Coach Articles

by Coach Eric. I remember setting up my transition area for my very first triathlon.  I was racing the Door County Sprint Triathlon and I was wondering if I even belonged there.  Sure, I had begun running a couple years before, and played recreational baseball until early high school, but I certainly didn’t consider myself [...]

by Coach Eric. You sign up for that race. Maybe it’s your first ever. Maybe it’s your first time at a longer distance. Excitement is there too when you sign up for a race or distance that you’ve done before. The next step then is we get our training plan or let our coach know [...]

by Coach Christa. Alright, raise your hand if you are reading this and are guilty of skipping your recovery workouts, stretching sessions, PT/rehab “homework,” etc. when you are strapped for time (I may or may not also be slightly raising my hand : ) I admit, I have been guilty of skipping a pre-or post-workout [...]

by Coach Christa. Have yet to give an indoor tri a try? The winter months are a wonderful time to participate in an indoor triathlon! If you are an experienced triathlete, signing up for an indoor triathlon is great motivation to get your training re-engaged if you have yet to do so from the previous [...]

by Coach Joe. It’s often said that history repeats itself.  And war is a big part of human history.  As the son of a tough Brit, I’ll always remember the stories my dear Mum shared.  They included glorious tales of dancing for the troops throughout the UK during WWII.  There were also many stories and [...]

by Coach Judie. I’m sure you’ve heard it before (we are big fans of goal setting at Experience Triathlon), planning your goals for the upcoming race season is very important! Whether you started working on your goals with the Christmas cookies or you’re waiting until the Valentine’s Day chocolates, it’s not too late to outline […]

by Coach Joe While it’s been a long season for most of us and we do need to disconnect both physically and mentally to recharge our batteries, it’s also time to plan for the upcoming year.  Often times athletes will put off both the planning and training for the following season until after the holidays.  […]

Welcome to winter!  We are fully immersed, at least those of us in the Midwest, in that gray and chilly time of year that sometimes is snowy, sometimes isn’t, but we are closer to spring than we were to fall.  If you’re like most of the general population, you’re starting to think about where to […]

by Coach Jim I’ve learned a couple of things in my 10 years of competitive racing, because no matter what happens there are always things to learn from a race. Whether you perform up to your ability that day or not, never fail to learn some lesson to take to your next race. What can […]

By Coach Vicky Have you ever seen a camel run? They are awkward creatures. Why? Because their front legs and back legs work in tandem. If we were to run like this, we would look like zombies. We humans move our arms in opposition to our legs on land, but what about in the water? […]

by Coach Jim One of my heroes from history, Winston Churchill, had a quote during the Battle of Britain that I have always tried to emulate. That quote says, “Never, never, never give up.” I had no idea to what degree I was going to be tested at Muncie with that mantra. We all have [...]

By Laurie Schubert, PhD RD LDN, Team Dietitian So, it’s the big day!  Your friend or significant other is about to embark on 140.6 miles and you get to be the holder of the tissues and bike pump, the bolstering voice on the tough hills, and the smiling, screaming face in the crowd.  You’ve read […]

by Coach Judie Remember that off-season article you just read? The one that said you should get into a master’s program over the winter to improve your swim? Yeah, that one! Chances are you aren’t the only one who read that article and is one step away from signing up. What’s that one thing holding […]

by Coach Judie It’s the end of summer and tri season has wound to a close in the Midwest with the arrival of fall temperatures and shorter daylight hours. For a lot of us, that means it’s the offseason, time to hang up the bike, put the wetsuit in the closet, and start prepping the […]

by Coach Cathy It is all about the muscle! I am referring to strength training. There are many benefits of strength training that we are aware of and some we are not. For example, we reap the rewards of strength training with increased muscle mass and strength, as we already know, but we also benefit [...]

by Coach Judie If your trips to the gym are colored with “I remember when I could…,” you aren’t alone. Many of us have had to take a big time-out. Whether you needed to have surgery, had a major injury, started your own business, or expanded your family, life takes over our hobby sometimes. If […]

by Coach Jim Levesque Running is arguably the most important discipline in triathlon. It is the last leg, takes place when the athlete is most tired, and on average has the most impact on his or her finish time. In addition, the run can be the most fun leg, or the most miserable for that […]

by Coach Jim Levesque Triathlon is a sport that attracts driven and motivated people. We love the challenge, camaraderie, and the ability to test our limits as we look to improve. There is no secret to how we get better; it takes commitment, hard work and a whole lot of discipline. So it is only […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 8 by Coach Joe Life. It’s funny. Sometimes we can’t figure it out and sometimes we think we got it nailed. Most of us spend our whole lives trying to figure it all out. One of the things I love about our sport is how it provides the perfect sandbox […]

By Coach Vicky Do you want to improve your splits this off season? Consider doing a strength training program this winter. There’s no better time to hit the weight room than when the weather turns ugly. Investing 28 weeks in a strength training program will pay big dividends next season. This is especially true for […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 7 by Coach Joe. Today I did not think I could run. I really didn’t want to. Too tired, too stressed out, eight days to producing our biggest race of the year. My legs and mind totally fatigued. Very little sleep this week. I had every story going that you […]

by Coach Cathy Track workouts! When I say these words, some people cringe with negative emotions and others are happy with excitement. I will admit I am one of those who actually enjoy and really look forward to going to track practice. Why, you ask? Track practice is one of my favorite aspects of triathlon […]

by Coach Judie Summer is right around the corner and with it comes the start of the outdoor triathlon season. It’s like Christmas in… well… June! You’ve trained, you have all your equipment together, and race day is right around the corner. Whether it’s your first triathlon or your fortieth, logistics can be your best […]

by Coach Vicky Being an endurance athlete requires a strong core. Here’s the rub: swimming, biking and running do little to develop one. If you invest some time to improve your core strength, you will see your performance improve and it can help you remain injury free. This is not about bulking up in the […]

by Coach Jim. Any of us that have done any long distance running have heard of “hitting the wall” from our teammates and friends. Those that have done marathons have experienced it at some point during the race. The question everyone asks: is it inevitable or something we can control to a degree? What is […]

by Coach Vicky Have you ever considered adding an organized ride into your race season? A well-timed ride can give added incentive to spend time on the bike. June 21st and 22nd is the MS Tour de Farms Ride and it certainly fits the bill. There are pros and cons to doing an organized ride […]

by Coach Sue As a swim coach at Experience Triathlon, I am constantly bombarded at our ET Masters Swim workouts by questions about why triathletes need to develop a good swim kick. Many of my swimmers express the common sentiment, “I don’t need to worry about kick training, all I have to do is put […]

by Coach Cathy One of the more common questions by new athletes is, “When do I shift?” This is not an easy question to answer since there isn’t really a right or wrong time, just the optimal time.  It is best not to overthink the simple act of shifting, but you should be aware of […]

By Laurie Schubert, PhD RD LDN, Team Dietitian A significant percentage of the people I talk to want to lose weight.  Some want to achieve a better race weight, some want to look better, and some want to feel better.  Occasionally I have a client who wants to reduce disease risk or progression.  These are […]

by Coach Bob What is your goal for the coming year? Is it to qualify for Age Group Nationals or The Boston Marathon? Is it to make it through the summer without injury? Is it to move up from three miles running three days a week to running three miles a day four times a […]

by Coach Suzy A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Confucius Well, here I sit nearly three weeks post-Ironman (How did THAT happen?!), and I’m finally putting pen to paper to tell the world about my day.  I have to be honest:  I struggled to write this because I felt like […]

by Coach Suzy Two weeks from today, after many months of training through blood, sweat and tears, I will toe up to the starting line at Ironman Wisconsin.  This is a tribute to my Coach and the love of my life, Coach Joe LoPresto, for getting me ready to start and finish 140.6 miles in […]

by Coach Suzy What a ride this training adventure has been! Right after I signed up for Ironman Wisconsin, Coach Joe told me that this was going to be, “the year of the bike”.  He was NOT lying.  Anyone who has ever trained for long course triathlon knows that you spend A LOT of time […]

by Coach Suzy One of my favorite scenes from the movie, A League Of Their Own, came when Dottie (Geena Davis) quit the team right before the world series.  The conversation between Dottie and her Coach, Jimmy (Tom Hanks), has always been my go-to clip in hard times.  Here’s how it went: Jimmy:  “Sneaking out […]

by Coach Jim Are you achieving your fitness and performance goals?  If not, you should consider using a periodized training plan and professional coach.  Periodization is how coaches break down large blocks of training time over a full year season into much smaller, focused, and more manageable segments. Doing this allows us to more effectively […]

by Coach Suzy My alarm went off at 4 AM yesterday. After fumbling to hit the snooze button, I said, “Oh my God, what day is it?” He answered, “It doesn’t matter what day it is…you’re Ironman training…get your a#* out of bed!” Well, I guess that puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?! 🙂 My […]

by Coach Judie As we close out the current race season and welcome the off-season, it’s natural to reflect on the year past and think about our breakthrough moments, or even our not-so-breakthrough moments, and see how we can do better.  I was doing the same thing last week, and since I was doing it […]

by Coach Suzy It’s New Year’s day, and this is the year of my Ironman. This is my first entry in my blog about my journey going from “3 Mile Suzy” to Ironman Finisher. It is with great excitement and anticipation that I begin this journey. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a […]

by Coach Cathy Do you ever wonder how athletes who juggle their career, family, school and other responsibilities are still able to get all their workouts completed in a week?  Where do they find the time to get everything accomplished?  Being proficient with your time may be tough but it can be done!  Here are […]

by Coach Cathy Fall is approaching and the triathlon season is winding down for most of us.  You’ve worked hard this summer at completing your required swim workouts just to be ready for that next race. Now that the season has come to an end, what are you going to do now? What’s next?  I’m […]

by Coach Judie If you look around you after your next race, you will see or maybe be a part of a group of athletes studying their watches and talking about magic numbers.  Among the questions of “How fast?” and “What was your time?” you will also hear “What was your pace?” Do you know […]

by Coach Cathy As athletes, we all want to do our best.  We strive to perfect our performances and to be faster and more efficient.  We hope we’ve trained hard enough and we hope it’s good enough for race day.  Within this thinking process, there’s usually room for doubt to fill our minds.  Did I […]

by Coach Judie It’s 4:30 in the morning when my alarm goes off.  Maybe it’s 6am on Saturday or Sunday.  Either way it’s an ungodly hour to be getting out of bed, but I do.  Sometimes I stagger to the kettle to make coffee for my drive, sometimes I head right for my running shoes–it’s […]

by Coach Joe “Give me one moment in time when I’m more than I thought I could be. When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away and the answers are all up to me. Give me one moment in time when I’m racing with destiny. Then in that one moment of time I will […]

by Coach Judie You hear it all the time, I bet, and probably from your friends and family who don’t share your passion for competition.  “You just need to relax!”  Relaxing seems to be everywhere in popular culture, something we long for but rarely let ourselves do.  But what if it would make you faster?  […]

by Coach Judie If you’ve ever spent time in our Masters Swimming programs, you know how much time we spend working on form in the pool, drilling in good technique to make your swim faster.  Good form isn’t just for swimming, though, it’s for everything you do as an athlete and extends even into your […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 6 by Coach Joe Why do we repeatedly throw ourselves into painful training sessions and races?  The answer to this question in one of the biggest secrets to Beating the Demons. Our competitive and survival instincts are deep in our gene code.  For millions of years, we have pushed ourselves […]

By Laurie Schubert, PhD RD LDN, Team Dietitian Experience Triathlon athletes are used to drinking.  I almost never see them without a water bottle full of water or a sports drink.  But what sports drink do they choose?  And how do they know if their choice is appropriate?  To encourage hydration and explain the differences […]

As a coach, I’m often approached by self-coached athletes wanting to discuss their training, training plan, and performance results.  Many times there are issues and concerns.  Things like injuries, lack of progress, and even sliding backwards, frustration, confusion, anxiety, reduced motivation, and a general lack of enjoyment with training and racing are very common.  Often, […]

On Sunday morning I waited mid-pack for the start of my fifth marathon.  I had gone over my whole race plan with Coach Joe on Thursday and kept reviewing it Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning.  I was ready and anxious to get this one going. The response I get from a lot of people is […]

by Coach Suzy With spring having officially sprung and National Bike Month (May) right around the corner, it’s a great time to suit up the family and get rolling!  After all, what better way to keep active as a family than going for a bike ride?  Besides being fun, healthy, environmentally friendly and a great […]

For those of you who have hit my Experience Triathlon masters swim classes at Central Park Lisle on Monday evening and Friday morning (shameless plug!), you’ll know that I like to combine fun with a good workout, and often times add a little dose of healthy competition to keep things interesting! Every 3-4 weeks I’ll […]

We all have that one thing that is looming out there on the horizon, that one thing that you tell yourself you really need to do, one day, it’s for your own good.  But you can’t do it today, you have too many appointments, too many things on your mind, you just don’t have the […]

Our leg muscles are arguably the largest muscles in our body. Yours are probably rock solid from all that running and biking you’re doing. Why, then, don’t they work when you’re in the pool?  Here is the deal with the swim kick: if you kick correctly, you can make yourself faster and conserve energy. If […]

by Coach Karli Almost everyone I’ve met over the years has said something like this upon learning about my swimming background: “Oh, you’re a swimmer? You know swimming is such great exercise!” and then they’ll add, “I wish I could do it myself but, you know…it’s just so difficult or I’m terrified of the water […]

by Coach Joe Can there be such a thing as Free Speed in triathlon?  Yes, and it can be found in the transition from swim to bike and again in the transition from bike to run.  Even if your goal is taking your time and having fun with the race, planning and practicing efficient transitions […]

By Laurie Schubert, PhD RD LDN, Team Dietitian As a sports dietitian, I frequently encounter people who want to talk to me – just not right now.  They want to meet right before race day!  Athletes are clearly concerned about race day nutrition.  But meeting goals on race day is about more than just having […]

by Coach Suzy Running.  A sport that can be done anywhere and the only required equipment is a determined mindset, a good pair of running shoes and some comfortable moisture-wicking clothing.  Besides being convenient and relatively inexpensive, running offers numerous health benefits.  More people are running 5K races and marathons than ever before.  An even […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 5 Act as if you can… and become! Acting as if you can is one of the most powerful ways to Beat the Demons.  In the world of work, aspiring managers and executives are advised to “act the part.”  If you want to become a leader, then start being one.  […]

By Laurie Schubert, PhD RD LDN, Team Dietitian It’s the new year, and all of last year’s dietary transgressions must be overcome!  Sound familiar?  It’s so easy to let the holidays take over our eating habits as once-a-year treats appear in our homes and offices.  Now it’s time to regain control and get back into […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 4 Today, November 16, 2009, I’ve been thinking a lot about Someday.  Today, many of us attended the memorial service for our dear running club buddy, Joel Bischoff.  He passed away on Veteran’s Day after a battle with melanoma.  During the service, we heard several stories of a life full […]

by Coach Suzy Ahhhh, the holidays.  It’s hard to believe, but they are almost upon us again! One of my roles as an endurance coach is to educate athletes on healthy lifestyle nutrition, which can be a big challenge at a time of year when we are surrounded by high-calorie foods that we don’t normally […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 3   “Life is played on the field, not in the grand stands.”  – Anonymous I just love this quote.  Like the quotes in Chapters 1 and 2 of Beating the Demons, it’s simple, catchy and yet so deeply profound.  How many times have you felt that life and opportunities […]

Beating the Demons – Chapter 2   In Chapter 1, we talked about Beating the Demons with proper goal setting.  With proper goals, stress is reduced and success is more likely in training, racing and life. Now let’s take a look at another way to Beat the Demons. We’ll start with another of my favorite […]

By Coach Suzy Involving Children in Triathlon Standing in the Experience Triathlon booth at a local triathlon last weekend, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd.  It was my friend, Katie, who had come with her 2 teenage daughters, Madeline and Rosie, to pick up their race packet.  Tomorrow morning Madeline and Rosie would […]

Chapter 1 What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? How many times in your life have you missed your goals and been frustrated? If you’re like most of us, it’s been many, many times. So how do those few athletes that seem to be successful on most days do […]