LVTC Happenings!
A monthly report of events and resources for our passionate, growing local multisport community.
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Opening Message
October is always a busy month for triathlon – but this year, October has been packed with racing and training. It is always great to see so many athletes at our local BBSC Pumpkinman event. Usually, this event triggers thoughts of the end of the season. But so many of our athletes had Ironman California on their schedule as well as Tempe 70.3, Oceanside 70.3, Ironman Arizona, Ironman Waco … lots of events!
By the time this newsletter goes out, we would have all either experienced or read about the Bomb Cyclone that caused Ironman California to be cancelled. Although we have all gotten a bit used to dealing with cancelled races, it is really hard when the race is cancelled on the day of the event! No doubt it was the right call – but still disappointing to put in all the training and not have an event.
What is great is how quickly the athletes have shifted to a new goal, a new race, or have decided to just keep training for health! That is a great sign that you are living the ‘triathlon life’!
Enjoy this issue of the LVTC newsletter where you’ll read about Shawna Glasser achieving her 50-peaks challenge as well as tips from one of our local coaches Nancy Jones and safety tips regarding wetsuits from Amanda Wolpink.
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Socials/Training Events/Education
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Check our Facebook Group for locals who are training in town or down at Lake Mead.
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Coaches Corner:
Feeling 'out of touch' when 'out of season'?....
There are seemingly endless suggestions from endless resources concerning the idyllic rituals the average age group endurance athlete 'should' maintain during the off season. It's overwhelming, confusing, and even contradictory at times. It also doesn't sit well with our typical anxious Type A behavior displaying
'FOMOOAW'- Fear Of Missing Out On A Workout
Do we switch out our kits and gear for some yoga pants? Awkwardly hit the gym to strengthen those 'glute things' we keep hearing are so important? Finally hammer down on that weakest discipline of ours?
The answer is a hard YES. Mostly. Sorta. Maybe that route. With some asterisks.
Hard to argue with the sense to indeed get strong again, mobile, and allow tissue/systems to recover when there's nothing looming on the front side of the race calendar. We are, no matter how we deny our reality, beat up from the season. And if not for recovery, then for boredom's sake or feeling like a normal person for a bit, a workout wardrobe change always adds some pep to a spandex step.
However, when it comes to hammering down on that slowest leg, consider instead the discipline that hammers on that tired body the least- the swim.
Biking many consecutive days sucks. Running them sucks even worse. But, swimming them just makes you better at swimming. With no collateral damage of trashed tissue! Additionally, with the swim being so unique in that it requires extra time compared to the others due to it's extremely technical component, 'in season' doesn't well support a blossoming swimmer. Time crunched and tired limbs are mainly only maintaining fitness. Not building a superior moving artform.
So get wise this off season by getting off the tear-down-train of sorts with your training. Smart, purposeful off season work perhaps padded a little extra with chlorine makes 'FOMOOAW' perfectly FINE.
~Nancy Jones
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Safety Corner
Swimming Safety – Wetsuits
As the weather turns cooler locally, it’s the beginning of off-season and maybe a few travel races. It’s a great time to discuss wetsuits.
At an official USAT sanctioned race, what’s the highest temperature that I can wear a wetsuit?
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As a rule, if the water temperature is above 78 degrees, the race is not wetsuit legal. From 74 – 78 degrees, the race director makes a judgement call. 65-78 degrees can be comfortable for most with a sleeveless or no wetsuit. Anything under 50 degrees is not suitable for swimming even with a full wetsuit.
What happens if I wear a wetsuit to a non-wetsuit legal USAT race?
- If a wetsuit is ALLOWED but NOT SANCTIONED, at you can participate with a wetsuit, timing chip, and receive full race support. However, you are ineligible for awards.
How do I know if I should wear a wetsuit?
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Ability – New and weak swimmers should consider the extra buoyancy from using a wetsuit.
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Training –Race Day is NEVER the first time you should swim sans-suit!
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Distance – You might be able to save a few seconds by skipping the suit at shorter races.
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Conditions – A wetsuit can add warmth and comfort in poor swim conditions.
Hope this month’s Safety Corner helps and STAY SAFE tri friends!
~Amanda Wolpink
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Prez Corner:
The Journey
Finally … people are racing again! It has been great to see our local races ramp back up as well as watch our club members and local athletes compete across the country. I hope you have had the chance to race. More importantly, I hope you have had the chance to train regularly.
What has been interesting over these past two years is that there have been so few opportunities to race – to test our fitness. But the vast majority of you have continued to train nonetheless. Something I have noticed is that there has been perceptible shift in how people have trained – I have seen more people talk about the importance of enjoying the journey of preparing for an event.
The ability to train for any race from a sprint to iron distance requires a commitment … a commitment to get to the start line healthy and fit. This is not easy – overuse injuries are very common in endurance athletes. Overtraining and burnout are also problems in our sport. Taking a step back and enjoying the training for the sake of being active and fit helps give perspective to the training program.
It is also interesting to see the shift on race day – so many fist-bumps, high-fives, and words of encouragement are being passed among athletes. Yes … great to have an event to test the fitness … to challenge ourselves. But, at the end of the day, enjoying the fitness-journey and making triathlon a lifestyle is vital to our health and wellbeing.
Enjoy the training!
~John Mercer
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Past President
End of the Journey
You’ve all been witness to my quest for the Las Vegas Mountaineer Club’s 50 Peaks. I started on 7/3/20 and finished 10/12/21, beating my goal for 15 months. I’ve learned a lot about myself during this process. For one, my attention span is about a year. I hit a year and I was ready to focus on something else, but I still had work to do.
This last set of peaks reminded me to ask for help, something us triathletes don’t like to do. We want to be good at everything, want to be in control of everything, and sometimes don’t know what we don’t know. I threw my back out in June and asked my physical therapist to both get my back in shape and to help me navigate the rest of my list. I had let my strength training regime go and that was a huge error. He helped me plug back into strength training and prepare my body for the demands of my backpack weight, the altitude, and the miles that required. The second time was for Mount Williamson, my 49th peak. I was faced with going alone for a hike that had a giant rock wall to climb. Hiring a guide who brought ropes to safely allow me to climb, without the risk of falling, was worth every penny. Sometimes you are stronger and a better athlete for asking for help.
Lastly, as my adventure ends lets talk about that empty feeling we all get when a big focus of our lives is suddenly over and our mind freaks out a little bit. It’s normal. We have spent so many hours focused on training for the “A" race. Our bodies become confused when we wake up in the morning and don’t have the same routine. Our brains are thinking, “Now what?” Well, start the creative process. What is next? Do we catch up on stuff we’ve been neglecting? Do we take a break? That my friends is the fun part, planning the next adventure!
~Shawna Glasser
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Where in the World Has Our TRI Club Raced ?
Check out the map below to see where our athletes have raced!
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LVTC Member Spotlight
Get to know our club members as our President sits down with the following members to talk about tris and life.
· Maggie Martinez
· Heather Black
· Chris Leslie
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The Evidence-Based Triathlete
· Recovery Part 2
· More on training
· Blood flow restriction training
· Dealing with Rain
· Hydration
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Check our website for Discount Codes
Login to your account and look for top right account menu "My Membership" as circled below. On your dashboard page in the middle of the page you should see a link "Discount Codes". Click on that for latest discounts for members. These will appear as they come available.
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Fresh Body provides mindfully formulated hygiene products with clean ingredients derived from plant based materials & extracts.
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Your financial life is complicated. Whether you are a pre-retiree, a business owner, or a Nevada government worker, you are not immune to the complexities of personal finances. Luckily, Peak Financial Solutions is specialized in helping people like you, better plan for retirement.
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Xterra is always hooking up our club! Even though we receive monthly deals/discount code, check out the goods all around!
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More amazing LVTC Sponsors |
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