One of our favourite guests on Fitspeek (and not just because she used to live in Saskachewan) is the ever-effervescent Meaghan Hackinen. Not only is she an amazing story teller she is now the female 24 Hour Cycling World Time Trial champion.
What the crew learned at RAAM they used at Borega Springs
Hear about Meaghan’s adventurous summer which included ultra long bikes races including the fabled Paris-Brest-Paris event, and, of course her main event at Borega Springs by pressing play right here!
Fitspeek is brought to you by Tri*Joy: The Spirit of Multisport. With our regular progress assessments we help to achieve your athletic goals. E-mail for your free in-person consulatation & goal setting session. kknnheinze@yahoo.com
Kenny Rogers
sang in his hit “The Gambler” you gotta know when to hold em,
know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run.
I think of those lyrics quite often in my training for triathlon.
Having been both a coached and a self-coached athlete in my 29 years
in the sport, I am sometimes thinking of whether I am going too hard,
too easy, too short, or too long, in my training sessions. Even with
a plan in place, the mind can drift, the body can revolt the soul can
wander and wonder.
There’s a lot of causes for this deviance. Sometimes it’s when I am
training with people and I want to keep up or stay social. Sometimes
it’s when I had shitty or inappropriate food in the couple of hours
leading up to a session. Sometimes, it’s when I’ve been a bozo and
not had anything to eat before a substantial workout. Sometimes it’s
when I have more important stuff to do. Sometimes it’s on the verge
of getting injured or sick.
So, what to do, what to do??? That’s where decades of experience and
confidence can come into play. The universal training axiom of
“consistency over time = success” is always the first thing to
consider. It really can cut through the laziness and negative
self-talk bullshit that we tell ourselves in those critical minutes,
which I believe are the 10 minutes before and the first 10 minutes of
a session. Those 20 minutes will usually determine if you do the
workout, if you cut it short, or if you modify it on the fly. None of
these three choices are evil things, unless of course they constitute
more than about 10% of your training sessions. If it is more than
that, then you’ll need to do some honest reflection regarding your
current training program.
But how do you make that decision? If it is your body telling you NO, that’s a pretty easy decision to make. Unless it isn’t. And what I mean by that is, what if your mind is lying to your body? The best way to sort things out is to put on your favorite workout music, get into your workout wear, and go give it a try. (of course this won’t work if you are doing a swim session) I call it the 5 minute rule. If your body is still protesting, then pulling the plug is most likely the wisest choice. If, however, you are just feeling lazy or sluggish, it’s a good idea to persevere but just for another 5 minutes. After that 5 minutes, reassess how you and your body are feeling. Chances are your body will be ok with the session but your mind needs something to change. That’s when I like to honour that deviance but still do a workout, just not the one that was planned.
This
happened to me on Thursday. Thursday is always
trail intervals day. Some stupid foods choices two hours before,
however were playing games in my tummy, and although I likely could
have executed the workout as planned, I wouldn’t have been having any
fun. At this point in my triathlon career, the fun factor is becoming
more and more influential. Instead of doing the intervals, I changed
the workout to be the same duration (about an hour) but I nixed the
hard stuff, it just became an easy run where I could focus on my
stride and my technique… at a super-low intensity.
It was fun! And it gave me an opportunity to focus more intensely on
stuff that I had been neglecting. I still got the session in. I still
burned off some holiday calories. Furthermore, the easy session
allowed me to totally crush
my evening cycling session, something that usually suffered because
of the residual fatigue from the noon hour intervals.
Gaining your experience through consistency over time is your ACE to
play when you do triathlon training. It’ll give you the insight,
patience, and wisdom to help you decide what to throw away and what
to keep.
In that same song, Kenny also sang you never count your money, when you are sittin at the table, but that’s a lesson for another day.
With our low client to coach ratio Tri*Joy gives you the attention you deserve to maximize your potential. Looking for a triathlon coach? Look no further than us! E-mail me at kknnheinze@yahoo.com to book your free in-person consultation & goal setting session.
What better way to segue into the festive season than with some stories of motivation & gratitude. Fitspeek 87 is here and our main course is a heaping helping of the Ironman roundtable. Over the past year, Abbotsford’s Jen Burns has been in training for the Whistler Ironman triathlon. On the program we hear about how Jen’s big day went.
In addition to Jen, we also have another first time Ironman finisher on the show. After suffering a heart attack at a much-too-young age, Chilliwack’s Dean Scherbey decided to make a few changes in his life. You can hear Dean’s inspirational story, as he tells it to our panel of Ironman veterans including Zack Neufeld, Kevin Watt, Brent Ziefflie, and Leigh Ann Parker.
Hip Trimmer
Our Christmas edition of Fitspeek also has our three regular features. If you are wondering what that bizarre device in the above picture you’ll have to listen to my Fit Flops feature, as I investigate that antiquated yet ineffective piece of fitness equipment called the waist trimmer belt.
In his Top Five List Fitspeek’s Mikey Ross tells you about a truly effective training device – the venerable treadmill. Mikey has a few tricks up his sleeve to freshen up your winter running routine. And to end off the program, Zack is back with Between the Ears. He examines how becoming a father has propelled American triathlete Ben Hoffman to some impressive performances this year. Hear the whole show by pressing play below.
Fitspeek is brought to you by Tri*Joy} The Spirit of Multisport. With our low client to coach ratio and our regular progress assessments we give you the attention you deserve to achieve your potential. E-Mail me at kknnheinze@yahoo.com for your free in-person consultation & goal setting session.
What better way to get into the New Year’s spirit by reminiscing about some of our big athletic accomplishments of the year. For the past year, we have been tracking the progress of Abbotsford’s Jen Burns. Her main goal for the year was to finish her very first Ironman triathlon. Well, she succeeded in a big way. We’ve invited Jen back to Fitspeek to chat about her voyage to the start line, her journey to the finish line, and the lessons that she has learned along the way.
The pre-Iron Jen
Joining Jen on the podcast will be fellow Iron-Virgin Dean Scherby, along with our cast of veterans including Mikey Ross, Kevin Watt, Leigh-Ann Parker, and Zack Neufeld. They will be all doing their best to extract pearls of wisdom from Jen’s (and Dean’s) first ever Ironman.
One year later, one lifetime wiser, doing an Ironman will do that to ya!
Also in our mega podcast, Zack will be back and telling us how to up our game with another edition of Between the Ears and Mikey Ross has another top five list. Be listening next week for the big show!
Fitspeek, brought to you by Tri*Joy} The Spirit of Multisport. Now accepting clients for the 2020 racing & training season. E-mail for your free in-person consultation & goal-setting session.
With the Christmas season fast approaching, Fitspeek 86 presents a feel good story about a kind hearted overachiever.
As a youth and young adult, Abbotsford’s Greg Ould was a top ranked wrestler and competed in Canada and the USA. After his career as an athlete ended, Greg gave back to the athletic community as a coach. And then one night, he had a transformative experience.
After seeing a homeless man shivering outside, Greg decided to buy him a blanket to keep warm. That experience led to Greg establishing the Blanket BC organization.
Hear about Greg’s experiences as well as BlanketBC’s latest initiatives by pressing play below!
Not only is Ironman Canada returning to its original home of Penticton, BC, there’s a few other changes in store for this iconic Canadian sporting event. For starters, there’s a new race director, Susie Ernsting from North Vancouver.
For the past dozen or so years, Susie & her husband Mark have been responsible for managing and promoting some of our area’s big events such as the Prospera Fraser Valley Granfondo and BC Cycling’s Superweek.
In Fitspeek 85, we introduce you to Susie Ernsting. You’ll hear about how she got the job along with some of the things she wants to do to put her own stamp on the race.
Also on the program in our Fit Tip of the Week if you are like this podcast’s producer, you love to engage in late-night snacking. Is it all bad? Can a harm-reduction strategy be used? Hear it all now by pressing that play button right down here.
And if you have fantasies of doing an Ironman, why not take that first step by getting help for your athletic journey. With our low client to coach ratio Tri*Joy} The Spirit of Multisport gives you the personalized attention to help you realize your potential and crush your goals. E-mail us at kknnheinze@yahoo.com for your free in-person consultation and goal-setting session.
Susie Ernsting is the new race director for Ironman Canada. We will have our complete Fitspeek interview with her in a few days, but if you just can’t wait for a nibble, chew on this tidbit. #iconicfinishline
What you are looking at is a well-adjusted 30-something dude, right? Well, maybe! It’s Abbottford’s ultra running man Ryan Shephard.
As you may have heard, he had an incredible race down at the Javalina Jundred last weekend.
Prior to going down to the race, Fitspeek’s Kevin Heinze had a chat with Ryan. In part one you heard about his very average years as a high school athlete and his transformation from an overweight dude to a Run For Water finisher.
In Fitspeek 84, we continue our chat with Ryan and learn about what goes on in his body and his mind, as he trains and races his crazy long events. Hear it now by pressing that button that looks just like a play button on that old Sony Tape deck you used to have.
If you are ready to take on a new challenge, whether that’s a fondo, a marathon, or a triathlon, Tri*Joy can help. With our low client to coach ratio and regular assessments we can give you the tools and motivation to take your goals. E-mail me for your free consultation & goal-setting session. kknnheinze@yahoo.com
Fitness comes in all shapes and forms & Fitspeek 83 with Ryan Shepherd is proof of that. After gaining a bunch of weight in his early adult years, Ryan decided to try running to improve the quality of his life. . It worked! Although his first few races were very pedestrian, through consistent training and pushing his limits Ryan developed into one of the Fraser Valley’s most accomplished trail runners. Hear about his journey from the couch to the start line and to the medical tent on this week’s podcast.
As well, are you one of those folks who just – can’t – take – a compliment? In this week’s Between the Ears, Zack Neufeld tells you about why you need to get your mind right & accept them.
Also on Fitspeek 83 we have our second edition of our brand new feature on the podcast, Mikey Ross shares his top five motivators while he is racing. Hear it all by pressing play below.
Getting you to the finish line is what we do at Tri*Joy} The Spirit of Multisport. With our low client to coach ratio & regular progress assessments, we can help you tackle your first (or fastest) 10K, triathlon, or fondo! E-mail me at kknnheinze@yahoo.com to book your free in-person consultation & goal setting session.
Martin Caron from Twin Lakes, BC has been having an outstanding race season. He won his age group in the 70.3 races by whopping margins in Mexico, Idaho, and in Whistler. This Saturday Martin has his sights set on the Ironman World Championship age group title for the 40-44 division. We had a chance to speak to him about his training for the event, his silly Kona race last year, and why his kingdom now is maple syrup, and NOT poutine. Hear it all by pressing play below.
Tri*Joy is more than just a Facebook Page, we are your local multisport coaching company. If you are ready to try a triathlon or do any endurance event, we can help you get to the finish line. E-mail for your free in-person consultation & goal-setting session. kknnheinze@yahoo.com
