Here are a few good resources that may help you in establishing achievable goals:

Setting Realistic Fitness Goals

Setting Fitness Goals & Personal Training Budget

Setting Triathlon Season Goals

Best of luck in all of your goals and aspirations. Be an optimist, you can do it!

Tom-
Here are basic things a newcomer to open water swimming needs to do:

• If you become serious about this sport hire a coach.
• Become efficient by swimming in a pool during the off season, primarily working on drills, and stroke form.
• Practice breathing techniques, such as exhaling all air while head is in the water.
• Find a group that does open water swimming in your area.
• Attend open water swim clinics.
• Once you start swimming regularly, with a group, practice sighting by counting strokes, don’t sight too often, 5 to 10 strokes per sight will work.
• During the race season, swim at least two times a week in open water.
• Purchase a triathlon wetsuit, one of the best investments you can make when getting into triathlons.

Tom Manzi is a certified USA Triathlon, Level II Coach, and is presently the Director of Coaching for Joe Friel’s Ultrafit Associates. His coaching emphasis in the last ten years has focused on multisport endurance athletes ranging from novice triathletes and duathletes to elite amateur and professional athletes. Tom’s mission is to inspire and energize his athletes to meet their personal goals and have fun while doing it. Goals for his clients range from improving overall fitness to the attainment of the top five places in both professional and elite categories of national and world championships. Contact Tom via email at tmanzi@trainingbible.com or call 732-892-3501.

Biking has always been and will continue to be my favorite pastimes. It is also one of the most important aspects of the triathlon because it is the longest. While I spent a great deal of time in the mountains on a hard tail mountain bike over the past few years I had very little experience on the road. I am quickly learning the dynamics of a group ride and how tough it can be to work a pace line.

We covered 43 miles and averaged slightly over 18 miles an hour. Working the pace line was a first for me. We rotated the lead spot at minute intervals and held a much faster pace for virtually the whole way back than the first half of the ride. It was tough to slip in to the back of the line without “missing” and dropping too far back. It took some skill and anticipation but as the miles added up my endurance started to wain. It was fun and a great workout, these folks can really ride.

A few months into my bike purchase and I am really glad I spent the extra money to get more bike. My Look 576 has performed well and has exceeded my expectations. I have read you can buy speed on the bike and now I am starting to see some of the benefits in action. Maybe next year a set of racing wheels, hmmmmmm?

The Event:

This has been my second DQ event and needless to say I was not disappointed. Tom Manzi and team did a great job to organize this event which was a smashing success. This event had great support and so many volunteers it felt more like a block party than a race with so many familiar faces and friends. I was concerned that beach parking in a residential area would be tough but that did not become an issues. All in all it was a standout event, I am looking forward to participating in the Oct 11 Dottie’s House End of Season Triathlon/Duathlon at Island Beach which is another DQ Event.

The Course:

The sprint distance included a 1/4 mile ocean swim, 11 mile bike and 5k run. The course was a tough ocean swim, followed by a three loop bike with some sweeping turns then a flat run around Spring Lake and boardwalk. The only minor criticism of the course was the three loops on the bike. Bike traffic made the third loop a bit tough especially since bikes were going in both directions and passing lanes were narrow. The ocean swim was definitely difficult. The current was strong and the swells added to the challenge but it was probably my favorite aspect of the course.

Transition Set-up:

With one race under my belt I had idea of what I wanted to do strategically. I also eliminated clutter in my set up that was unnecessary and implemented some preparation that was missing in my first race. My goal was to be simple and systematic. I added a nutrition system to my bike which I did not have for my first race and planned to down a gel after the bike. Nothing fancy, no extra steps. The biggest decision I made was not to go with the wetsuit. This may have cost me a few minutes in my swim because I did not anticipate the swim going as long as it did. In retrospect I probably should have listened to coach and went with the wetsuit.

The Start and Swim

I went into my second race with a game plan. I was not going to repeat the mistakes of my first race and attempt the swim without being properly warmed up. Even though I was anxious I managed to get in enough of a swim to relax me and get me loose before the start. I spotted my start to the outside and actually paused for about 5 seconds to give the pack a head start because I knew getting pummeled in the swells of the ocean could take me right out of race mode. I think I may have slightly over thought my strategy and did not give my training and preparation enough credit.

Where I went wrong was to stay too far to the outside thereby swimming a longer distance than I had too. Additionally, a strong current pulled me further from shore and I had to adjust my course to swim slightly inland to compensate for the currents. I swam until I touched bottom and made my way to the shore for the long transition run to the bike up the beach and across the street.

My training had prepared me for the ocean swim which felt strong and I had the conditioning to dig at a race pace for the entire swim. I have come up the curve in the swim and proved it to myself in this race. Certainly I could have been much more efficient in my course and stroke but I am learning. I was very pleased I finished the ¼ mile swim in 14:34 which ranked me middle of the field at 199/374.

Transition #1

There was nothing fancy about transition one get my bike shoes on, race belt, helmet and sunglasses and I was off. I waddled in my bike shoes to the mounting line and was off. A fairly smooth and quick first transition because I did not have to make the extra step of peeling the wetsuit was 1:33 which ranked 59/374.

The Bike:

Since the bike is my strongest leg I had a higher performance expectations for this leg of the race. I also realized that I did have to dial the intensity down slightly to leave some gas in the tank for the run. While this bike was short and flat it was not easy. Since I was in the first wave I was fortunate that my first loop was open and fast. The difficultly came in loop two and three as traffic started to build on the course. It became very difficult to pass traffic in narrow lanes which I estimate slowed the field down. I felt very comfortable on my bike and focused on my race pace. I have enjoyed the bike portions of my races and was feeling good and enjoying the ride. My bike ride was 31:50 with an average speed of 20.7 which ranked 59/374. I was very satisfied with my bike ride hoping it left me with enough legs to finish strong.

Transition #2

I approached the dismount area and hopped off my bike cleanly. I ran back to the transition area in my bike shoes. In spite of this I quickly racked my bike and popped off my bike shoes and went right into my running shoes sockless. I made a slight mistake here and raked my bike on the wrong side which left my gear on the opposite side of the rack which is something to consider for my next race. Second transition time was 1:12 which ranked 168/374.

The Run:

My run was a vast improvement from my first race. My training and brick workouts improved my legs for the run. Of equal importance I believe was nutrition on the course. Most of the information I have read indicated that nutrition on a race of this length is not overly important but in my case I found it made a big difference for me. Not only was I able to keep a good race pace but I was able to finish with a strong sprint to the finish line.

I am still a very inexperienced runner. In my initial months of training I believe my overall speed and endurance accelerated during my runs but I have not seen much improvement in the last three months. Just like in my swim I think my doubt and inexperience may have cost me some precious time. I was unable to judge where I was in the course having no idea how much distance was left. I knew my pace was better than my first race but was unsure. When I saw the finish line I was able to sprint to the finish, but I felt like I did not leave it all on the course. My 5k run was 24:04 26:49 on a pace of 7:46 which ranked 82/374. This was a 2:45 minute improvement over my first race which was very encouraging to see.

The Finish:

The finish is always a wonderful feeling. I have been working hard in my training and it is extremely satisfying to experience notable improvements in my fitness and performance. I know I have so much to learn but it becomes easy when you have so much fun doing it. My overall time was 1:13:10 which ranked 67/374. I finished 12/38 in 35-39 age group.

Lessons Learned:

I need to trust my training. Now that I have a bit of experience I should be better prepared for the swimming starts. I need to practice transitions as part of my race preparation. I also need to use a watch/heart rate monitor in my training. I have been thinking about this for a while but I do know it is an important tool for training and my time on the run would have helped me gauge distance better so I could have kicked it into 5^th gear earlier.

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who made this such an awesome race and a fantastic job by Tom Manzi and DQ Events for putting it all together. Special thanks to Christian of Cycles 54, Christine from The Shore Runner and the Western Monmouth YMCA. Special thanks to John Hughes, the entire Team for Autism Awareness and the JT Foundation. What a great day!

I did try to find some analysis or review of the race online but there was not a lot of information to be found other than the DQ Events website. What I know is the course is fast and flat which is very similar to my last race. The 1/4 mile swim is in the ocean. My local experience with Belmar is that it varies day to day largely based on weather and can have a strong undertow at times which I believe will have big impact on times. The bike is a short 10 miles and is flat. The run is a 5k on the boardwalk! Sounds like fun.

Unfortunately there was not a lot to go on but I am really looking forward to it. I think most novice racers and first timers will have anxiety around the swim. Open water swimming can be tricky the first time around. In preparation for this event I have done about a half a dozen open water swims and have also attended several clinics. My last race was open water and I have a much better idea of a strategy that is appropriate for my skill level.

If you have a chance I would highly recommend attending the Race Day Preparation Clinic presented by Coach Tom Manzi. Tom is simply one of the best coaches out there and clinics like this create a huge opportunity for novices. This experience should not be underestimated and has been a huge help to get me up the curve in my first race year. Presentations are at 5:00pm and 6:00pm Saturday August 1^st at pre-registration in the transition area on 5^th Ave. in Belmar.

I can’t wait!

Howie -
Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. It looks like you are having a great summer and congratulations on your 2nd place Carlsbad finish in the Elite woman category, simple amazing. Being a newbie and a new student of the sport I went to the internet for information. Active.com is a great source of information and how I had the opportunity to get to know a little bit about you. For those that don’t know you would you mind telling a little bit about yourself?

Jessi -
Hi Howie, thanks for the opportunity! I am a Jersey girl at heart. I grew up in Franklin Park, NJ, went to college at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, got bit by the triathlon bug myself at the tail end of my swimming career there, and made my way out here to San Diego in 1998. My first ever triathlon was the Blueberry Festival Triathlon in Hammonton, NJ in 1997 and I’ve done the Sunset Sprint Triathlon at least a couple of times. I’m not even sure they are still around?? I had a great amateur racing season in 1999 and turned pro in 2000, specializing in the olympic distance. I made my way to the 2004 Olympic Trials, finishing 4th and 6th. That experience was definitely the highlight of my career. Along the way I had the opportunity to work with coaches who specifically emphasized the importance of functional training, injury resistance and overall performance of the body from the inside out. This made a huge impact on my career and my life and is the basis of my training and my work today. I took a break in 2006-2007 and now have come back, thanks in large part to my understanding of movement efficiency and performance, better than ever. As the name of my blog “Adventures In Endurance Performance” eludes to, I’m now diversifying my focus to include all kinds of endurance events, both on and off-road, cycling, running, mountain biking, triathlon and other adventure multisport events. It’s a blast!! I have great sponsors I work with: Under Armour, Active.com and the TRX Suspension Trainer and I also write and speak on the subject of movement efficiency and injury resistance in endurance performance.

Howie-
You mentioned functional training and injury resistance. As a person new to the sport I admit these terms are new to me. Can you help define this type of training? I have just started to recognized that training is not all about extending my endurance and speed. I have incorporated strength training and some basic core exercises and stretching into my weekly routine. It is difficult to figure out the right balance of these activities.

Jessi -
Great to hear you’re incorporating some strength/core exercises! I consider functional training that training that involves building a strong foundation within your own body so that you may get the most out of your efforts in the sports and activities you choose. There are many elements of performance and building cardio capacity is only one of them. Integrating postural alignment, flexibility, mobility, stability, elasticity, strength and movement efficiency help to create a body that is injury resistant (be offensive in preventing injuries, not defensive) and is key to overall power output and performance. This can be done by committing the early season to a program that is heavily focused on these exercises to minimize imbalances and create strong, powerful, coordinated movements along with work on technique in the swim/bike/run and then maintaining that throughout the season with short daily exercises and a couple of sessions per week that are committed to focus on the body, and not necessarily the sport.

Howie-
Can you give us a little insight into what your typical training week looks like?

Jessi -
I typically take 2 full days off of training per week. A large part of my week (4 sessions/wk) is always my functional training: strength, stability, elasticity, etc. TRX Suspension Training is a key component in these total body core strength training sessions. I always do 1-10 minutes of movement preparation before every workout. I also spend time within each of my swim/run workouts working on mechanics and technique. I make sure I get in 3-4 short hard interval sessions in the week where I’m pushed to my max and with the purpose of increasing my anaerobic threshold, regardless of sport. Other than that I’m mixing up my workouts between pool swims, ocean swims, road riding, mountain biking, trail running, running intervals on the track or grass, and any local short endurance races that work well as a training session. Here’s a snapshot, in addition to my functional training: SWIM: 3 x 60min in the pool; RIDE: 2-3 x 90-120min mountain bike ride; 1 x hard road ride with a group. RUN: 1 x track workout (3-5km), 1 x short tempo run (4mi), 1 x fartlek run (27-30min of work) or a race.

Howie-
One of the hardest thing I find to do is keep up my intensity in training. How do you make sure that you intensity is there in your workouts?

Jessi –
I find a few things help. First, have purpose to your intensityI like to remember the phrase, motivation through education (or, knowledge.) Second, eiminate the ‘gray’ area from your training. Make specific intensity workouts shorter and harder with the purpose of making a physiological change to your cardio system (increasing your anaerobic threshold for example) and incorporate recovery between intervals. It makes it easier for me to handle the intensity, both mentally and physically. The flip side is to ‘zone out’ in workouts or go through the motions just to cover a distance. I’ve eliminated that from my training. The rest of my training, aside from pure intensity, has different purposes and in itself has an ‘intensity’ of focus per say, whether for pure fun or to work on another element, like technique, strength, etc.

Howie-
What is your next big event and are you doing any event specific training?
Jessi –
My race schedule is morphing with me this year. I’m mixing up my racing with on and off-road endurance events of shorter than longer distances. The bulk of my training is geared towards my body being prepared for any activity, sport or event that I want to tackle. That type of training is the reason why I’m able to diversify my experiences and perform well at various events! So fun. The one thing I have been working on specifically however are my mountain biking skills…both because I can’t get enough of it (it’s new this year for me) and because I need it!

Howie-
Do you still get nervous gitters at the start?
Jessi –
A very smart person once told me this: “The difference in being nervous and being excited is that when you’re excited, you breathe.” Ever since then I’ve done a pretty good job of using my energy to be excited instead of nervous. Good stuff!

Howie-
If there is one important tip you could give to a novice athlete what would it be?

Jessi –
I think something that is greatly underemphasized, regardless of sport, is a focus on body’s ability to move efficiently. My advice is to get to know your body and make functional training (flexibility, stability, elasticity, strength, power, cardio endurance and recovery/regeneration) a priority. The same principles and exercises that’ll help you stay injury resistant will also help you move more efficiently and transfer your maximum power into any sport or activity, or just life in general! Diversifying your training time between all the elements that make an impact on your body’s performance is key to getting the most out of your efforts no matter which sport you choose for a particular day, event or season. And…of course…make it fun!!

Howie-

You appear to be spending a lot of time to promote the sport and help educate athletes online. Can you tell me a bit about some of the things you are doing?
Jessi –
I love keeping up with my blog on my website and fielding questions that come through there as well as writing for the outlets my sponsors have created to reach other athletes, whether online or print media. I love passing on the incredible information I’ve learned throughout my career to others. Most recently I am working to bring my movement efficiency workshops around the US and internationally. The information will focus on how the body is meant to move, how to create change in your body to achieve efficient movement within each sport, how to be offensive in keeping the body injury resistant and ultimately performing to its potential. Info will be available at gojessi.com soon!

Howie-

Can you tell me a little bit about your contributions to Active.com?

Jessi –
The team at Active.com has been like family to me since its inception back in 1999. Currently I am an Active Expert on Active.com. I write articles 1-2x/month for their website and newsletters, and contribute both to my Active Expert blog, called Adventures in Endurance Performance, as well as in the Community Message Boards.

Check out www.gojessi.com for more info and to follow my adventures in endurance performance!! Certainly couldn’t do it without my support crew which includes: Under Armour, Active.com and TRX Suspension Trainer!!

Thanks Howie!

Howie -
Thanks so much I really appreciate it. Next time you are home Monmouth County has some much awesome single track. Would love to go out and hit the trails with your crew. Anytime!

Jessi –
I do get back to NJ from time to time since my family still lives there, in Somerset County. Sounds like I’ll have to bring my MTB next time! Happy trails…

The objective of the clinic was to learn how to learn how to correctly do some basic swimming drills to incorporate into our training program as well as some time to discuss how to create a tailored training program. This is the second clinic I have attended with swimming coach Tina Foeri.

One of the main fundamental drills covered in the swimming clinic were:

Swimming Balance

This is a difficult drill is not as easy as it may seem.

I can’t believe the progress I have made in the last few months. It is nice to see some of my hard work pay off.

My biggest challenge was the swim as it can be for many triathlon novices. I have had months to prepare in the pool and multiple sessions in open water swims and swim clinics. None of which adequately prepared me for the intensity and crowded swim of a triathlon start.

One mistake that could have been avoided was a cold start. Before the start I should have got in that water and did some swimming! Since I was not warmed up, nervous and anxious at the start I really did not get into a rhythm until more than half the swim distance was completed.

The biggest mistake I made with my swim was where I was in the start. I was way to far inside and to close to the front. I would have been much better off to the outside and behind the fast swimmers. This basically made what should have been a easy swim much more difficult. Pick a sport you are comfortable and project your line. I also recommend talking to the people around you to find out their swim pace as well. This will help you pick your entry into the swim.

Another error I made in the swim was standing up to early for my exit. I think this happened for two reasons: I was totally gassed, and the second reason was taking bad queues. I think I was just over anxious to get out of the water because the swimming conditions were not the best. I should have continued in my swim until I felt bottom with my hands then got up into my exit.

There were many lessons learned in my first triathlon and this exercise of post race analysis will help me correct some of these mistakes. My goal is to improve and become a better athlete and to be able to race in progressively longer distances. To summarize here are a few points for potential improvement in my next race:

• Good warm-up
• Better starting point
• Shorter exit point

As a novice I think what may have been a more important decision is where I decided to buy my equipment. I researched and visited several local shops. I asked if they are certified to fit tri-bikes which is a key distinction and specialty. It is also important to note what type of accessories they sell. Does the shop cater to competitive bike riders and triathletes?

Once I committed to where I was going to buy my bike the rest boiled down to a few options, price and a qualified recommendation which is how I wound up with the Look 576. I could not be happier. Since I have never had the pleasure of riding a piece of equipment like this my rides are a joy. The Look brand is aptly named as it not only looks fast, it is. I love the blue and white color scheme and the paint job is first class. This bike was love at first site.

Getting professionally fit for a bike is a detailed process that requires experience. Christian at Cycles 54 did not steer me wrong in any regard. We took our time to fit the bike and answer my questions along the way. Fitting a bike cannot be underestimated. There are no shortcuts here and fit is critical to overall bike performance and comfort. Getting my bike fit was not only exciting but it was an education.

The bike has performed wonderfully and really is an amazing machine. One of the most noticeable features even to a novice like me is the weight. The frame and fork weight in at just over 3 lbs. Throw in some peddles, bottle clips, and a bag and your just over 4 lbs. I think my mountain bike peddles weigh more than that!

The SRAM components shift like butter and are incredibly smooth. Again when you are used to driving a Subaru and you step behind the wheel of a BMW a few things pop out at you. When in the saddle of my Look I feel like I am in the BWM and it has not yet disappointed me.

The big question is will the love affair stand the test of time? How will I feel about my Look 576 next year? Only time will tell but today I am satisfied and have a big smile on my face ever time I take it on the road. The Look is race ready and delivered performace in my first triathlon.

We have some amazing athletes at the YMCA, many of them are experienced triathletes with years of training and race experience. I know this has been a great advantage for me as several of them have invested time with me helping me along the way. There is so much that I have learned but it also forces me to perform at a higher level.

Intensity seems to be more difficult when I workout alone. I need to develop the technique and discipline required to maintain that level of intensity when it is appropriate. In order for me to develop more speed and endurance intensity is the key.

Tomorrow I will participate in a sunrise open water swim at Point Pleasant and hope to get in a bike ride also. Focus on intensity.