Spence Smith

After a few years of weekend training behind me, I’ve come to realize that a big weekend of training is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge.

If you are training for a half marathon or a full marathon, each and every weekend, your long runs continue to increase in mileage. To the point that you know… these miles are going to take a while so I better be prepared.

As I got ready for Ironman, my Saturdays and Sundays were consumed with training. A 100 mile ride on a Saturday could take 6-7 hours for me then a 15 mile run the next day followed by an hour and half swim. Easily another 4-5 hours gone from my Sunday.

That’s a lot in anyone’s book for one weekend not to mention having to do this for weeks on end and if you aren’t prepared mentally, it’s going to be even harder than it sounds.

This weekend I’m headed into some heavy training to kick off my 2012 triathlon season and just like learning to pace myself on a run or on a bike ride, mentally pacing myself is just as important.

Here are a few things I do mentally to get ready.

1. I prepare my gear ahead of time. I get together every piece of clothing or gadget I’m going to need for my training ready. I clean my bike, check the tires, lube the chain, charge up the bike computer and get my on-the-bike nutrition ready to go. I also get my running clothes, shoes and swim gear laid out. The less I have to think about my gear being ready, the more I focus on the training ahead of me.

2. I plan out my weekend of time spent with friends or family so that I can get in bed at a decent hour. Training for most of us takes place at an early hour and we need all the sleep we can get. I’ve been guilty of over doing it to the point that you would think I wasn’t training for anything and find myself worn out from a late night out.

3. Before I go out for dinner I get an idea of what i want to eat before I get there. What I eat today, fuels my body for tomorrow. It’s hard eating healthy when you aren’t eating at home. I usually look at the soups and a salad first then see if there is anything on the menu with fish and veggies. That’s my go-to. Yours might be different.

4. Plan Your Training Routes. Whether it’s running or cycling. Know where you are going and if at all possible plan some stops along the way in case you run out of liquids of food or need to go to the bathroom. There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of nutrition or needing to go have a little alone time in a clean bathroom.

5. Take your phone and a little extra cash. If you get stranded from exhaustion (hopefully not) or you get a flat and forgot your spare tube. It never hurts to be able to call someone to come pick you up. I’ve had to do it and it’s no fun. But sometimes it’s needed. Also… you never know when you need to buy an extra bottle of go juice or a snack. Take some cash. When I’m on my bike, I put my phone and cash in a zip-lock bag in case it rains or I spill liquid on it.

6. I think through the mileage I’m about to do. The miles might seem overwhelming but the more I break them down in my head to smaller chunks of miles, the easier it is for me mentally. Remember, training is a process.

When I think about this process, I find myself applying this to basic parts of my life. Traveling, Focused time with my wife, A weekend with the family.

In short, I think it pays to be prepared and ready and it’s honestly more of a load off my brain when I know I’m going into something more prepared.

Knowing what’s ahead of you and knowing how you will get there is half the battle.

The other half is just doing it.

If you aren’t new to this, how do you prepare for a weekend of training? Anything to add?

When you are going out for your first run or your first few rides on your bike, there’s the big question that always looms in the back of every beginner’s mind.

How do I do this and not get hit by a car!!!

If you are like me, I know you’ve been driving down a busy road and seen a runner coming towards you or you’ve had to slow down to wait for the right moment to go around the cyclist ahead of you. I’m sure you must have thought about how dangerous it seems right?

Before I get into each sport, let me say this one overall rule of thumb. Whether I’m on a bike or out running, I always look for the least traveled roads or the widest roads with whatever bike lanes I can find.

While living in Nashville, I stuck to places runners and cyclist typically go. Chances are motorists are used to them. My favorite place to ride was the Natchez Trace. There are usually more cyclists there than cars.

My favorite running in Franklin is the neighborhood trails around downtown and Pinkerton Park. My other favorite running route in Nashville is Beale Meade Blvd or Moran road to the Old Natchez Trace rd. The key… not as many cars.

However, if you stick to these few simple tips, you will put yourself on the offensive side of safety and keep you out of harms way.

Running

1. Wear bright reflective clothing. If you are in the right light where someone can see you because of your clothing, good. You want them to see you. If the sun is going down, their car headlights will grab your reflective clothing and you will shine enough for them to see you and know to go around you.

2. Always run against the traffic. I can’t stress this enough. You want to see the traffic ahead of you. Since you are smaller than a car, you will have a better chance of getting out of the way of the car should the driver not see you and come too close or come right at you. This puts you on the offensive side and not on the vulnerable side.

3. When running with a group or a running partner, run single file when oncoming traffic approaches. Again, this gives you more control of what’s going on and allows you the chance to move out of the way when needed.

4. When running past someone. Yell which side you are passing them on so they aren’t caught of guard by you. This usually happens on the left side of the person you are passing. Just yell, “LEFT!”

5. Obey all traffic signals when you get to a corner just as if you were walking across the street. Use crosswalks and if you have to stop for a minute, it’s not going to kill your run.

6. Buy a Road ID. If anything should happen to you while you are running, whoever finds you will have quick access to your emergency contact and medical info for the EMT.

Road ID

Cycling

7. This is where things change a bit.

8. Cyclists have the same right to be on the road as cars do. READ THIS AGAIN. Cyclists also have to obey the same traffic laws as motorists do.

9. Ride WITH the traffic. Not against the traffic.

10. Wear reflective clothing when needed.

11. Use hand signals when turning.

12. ALWAYS look over your left shoulder before moving into the left lane to turn.

13. ALWAYS ride on the right side of the lane as close to the white line as you can get unless you have a bike lane to use.

14. Never make sudden movements when cars are about to pass you.

15. Never listen to music when riding your bike. Here’s why. You are riding with the traffic and you need to be able to hear when a car or semi truck is approaching. If you are listening to music then chances are you can’t really hear everything going on around you. Then during that great part in the song where your mind is off in music world, a car will sneak up on you and scare the-you-know-what out of you. At that moment, you might jerk your wheel the wrong way and either go into the car to your left or the ditch to your right. Either way it’s not going to be pretty and it could have been avoid if you were listening for them.

Don’t think it doesn’t happen. I used to ride with music. Then I tried riding with just my right ear bud in so I could hear cars on my left. Still… not as good, but better. Eventually, I got rid of the music. Trust me. It’s for your own safety.

When riding with a group, learn these terms..

16. Car back – it’s when you hear a car coming up from behind you. Yell “CAR BACK!!” and those in front of you will repeat it so that everyone in the group knows there is a car about to pass.

17. Car Forward – same as car back but this is for cars coming towards you. This allows those in the group that might not be looking up at the moment to know there’s a car coming in the other lane. Again, you yell it out for all to hear.

18. When riding with a group, learn to point to obstructions in the road for those who are riding behind you. Potholes, gravel, and sticks. Remember, your road tires are more delicate than mountain bike tires. I’ve had flats from hit a tiny rock before so avoid anything in the road that you might think will pop a tire or send you flying off your bike.

19. Ride single file in traffic.

20. When passing other riders, try to pass on their left. When you are about to pass them yell, “LEFT!!” and pass with caution.

21. Buy a Road ID. If anything should happen to you while you are running, whoever finds you will have quick access to your emergency contact and medical info for EMT.

To all of you who get frustrated with cyclists as you are driving your car.

I hear this often from other drivers…

Cyclists think they own the road…

I just want to put a few things in perspective for those of you… us… who are driving vehicles while passing a cyclist.

• Cyclists have to obey the same road laws you do and have just as much of a right to be on the road as you.
• Your vehicle weighs over 4,000lbs and you are protected by the shell of the vehicle tied in with a seatbelt and have air bags. Cyclists are riding on a bike that weighs less that 20lbs and are wearing a helmet. That’s it.
• Pro cyclists race between 25mph – 30plus mph. The average cyclist rides at 15mph – 20mph. that’s it. We can’t go any faster so please stop acting as if we can.
• Most states have a 3-foot law. The motorist has to give a cyclist at least 3 feet of space.
• Most cycling injuries that involve a motorist are caused by the motorist. Some ending in death and an involuntary manslaughter charge. So think before you decide to scare that cyclist the next time you get frustrated. You could cause death for them and jail time for you with little effort.

The bottom line here is this. Cyclists CAN’T own the road. Cyclist only take up two feet of the road at one anytime. When you are driving a car, you are driving what could be a very dangerous driving machine. Drive too close to a cyclist and that cyclist could fly off the road. Hopefully with little injury but acts like this have ended in people being permanently paralyzed, nursing a few broken bones or dead.

Yes, we cyclists take the responsibility of putting our lives in danger by just riding a bike. But we need motorists to help us out a bit. Be more patient when trying to pass us and we will do our best to help you get around us safely. Please, we don’t need you scarring us just because you can bully us with your car.

And that’s what it really is when you are the bigger presence with the damaging force of a car… Bullying.

So there you go.

These few tips will get you on your way to some safe training.

Any Questions? Any tips you would like to share?

You’ve decided to get into cycling or triathlon and you want to buy your first bike.

Now what. Where do you start?

Much like yesterday’s post about getting into the right running shoe, buying a bike is all about the fit. Of course, starting out, everyone wants to buy the least expensive bike and go from there but most people tend to go with too cheap and pay a bigger price in injuries or not liking the experience because the bought the wrong bike.

The same place you start with buying running shoes is the same place you start with buying your first bike. It all begins with getting the right size of bike.

Actually, I should back up a bit. You should really decide first on what style of bike you want.

If you are looking for something to stroll down Main Street and put a little basket on the front, then you probably don’t need this post.

However, outside of being triathlon specific, you really need to determine if you are going to get a mountain bike so you can hit the trails or do you want a road bike so you can go out for long smooth rides.

The way you get into each of them is all the same.

• Find a local bike shop. Bike shops are always well equipped with great staff that know their stuff because they are experienced cyclists and are very used to first time buyers coming in for that first time experience. (Wal-Mart and Target are not a real bike shops.) Find a friend who likes to ride, ask them to take you to their favorite bike shop and walk with you through part of the process. This is always a major help and it never hurts to have a friend by your side that knows a little more than you.
•  Zero in on a bike that fits your budget. Once you get to the store, start talking about what you are looking to do and why you want a bike. All shops will work with you on your budget. I’ve seen knew bikes as low as $500 and as expensive as $12,000. Keep in mind you will need cycling shoes, pedals, helmet, bike computer and cycling clothes. It adds up quick but once you make that initial investment, you are good for a bit.
• Focus on the size and fit of the bike. You see bikes are made in different sizes. So when you see someone riding a nice bike. It doesn’t come in that one size. It comes in all sizes. Once you have found the right size bike then the staff will fit the bike to your body. Which means, they will adjust the seat to the right height, angle and make sure your feet sit properly on your pedals. They will also take a look at your handle bar placement.

I’d like to caution you on two other ways to get into a bike.

Borrowing From A Friend. Several of my friends have said over and over. I’m not sure I can afford a bike but my friend has one I can use. I will just borrow theirs.

That’s fine. In fact, my first road bike is out on permanent loan to a good friend of mine.
Here’s the catch though. I felt comfortable letting my friend use my road bike because of one huge and deal-breaking factor. He and I are the same height.

If your friend is a foot shorter than you, believe me, you might as well try to borrow their jeans to wear. It’s just not going to be the same as if you were actually wearing your size. In fact, you’re going to hate it.

So, if you need to borrow a bike. Make sure you are the same height. Chances are your friend went out and did the work to get the right size and fit. You will benefit from the majority of that effort. If anything should happen to the bike while you have it, it’s your responsibility to get it repaired and to keep it in great condition.

Even though, my friend is the same height, he still needed to take it to the bike shop to make sure the seat placement and handlebars were in the right position for him. He has longer legs than me and I have a longer torso than him, so the positioning needed adjustment.  Either way, he still needed help at the bike shop.

Buying A Bike From Craigslist or eBay. I only recommend this if you are an experienced cyclist who knows the size of bike they need and know what they are looking for from a picture and description.

There’s no doubt going this route will save you money, but if this is your first purchase and you want to do it right, it won’t save you time. You will still need to go to a bike shop to have them size you and once you have bought your bike you will still need to go to a bike shop to insure the most proper fit and have them put your pedals on your bike if you don’t have the right tools to do that already.

 If you have an experienced cycling friend who is willing to do all of this for you, then great, it saves you even more money.

But my vote will always be to spend a little extra on the front end to get you started in the right direction.

Sounds like a lot right? It is… but it’s worth it.

It’s the difference in loving the cycling experience or not. It’s the difference in riding 15 uncomfortable miles or 50 miles in comfort.

Now, for all those looking to do your first triathlon, it’s better for you to get a road bike first to make sure you get comfortable with the sport as a whole.  Once you catch the bug and want to go faster and improve then move into a triathlon bike.

The differences between a triathlon (time trial) bike and a road bike are this…

• Triathlon bikes are more compact and aerodynamic. Since aero-bars are the main focus of the front of the bike, you are constantly in a downward position that requires a whole other set of muscles and makes you very streamline and fast.
• Another difference is because your body position is down in the bars; the distance between the seat and the bars is shorter on a triathlon bike than on a normal road bike. When aero bars are placed on a regular road bike, the bike fit has to be adjusted a lot because your back is being stretched further than it should be stretched.
•  Also, the angle your body sits (hip/leg angle) on the triathlon bike is better for your transition of muscles into running.

Triathlon Bike - Notice the downward position of the arms

Road Bikes

So go out and find the right bike for you and enjoy the ride.

Any questions? Any useful tips on your first bike experience?

Yesterday in the ongoing triathlon training for Ironman Louisville, I rode Bike The CRAM (Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric). It was nothing short of a blast and a great training ride. The weather was perfect and I got to know a few people on the ride as we cruised our way around the farmland surrounding Clarksville, TN.

As I rode I noticed my gears weren’t shifting so at the first water stop there was a bike mechanic from The Bicycle Center of Clarksville. This guy hooked me up and completely replaced a gear cable in about 5 minutes. My bike rode like a dream for the rest of the day.

After I rode, I went to buy my first tri bike – A 2009 Cervelo P2. I’ve been shopping for the right bike for some time and I had finally found what I was looking for. For those of you not into tri’s, this is different bike than a normal road bike. I’ve been riding a great road bike by Giant but it was time to take things to the next level. I’ll spare you the boring details about the differences between a Tri bike and a road bike and just tell you that it’s fast, very aerodynamic and very cool. I’m really excited about all that is in-store for my training with this bike.

I bought the bike at ACME Multisports and those guys took great care of me. They know their bikes and they how they should fit for triathletes. It was a great experience and I highly recommend going to see them if you are in the Nashville area.

These were my two big winners for the weekend.

The big take away here is customer service and attention to detail mean everything…

This past week Lance Armstrong announced his return to the rolling saddle. He’s going to go for his 8th Tour de France. I’m extremely excited to see his return! He is one of the most incredible athletes of our time and his drive to find a cure for cancer has activated more people to action than most celebrities have in a long time. He’s up there with Bono when it comes to bring awareness around a cause.

Click on the link HERE to see the announcement.

No. I’m not looking for new job. I love the one I have thanks:)

Yesterday morning I competed in another triathlon. This time it required a hotel stay which was one block from the starting line and transition area where we rack our bikes and stage our gear for the event. I roomed with a group of friends which was a pretty funny endeavor I won’t get into yet. But 4 sleeping to a room with 4 bikes in the room is kind of funny to see.

We woke up at 5am Sunday morning and were out the door by 5:45am. Pushing our bikes out of the hotel lobby with our backpacks on and swim gear on, we set out for the short walk down the block. When we got outside it was still dark. There were triathletes coming from all directions into the darken transition area. Something strange was happening when we got into the transition area. Because the sun wasn’t up, there was this silence every where. Hardly any talking was taking place at all. Stillness and quiet. One of the girls I was with said something I had never thought of. She said…You know, if I were a company looking for a great employee or someone with focus, I would come to a triathlon. You won’t find a more dedicated, disciplined, focused group of people who are detailed about everything and willing to work hard for something they believe in. As I looked over the quite crowd with the sun making it’s first yawn into the morning, I saw what she was seeing. There was a stillness before a storm of pushing your body to the limit.

I think she had a point. You can’t do this sport without being focused and willing to go the distance to achieve your goals. It’s a sport that requires the ability to be thinking about 3 different sports and the detail for each while trying to smoothly transition from one to the other without freaking your body out.

I think all to often we look at some people’s ability and think…they can’t do this or that or they don’t seem capable of performing a certain task. Some of these thoughts come from sizing a person up by appearance or how they carry themselves. Reality says some of this line of thinking is true and not far off base. But they way I see it, there are plenty of people in these triathlons that are a good 50lbs to 100lbs overweight. By the look of them, you would never have guessed they were actively training or participating in triathlons…but guess what. They are doing it and they are doing it well because they finish well.

Strength, dedication, focus and the will to conquer. It’s part of the make up of a triathlete. Shouldn’t it be apart of the make up for a good employee? How about for yourself as an employee? Or yourself as a boss, or a spouse…boyfriend or girlfriend?

With my job, I’ve been gearing up for making some things fresh and new again. I know I can credit this energy to what I see and learn from my training and the people I meet along the way who are triathletes.

I would encourage you..if you are looking for something to bring more focus in your life, it doesn’t have to be triathlons. Find something you can be dedicated to that brings you confidence, strength, focus and the will to go further into conquering something you have never conquered before. 

This morning a group of friends met at one of the parks in Nashville. Bikes, bike shoes, water bottles, GU gels and a few eats for a long the way and nothing but time on our side. There were 9 of us that started out together, but 6 of us were still in the group when we finished. We have no idea were the other 3 went off to but we weren’t worried. They were experienced. About ten miles into it we met up with another group of cyclists. This brought our group to about 15 riding together down the country roads making our way into Franklin, TN. Our goal was to take this hill called Theta out near Leiper’s Fork. Before we got to Theta the 2nd group split off from us and we pushed on. I kept hearing about how bad this hill called Theta was. Well let me tell you…It was the hardest hill I have ever gone up. I thought my legs were going to break off and life would cease…(not really mom), but it did hurt like nothing I have ever felt. When we got to the top, I thought i had just defeated the Romans and conquered new land, except there was another nasty hill coming…oh boy.

The ride today was a first for me. A first to do anything over 30 miles at a time. I can see the more I get into training the bigger strides I take. After today’s ride I can tell that 50 miles is going to become a norm on the weekends with shorter miles during the week. I’m pretty excited about that part.

The part that I loved the most today was the one thing I didn’t expect at all. RAIN. It rain for the majority of the ride. Sometimes it was a complete down pour. That didn’t slow us down at all. We pedaled right through it. What did slow us down were the 3 flat tires that happened in our group and a need stop at Pucket’s in Leiper’s Fork.

Here’s the thing about Pucket’s in Leiper’s. It’s a grocery store/gas station/place to eat. The locals hang here, farm trucks and all, Harley Davidson riders stop here…and us pedaling our little bikes and our tight fitting shorts stop here. Getting a good picture yet? It’s a sight to see. Note to photgraghers. Go hang out here on a Saturday or Sunday and you will get some great shoots of diversity in action.

As most of you know, I have dedicated my summer to triathlons. Every weekend I’m home, I will race in a triathlon if there is one happening. Or…as in the case of this weekend, do something with training I have never done before. I have to think that while I can physically do it, I need to challenge myself to go above and beyond what I think I would ever try or do. Today was 53 miles.

If you have the opportunity to challenge yourself, sit down and make a plan and set some goals. See what happens in your journey to reaching your goals and challenge yourself to literally go that extra mile.

If I can do it…you can do it.

Now onto the rest of the weekend….:)

Yesterday I went with a couple of people for a bike ride. The plan for the day…ride 25 miles then go to swim practice. 

We started in Franklin in Fieldstone Farms and headed out to Leipers Fork. For those of you from Nashville, you know how pretty this area is. It was an incredible ride. I was sporting my new bike made by Giant and I really got the feel of the new gears and clipping in and out of the pedals. The hills were rolling and the scenery was just peaceful. About 18 miles in we stopped in Leipers Fork at a little convenience store. When we pulled up there were a group of cyclist from nashvillecyclist.com and Gran Fondo Cycles. It was cool to see some really serious cyclists taking their break and having a good laugh. As we got a gatorade and rested a bit, the group of cyclist took off. As they left us, I yelled out " Don’t wait for us guys! We’ll catch up to you in a bit!!" As they rode away, they laughed and said "have a great ride!" It was a great ride.

Next was swim practice. From now until the end of the year, we are doing nothing but drills.
Yesterday we
did two drills for the 90 minute practice. 20 minutes of warm up then the two drills. Both were tough. After biking 25 miles and going straight to swimming. I soon realized I had no energy at all. Nothing. My legs were cramping after every push off from the wall and I could never seem to get enough oxygen to make it happen. It was rough. I was really glad to be done with practice.

As I continue to train for this next seasons triathlons, I’m really looking forward to the growth both physically and mentally. I find that exercise like this clears my head, pushes me to do more, and helps me to put things in perspective. Don’t forget to check out my new blog Triathlete Training.