Rio Rider, Rexanne, Reflects

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Below – Rexanne Hughes, Rio Strada Cycling team member, offers reflections on summer training plan and workouts…

Hi Julie-

Rex_IMG_3583-LI have thoroughly enjoyed training with you.  You have been so completely professional, encouraging, motivating, inspirational and insightful.  Before I started training with you, I was a bit doubtful of my abilities to race and train hard. In challenging bike rides or training, I would often tell myself, “I am not sure if I am capable.”    I  have gained so much confidence and fitness during our training.  Now, I just do it and don’t think twice about it.  Your encouraging words stuck to me like glue in our practice sessions along with the trainer rides during my clavicle recovery. You kept me motivated even when I didn’t want to get on the trainer. You prepared some great “meat and potato” workouts.  During recovery, never did I get down on my situation and kept a good attitude. You kept telling me that I would be surprised at my fitness when I could ride on the open road again.  I was anxious to see if you were right, and indeed you were correct,  I am back on the bike and I am stronger than ever.  Pretty amazing how effective those trainer workouts are!

As I have expressed to you, I have struggled with balancing being a mom, wife, friend and bike racer.  I know that I will never be a professional bike racer but glad that I have the opportunity to be competitive.

I think you are just fantastic and I couldn’t ask for a better coach.  All of the weekly training session, talks on the phone and the emails were invaluable.  You have always been available and always there to encourage me.  You have given me the confidence on a personal level and as a bike racer to overcome  issues and succeed. One of my most favorite things that you ever said to me was “Rex, you need to take your mom hat off in races, and  take control – act vs react.”   This not only applies to bike racing but in life lessons…Julie, your simply the best!

Paddling Predicament

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2013_jam_from_the_dam_prefo_546_lowresBelow a blog by Jay Wild, elite international paddle board and outrigger canoe competitor, owner of Watermans Landing and o2fitness athlete.

Last September I stopped using a coach for the first time in three years and while I was nervous to embark on a training program on my own I was also excited to put what I have learned to the test.  After a winter of paddling my OC1, some strength training with the crew at Crossfit Avalanche  and lots of skate skiing I felt that I was ready to put a program together leading into the stand up paddle racing season.

At the same time, the Lake Tahoe season was transitioning from Winter to Spring and I was seeing my time for training going into preparing Watermans Landing for a busy summer. I found that every time I sat down to develop a training program leading into a specific race I would instead work on things for Watermans Landing, telling myself that I would get to the training stuff later.

As the weeks continued to pass I was still paddling but with no specific program and was really starting to question where this racing season was going to go. That was a scary feeling, being that the previous four years was totally outlined ahead of time with specific races and training goals. At one point I was thinking that I was done racing, there was too much stress and I was putting so much pressure on myself that paddling wasn’t fun anymore.

After focusing on work for a couple of weeks I was starting to miss training and when I sat down to figure out my next race and a program for training I realized that I needed help. Thats when I contacted my friend Julie Young with O2Fitness and explained my dilemma.  Julie has only paddled a couple of times but her knowledge of training is amazing and I felt as though we could work together on a training program, rather than her just writing it up and me following. She is open to discuss how a paddler can train different than a cyclist, runner or triathlete. I am just a couple weeks into training with Julie and I am very happy with the communication and training program.

I am excited to race again but also understanding that I do not have the luxury of just training and racing. I have a family to support and two businesses to run. Luckily I have an amazing wife and a great support crew that will help me achieve my goals. Thanks and happy paddling!!

After just a few weeks on the o2fitness training plan I was able to come out with a win at the Jam from the Damn race here in Tahoe and take the overall points lead from Rob Rojas in the O’neill Tahoe Cup series!

Ride with Neda: THE CLIMB…

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Neda marches on toward the Edible….

IMG_9173Kingsbury Grade is the Goal. I haven’t even seen the thing, but I hear it’s brutal. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t downright frightened of giant mountains these days. I drive up them, passing cyclists who look pretty miserable but I stare with envy. How can I become one of those daring people who climb up Mt. Rose Highway, Geiger Grade, or all the way around all of Lake Tahoe? Well, frankly I just need to do it.

Coach Julie suggested I go up the road that leads to the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe to start. I rode strong down Highway 267 and that itself was enough of a climb for me! Then I made a right turn, following the signs leading up to the Ritz and tried to push it, I really did I promise. But I turned around somewhere between quivering quads and a wobbly bike. OK, so maybe it’ll take a few tries.

I’ve been doing single leg drills which Coach Julie says will help strengthen my legs and get me mentally prepared. She doesn’t want me to freak out, just trust the training… and I’ve been doing a lot of it.

I also had the awesome experience of meeting Michael Phelps at the Celebrity Golf Tournament’s after-party at Harrah’s Tahoe. I told him I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics. He simply pointed to his head. I said “Yes, I know I’m crazy but what advice do you have?” He said, “No, it’s all mental. You just have to know you’re going to do it and you will.” Woooooaaah! This, coming from the record-breaking gold medalist himself! I asked him “Well, what about training?” He said, “It’s all mental.” Ok, well there’s no arguing with Phelps. I asked him for a hug and he obliged – his cheek touch my cheek! I have yet to wash my face…

Every time I’d hop on my Trek Bike, I think of Phelps. Doesn’t everybody?!

But his words hit me hard. I realized a lot of cycling is mental. I was feeling inadequate because I didn’t have as much cycling experience as a lot of the people on the road. I had to go through that learning curve of clicking in and out of the bike, I had to learn the right way to wear a helmet, and don’t even get me started on fixing a flat!

But, who cares! As Phelps said, its all mental. If you doubt yourself, you will not make it. If you believe you will, then you will. So with this extra jolt of confidence and a few more weeks of training under my spandex… I decided to go up to the Ritz again.

OK up Highway 267 I go again, then I hang a right towards the big hill. I had no idea how long the road was and I had no idea what curve I needed to pass to make it. So i just kept pedaling. I put the bike into my easy gear and just kept on twirling those feet. Every time I would get exhausted or my legs wanted to stop, I would just tell myself to keep going. I needed to see what was waiting for me at every corner, what was beyond that shadow, what was behind that sign. Until finally, I zoomed underneath some ski lifts and whizzed by the beautiful forest and lo and behold, I saw the prettiest thing ever – The sign to the Ritz-Carlton!! I think they should offer a free room for everyone who rides to the top, don’t you?! I took a pic and sent it to Coach Julie, my best friend, my boyfriend, and posted it on Instagram/Facebook (yes, I have no shame!) If I had Phelps’ digits, I would’ve sent it to him too.

Then I realized what goes up, must come down… Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Phenomenal coaching made for exhilarating training!

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she-rocks-racejpgI’m a newbie when it comes to getting coached, but not to working out. It is the best idea for improving one’s performance, especially if you’re in the doldrums. I was seeking growth, structure, and guidance. In the end I experienced trust, a fresh approach, and a new perspective. I absolutely loved receiving my daily workouts, and checking in with my coach about my performance. Julie had me doing repeats and speed work that I never dreamed I would do. Over the four months of preparation I saw physical improvement in strength, muscle definition, and speed. Most importantly, I was having FUN. Training was far more interesting and way less draining than ever before. Instead of my previous random workouts, my new plan had logical growth that was personalized. The key to all of this is good communication with your coach and total trust in their experience and expertise. I was ecstatic to reach my goal at “She Rocks The Trail 25K” by shaving 15 minutes off of my previous time. But really, it’s the journey down new paths of self-discovery that my coach, Julie Young, guided me to. It was the best adventure ever. I definitely got more bang for the buck!

Ride with Neda – the Adventure Continues…

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Check out Neda’s cycling escapades first-hand…

LET’S RIDE WITH NEDA!

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The following launches a weekly blog post from Neda Iranpour, with Reno’s CBS station KTVN. I have the fortunate pleasure to train and coach Neda over the next several months in preparation for her first Edible Pedal 100 mile century. Enjoy her journey…

ABOUT NEDA:

Before you read my blog, let me explain why I signed up for the Edible Pedal 100. I covered the EP100 scholarships for KTVN Channel 2 News where I report and anchor the morning show every weekday from 430-7am. We always say certain stories leave a lifelong impact and this was one of them. I met a couple Reno High students who were among 8 across Northern Nevada to receive an EP100 scholarship. It was immediately clear that the EP100 organizers created this event not only to provide a healthy outlet for athletes (or wannabes like me!) but they also wanted to give students a chance to showcase their locally grown and raised foods — which will be served during the race. The more people sign up for the 10, 50, or 100 mile race the more money goes right back to student scholarships so… here we go!

I walked into the bike shop with my Lululemons and my beat up Brooks running shoes and said, “I’m riding 100 miles in September, I need a bike.” They looked at me with a sweet smile and seemed to speed off to the bike rack, as if there was not even a second to spare. I tried out a couple bikes at one shop and a couple more at another shop. My baby felt just right. I hopped onto a black and green Trek and even though I know nothing about the inner workings of my bike, I know that it felt good to ride… I mean, real good.

Julie Young, Director of Silver Sage Sports Performance Center and a world champion cyclist has so kindly offered to be my coach! I will learn to ride a bike properly (from hopping on and clicking in to conquering a mountain — oh boy!). The winner of the Tour de L’ Aude (the woman’s version of the Tour de France) will train me for the grueling, yet amazing EP100. A century ride that takes cyclists up Kingsbury Grade is no joke, so they say. But, I’m sure there will be plenty of jokes along the way. I’ll gladly blog about the mishaps, the nerves, the butt soreness, and the rush of the ride!  LET’S DO THIS!

Day 1:

I got my bike — thats a good start, right? Now what?!

Well, Julie Young (have I mentioned she is a world champion cyclist and my new coach?) she wants to meet with me to do some sort of analysis.

I am kind of nervous to meet her, she’s a PRO for crying out loud! I went to her office at Silver Sage Sports Performance  Center in South Reno where I quickly learn that Julie is very detailed in checking every bone, joint and muscle to make sure I am as safe and efficient as possible on the bike. Who knew my flexibility and ankle strength mattered. Don’t you just sit and pedal?

Julie explained that when you train as much as I am about to, then it’s all about making every move as easy as possible. So the goal is “ease and efficiency” — sounds good to me!

Julie got images of me pedaling on my stationary bike. Then she pulled out what looked like a giant protractor and measured the angle of my knees. Apparently I was in a danger zone. So she adjusted my seat and my handles until all my angles were good for her. My back was straighter, my core was tighter and each rotation allowed me to use my glutes and leg muscles. My arms used to be like straight logs which would’ve killed my neck and shoulders. So Julie taught me to bend my elbows and relax. Relax I did… until I got home.

After all her adjustments I was looking forward to hopping on but guess what? I couldn’t get on!

Let me back track a sec. I raced last year in a 68 miler called Ride Ataxia in Davis, CA. So you would think clicking into those pedals would be a cinch. But the problem is… every time I had to click in or out of the bike I would get a knot in my stomach and a wave of fear would rush over me. Stop lights were my biggest fear because I would relive my many moments of falling. Do you ever worry that you could topple over and a car might run right over your head? Ok sorry for the graphic and scary thought, but this is what goes on in my twisted head. I work for the news, we see and hear it all!

But I put the fear aside because I got a giant race ahead of me and this time I think I would’ve been able to click in, if only my short legs could get over the seat. I tried over and over again but I really couldn’t reach… short people problems.

So I called Julie in a panic because I didn’t want to miss a day of training. She said to not to worry and try a seat that would allow me to sit further back and a bit lower. I went to Reno Cycling and Fitness and they got me a great demo seat. Julie said she never remembers not being able to get ON the bike so like a good coach, she wanted to see what the heck I was doing wrong so she could show me what NOT do. I hope that by the next post I will be on the bike. If not, these blog updates may be a bit… repetitive. Wish me luck!

Neda Iranpour
KTVN Channel 2 News
FACEBOOK
TWITTER @lightenupwneda

Silver Sage Sports Performance sponsored Tahoe Relay Team

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The relay went really well.  We were the second female team to finish and 14th overall (out of 120 teams).  We finished in 9:03, which is about 7:30 per mile average.

I am very impressed by the dedication and mental toughness of our team.  Very smart racers!  Other teams had nicknames for some of our runners — like the Terminator!  It is a tough course, but no one let up.  Despite the heat, we had lots of fun running, cheering and just enjoying the beauty of Tahoe!  It was an awesome day!  Thanks again for your sponsorship!

Juls Armbrecht

Triathlete Todd Turns Adversity in to Triumph

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The Folsom Sprint Triathlon proved a HUGE difference from the Tri For Real Olympic Distance race last weekend.  After suffering from dehydration and low energy last weekend, I definitely learned my lesson for today.  I drank copious amounts of water and “carbo” loaded (pizza and spaghetti) the last two days prior to the event.  What a difference!  I felt great in warm-ups; strong and energetic.  In the swim, I wanted to follow  my two basic rules:  relaxed recovery and forceful expulsion of air under water. The most common mistake I make is to not expel my air after breathing, causing oxygen deprivation after a couple of minutes.  It proved a little difficult to weed through previous waves, but I ended up with the fastest swim split overall by about 1:50.  More importantly, I felt fast and in control, knowing I was having a great swim.  After a quick transition to the bike (1:05, 3rd fastest)  I wanted to make sure to build into the bike and focus on keeping a high cadence for the first 5-7 miles of “uphillish” riding to conserve power.  I knew I was going well with good, fast, race pace breathing, but great energy.  I ended up with the second fastest bike split overall and again, more importantly, knew I had a good bike leg based on my cadence and perceived power.  I posted the second fasted T2 at :44 seconds and immediately got into my rhythm on the run.  I wanted to make sure I stayed powerful and focused on the run.  I ended up with the 7th fastest run split, but was happy with the effort and focus.  I ended up as the fasted overall amateur behind a young,  pro triathlete by 1:56.  While the final ranking feels great, I am most pleased with the fact that I raced hard and executed on the race goals and preparation.

Todd Heinzen, o2fitness Athlete

Learning to run and love it

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Who doesn’t want to be able to just put on their running shoes and go for a fun, mind-clearing run and enjoy it?

That was my dream…

I asked Julie to help making me a runner. (Tall order!) My initial goal was to be able to run 3 miles on the trails without hating it – I know, lofty goal but want to give an idea of where I started.

We started with 1 minute easy run and 4 minute walk for an hour – that was the first week in March 2013. I committed to 5 workout days per week of which some was trail running, some mountain biking and some hiking.  After a couple of days of no running I was so hungry for running and when there was a break from biking I was hungry for that! So Yes, Julie kept me wanting more!

It wasn’t always easy. Dealing with the weather (going out in the snow, rain and crazy desert winds) took some discipline but the mental challenge was what surprised me most. Interesting how physical training makes us dig deep within ourselves. Two days I won’t forget:

During the first month I remember having to do sets in the hills (hill runs) after which I emailed Julie,       “ …if I had the energy left to cry I would’ve. I felt like the one in the back of the pack on NBC’s The Biggest Looser shuffling up the hill”. (3 months later I’m no longer shuffling!)

The other tough day was a couple of months later running sets of 75% speed drills. My note on the workout said we want to keep the carrot in front of me.  Being hot and tired out on the trail I remember asking myself “why am I doing this again?” and “I don’t even want the stupid carrot”.

Thanks to Julie’s coaching on mental engagement I pushed through. I also find that concentrating on my technique while working out is a healthy way to stay focused.

During month 2 of my journey I was invited to be on a RTO (Reno Tahoe Odyssey) team which was great ,giving me a clear and definitive goal to work towards.  Even going out of town twice I was able to keep up with my training going for early morning runs in Death Valley, enjoying Red Rock State Park running the trails before meeting up with my family hiking and taking to treadmills in hotels.

After 3 short months of working with Julie I can now go out for a 90 minute run in the hills behind my house covering 7+ miles and loving every minute of it! I also just ran in the RTO which was a blast and so rewarding to enjoy the pay-off of my training. It was interesting thinking of different training days while running and using what I’ve learned. My teammates, all experienced runners, really encouraged me to keep at it and I definitely will!

Thank you Julie Young, for the training, for the encouragement and sympathy at the right times and for calling me out on being a drama queen at the right times! I am looking forward to training with you again in the near future!

O2fitness athlete, Henthe Heinze

Mental Opportunities of Training and Racing

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The month of April started with the goal of having a successful day on the bike with my Rio Strada teammates at the Rapha Prestige event in San Francisco.  This longer, much climbier ride/race was definitely outside my comfort zone and I did as much as I could to train for the distance and elevation gain involved.  Unfortunately, the best laid plans didn’t help me on the day and my back decided it was not in the cards for me to finish the ride.  I really felt like I let my teammates down, especially when I saw the team’s “DNF” on the final result a couple days later.

That day was like a hard punch to the stomach.  In the days that followed, I hoped to find something positive in what happened, but it was extremely difficult to do that.  Julie took the time to give me much support and guidance.  The advice she gave me made that day an anomaly when it could have been the start of a bigger downward spiral.  She helped me turn my focus forward.  I resolved to work harder on my core strength, climbing and distance riding.

I also decided to do some races for flat out speed… FUN stuff… mood enhancers for bike racers!  For me, that’s a good, fast criterium.  Only a week after that down day at the Rapha, I won my first race of the season.  Then, somehow, some way, that win turned into four straight podiums over a four-race span.  It’s a huge turnaround for me that has resulted in wanting to do more to improve and get stronger — mentally and physically.  The momentum is going the right way, much faster than I ever could have imagined.

Through this last month, I realized more than ever the value of having a great coach.  It’s not just physical, it’s very mental, also.  Having that voice of reason and experience to help you see the forest for the trees and not focus on the wrong things… it’s priceless.

Heidi Littenberg, o2fitness athlete