We've concluded our triathlon and duathlon events for the 2023 season! Thank you to all who participated and volunteered to make each of our events a success!

Continue to check our Facebook Group for any additional get-togethers that may be happening.

Please join us again next year! Membership is annual, beginning in March. Next year's membership begins on March 1, 2024!

Also check our Facebook Group for locals who are training in town or down at Lake Mead. Post your workouts!

Thanks everyone!

The New Triathlete

Be Prepared

Triathlon is more than swimming, biking, and running. It’s more than nutrition, transitions, training and pacing. While all of these are integral and important to the sport, here’s an aspect of training and racing triathlons that new triathletes should also pay attention to: expecting the unexpected.

A big part of racing and training is solving the problems that inevitably arise. In racing, and even in training, things can and do go wrong. I’ve had flats, ejected my drink bottles, dropped my chain, lost the ability to shift, and have even had my seat come loose and fall off. I’ve had my swim goggle nose piece break while getting ready on race morning, and I’ve had debilitating cramps on the run. All of these were quite unexpected.

There are two routes you can take to help resolve problems like these. One way is to think, “What’s the best thing I could do now?” You will need to do this sometimes, and it’s best to realize that you may need to go to ‘plan B’ and possibly adjust your expectations. But an even better way to solve many problems is to prophylactically prepare ahead of time by asking yourself, “What if?” and do your best to prepare for it. If you get a flat, do you have the right innertube in your tool kit? And do you have the right valve extender for the depth of your rim? Have you practiced getting your chain back on your chainring while riding if you drop it? If you have electronic shifting, is your battery charged? If you’ve made any adjustments on your bike, have you re-checked that everything is properly tightened before racing? Do you carry any salt or electrolytes with you on the run?

Yes, it’s important to be able to solve problems “on the fly,” but by applying the age-old Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared,” you can reduce the chance of these problems arising in the first place and be better prepared for them when they do. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

~ Bob Gamble

Coach's Corner:

Triathlon Mastery: Navigating the Unpredictable with Poise and Respecting the Challenge

When I first embarked on my journey into endurance training, it was 2011, and I was gearing up for my inaugural marathon. My husband and brother-in-law, both seasoned marathoners, had one vital piece of advice: “Expect the unexpected.” Their message was clear - not everything will go according to plan, so be prepared. I couldn’t help but wonder what they meant by this, and they explained it with a simple example: imagine you’re all set to start your run, but your trusty iPod malfunctions, and the race has already begun. What would you do?

That advice stuck with me as I progressed from marathons to triathlons. In the world of triathlons, there’s a multitude of variables that can go awry. From a wetsuit zipper snagging on your swimsuit to goggles unexpectedly taking flight, from getting an unexpected kick in the face during the swim to a flat tire on the bike, and even losing a vital nutrition bottle after hitting a pothole. Gastrointestinal discomfort can strike during the run, and pesky blisters can form out of nowhere.

All these scenarios can and do happen, but it’s how we condition our minds to handle them that truly matters. So, what’s my secret? During those long, grueling training runs or rides, I make it a habit to mentally rehearse race scenarios. I envision everything that could potentially go wrong, focusing on what I can control in that moment.

If my goggles fly off during the swim, I know I need to stay calm, stop if possible, and put them back on quickly. The key is to spend less time panicking and more time correcting what’s within my power. If I misplace my nutrition bottle on the bike, I’ve learned that it’s worth stopping to retrieve it because it’ll hurt me more on the run. And a flat tire? Well, changing a flat tire is a skill every triathlete should master. Visualizing the process during training helps ensure I can handle it swiftly on race day.

When it comes to running, I consider the “what-ifs” too. What if I experience gastrointestinal issues? Am I prepared with a plan? And do I have a Band-Aid in my toolkit for unexpected blisters?

You might be thinking, “Now I have to carry a backpack full of supplies for my triathlon events!” But that’s not the point. I’m encouraging you to visualize the unforeseen challenges that might arise on race day. Mental preparation is about acknowledging that unexpected events will occur and having a plan to address them.

Remember, we can’t control everything, but we can control our reactions and preparedness. In the world of triathlons, it’s not just about expecting the unexpected; it’s also about respecting the distance and respecting the challenges that come with it. Embrace the journey, anticipate the hurdles, and you’ll find yourself better equipped to conquer them on your way to the finish line.

~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: https://lvtriclub.com/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 the form: https://forms.gle/yEbcByPPVfHCb7A67

Prez Corner:

Expect the Unexpected

A triathlon is often described as a ‘problem solving task’. Flat tires, dropped nutrition, foggy goggles, dealing with heat/cold/wind/rain … lots of things come up during an event that are challenging to deal with. Some of these are worth spending time planning for … make sure you have the right flat repair gear, be able to adapt nutrition plan, etc.

Given the problem-solving nature of the sport, it makes a lot of sense to have the right mindset. Go into the event knowing that there will be something unexpected that you’ll need to deal with … and most problems are solvable. They may take you out of shooting for a personal record or keep you off the podium, but you can still solve the problem and do the best you can on that day. Sometimes, overcoming some unexpected challenge can turn into a great story about a proud accomplishment!

Another way to look at ‘unexpected’ situations is that this is part of the fun of doing triathlons. When my wife and I race, we often enjoy sharing our post-race observations … did you see those baby pigs? What about those waves on the swim?! The view from the top of that climb was beautiful. It was so cool that … [insert cool observation 😊 ]

Knowing that we’ll talk about the unexpected things that happened or what we saw can help shift the focus of the event. I find myself watching for those things to share after the race … and that can be a nice distraction and help me keep pace.

Enjoy the moment – enjoy those challenging moments – enjoy the unexpected … and that may actually free you up to enjoy thriving during an event!

#thatsthevegasway

#enjoythejourney

#thrive

#timetothrive

#LVtrifamily 

~John Mercer

Past President

Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head

With “Expect the Unexpected” as our theme this month, let me tell you about my 2016 race year. It rained every time I stepped outside. Every. Single. Time. It rained so much I started wondering if I should offer my services to farmers. Go run on their farm and guarantee they would get rain. I went out of town, it followed me.

I was training for a 50k (~31 miles) on a trail race in Henderson. It was raining of and on. I got to the 25 mile mark and the skies opened up. Torrential downpour with hail. It was glorious! I giggled through the whole thing. Firefighters came to pull me off the course within 1 mile of being done because of safety concerns. I gave them 5 reasons to let me continue, choking back tears, and they did. My husband dealt with the paramedics on the other side and wasn’t as convincing.

Later that year I traveled to the Louisiana swamps to attempt a 100k. It rained 4-5 inches over the course of the day. I learned what I thought was a “rain” jacket was a wind breaker and not water proof. Wool socks or anything wool are amazing when wet. To not be afraid to put a layer of Vaseline over your body to make you more waterproof plus chafe proof. Long story short, but that is my only Did Not Finish (DNF). I had to learn when it was okay to quit.

Onto the big race, it rained 70% of my 100 mile ultra marathon. You know what? I was ready. Every single time I trained or raced in the rain, I learned something new about running in the rain. I do not know if I would have finished that 100 mile without all the “unexpected” lessons I’d learned along the way. I think the unexpected is what makes us grow as athletes. Figuring out, overcoming, adding those tools/lessons to our tool chest, and becoming better athletes.



~Shawna Glasser

LVTC Member Spotlight

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

·       Skylar Brown

https://youtu.be/wbbxWSM7NaQ

·       Abby Robinson

https://youtu.be/v4xJb4xyHoo

·       John Tonarelli

https://youtu.be/5PRoQQhznKw

The Evidence-Based Triathlete

·       Breath holding

https://youtu.be/8f76nL-IVJU

·       Missing Races

https://youtu.be/GY0v2iDyLj0

·       Climbing in the saddle vs. standing

https://youtu.be/d-MZiOFNxPM

·       Lahti 70.3 Recap

https://youtu.be/0uvPwJ0_BTw

Where in the World Has Our TRI Club Raced?

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