On May 17th, Joe Rich embarked on a Marathon Challenge. This was not a straight forward marathon. At the beginning of each hour – first run at 8AM, last run at 8PM - Joe ran at least 2 miles (the first run was 2.2) until he got to a full marathon. Read his race report, including nutrition, pacing, mental strategy, and his fastest split (the second to last run) in this blog post!

As triathletes, we embrace structure, predictability, control, routine.  We lay out our goals far in advance and then plan a season to prepare to achieve those goals. We develop a base, we build, we do race specific work, we taper, we race, and we do it again.  We swim on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  We do our bike intervals on Tuesdays and our long ride on Saturdays.  We hit the track on Thursdays and do our long run on Sundays.  We mix in strength training and body work.  We focus on our nutrition before, during and after our training sessions.  We analyze our Garmin files.  We replace our running shoes as soon as they show wear.   We look for the latest gadgets, the fastest wetsuit.  All of our efforts are laser directed at achieving our goal of hitting that PR on our A race day.  

Here we are – about to approach May 1st and, with a plethora of events being cancelled or postponed, race season 2020 is in jeopardy. With these cancellations, motivation to stay fit and healthy can be hard to maintain. Even with the world embracing the virtual training and race environment, most folks are still itching to get back to the real routine: early morning wake-up, pre-race jitters, and the elation of crossing the finish line.

I was once what you might call a bit of a ‘reluctant flier’. While I didn’t quite have a B.A. Baracus-type of anxiety around it, it wasn’t my favorite means of transportation. I wouldn’t not fly, but I would definitely check to see how long the drive would have been, for places where I wanted to go. And while I typically ended up boarding a plane to get to those places, it was rare that I actually enjoyed myself on it. You see, I hated turbulence. The plane would start shaking, and maybe do that little drop-thing that it does, and my head would instantly go to that scene from Castaway, when the FedEx plane plunged into the Pacific.

I often find myself asking folks for show recommendations. I think most of us find ourselves re-watching the same shows over and over (and over). If you’re like me, you may have already google-searched a list of shows to binge during work or workouts while in your new work from home office (WFHO), or workout from home gym (WFHG). Well guess what? Search no more…

Someday, 20-30 years from now, the next generation of endurance sport athletes, and non-athletes for that matter, will ask the million-dollar question: “What did you do during the COVID-19 Pandemic?”

The most important part of any open-water swim, whether training or racing, comes down to proper preparation and execution. Listed below are some areas of importance to add to your swim training.

A triathlete’s quick start guide to small changes that can make a big impact this season.

A feel for the water is an attribute any swimmer is after. Even the high-end swimmer, is constantly searching for better feel. The difference between the advanced and novice swimmer, is in the face the advanced swimmers knows how to turn on feel when it may seem to slip away. I’d like to cover a few drills that can be done for any level swimmer that is in search of better feel for the water.

Start 2020 off right! Save BIG on an individualized training program this 2020 with our #NewYear Mission Plan Sale. OutRival Racing is offering a special New Year rate on its Annual Mission Plan Program for first-time athletes.