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Las Vegas Triathlon Club Calendar

We are very excited about our upcoming March Madness events to welcome the 2024 season! March Madness events are open to both members and non-members:

• 3/2/24 (Saturday): Potluck (Mercer's)

• 3/9/24 (Saturday): Run to the LV Welcome sign, 9 am (Sandy Larsen)

• 3/23/24 (Saturday): Corn Creek Ride, 9 am (Bob Gamble)

• 3/30/24 (Saturday): Polar Plunge, 1 pm (Matt Olson)

• 4/6/24 (Saturday): Practice tri at Boulder City (Robert Picardo)

• 4/7/24 (Sunday): Practice tri at Boulder Beach (Bob Gamble)

Here are the tentative dates for our 2024 Club events (we are submitting permit requests for these dates):

• 4/14/24: Sunday - Triathlon
• Registration opens March 1st

• 6/1/24: Saturday - Triathlon
• Registration opens May 1st

• 7/7/24: Sunday - Aquabike
• Registration opens June 1st

• 8/10/24: Saturday - Triathlon
• Registration opens July 1st

Pencil these dates into your calendar! More information will be posted as we get closer to the date.

Club events are for members only! Membership is annual and runs next season from March 2024 through February 2025.

Continue to check our Facebook Group for any additional get-togethers that may be happening, and for locals who are training in town or down at Lake Mead. Post your workouts!

Thanks everyone!

Past President

Success in the Making

As we lace up, click in, or pack up to start our new season, what can we do to set ourselves up for success? According to Training Peaks:

1. Outline your season
2. Define your fitness goals
3. Review your past season
4. Calculate your training
5. Pay attention to the details

Quick summary of what that means to me: 1. Outline what you want to accomplish this year. 2. Figure out, physically, where you are, where you need to be, and how to get there. 3. Look at last year’s performance. If it was good, keep it. If it was bad, learn from it. If it was so-so, improve it. 4. Calculate both how much training you need to set yourself up for success, but also what you will realistically stick with. 5. The Devil is in the Details. Try your best to pay attention to the small things that can reek havoc over the big picture, example nutrition. Be flexible and ready to change.

In addition to these, I would add check your gear. Clean, repair, or replace items needed. I’m a big believer in new tubes on my bike every season, especially if the bike is in the garage getting assaulted with the heat and the cold. Both those elements dry rubber out.

See your doctor, get a physical. If you are on medication, see if you are at the correct levels. If you have an imbalance or insufficiency get it worked out before placing more demands on your body.

Lastly, get your mind right. Do you want this? Are you ready to toe the line and do what it takes to crush this season? Get pumped up! Go have fun out there!



~Shawna Glasser

The Pro Perspective

The Season Starts Now!

We’re rounding the corner out of winter… if you’ve been like me and enjoyed a little less structure with a few more beers and ice cream this off season, it’s time to get back into the routine and set your sights on the race season ahead.

February & March are the time of year when gains are made, but nobody is watching. That 70.3 or Ironman you signed up for last fall still feels quite far away. But those LV tri club events that you swore you’d train for this year are coming up quickly. Friends, now is the time to get after it. 

But I also learned this time last year, that it’s possible to over-do it. I ramped up too quickly and ended up injured. So with mistakes made many off-seasons behind me, this is the time of year when I like to focus on two things:

1. Building an “aerobic base”
2. Building the right daily habits

Aerobic base: Leaps and jumps in fitness do not happen in days or weeks - they happen with months of consistent training. But here’s the thing - this time of year, it doesn’t need to be perfect. You just need to get something in, every single day. Racking up a high amount of easy miles is a common approach this time of year, also known as “base building.” Building a strong aerobic foundation is the number one most important indicator of triathlon performance. In theory, this aerobic foundation will allow you to ramp up the intensity and volume throughout the year as you build into races, while also providing a layer of injury protection and resilience.

My favorite off season base-building workouts:

1.     Swim: 10x400 swimming with 60” rest between each. 1-4 are all easy, 5-8 building to race pace, 9&10 easy pulling. (Start with 10x200 and progress up, if you feel your form falling apart during a 400). This workout only has 400-800 total yards of hard swimming, but it’s a great strength building workout for the off season. And a mental challenge!

2.     Bike: The “Long Easy Saturday.” Yep, that’s it. Get out early, and ride all day. Oftentimes I shut off the Garmin and the power meter, and just get in the miles. I usually shoot for “once I start getting tired, add another hour or two.” Depending on my training load, I usually try to ride 4-6 hours every Saturday during this phase of the year - almost all easy.

3.     Run: one hour easy run with 5x20” second striders thrown in, to keep the legs sharp. Don’t be afraid to add in brief walk breaks every mile or two for 1-2 minutes to reset the form and keep your heart rate down.

This time of year, I also like to focus on rebuilding those daily habits again as I head into race season. It starts with simply showing up to each training session mentally ready to execute, ready to get the work done. A fellow pro recently shared, “Rule #1: Every Session is a Key Session.” This spoke to me because the discipline found in someone’s approach to triathlon training in February tells me everything I need to know about whether that athlete is going to reach their goals later that year or not - whether they are a first timer or a pro. If you show up to every workout - on time, rested, with the right nutrition, the right attitude - over and over. You’ll be in a great spot when race season comes around the corner!



~Justin Riele

Where in the World Has Our TRI Club Raced?

Check out the map below to see where our athletes have raced!

Prez Corner:

Triathlon Lifestyle

The triathlon season here in the southwest is almost a year-round season. Local athletes tend to have their first race by April and the last race in December. That means January – March are key months to build a foundation for the year … that’s a long season!

From an athlete perspective, you can work out things such as:

• Build an effective training program
• Figure out nutrition / hydration plans
• Identify weak areas and strengthen – focus on technique
• Check all equipment
• If you have your events already picked out, doing some digital recon (e.g., reading race reports, looking at maps, etc.) can be good to do at this time of year.

Those are all ‘easy’ tips to follow. But it is so important to recognize that we do this sport for fun and things can get fuzzy if we start focusing on so many details or ‘marginal gains’ to go faster. We can easily lose focus on why we train; why we complete/compete in multisport events.

This time of year, I find it really important to humanize the planning of a triathlon season. Identify special dates (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, work conferences, …), think about times where you may step away from training / racing to spend time with family and friends, consider doing non-traditional training that is ‘fun’ (e.g., skiing, hiking, water sports, …).

Plan the season in a way that you can use the training and racing as a way to add value to your life vs. being a distraction. Shoot for a ‘triathlon lifestyle’ that is healthy, physically and mentally.

How do you set yourself up to be successful throughout the year? For me, I take a step back and make sure I am enjoying the training and anticipation of events. I also try to evaluate if the training and racing brings value to my life as well as others around me. Achieving this is the achieving a healthy triathlon lifestyle.

~John Mercer

The New Triathlete

Ready, Get Set, GO!

What a great time of year! We’re getting ready for the first triathlon of the season, and maybe even the first one ever! Where do we begin? What are the priorities? How do I prepare for my first race, let alone the entire season?

How you prepare for your first race will have a profound effect on your whole season, so think hard about your priorities. Speaking from experience, new triathletes are often obsessed with their performance and their splits for their first race, and this will cause nothing but problems. Getting ready for my first race, I remember thinking, “I can swim 100 yards in 1:50 in the pool, which translates into a 14 minute swim for a sprint triathlon.” That was before I hung onto a kayak for 2 minutes because I went out too fast and blew up. I also said to myself, “I’ve done this bike route in 42 minutes, so in competition I should be able to do it under 40.” I then was so exhausted coming out of T2 that I walked half of the 5K. The main reason for this colossal disappointment? Misplaced priorities and a lack of the right focus and preparation. I was focused on split times instead of finishing and learning, and I was woefully unprepared. I lacked the endurance, strength, and basic health that triathlon demands.

The time spent on triathlon training and preparation should take the shape of a pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid should be general health – good nutrition, effective sleep, whole-body mobility, and injury prevention. On this solid foundation, we should slowly build endurance and aerobic conditioning. On top of this base we can then build core and sport-specific strength and power. Then finally, speed. The bigger the base of the pyramid, the higher it can be built. And it must be built slowly to prevent injury – you can’t train while you’re injured. 

For new triathletes, focus on building your base -- and ignore your times. Speed will come, but not unless you first have endurance. Improvement will come, but not if you’re injured. Get your priorities straight – aim to go into your first triathlon or the first race of the season with a solid base of aerobic fitness, strength, and health, which will prepare you for your first race and a successful season. Again, ignore your times -- whether you finish near the front, in the middle, or at the back, you’re still a triathlete.



~Bob Gamble

Coach's Corner:

Setting the Stage for a Stellar Season

Are you ready for this triathlon season? Are you prepared? As we gear up for an epic session, let’s delve deeper into the preparations that will ensure a successful trajectory.

1.      Family First! Engage your friends, family and/or loved ones in your triathlon journey. Share your goals, discuss training commitments, and let them be a part of the adventure. A supportive home front not only eases your mind but adds an extra cheer squad on race day.

2.     Master the Art of Organization: Training efficiency begins with organization. Take the time to set up your training space at home, ensuring everything is easily accessible. If you’re hitting the gym, double-check your membership details and class schedules. Knowing these details ahead of time minimizes any disruptions in your routine. Is your pool open?

3.     Communication is Key: Forge a strong bond with your coach through consistent communication. Share your expectations and concerns openly. Likewise, understand your coach’s approach and expectations for you. A transparent relationship rosters trust and paves the way for a customized training plan that aligns perfectly with your goals. 

Remember, the groundwork you lay now sets the tone for an extraordinary season. Let’s make every swim, pedal and stride count!



~Hilary Mauch

Have you met these Coaches?

Triathlon race season is here. Do you have a coach? Are you looking for one? Well, the Las Vegas Triathlon Club is going to try to help make some connections.

Earlier this year, we sent out a google form to try to capture our local coaching expertise. We had a number of coaches (all are members of Las Vegas Triathlon Club) respond and we have featured them on this webpage:

Las Vegas Triathlon Club Coaches

We are going to continue to highlight coaches on our web page – if you would like to be part of that, please fill out this form.

LVTC Member Spotlight

Get to know our club members as our President sits down with the following members to talk about tris and life.

• Tedd Girouard

The Evidence-Based Triathlete

• Preparing for that first race of the season

• Jon Thornham, Flo Cycling

• Performance tips – Part 3