Just like many things in our country, the more marketing money behind something, the more you think you need it.
This is definitely the case with running shoes.
Nike, Hoka and many of the most popular brands have runners believing they need the most expensive shoe, with the most cushion to prevent injury.
But is that really true? I’m going to say a big NO!
Our body was designed to be able to run naturally, from the lion or the dinosaur with NO shoes. Why NOW do we need 4 inch cushions under our feet. I understand you need a shoe to protect your feet from the surface of the ground but it’s important for your body’s biomechanics to actually feel the ground as you run.
Most running shoes have elevated heels and toe boxes, which then puts all the pressure and impact on the ball of the foot where it’s not meant to be.
How do I know this?
Go test it for yourself.
Run barefoot on the grass and see how you land naturally and that is how you should be landing all the time, on your mid foot, to help absorb the shock of impact with your toes splaying out and your arch flattening.
If you have an orthotic or a shoe that blocks this natural motion, where does the shock get absorbed?
Further up the chain in your leg from you ankles, knees, hips, back and neck.
This is partially to blame for so many running injuries. When you cannot feel the ground with your feet, you can have terrible technique and not feel it because of all this cushion.
Also think about the instability of being so high off the ground and trying to balance.
Running is essentially one leg balance over and over again.
Try to balance on one foot in the 4 inch cushion shoe for 30 seconds. Then do it again barefoot.
Barefoot is much easier because there are natural mechanoreceptors in your foot that can feel the ground and help your body stabilize itself.
Shoes Matter!
I found out the hard way after 8 years of being stuck in the wrong shoes, and orthotics.
I was running longer and longer and getting more and more pain and injured.
I started having major hip pain and bursitis first, then IT band syndrome and finally plantar faciitis.
Several cortisone injections and heavy, stiff motion control shoes later- I decided to get out of the medical model and do some research.
Here, my mentor, Paul Check discusses more about the importance of training in shoes that allow you to feel the ground.
Are you training for the Miami Marathon or another upcoming running race?
JOIN ME SEPTEMBER 16th, AT TROPICAL PARK TRACK IN MIAMI FOR MY RUN ESSENTIALS CLINIC – WHERE YOU’LL TRANSFORM YOUR RUNNING IN JUST 3 HOURS — GUARANTEED.
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.
Many triathletes are confused about what to eat for breakfast when they start to move away from the traditional sugar laden, carb heavy breakfasts like oatmeal and boxed cereals (dead food!)
The following 3, are tried and true breakfasts that deliver nutrients as well as perfect proportions of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. My goal with offering these suggestions is to encourage eating real food before a race or hard training session so that you can get quality nutrition into your body before having to resort to sports nutrition for simple ease of use during a race. There are however lots of great options on the market now to keep it real even during a race. Look for those tips in an upcoming post. Also, for your convenience I’ve added links for purchasing information for the products I recommend. Just hover over the items in bold and click.
Chia Seed Pudding – Super quick and easy. You can make it the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. 2-3 tablespoons of organic chia seeds
½-1 cup of Real Coconut Milk, 1 -2 tablespoons of Paleo Valley Bone Broth Protein Add a handful of organic almonds or walnuts, organic berries, organic banana- raw honey or maple syrup to taste. A pinch of real salt to include some minerals and electrolytes and you are good to go for a delicious nutritious snack or breakfast
2-3 organic eggs cooked in coconut oil any way you like
½ –1 whole sweet potato with real grass fed butter or coconut oil. I usually bake the potato the night before, have half for dinner and the other half with breakfast warmed up in the pan I cooked the eggs in.
Naturally smoked wild caught salmon with avocado and chia seeds (wrapped in a nori roll)with a squeeze of lemon – This is definitely my favorite pre-race meal. I actually learned about the salmon from an ultra -runner who ate it before every long run event. Salmon is easy to digest and has tons of great protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Paired with ½ avocado and sprinkled with hemp hearts and real sea salt and a squeeze of lemon or lime- It is the perfect pre-race/ training meal or snack.
I know many of you would never even think of any of these items as breakfast food because we are so conditioned to our typical American breakfast of cereal or Eggo waffles that has negative nutrients and are actually harmful to your health.
But I can tell you from personal experience, eating low sugar/ low processed food with higher nutrient value just makes you feel and perform better.
Please test any of these out before you actually use them before a race.
Never try anything new on race day, especially nutrition!
Ready to learn all the best nutrition plans for your ultimate performance on race day along with every day?
My Nutrition Essentials is starting June 6th.
This program covers all the details about why the Standard American diet (SAD)s making everyone fat.
It is truly up to YOU and you alone to take charge of your health through your daily nutrition, sleep, thoughts, and movement. There is no quick fix or wonder drug that does not have negative side effects.
One of the tried and true methods for gaining control of your food, your body, and your life is to write down what you eat.
Having coached hundreds of people on their nutrition and fitness, I know that people almost ALWAYS underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how much water they drink.
When you write it down, you face that reality!
Now, here’s the thing…
You can’t just write it down at the end of each day or once every 3 days and expect it to work. It takes accountability in that moment.
When you try to recall, you forget things – it’s inevitable.
So, I’m giving you a template that you can use to track exactly what you’re putting into your body. Print it out and use it to your advantage! This will give you a truly accurate picture of what you’re doing so that you can assess yourself and move closer to achieving the results you desire for your health and your body.
I use this template with all of my Nutrition and Triathlon Transformation Clients so we both get an accurate idea of where we can make positive changes. Learn more about it all the details of my Nutrition Essentials 6 week group or Individual course.
Yours in Health,
Coach Erinne Guthrie
786-586-6057
Proper head position while swimming freestyle is probably the most common thing that needs correction when I work with swimmers.
99% of swimmers look forward instead of straight down in a neutral head and neck position.
Can you imagine walking around looking up all day? Your neck would hurt, and you would miss out on a lot right in front of you!
When you look forward in the water, your forehead breaks the surface of the water (creating drag), and then your hips and legs drop low, also creating drag.
Then when you turn your head to breathe, your mouth is underwater, so you lift your head even higher to get air, and guess what? More drag, more resistance as you swim through the water! NOT FUN!
This is one of the reasons head-up swimmers are slower in the water- too much resistance slowing them down.
But there is a good explanation: swimming with your head up is where most new swimmers start.
We are land mammals and need air to live, and being in water can cause stress in our brains, we could die if we don’t know what we are doing, so the fear is real!
In addition, your fight-or-flight hormones can get triggered simply by being in the water unless you have adequately trained and built your confidence so you feel safe in the water.
The brain will tell the body, “the air is up, so you must lift your head to breathe.” But, as mentioned above, this causes drag and makes slipping through the water in your streamline difficult.
We must reprogram the brain, so it feels safe to face down in the water. Teach yourself to roll on your side rather than lift your head to breathe (look for my other swim technique videos on how to breathe properly while swimming in the water).
The Paddle Lead Drill in this video will help you gain awareness of the perfect place for your head while swimming. With this drill, you can perfect your head position for less drag and still get all the air you need.
-Start by kicking with fins on, arms by your side, and placing the paddle on the top of your head.
-Your forward movement will keep the paddle in place. Next, start face down, blow your bubbles, and flip onto your back to breathe, keeping the paddle in place.
-The next progression is to kick on your side with the paddle on your head. Start by looking straight down and blowing bubbles out of your nose, then turn your head to the side to breathe without lifting the head and losing the paddle.
-Turn the head so that one goggle and your mouth are clear of the water to breathe in, then look back down to the bottom of the pool and repeat the process. Be sure to practice both sides.
When you have mastered the above, add your arm movement and swim freestyle, still keeping the paddle in place, breathing, and stroking.
When the paddle stays in place the whole time, and you are not swallowing water, you know your head is in the correct position!
Finally, remove the fins and start the whole process over again.
Happy Swimming.
Want to learn all the most critical skills for swimming? My Swim Essentials Program starts March 25th.
Do you have other questions? Click this link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session.
Erinne Guthrie has been 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 more.
We’ve all heard the old saying, “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”
But why is it so hard to remember when pursuing positive health changes, big goals, and outcomes?
Maybe because marketers brainwash us to believe in quick, miracle fixes for everything – instant weight loss, spot reductions, and more.
Sorry, but ancient sayings persist for a good reason: This one is true!
So, the secret to making big, positive changes isn’t instant gratification.
It’s making small changes to create new daily habits.
The philosophy made a huge best-seller in the book “Atomic Habits,” which suggests we make a molecular change at first, then add to it more and more, and repeat this until a new, positive behavior becomes ingrained in our life.
It’s the age old idea of delayed gratification: If I make this small sacrifice today, I will be really, really happy about it later.
If I save 10 percent of my paycheck, I’ll have money when it’s time to retire.
If I reduce my number of junk snacks by, say, one for the first week, then I’ll have cut them all in no time.
If I lift a small weight to start out and then keep lifting it until I’m stronger, I can add more weight later… and repeat the process until I’m as strong and lean as I like.
If I get in the water and swim 15 minutes today, it will be easier if I do it again in 2 days, and so on!
So, as 2023 continues, keep in mind this super-wise advice to start small, make progress one step at a time… be consistent… be patient… and you will BE SUCCESSFUL in whatever you pursue.
Erinne Guthrie has been 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 more.
My favorite: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
And this is never more powerful to remember at a turning point, like the start of a new year, when we look forward with hope, excitement, and – yes – sometimes even fear.
It’s OK to be afraid. Just remember that it can’t stop you from doing what you need to do. And the key to overcoming that fear isn’t to wait for it to go away.
The key is to decide on the next right thing to do, acknowledge the fear, and then do the right thing anyway.
Your self-belief must be strong enough to propel you past the doubt. Call it faith if you want to – in yourself or something more powerful.
But hold onto that belief during the tough times because this committed mindset and bravery will be tested repeatedly.
Can I have the healthy life I want?
Can I be the kind of partner/parent/friend/employee I aspire to be?
Can I love myself and those around me every day, even when it’s hard?
Can I do something as big as a triathlon or Ironman?
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t… YOU’RE RIGHT.
Resolve to make a positive choice. To believe in yourself.
Are you interested in learning how I can help you with your health, wellness, and triathlon goals?
Erinne Guthrie, 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 more.
Every January, millions of people make promises to themselves in New Year’s Resolutions.
“This is the year I finally get in shape!”
“This is the year I will do a triathlon.”
“This is the year I lose the weight!”
“This is the year I start my business!”
And then, by February, the vast majority have failed already.
Let’s talk about why.
If we discuss a few common reasons why well-intentioned resolutions fail so often, then maybe we can find a better way to reach the desired end.
They’re too vague. Instead of saying, “I want to get in shape,” say you’re going to spend 15 minutes walking around the neighborhood twice a week. (Don’t worry – it will lead to more.)
Don’t be so demanding of yourself. Realize that the best change is gradual.
Choose to do something positive that you enjoy, and then you won’t have to force yourself to do it every day.
You don’t track your progress. If you want to eat better, download an app to record what you eat every day. If you want to slim down, take a photo of yourself each week so you can see that, despite how you might feel, you really are making progress.
You don’t know your “why.” If you don’t have a compelling reason for doing what you’re doing, it’s bound to fail.
There’s no date set to accomplish the goal. Set a date and create a mantra around it. “It is March 30th, and I completed a triathlon and feel stronger and healthier than ever” repeat it often!
Follow a proven system. Surround yourself with others on the same journey, and hire a coach if you need help.
The key is to examine your desire a little more deeply, and then take little, bite-sized actions each day to get started.
As they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And is followed by another… and another…
The feedback was excellent. Please use it to help create a true vision for 2023. It will only be available this week, so don’t delay!
Need some help in creating your version of your best life? Click this link: http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session and let’s do it together!
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.
What’s up, you guys? Coach Erinne here. And I wanted to talk about the possibility of doing things a little differently.
I have so many athletes that sign up with me, and they give themselves enough time to achieve the goal and then life happens.
We have a certain amount of time for each distance of race.
For a sprint race, you need six to eight weeks. Olympic, typically eight weeks to 12 weeks is the minimum amount of time to train so that you show up at the race and you feel good across the finish line.
For a 70.3, four months minimum. And that’s with a base of training before that four months starts. That’s four months of focused training.
And then for an Ironman, you can get it done in four months. But six months to even a year is preferable.
And so why do I recommend all of that time? The reason is, because it’s just human nature that you get started, they’re super motivated. And after the first month to six weeks, things start to fall apart.
Whether they couldn’t control themselves and start as slow as I asked them to perhaps. Or they just pushed too hard too fast too soon. Whether they’re with me or with another coach, that’s a very common thing. You want to do better, you want to get faster. And you have this giant goal at the end of this time period. And your ego’s like, “You need to go faster. You need to do this better,” right?
But there is definitely a better way, okay?
So you guys have heard me talk about Strong before Long, and Fast before Far. But you can’t even go fast until you’re strong. You have to be strong first.
So what if you guys … Or you guys and gals who are doing triathlon and you’re tired of showing up to the race, all patched together with KT tape all over your body, because you’re hurting.
You’ve changed your time goal because you haven’t really put in the time training.
You procrastinated that first two to four months, and it was six weeks till the race. And then you finally kicked in and started training and doing what was required. Is this you??
It’s not those occasional, big giant workouts that help you cross the finish line. (they can help but) It’s actually the day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month training that gets you to the goal.
And the goals are different for everybody. If you have a goal just to cross the finish line and barely survive (I don’t really like to train people to do that). I’d rather have you cross the finish line and be like, “Hell yeah! I just kicked ass on that race. And I am ready for more. I am super proud of my accomplishment!”
Don’t get me wrong, every time you cross the finish line is a win.
But what if you could cross the finish line having done the work leading up to it?
Yes, Ironman, triathlon takes work. You can wing a sprint, you can wing an Olympic. But you cannot wing a 70.3. And you cannot wing an Ironman. I was at Cozumel 70.3 a few weeks ago and it was SO hot during the run. Everyone was suffering, but the ones who suffered less, trained more.
It’s just the truth! 70.3 and Ironman is hard, you guys. It is fucking hard. Excuse my French.
If you don’t put in the time, it’s harder. Right?
So what if you decided to do it a different way?
What if you decided to show up and start doing your strength training now?
You get that video analysis and you get that strength assessment and mobility assessment.
You start stretching, you start doing your strength training specific to Swim, Bike, Run.
You start aerobic, building your aerobic base by keeping your heart rate low. And just improving your fitness, right?
Then as four to six weeks go by, we start to test you. We create your training zones. Then you start to do your intervals. You’ve been consistent, you haven’t had a setback.
You’re taking care of your nutrition so you didn’t get sick. You didn’t get a cold, you didn’t catch that cold because you’re actually recovering when you’re supposed to.
You’re sleeping eight hours a night every night. You’re taking care of the whole body, the whole mind, the whole process to help you feel fucking amazing across the finish line.
And I’m proud to say it that at Full Circle Coaching, that’s what we strive to do for you guys.
We want you to have the whole package. The nutrition, race day nutrition, as well as day-to-day nutrition, immune boosting, making sure your sleep is dialed in. Supplements, yes. You can’t supplement your way into a healthier body. So nutrition comes first. But definitely, you need supplements to help support your journey. Triathlon is a big stressor in your life.
So from there, strength. As I said, strength and mobility are specific to the sport. And also make sure your strength is in other directions besides just going front and front forward like triathlon is.
Then put in the time to train. Show up to the track, whether it’s with me holding your hand or not.
So triathlon is a lonely sport. And sometimes people get upset when they have to do 100-mile bike rides on their own. Or they have to do an 18-mile bike ride. But you’re not racing with friends. Yeah, they might be at the same race, but it’s your race. It’s you against you. You compete with yourself, right?
So I’m here to ask you if you’re ready to try doing it a different way. And if you are, I have a great way to set yourself up.
So, I’m starting my Nutrition Essentials course this fall. Along with a strength training program to help you guys set up your year to have an epic year in 2023.
So that is two months, two to three months, the end of 2022 is going to allow you to have a kick-ass spring into the whole 2023 season, whatever your races are.
So I have athletes signing up for Puerto Rico 70.3, for Clash Miami in March. Guess what? The training starts now. And it doesn’t mean you can’t do a triathlon in the meantime. There’s Key West, right? There’s Miami Man that you can still keep up your Swim, Bike, and Run. But the focus is going to be on nutrition and strength.
So are you ready to do it a different way? I’d love to have you join me. DM me if you’re interested in the details. I have an application I can send you to see if we are a fit. Let me help you get there by doing it a different way.
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 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.
From Brain Tumor to 70.3 Finish line; Rockstar Triathlete Neil Solomon
Coach’s Notes:
Neil and I go WAY back. But I had not heard from him in quite a few years. He told me his Ironman goal and I did say it was possible, but we may want to take a bit more time to get stronger and faster since he had taken so much time away from sport.
We decided to forge ahead with a caveat to change of course as needed. So he joined my Triathlon Transformation Program and we got to work with my Nutrition Essentials and Strength and Mobility Essentials.
Neil lost over 30 lbs, and even got his 6-pack abs back! We did identify a few imbalances in his strength and mobility assessments and are happy to say most of those were corrected despite a few strains along the journey.
Next was dialing in his biomechanics on the swim, bike, and run with video analysis and testing. His massive improvements across the board are impressive.
Some of his other big wins were switching from fear to speed on the bike, struggle to enjoyment on the swim, and injury to strong and steady on the run.
It is never a straight line from start to finish in your training journey to long-course triathlon, but I have methods to keep the fitness improving while athletes recover and continue to progress.
I could not be more proud of Neil’s success at the Cozumel 70.3. Coming within 10 minutes of his predicted race time, given the conditions, with a 6:41 is impressive. This kind of success after recovering from a brain tumor and not much fitness is pretty EPIC!
Way to go, Neil, you are a true Rock Star Triathlete! So excited for what’s next…
Thanks so much for choosing Full Circle Coaching for your triathlon Journey! Congratulations!
Age:
52
Profession:
CEO – PropertyForce – A real estate investment company.
Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I go back a long way with FCC to when I was doing my first sprint triathlons in my late 20s or early 30s. Erinne brings tremendous knowledge and unparalleled expertise to any athlete looking to excel in all three disciplines. Beyond the sport itself, but directly related, Erinne’s understanding of nutrition, supplementation, a healthy lifestyle, and a holistic perspective is extremely valuable to any training regimen.
What is your “A” race for this season?
Cozumel 70.3 was my “A” race for the season.
Please share your BIG goals: My big goals in life or my big goals related to triathlon?
My big goal in life is to be the best husband, father, family man, friend, and businessman I can be. To make a positive impact on as many people as possible every day – to coach.
My BIG goals in Triathlon are to become a competitive Age Grouper, challenging for podium positions regularly whether competing in Sprints, Internationals, or Olympics. Also, to push my limits in 70.3s and significantly cut my time to under 6 hours towards 5 hours. Finally, to complete at least 1 Full Ironman140.6. Along the way, to get, remain, and stay emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy through improvement to reach these triathlon goals.
Tell me about your successes so far:
This year has been unique.
Not to get dramatic, but most of my athletic focus and training stopped six years ago when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A combination of factors post multiple surgeries led to some weight gain, and while I got “back to the gym,” it was the first time I had ever gone multiple months, let alone multiple years, without any cardio training.
So, to kick off 2022, I decided that would change. A friend motivated me to get started on an old bike, and as that got a little traction, I added some light running. By March, I reached out to Erinne and Full Circle Coaching to begin training for a long course race. A lifelong goal!
Success 1, committing to a healthy lifestyle, and to that end, I dropped over 30 pounds, and my blood work went from not-so-good to perfect. My body changed significantly, my clothing fit (smaller sizes), and I looked and felt healthier and more energetic.
Success 2, learning to be patient, mainly as aches and pains arose that I had never dealt with before. Again, I had never gone so long without training, so the joint pain and the slight muscle pain, the reduced flexibility, and deteriorated muscular strength, let alone severely less cardiovascular capability, all required a level of patience that took some getting used to. Attention to little details mattered, which required a change in mindset, which was fully supported and inspired by Coaches Erinne, Ollie, and Jac.
Success 3 was competing in a couple of sprints and an Olympic in the spring and early summer while recovering from a nagging calf issue.
Success 4 was an exceptional experience and achievement this past weekend at my A race – Cozumel 70.3…which brings me to:
Success 5 is my decision to postpone IM Florida 140.6 and acknowledge that patience is a virtue. To have a positive experience in a FULL Ironman, with all that I am contending with pre/post-Cozumel, and that thing called life requires a bit more training and an even more significant commitment to consistency and attention to detail in the training sessions. As I have said for years, you can’t fake a full Ironman. I know that, I believe that, and I am proud of myself for putting whatever ego and pride aside to reset and refocus my training to accomplish that FULL goal in 2023.
What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for each of the following? Swim, Bike, Run, and Nutrition/Health. Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:
First and foremost, I learned a lot about training. About HR, POWER, ZONES, etc., etc., stuff that MATTERS! Particularly as you start going long course.
With regards to the SWIM, Cozumel’s SWIM was the biggest positive delta I have ever achieved in any athletic endeavor concerning expectation vs. performance. All through training, while my swim technique improved, I remained relatively slow vs. my peers, swimming long swims at around 2:30 per 100 yards. As such, I anticipated a swim north of 50 minutes, and my goal was to break 50 minutes. I swam Cozumel in 35 MINUTES (1:53 per 100); never did I think that was possible. And even more impressive, yards 1000 – 1500 were at a 1:38 per 100-yard pace. I was blown away. All the frustration and struggle with technique both in the pools and in the open water paid off in Cozumel as I finally found my form and “felt the water”!
The Bike journey has been spectacular. Highlighted by my first 55 and 75-mile rides and then multiple 50-60ish mile rides in training. What started as struggling to maintain 15mph became comfortable and strong at 20mph. What was being dropped by groups riding at 22mph became me pulling for those same groups at 24mph—all driven by better technique, better fitness, and, yes, a better bike. I went from the guy afraid to train in cycling because it is dangerous and uncomfortable to the guy who prefers cycling over the other two disciplines and looks forward to improving further.
My sub-3-hour Cozumel 70.3 56-mile ride and my Loggerhead Sprint ride of 13 miles averaging almost 22 mph are the highlights of this season.
With regards to the RUN, just being able to complete Loggerhead and then Cozumel was a huge achievement, considering the calf issue. That said, learning about techniques such as dry needling, flossing, and others, are valuable pieces of information. Running Loggerhead well under 9-minute miles without pain was a tremendous achievement. I was also proud of training 8-10 miles several times at roughly 10-minute miles, considering how long I was away from running. And while the Cozumel run was brutal, my legs, lungs, and heart held up for 2:48 in 100-degree temperature, and I also take tremendous pride in that. Knowing I tested months ago at a 6:30 minute mile and likely could break 6:00 today bodes well for future training and races as my body recalls the 11 marathons and multiple half marathons. I have run and know that to go 13 miles sub 7:30 is possible, as are the correlated speeds at the shorter distances. Been there, done that… will get back there again.
Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey:
1. Eating clean. 2. Being FULLY committed to the high-quality training days that I can get to consistently. This year it was Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I hope to add another day or even two as I close the year. But those four days, I was religious about them. And quite honestly, that schedule allowed me to rest and recover, which was probably appropriate for this past cycle. 3. I had and have lots of fun! I trained with a smile the VAST MAJORITY of the time!
What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
The people – I have said for 25 years, “You will not meet a nicer group of people than those you will meet involved in endurance sports!” Cozumel did not disappoint, as has happened often at the end of past races of mine; as I was struggling through mile 12 of the run, some pro or top age grouper, I guess doing his cool down two hours later, comes running the opposite way with nothing but words of encouragement, even ran with me for like 20 yards. It’s a special group of people! The Full Circle Tribe fits that description, “a special group of people,” as well or better than any team out there.
Also, I love to test myself. And triathlon allows you to do that in ways that I would have thought were done for me when I left high school and that portion of my athletic career. Mentally, physically and emotionally, triathlons of any size, shape, or form test your abilities, your conditioning, your strength, and most of all your discipline!
What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our training program?
Whether a true beginner, a novice, an intermediate, or an experienced accomplished triathlete, FULL CIRCLE Coaching has a program for you. That said, be prepared to take in A LOT of information quickly. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Be willing to ask lots of questions. It is not, “Hey, let’s go for a little swim, a casual bike ride, or a Sunday jog.” It is a sport, but it is very much a science, and FC focuses on the science of it. So be prepared to learn a lot and even be a bit intimidated by all the data and tech. Just know it is all there to keep you healthy and make you better!
This could be you! You too can become the triathlete you always dreamed of! APPLY Here!
P.S. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Full Circle has teamed up with Property Force to help promote the fundraising Bike Ride Event on OCTOBER 15th. Click REGISTRATION for details.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 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.
I was psyched to hear from Tim when he reached out to me to train for Alligator Lighthouse swim.
He joined my Swim Essentials virtual training program since he lives in Illinois and we started with the video analysis and swim testing.
From there I gave him specific drills to correct his form along with swim specific strength and stretches as well as his online training program to reach his maximum potential for the 8-mile open water swim race.
Seeing him in our biweekly group coaching calls and checking in on his form monthly allowed him to achieve success despite never having swum in the open ocean for a race like this. He had a personal record in his 5k in Lake Michigan along the way to success in a very wavy open ocean Alligator Lighthouse swim. Super Proud of you Tim. Congratulations – You are a Rockstar Swimmer!
Age:
30
Profession:
Aquatics Manager at Foglia YMCA in Lake Zurich, IL
Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I heard about FCC when I searched Alligator Lighthouse on Youtube and a video of Coach Erinne talking about her experience swimming popped up and chose to go with FCC to work on my journey of training for the 8-mile ocean swim.
What is your “A” race for this season?
My A race was the Alligator Lighthouse swim.
Please share your BIG goals:
To do another ocean swim in 2024. Maybe stick to a fresh water swim race Summer of 2023? Yet to be determined.
Tell me about your successes so far:
Completing my first ever Alligator Lighthouse swim in 6:37 min. It was tough being from the Midwest where we don’t have access to the ocean like Floridians do. However, I did my best given the fact that the current and waves were tough in getting to the lighthouse.
What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? Swim, Bike, Run, and Nutrition/Health. Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:
PR time achieved for 3 mi Lake Michigan swim.
Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey:
1. Support from Family and Friends. 2. Support from my work of allowing me to make this swim happen. 3. My brother doing an amazing job on navigating as my kayaker.
What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
While I am currently not training for any triathlons, the only thing that excites me is competing against other swimmers in the race and training races.
What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
Have fun with training, work hard and do your best!
Curious about Full Circle’s Virtual Swim Essentials Program? You too can become the triathlete you always dreamed of! APPLY Here!
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 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.
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