Tag: RaceSmart

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RACE STRATEGY: Naples Fitness Challenge Sprint Tri.

Leapfrog Athletics Presents

Tips and Strategy for the Fitness Challenge Sprint Triathlon:

(& ***Don’t Forget to Check Out our MEMORIAL DAY SALE!! 3 Months of All Things Leapfrog for only $140 (Plus Leapfrog Membership of $3/Month.) )

…IN REVERSE:)

  1. Arrive Early for race check in.  Be sure to check you bike tire pressure and have both tires inflated to proper psi.  Set your bike up on your rack early for best position.
  2. Count how many bike racks you pass coming into transition BOTH WAYS until your rack.  Know your rack position (Don’t rely on reading the numbers, they could fall off or someone could be standing in front of them…do not lose your bike/rack in transition!)
  3. Walk down to the water and check out the swim course…DON’T PANIC!  Be sure to check out the beach heading into the water…see how far you can run into the water before the shore dips and you  have to swim.  Do the same for the finish…See how the beach is, where the sand dips and how far you need to swim in before standing and running to the finish.  ALSO:  Be sure to check your “sight line” from the last buoy to the finish line, remember: the sun will be coming up so most likely you WILL NOT be able to see the finish line while swimming.
  4. Relax, Use the Bathroom…
  5. Warm Up!! Approx. 20 minutes before your wave, do a short warm up.  Approx. a 1/2 mile and some build ups.

RUN COURSE STRATEGY:

Run With Purpose
  1. Go out with an EASY EFFORT for the first stretch.  Here you will get sucked along with the crowd, so just relax and enjoy, don’t push it to hard the first ½ mile.
  2. When you get to Crayton Rd.  Here is a great place to assess your position, are you running near people you train with?  Establish a strong breath and good form.
  3. When you turn RIGHT on Spring Line know that here is both UPHILL and the First Mile Mark.  I highly suggest NOT looking at your watch!!  Whatever you choose, however fast that first mile has gone by: DO NOT SLOW DOWN or ADJUST YOUR YOUR PACE HERE.  You will be going up a small hill, so don’t relax here…Continue your pace with strong form up the hill, once you turn right on Alamanda you may relax a bit.  Alamanda is DOWN HILL and provides a great opportunity to relax and practice Active Recovery.
  4. Continue to relax across Alamanda and on Orchid Dr. 
  5. Once you  turn right on Mandarin Dr.  you have options:  IF you are a Strong Runner I suggest picking up the pace here and actively passing people.  Mandarin is a nice street approx.  ½ mile long and in the shade, great opportunity to pass your opponents!  IF running is not a strong suit of yours, I suggest just running with Good Form, Strong Posture and a Medium Breath.
  6. Once you turn left on Banyan, this is a Recovery Street.  Catch your breath, Strong Posture and Form.
  7. Once you go right on 41 here is the TWO MILE MARK. 
  8. I suggest EVERYONE make an effort to RACE this stretch of the course.  In other words, push the pace here!! 
  9. Know that keeping your eyes up, you can look toward the stoplight and know that you will be turning on to South Golf Drive one block before the stoplight.
  10. Turn Right on to South Golf Drive.  Here is the second uphill of the course!  Once again, do not relax your form/pace until you have crested this slight incline.
  11. Once you pass the top of the hill you will want to practice Active Recovery again and find a Strong, Smooth Pace/Rhythm.
  12. As you run down S. Gulf Drive, Run Strong!  Not nessicarily fast…the 5k in a Reverse Triathlon is NOT the time to go after your P.R.  (you still have to have energy to bike and swim…so don’t push yourself all our on the runJ
  13. As the Beach Club comes into sight, start changing your thought process to how you will transition.  DON’T WASTE TIME IN TRANSITION.
  14. Think:  Where’s my bike rack, Where’s my bike, Then Helmet on/buckled, change shoes (if required) and then RUN your bike out of transition to the mount line.

BIKE STRATEGY:

  1. Mount the bike as quickly as possible.
  2. Keep riding the first ½ mile in an EASY GEAR.  Everyone should be in the Little Chain Ring.
  3. TIP:  The first ½ mile has 3 turns, instead of pushing to maximum acceleration before each turn, try instead to establish a quick cadence and a strong breath!! 
  4. Once you get to the stoplight at Banyan I suggest beginning to Accellerate USING YOUR GEARS!!
  5. TIP:  Know that on the course you make a turn approx. every ½ mile until Venitian Village.  SO:  at 15mph you turn every 2 minutes (at 20mph you turn every 90seconds!!) So if you have a headwind… don’t fret! You’ll soon be turning and the wind will change!!
  6. TIP:  Use your Gears up the hill at Mooring Line Bridge.  ALSO: if you’re clipped in, pull UP on the peddle stroke!
  7. TIP:  Peddle through your Turns!!
  8. REMEMBER:  Once you turn into Venitian Village you have 2 miles straight down and back…Odds are you will have a HEADWIND and a TAILWIND.  Use your gears appropriately!  (Easy Gear, high cadence into the wind.  Hard Gear fast speed with the wind at your back)  ALSO: Remember: Brake, Peddle and Shift as you come into those U-Turns.
  9. Coming out of Venitian: just know you turn every ½ mile.   Keep on Pushing!!
  10. On the way back, once you come through the stoplight at Banyan, start thinking about your transition:  Where is your bike rack? 
  11. Dismount, and RUN your bike to its rack.  Remove your helmet and shoes, grab your goggle and GO!!
  12. RUN out of transition and down to the swim.  You don’t have to run fast…IN Fact I suggest running Easy, Run with GOOD POSTURE, Establish a Strong Breath!!  Big inhales and Exhales as you prepare for the swim

SWIM STRATEGY:

  1. TIP:  The road is rough in the parking lot, look for the concrete “gutter” and run on that stretch, it’s smooth and cool.
  2. Enter the Water and Start Swimming!! 
  3. SIGHT OFTEN!!  This is HUGE!  IF you struggle swimming the last thing you want to do is swim extra…so SIGHT OFTEN.
  4. Modify your swim stroke as needed.  Use Side Stroke, Back Stroke…Most Importantly: Don’t Panic.  Breath, Sight and Continue Forward.
  5. Swim towards the finish!!  Once you stand up, CONTINUE TO RUN out of the water and Up The Beach to the finish line!!
  6. Keep your Arms Up, Your Eyes Up and TAKE A GREAT PICTURE!! 
  7. You’ve Just Had a Successful Triathlon!!
  8. Cheers and Congrats!!

I look forward to seeing each of you at the finish line!!  We will celebrate Leapfrog Style:

Fitness for a beer…

Once again:   Thank You for choosing Leapfrog Atheltics!!

***Don’t Forget to Check Out our MEMORIAL DAY SALE!! 3 Months of All Things Leapfrog for only $140 (Plus Leapfrog Membership of $3/Month.)

Leapfrog Athletics: PO Box: 9336 Naples FL  34101  (239) 272-7811

www.leapfrogathletics.com    

Facebook:  Leapfrogathletics        E-mail:  Coach@leapfrogrunning.com 

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2019 Naples News 1/2 Marathon Racing Guide. Leapfrog Athletics.

Leapfrog Athletics
Naples News ½ Marathon Racing Guideline
Thank You for choosing Leapfrog Athletics to help you Race the 2019 Naples News ½ Marathon on January 20th!! The following is an outline of the strategy we used in training along with suggestions to enhance YOUR performance.


Our Philosophy:
At Leapfrog our training is based on 3 principles:

  1. Perceived Effort:
    Perceived effort is training the mind to trust the body. We learn to listen
    to our bodies and run as our training allows. We are less focused on
    “scientific” methods such as heart rate and pace, we are more focused on
    learning to monitor effort and make adjustments.
  2. Effort vs Pace:
    This is a key training distinction we make at Leapfrog Running. Effort is
    defined as what we are doing from the waist up: It’s how we breath, our
    posture, arm position, shoulder position and how our upper body syncs
    with what our legs are doing. Pace is nothing more than a measurement of how fast our legs move us
    across the track. Pace is Independent from Effort. In other words, a 15
    minute mile pace can sometimes be very easy effort and at other times
    it can be hard effort (think of running 3 miles versus 26…) Any pace can be
    run at any effort.
  3. Negative Splits:
    Negative Splits is the idea that we end our runs/races faster than we begin them. This builds on the importance of WARM-UP for all our runs.
    Negative Splitting a run allows us to warm-up and then build our pace. We continue to practice Active Recovery during our longer runs/races to enable us to continually work towards negative splits.

The 4 Efforts:

Easy Effort=Run however you feel…easy doesn’t mean slow!! Just relax and
run, accept whatever pace the body feels like running.

Med. Effort=Running with a focus of YOUR BREATHING. Practicing an “active
exhale” 2 count inhale and 2 count exhale. Chest rises on the
inhale and shoulders fall down the back on the exhale. You
won’t be able to breath this way for the entire run, but you
want to keep focused on your breath and practicing having it
under control.

Brisk Effort=Running with your upper body engaged. You have your active
breath and you are generating turnover with your arms. You are
practicing running fast/strong. Your breath rate will increase as
you engage more muscles, this is ok! You’re generating speed.

Hard Effort=Exhale Matching Footstrike. You are running fast and feeling
Coordinated!! You will be practicing “active recovery” as you
push yourself on these runs.

EFFORT vs. PACE: Effort is all FORM BASED
 
Principles Applied to Naples News ½ Marathon:

  1. We arrive early on race day, check in, and allow time for a WARM-UP. Even though
    we are running 13.1 miles, we still want to do a warm-up. It is what we have practiced so we will continue it on race day. Minimum ½ mile, up to 1 mile. Please warm up approx. 20 minutes prior to the start.
  2. Our strategy involves running the first 3 miles at EASY EFFORT. This means keeping the upper body totally relaxed. Just enjoy the RUN, it isn’t time to “race” yet. Keep in mind though…an easy effort doesn’t mean slow. It just means relaxed. Trust me, you’ll go faster than you think and as long as the perceived effort is easy you’ll be in great shape for the rest of your race.
  3. At mile 3 of the race course we take a deep breath and we mentally begin our race. It is here, at the 3 mile mark that we begin to pass people (RACING IS PASSING.) We shift to a medium effort taking larger/deeper breaths as we begin a small pace increase.
  4. We continue our medium effort onto Kingstown and out towards mile 5. As we come into the loop at mile 6 we TAKE INVENTORY—That is, we evaluate how we feel: How’s our breath, are our shoulders relaxed and down, how is our arm position, how is our foot strike. We should listen to what our bodies are telling us and make adjustments as needed. If something is off, we take action to correct it (our breath is shallow or fast, our shoulders are tight, our arms are crossing our body, our wrists are below our elbows, our foot strike sounds loud…) If everything looks/sounds good then we continue to actively pass back towards mile 7.
  5. We continue to run/race out to the U-turn on Kingstown and head into Lantern Lane. As we go towards Gallieon we are both physically and mentally preparing ourselves for the RACE on Gallieon. This is where the race really begins!! We will be working both a HARD EFFORT AND PACE for miles 8-10. This is mental. Remember, racing is passing!! Most runners will “hit the wall” on Gallieon…don’t allow someone else to control YOUR RACE…you’ve trained!! You can do this!!
  6. As we come back across Lantern Lane from Gallieon we are looking to Take Inventory and relax…we want to maximize efficiency at this point. WE ONLY HAVE A 5K TO GO!!
  7. Pace coming across Lantern Lane doesn’t matter…EFFORT MATTERS!! Don’t lose it mentally, SMILE You’ve made the most difficult part of the race, the rest is just playful running. Remember your fundamentals and form, control your breath, keep your thoughts positive and remember: Units you can handle…
  8. As you are coming back down Kingstown and preparing to make the right on Gordon Drive pick a number!! This is the number of runners that you will pass as you head towards the finish line. Be ambitious!! THIS WILL HELP. I had a runner 2 years ago pass 218 runners on these final miles!! Remember, we are shortening the distance in your mind to smaller units…the distance between you and each runner ahead of you. Keep count and continue to pass. Use the Indian Run strategies that we have practiced.
  9. Another tip to help you: Look at the street numbers counting the blocks back to 8th Ave. South. The first one you will see is 20th, at this point you know you only have 13 blocks to go!! Once again breaking the course down into units you can handle.
  10. As we make the turn up 8th Ave. South we need to remember that this is slightly uphill and that the race still has ½ a mile!! Nothing to panic about, just need to plan for it. When we make the turn we want to turn our thumbs up and use our upper body arm movement to help us overcome this obstacle. We also want to find that hard effort of exhale matching footstrike. This will help keep us from over-striding and should also keep our legs from any potential cramping. Once again we can also use the block strategy!! Since we turned onto 8th from second and we know the race finishes on 8th…we know we have 6 blocks before the final turn!! We can therefore break 8th Ave. South down into 6 smaller units!! Another great tip!!
  11. Lastly…as we make the final turn towards the finish line…keep efficient!! Strong Breathing, Strong Running…TAKE A GOOD PICTURE!! Look up and CELEBRATE!!
  12. CONGRATULATIONS!! You Did It!!

I look forward to seeing each of you at the finish line!! We will celebrate Leapfrog Style
Fitness for a beer…


Once again: Thank You for choosing Leapfrog Athletics.


Leapfrog Athletics: Coach Matt Reedy

(239) 272-7811
www.leapfrogathletics.com
Facebook: Leapfrog Athletics.

E-mail: Coach@Lfathletics.com









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10 Tips to the 10k

Leapfrog Group Training:  March 10k Training/Recovery Breathing Series

10 Tips for the 10k:  Leapfrog Athletics presents our Race Strategy for the 10k distance.  We wish you all the best:  may the road be kind, your pace be swift and the finish line find you fulfilled!!  Here is our Best Advice for your pre-race check:

1.  Arrive EARLY on race day, don’t be late and waste energy stressing about chip pick-up (most races now offer bib timing so most will get their number/chip early at packet pick up)and long bathroom lines.

2. Breathe and take some time to make a plan RUN YOUR RACE!  It’s to late to question training so accept what you’ve done and set your mind for YOUR GOAL!

3. Do a proper warm-up.  I recommend a longer distance warm-up for the 10k distance, this helps you settle in and helps you realize the length of the race…this isn’t a 5k!!  I suggest a 2 mile slow pace warm up.  Prepare your mind and body for a longer distance.

4. Do 2-3 Build Ups within 5 minutes of the start.  Help prepare your legs and heart for that initial pace of the race start

5. Line up in accordance to YOUR GOAL.  If you have been training, you have EARNED a spot at the start line, be considerate, but don’t place yourself in the back either, especially if you have trained for a goal.

6. Go out with EASY EFFORT your first mile, don’t get caught up in the initial race, go out conservative, there will be plenty of time to pass people

7. Don’t get hung up on your mile splits!!  This is HUGE!!  Run your race, don’t let the watch dictate your performance.  To many times we hear our first mile split and freak out!! We either panic because we went out “way to fast” OR we realize we are behind our pace and we try to “sprint” in order to make up for a slow first mile.  Relax…you have 5.2 miles yet!!  Control your breath, relax your mind, run your race.

8. At the turn around…This is the ½ way point, here is where the race begins!!  Racing is PASSING!!  Time to ACHIEVE!! Once we turn around, take a breath, SMILE, and just begin to pass people!!  You don’t have to sprint by people, just change something, close a gap, pass…don’t just run along someone unless you know they share the same goal.  You have trained, you have put the work in, don’t let someone else be responsible for your race.

9. LOOK GOOD!!  Listen to the spectators!!  Make eye contact, smile!  These things will help auto-correct most bad form issues (like posture!)  Spectators will tell you all you need to know about your race…if you hear “looking strong, looking good!!”  they are telling you just that!! If you hear “only ½, ¼ mile to go, you can do it”  they are telling you “wow! You look bad…you look like you’re hurting…hold on, you’ll make it!”   This is just a reminder to relax your body, look up, run tall and smile, IT WILL HELP

10. CELEBRATE YOUR RACE!!!  Congratulations, you’ve just raced what I consider the most difficult distance in racing!! Cheers and I hope to see YOU @ a Leapfrog Event in the near future.

Need Additional Help? Join Leapfrog &  Sign Up for Training Here