sprint or Olympic Distance Triathlon
By Erinne Guthrie, USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach
I recorded this webinar to make it easy for you to access any time you need to review the most important race tips to use at your next Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon race.
Should you have any questions please reach out to me, Coach Erinne (via text is fastest) 786-586-6057 or, schedule a call and we can discuss further. Use this linkto schedule your call: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU
I give this clinic live before most of the Multirace Triathlons in Miami, Florida. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if it helped you in any way have a better race experience, thanks for your time!
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997 and is currently taking a recovery year after two consecutive years racing at Long and Short Course World Championships. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.
Getting faster for your next race has never been easier – Are you ready to get faster at your next Sprint or Olympic distance Triathlon race with NO additional training?
Here is a webinar recording I did last week for the Multirace Triathlon Trilogy race but the information can be applied to any Sprint, International or Olympic distance triathlon. It is just under 1 hour of awesome information you can apply to your next race. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments. Click on this LINK to access the recording.
Feel free to ask me any questions 786-586-6057, or leave a comment.
Wishing you well, Coach Erinne Full Circle Coaching Where Performance Meets Balance
What’s up Triathletes? What you do the day after a race can be a little confusing. It depends if the race you just completed was a long, hard effort, an “A” race or just a training race – meaning you are still training for a faster or longer race in a few weeks or months. Most races will take more out of you than a normal training day due to getting up early and all the mental and physical fatigue regardless of how hard you raced. It’s a call you must make based on how you’re feeling when you wake up, how long your race was, and what you’re training for.
Sleep – Please take the day after the race to sleep in or at least take a nap the same day of the race. There is no better recovery tool than sleep.
Complete DAY OFF – If this race was your “A” race and you’re ready to take a break, take a complete day off. Take the time to analyze the race results while they are fresh in your mind by writing a post- race report. Go through all the details of the race exactly how you remember them and write down what you struggled with and what worked well, along with all the race data. You can use the information for strategy and planning for future training and your next race. If you have a coach you would want to review the notes with your coach sometime during that week again while it’s fresh in your memory if you wait too long you won’t remember these things.
Active Recovery – Another option is to do a little active recovery. That means training for 1 hour or less at a very aerobic pace, with low heart rate. Some examples:
– a 45- minute easy spin at 90 rpms with HR under 120.
– A yoga class or some mediation and breath work
– 45- minute swim with fins
– 30-45 min low heart rate run and 15 min stretch and foam roll session
Massage – Heat and Ice bath- getting a post- race massage can really help speed the time of recovery along with sauna/ hot plunge and cold plunges. All this just helps to improve circulation and move the lactic acid out of the muscles so you can get back to regular training without feeling the fatigue in your body from the race.
The mistake I see a lot of athletes make is going right into a hard training session the day after a race and by the end of that same week they are exhausted or sick because race day can be very taxing on the body if you don’t allow one or two days of easy training to ease back into your routine you can end up getting sick or really tired by the end of the week. So even though you may have tapered or gone easy the entire week before the race I still recommend taking one or two days very easy after the race and by the end of the week get back into your training program.
Nutrition – The last thing to consider post race is a good nutrition plan. Hopefully, you rewarded yourself somewhat after the race with a treat that you would not normally eat – like ice cream or pizza. If you are working on your power to weight ratio sticking to your nutrition plan post race can really help you get a big jump on your calorie deficit because you burn so many calories on race day. If you continue to eat healthy that day you will feel so much better the next day. I also really believe in a special reward for race performance, so if you’re craving that pizza or beer or some kind of celebratory food, that’s the day to do it. It’s always your choice.
Then, the next day after the race get back on your nutrition plan of clean eating and drinking tons of water to recover and it will help make you feel so much better going back into your training program.
I hope this article helps you in some way!
Feel free to ask me any questions or leave a comment.
Wishing you well, Coach Erinne Full Circle Coaching Where Performance Meets Balance
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