The second meet of the year was last weekend at the University of Saint Thomas (St. Paul, MN). For me, it was the first time swimming at that facility and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to do so. Once again, it was a full meet lineup for the day and the cap was 5 (or 6) events per swimmer. I choose similar events as the Ice Breaker meet, and my goal was: to improve my times and to also have better execution of every swim. The events: 200 free - 1:54.84 500 free - 5:11.16 *SB 1,000 free - 10:59.96 *SB 400 IM - 4:55.81
February is almost over, and I will not hit my 120,000 yards goal. Right now (Thursday), I'm sitting at 110k and took my first day off in 3 weeks (elbow discomfort). I won't be swimming 10k tomorrow, best case 4k will do for me (if the elbow stops bugging me). March looks promising, I'm going to set the bar at 120k again and hopefully I will be able to hit it this time around. Next swim meet is in March 22nd (also my 28th birthday). Right now I'm thinking about swimming the 500 free, 200 free, 100 fly and 1,650 free. I might swim the 200 fly (as a birthday swim), but the whole mixing the 200 fly with the 1,650 was painful when I did it in college, I can not imagine how bad that is going to feel right now. Triathlon training is taking a back seat to swimming. Running is the thing I've been doing the most, I'm planning on changing that during the month of March. 500 Free video About six weeks ago I decided to start doing a massive swim block. I'm still working out the details of how long (both time and distance) the block is going to be. For now, I'm thinking the block will end with a trip to California for USMS Spring Nationals in early May. In order to get myself to a level that is going to make it worth it for me to travel across the country, spending resources that are coming out of pocket, I decided to set several goals/milestones. I'm thinking about four events for nationals; 1,000 or 1,650 free (can't race both due to meet rules), 500 Free, 200 Free, 200 Fly and/or 400 IM, it is all about the clock. With that said, there are times/ personal standards that I would like to hit before I commit to the Masters Nationals; 200 Free - 1:46.99 500 Free - 4:55.99 1,000 Free - 10:15.99 or 1,650 - 17:35.99 200 Fly - 2:08.99 400 IM - 4:35.99 Once I reach at least four of these standards I will give it a go. February Goals - 120k yards of swimming, that is 30K per week... There is a catch, I would like to run more miles than I'm going to swim. In theory that should be easy (need to run 75 miles). However, hitting over 30K per week takes time and with a full time job, it is going to be difficult to add the running and the biking I want to do without getting hurt. That is why I'm still working out some details. The bigger picture for my swimming goals is... 1,000,000 yards for the year. Right now I'm about 16 miles behind the pace to hit that milestone at the end of the year. However, I think by the end of March I should be ahead of the pace. I will keep you guys posted with the totals and the end of each month. Swim Training Volume - The last two weeks have been a nice challenge, things are going very well and my body is, slowly but surely, getting used to the high volume training once again. Week of Jan 27 to Feb 2 - 28,500 yards with a total of 9 sessions. Longest swim 4,000 yards. Week of Feb 3 to Feb 9 - 30,800 yards with a total of 9 sessions. Longest swim 6,000 yards (pictured above). Next week is going to be around 33-35K. I'm actually trying to figure out the workouts right now (I usually print all of my upcoming week workouts Sunday night). Sponsors - I'm extremely happy to announce that once again, I will be using CeraSport products during the 2014 season. I've been working with them for four years and can not thank the company enough for their support. I started using their products about six years ago when I was a college student, and even though it is a little more expensive than your main stream sports drinks, the quality of the CeraSport products has given me great results over the years. The 2014 season has officially started with a masters swim meet, Its been 4 years since I last took part in a swim meet (Senior year of College Swimming) and all I can say is that I'm really happy I decided to finally sign up for a masters swim meet. The Ice Breaker meet was held at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, probably one of the fastest pools in the Midwest, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is one of the fastest pools in the U.S. I decided to swim 4 events; 200 Free, 500 Free, 100 Fly, 1,000 Free. I didn't know what to expect since I haven't done any swimming specific training, and compared to my competitive swimming years where I swam at least 9 times per week, nowadays I'm lucky if I get in the water 3 times per week. However, during the last 2 weeks I started changing my training a bit. I scratched some meaningless runs I was doing and added some more swimming, to the point that last week was the first time in over 2 years I've been in the pool every day of the week (including the Sunday meet). Pre-Meet goals - Swimming is all about the clock! After I finally signed up for this meet, I told myself "Well, what are your goals for the up coming meet?" here they are; 200 Free 1:56.00 500 Free 5:15.00 1000 Free 11:00.00 100 Fly 1:00.00 My actual times were: 200 Free 1:54.47 500 Free 5:21.99* 1000 Free 11:04.98 100 fly :59.99*
One more thing, I'm working on getting some videos on the website, I will try to upload some of the swim meet races, also some swimming drills, and hopefully some triathlon race footage. Cheers, Jose The Rig: The Z8 has been ridden quite often indoors and outdoors during the past two months, I rode it in Napa,CA in April and for the most part it has been used it in the rolling roads of Mankato, MN. To this point I can say that whatever the conditions were, nothing was too overwhelming for this simple but fast bike. From a comfort standpoint, it is what most people want to own. The frame (size 58) fits me great and having the option of setting up your own aerobars are a plus since you can play with your position as much as you want to for comfort (cockpit is 3T Ventus w/straight extensions). The Z8 frame response is great and there is no doubt of its integrity during steep descents. On flat courses the bike is super fast! The bike behaves extremely well riding against the wind and the crosswinds; needless to say the bike is super stable! The Build: The first impression of the Z8 is amazing " simple but fast and elegant", the geometry has the reach and stack that fits extremely well right of the gate, minimizing the amount of adjustments or need to add spacers on the fork or even the aerobars, this is essentially what I need for racing triathlons. The all black frame is very elegant. The cutaway of the seat tube follows the rear wheel very tight and I haven’t had any issues with my rear wheel rubbing. The seat post can be adjusted up and down as you need; also there are two options for seat angles which it helps to set up for an aggressive position or you could with with a more traditional "triathlon" relaxed position as well. Another neat feature is the water cage holes in both the down tube and the seat tube, I understand that all of the super bikes don’t have this feature because of “speed” of the frame, quite honestly I love have this option for long training rides, It means I can carry an extra bottle and that gives me an opportunity to extend my ride at least 20 miles without having to stop to refill. On race day I simple take the extra cage off, seal the holes and use the aid stations like everyone else. Overall the bike gives you the opportunity to mix and match your favorite components to make either a high end parts bike or a price point build for starters. The Specs Frame: Qachia Z8 Fork: Qachia Group set: Sram Force + Quarq powermeter crank Cockpit: 3T Ventus integrated bars w/straight extensions Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo TTR Water bottle cages: Xlab chimp and gorilla Verdict: Handling A Specs A+ Value A++ Comfort A P.S. I will be posting pictures of the bike and build by the end of the week I’m going to be available for swimming lessons (private and group) during the month of January. I already have a group out of town on Tuesday Nights and I’m open to coach one more group (10-12 people) Saturday mornings, I’m willing to drive to your pool up to 75 min from Mankato. With that said I’m looking for a 4 week commitment. (Freestyle focused class) As far as the one on one private lesson goes, I’ll be doing them in Mankato. If you are not a member of the YMCA, I can get you in 2 times as a guest, after that the entry is on you. The one on one lessons are hands on, that means I will be following you up and down the pool (on deck) looking at your stroke, and I will get in to demonstrate all the drills we are going to work on. If you decide to go with the 4 lesson package I will give you a report of the things you need to work on (stroke report). The 6 lesson package will include the stroke report and also a drill card (waterproof) Private Swimming Lessons
How many private sessions do I recommend? Well, it's a matter of having me look at your abilities in person. If an athlete decides to purchase the four (4) or eight (6) session package after the first session, I'll put the $20 form this meeting toward the total balance of the package you choose. (i.e if after the first session you decide to go with the 4 session package, you will only pay $45 for the next 3 sessions for a total of $65.) 2013 is here, a couple of weeks back I released my race schedule with the exception of the local races and also rode road bike races I would like to do during the late spring. I’m currently training towards an ITU continental cup, but I’m having a hard time getting a hold of my national federation, that said, my season opener might be later than expected. I’m going to break down this post with the most important things of the month of January.
Training – It has been completely different than before, I’ve decided to not do a massive swim block since my fitness from 2012 is still there. The current weekly avg. stands at 14-16,000 yards during 4-5 sessions. The run has been great, I’m working on muscular endurance rather than crazy fast sessions/tempo runs and my body has responded well to it. (30 miles per week) the bike training changed drastically, I’m using a powermeter and all my sessions are being extremely controlled. Again I’m working on muscular endurance more than anything else. Overall I’m in great shape and healthy. Sponsors – 2013 will have new players backing me up. The only company that I will be working with that I’m returning with is CeraSport, any other sponsor that you see is new for 2013. I will swim wearing nineteen wetsuits, the bike sponsor still on the works right now, my wheel selection will come from FFWD fast forward, and I will use SPY optics sun glasses. I’m having conversation with a few local companies, all the help that I can get counts! If you have a business and would like to have me endorsing your products just drop me an email. Coaching – Right now I’m only doing private swim lessons and I have a small group of clients that I’m helping with their triathlon plans. I still have a couple of openings, if you are looking for a coach just fill out the form at the coaching page and I will get back to you. Training tips – It is very early, focus on good form and start developing good training habits. If it is too cold outside don’t try to be a hero and do your run indoors, treadmills are boring but being sick for a week is worse. If you have time to recover between sessions, take at least a 2-3 hr break between sessions and make sure you are eating well, stay hydrated all day. Happy Training, Jose The 2012 ended abruptly at IM Florida, after being stung by jellyfish (neck area) I had to drop out of the race during the first 10 miles of the bike. The next couple of weeks after the Jellyfish attack were not ideal, my body wasn’t able to recover from it and that was enough to call off IM Arizona. I took some time off and gave my body a chance to rest; something I didn’t do at all year (broke my tibia twice and took almost no time off).
I’m still working on 2013; the schedule is not set in stone at this moment but right now I’m thinking on making it similar to what the 2012 plan was. Race the short course and hopefully some ITU and then slowly shift to the long course races. 2013 Race Schedule - ITU Sarasota Pan American Cup * - 3/16 - Leadman 125 – 4/14 - New Orleans 70.3 – 4/21 - Memphis in May – 5/19 - Kansas 70.3 – 6/9 - Geneva ITU continental cup (Switzerland) * - Cadiz ITU continental cup (Spain) * - Lake Stevens 70.3 – 7/21 * - Steelhead 70.3 – 8/4 - Augusta 70.3 – 9/29 - IM Florida * - IM Arizona * The ITU races are pending, they depend on the National Federation (Venezuela) giving the ok and also depends if ITU wants to give me a start spot or not. Lake Stevens 70.3 overlaps with the Europe races, so if I get to start in Europe, Lake Stevens 70.3 is not going to happen. As far as the IM (Ironman) races, I might do both Florida and Arizona or I might do only one of them (Time will tell) I’m still working on the local races schedule, this is going to be dictated if I can lock in my local sponsors. I’m dealing with a lot of things that aren’t triathlon related which I could argue they are going to affect my season plans (including my home base). However I’m currently training, building a nice base and staying very healthy. 2013 will be different, I will keep this site updated and I will do my best to keep doing the good things I did during 2012, helping with the MSU Mankato tri club, also the Kids triathlon team (Green hornets), setting up triathlon clinics, swim clinics and masters classes. Happy training, J Often times I get a lot of questions about my swimming. The most frequently asked question is “How do you train for long course triathlons?” In this post, I’m going to make a breakdown of what a typical session/workout looks like when I’m preparing for the 1.2 or the 2.4 mile swim of the long course races.
Warming up – This is very important not only when swimming but any time you exercise. With this being said, a thorough warm up will prepare you for the main set of the day. Doing a little bit of everything will activate all the muscles in your body and this will reduce the risk of injury while performing a tough set. During my workouts, a typical warm up would look like this: - Freestyle swim (200-500 yards) - Kick with or w/o a board is ok (200-400 yards) - Individual medley (200-600 yards) - Pulling (200-400 yards) - Easy swim (50-100 yards) A good warm up should be 600-1200 yards & consist of a combination of the above described items. The core – This is where you will put in the hard work that translates into better splits during your races and an overall increase in your endurance. After warming up, you should be able do two or three sets—one of these will be your main set of the day. Normally, I like to do some medley and pulling work before my main set, however, it is not a bad idea to do short distance sets to prepare for the pace work. Example of sets performed during my workouts: - Pulling (4x200’s, 10x100’s, 6x150’s) breath control can be done here. - Kick (10x50’s, 4x100’s) - Short distance set (30x50’s, 8x75’s) - IM (8x100’s, 4x125’s, 8x75’s) I try to make my main set between 1,000 to 1,600 yards (8x200’s, 10x100’s, 10x150’s). Being ready for your main set in crucial! The core of the workout should be at least 2,000 yards—after all you are preparing yourself to swim 1,900 or 3,800 meters. If you can’t fit in workouts that are 3,000 yards long, you will put yourself at risk for potential problems on race day. The cool down – This is the most underestimated part of every workout, regardless of which discipline you are cooling down from. If you don’t take the time to cool down, you will pay the price later in the season. The cool down should be very easy; I like to do drills and an easy recovery swim. All-time favorite cool down: - 8x50’s swim - 8x50’s (25 drill, 25 swim) The typical swim session for me is about 3,800-5,000 yards. I like to start the season with workouts no longer than 2,000 yards and I increase the total yardage up to 5,000 as the season progresses. If you have questions feel free to ask. Cheers, Jose Photo courtesy of Mike O'Rourke The 2012 season has been very slow for me, with no racing to date (I scratched form KC triathlon) and I won’t be starting the PanAm cup in two weeks or Kansas 70.3 in three weeks. h this point there is nothing I can do about I; I’m just taking it one day at time, trying my best to get back to top form, and looking forward to the fast-approaching events on the schedule. Despite the slow start to my competitive season, I’ve been keeping busy with the coaching side of things. Over the past few years, I’ve been building a masters swimming program in my hometown of Mankato. The program that started in a very informal way with only 3 swimmers has grown into a large, dedicated group of 25 swimmers—I couldn’t be more pleased with how things are going! In addition to this, I had the opportunity to host two triathlon racing 101 seminars in Estherville, IA and Fairmont, MN. Both towns host late spring triathlons—which I have raced in—so it was nice to be able to interact with the community more than just on race day. It was great to be able to explain a bit more of what goes on when I race and give them pointers on how to execute their own races. I really enjoy doing this because not only is it a way to give back to the communities that have seen me improve every year at their races, but it is also a way to share how much support I get from my sponsors because without them it would be next to impossible to do what I am doing. June will be all about increasing my training and also I will try to start my first race of the season. I also will be back to coaching the masters swim program for the summer session. Train safe, train smart, train hard! Jose |
AuthorJose R Rosales-Yepez Archives
August 2014
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