LVTC Happenings!
A monthly report of events and resources for our passionate, growing local multisport community.
March Membership Madness!

We have updated our Club Membership structure in order to better plan out the 2022 season. Specifically, we have changed memberships to begin on March 1st, 2022 and end February 28th, 2023. Going forward, memberships will always be on the calendar year (vs. 1-year from time of purchase).

Using this format will allow us to understand the number of members we have and plan our budget accordingly. So … time to renew/join! To help promote membership with the club, we are going to run a number of training activities in March.

There is no cost to participate in any of the activities and they are all very low-key, grassroots type of activities. Mostly, we are hoping to help people connect with each other and see the value of club membership.
  • March 5th: Bike the River Mountain Loop
  • March 6th: 7 am run at Sunset Park
  • March 12th: Corn Creek bike ride
  • March 13th: Run Clinic
  • March 19th Trail run clinic
  • March 27th: Run at Floyd Lamb park.
  • March 27th: Polar Plunge at Lake Mead

We are still full-go for our four club events:
  • April 23rd
  • June 12th
  • July 16th
  • August 21st
 
It is important to know that the events are still restricted to 50 entries as per the current National Park Guidelines. We will adjust as guidance allows. Registration for each event will open about 3-weeks prior to the event.

Even if you do not participate in the events, your membership is important to the club so we can continue to offer a variety of activities. The club has a number of operating costs that we need to cover (e.g., USAT event insurance, storage, trailer registration/insurance, event registrations, etc.). Although our membership numbers did go down these past two years, we are still financially in a good spot in large because of those who have continued their membership and to our sponsors.

However, we need your continued support of the club even if you cannot participate in the events. Please consider renewing/joining to support our wonderful Las Vegas endurance community.
Socials/Training Events/Education
Check our Facebook Group for locals who are training in town or down at Lake Mead. Post your workouts!

  • March 5th: Bike the River Mountain Loop
  • March 6th: 7 am run at Sunset Park
  • March 12th: Corn Creek bike ride
  • March 13th: Run Clinic
  • March 19th Trail run clinic
  • March 27th: Run at Floyd Lamb park.
  • March 27th: Polar Plunge at Lake Mead

2022 Club Sprint Tri Events

  • April 23rd
  • June 12th
  • July 16th (Aquabike)
  • August 21st

Membership Drive

Support your local Triathlon Club
Membership Includes:
  • Club logoed gear for purchase
  • 3 Sprint Triathlons & 1 Aquabike
  • Triathlon Programs: Events and Skill Clinics
  • Opportunities to train, get together and socialize
  • Discounts for members only on BBSC races
  • Additional discounts on products and services

Single Membership is $65.00
Family Membership is $85.00
College Membership is $40.00
Safety Corner

Why Joining a Tri Club is a Safe Choice 
 
Triathlon is an individual sport on race day, but joining a triathlon club has many safety benefits. 
  • Safety In Numbers - A group workout can be motivating, but it can also be safer to train in a group. Training alone sometimes is necessary but can be dangerous at times. Groups often are more visible on bike rides. Group swims offer a quicker response if there is an issue. Plus, it's always fun to have a friend along for your workout!
  • Learning Opportunities - Triathlon can be a complicated sport. Generally speaking, informed training can help prevent injury or worse. Triathlon clubs are a wealth of knowledge about safer ways and safer places to train. Learn about numerous topics each week by watching Las Vegas Triathlon Club webinars and videos. Take part in conversations with veteran club members and coaches who share vital knowledge. 

  • Club Resources - Discounts from club partners help make the right equipment more accessible to more people. Improperly maintained equipment can cause serious injury. Check out our partners and take advantage of their offers if you need to upgrade or purchase something new. 
 
Hope this month's Safety Corner is helpful and STAY SAFE tri friends!
-          Amanda Wolpink
 

~Amanda Wolpink
Is your race season celebrating you or slaying you?  
 
Covid's lighter grip, Ironman's endless new races, and our unique year-round weather, can create some beasts of a race season. Spring IM, Fall IM, local races, that century ride because you told someone you would, and a marathon somewhere in there since you've 'never done one so why not'. Nonstop training and prospects in personal betterment can be utterly intoxicating. But, indeed...there IS such a thing as too much of that good long course racing thing.  
 
Just ask your body. All physiques respond differently to long term long course stress, but there is a threshold for all. And it's complimented often by difficulty discerning the line between fitness gains and physical jeopardy. Til injured. Til the overstuffed race calendar explodes into fire then meaningless dust right before our chlorine bloodshot eyes.  
 
Fortunately, there's an available prescription for endurance athletes suffering from 'race season overkill'. Ingredients work to not only mitigate meltdowns from injured, overwhelmed, under rested, or out of balance athletes. When effectively used, they also may increase the overall strength of the athlete. Side effects include decreasing boredom, commonly associated with race season overkill. Active ingredients include though are not limited to the following suggestions:
 
-Spread races over multiple seasons. Ironman won't go out of business next year or year after. Plus, you plan to race your whole life, right? We only get better with age after all. Plus the same way we build up in fitness for a long course race is the way we need to allow ourselves to come down. Back to earth. Grounded again. With clarity, able to adequately prepare for the next.  
 
-Remember sprints and 5ks? Do them. They're as challenging as they are refreshing in how quickly they're over with. Your bored tired gait is itching to go fast. And they're fun. Remember fun? That's what you had when you were a beginner. Do one with a beginner.  
 
-Swap out some long workouts or races with some that are shorter and in the dirt. The unpredictable terrain helps build all over strength in ways the road can't. Though those newly enlisted dirt muscles sure do perform well on the road. Plus, your inner child wants you to periodically play in the dirt.  
 
-If not strength training regularly, have some sort of objective measure of strength throughout the season. Monitor any nagging or chronic injuries with an honest assessment regarding whether or not they're actually getting better. And honestly feel out your own threshold.  
 
-Keep trying new things. Keep options open. All endurance athlete burnout is somehow attributed to some of the very features which make us enviable. But, not stepping away periodically from the athletic obsessive tunnel vision with something other than training status quo, is just plain unhealthy.  
 
Let's remain healthy, mindful, and inspired when it comes to our race seasons!
 
 ~Coach Nancy

Prez Corner:

The theme for this year is ‘Enjoy the Journey’! Easy to say … not always easy to do.

It is easy to fall into a struggle with early morning workouts, colder weather (yes yes … I am from the Northeast and am grateful that our ‘cold winter’ in the southwest is an exaggeration!), injuries, finding time to train, … the list goes on of roadblocks that interfere with our ‘enjoying’ the journey.

Brian: Remember the deeper reason is general health and quality of life.
Matt: We find random events along to do.
Christina: Slow down and enjoy the company of training friends.
Matthew: Connect with others with similar goals and mindset.
Frederica: Always more fun with friends!
Dawn: Plan a destination event and pick places to see along a road trip.
Candace: Find different routes and scenery.
Bob: Make injury prevention a high priority.
Colleen: I always try to stay grateful that I am able to train for and race triathlons.
Rick: Train with as many people as possible, suffer together!
Christy: Cross-train with other fun sports.
Dawn: Listen to classical music.
Paul: Snacks!
Hilary: Let the beauty of the southwest sink in.
Belinda: Enjoy the bonds and relationships formed while training.
Sandy: I think about the races that I finished and how much I’ve improved.

These are all great! A recurring theme is certainly focused on friendships, community, and health … and good to realize that training in Vegas is not easy! Heat and Hills … everywhere! But … the desert is beautiful and if you can train in Vegas, you can race anywhere.

2022 is the year where the club will focus on #enjoythejourney … and remember, since you are reading this newsletter, you are part of the community! That means, if you need to reach out to someone … there is always someone ready to train. Likewise … maybe you are the one who can help a friend. Sometimes it can be as simple as a text message asking how things are going. Because encouraging and supporting each other is #thevegasway!

Thank you again for your support in 2021 and I know the club will enjoy the journey in 2022. 

~John Mercer
Past President

To Buy, or Not to Buy? That is the Question.
 
As the weather starts thawing out and the new season really gets under way, the age old question always looms, “Do we buy new equipment or be content with our current equipment?” There is this cute little cartoon, that I love, where there is a line for new gear and there is no line for learning how to use the gear you already have. You see professional athletes and even a lot of your friends getting new stuff and you get sucked up into thinking maybe your equipment is holding you back. 
 
I would say ask yourself two questions. 
  1. Can you afford it?
  2. Do you really not like the current gear? First one is obvious. No sense in going into debt for this hobby. That makes your decision easy. The second one is less obvious. Is this new piece of equipment going to make you ridiculously faster? Probably not much, maybe a few seconds faster or more efficient at the same speed so less fatigue over all. Psychological stuff is important too. The best equipment is the equipment you’ll use. I had a friend who found two identical bikes but one was $200 more for the paint job it had on it. I told her to buy it. She tried to argue with me, “but it’s $200 more for the same bike”. I explained to her that her whole demeanor changed when she was telling me about how much she loved the color of that bike. Sometimes the aesthetics of the equipment can make us happy and excited about using it. It can remind us of something like the purple of our favorite grandmother’s lilacs. We can just have an undeniable connection with it. 
 
Bottom line, do your homework. If you can afford the purchase and can justify the benefits, either time, effort, or emotional, get it. If not, settle in and do the work. 

Remember that Jimi Hendricks could make any guitar sound amazing. A great athlete can do the same thing with average equipment.


~Shawna Glasser
Where in the World Has Our TRI Club Raced ?

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

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

·     Candace McChutcheon
·     David Lerner

The Evidence-Based Triathlete

·      Training Load
·      Trail Running
·      GI Issues
·      Swimming tips – with Rick Simpson

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.


Las Vegas Triathlon Club http://www.lvtriclub.com