Triathlon Training, CoachSBR

Special Recognition for Oceanside accomplishment

Sherry — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:19:46 +0000

One of my Team Elite athletes who I must give special recognition to is Jim Pritchard, who endured a TOUGH day out at Oceanside but stuck with it and finished with a smile on his face, and I have a photo to prove it!! Jim’s job as an electrican sometimes requires him to work, shall we say, LONG hours… Sometimes he has to go to “remote” areas and work for days on end, with little time for sleep, let alone training. Every month he get his schedule and tries to put in whatever workouts he can, and he enthusiastically starts every race knowing that although he may not be as well trained as he would like to be, he is going to finish at all costs. When he got to the starting line at Oceanside on Saturday, he did not have as many cycling miles as he would have liked, logs way fewer miles running than would have been his choice, and had only been in the ocean once, though he did have plenty of pool swimming in. The swim was COLD, and the longer you are in it, the more it wears you down. Jim made it out with a smile on his face! He had a solid ride on the cold & wet course, ticking away at the miles, and when he arrived at T2, many of the competitors were on their last loop of the run. That is mentally tough when you know you’ve got 13 long miles ahead of you… yet Jim never considered quitting. He just kept moving forward, one mile at a time, and kept the goal in mind… cross the finish line… another race finished under not the best training conditions, but a Finisher nonetheless. As a coach, I know there will be times when athletes can’t follow a training plan to the T, and they just try to make the best of it. To me, it shows great strength of character for Jim to have had the courage to go to the starting line of Oceanside 70.3 knowing he may not have been fully prepared to have a great day, but knowing that he has what it takes to get the job done. WAY TO GO JIM, I’M PROUD OF YOU!!!

2012 California 70.3 Ironman Race Report

Sherry — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:18:22 +0000

Once again I’ve long overdue on my blog, but if you are my “friend” on Facebook, you see my almost daily posts about triathlon life. Oceanside 2012 was once again everything it’s cracked up to be: cold water & tough to navigate swim course, hilly & chilly bike, and beautiful two loop 13 mile run, mostly on unforgiving concrete. And this year an added bonus of some rain & wet roads on the ride!! CoachSBR had four athletes racing Oceanside, in addition to Pete and myself. Mike Hattan was racing here for the second time, after having a great first Ironman at Arizona in 2011. He’s been battling some leg issues and was not sure how it was going to go for his Achilles. He had a smoking fast swim at 35 minutes, then felt a bit of a strain running up the boat ramp afterwards. He did the ride, but with the strain on his Achilles on Camp Pendleton’s famous hills, he realized it was not a good idea to do the run, putting himself at risk for a possible Achilles tear. He put in a solid bike ride and made the right decision in not doing the run. Brenda Gustin’s goal this year was to improve her overall time, and try to move up from her 8th place finish last year. Not only did she hit all of her goal times right on, she exceeded her run goal time by over three minutes at 1:53:54, finishing with a total time of 5:36:22 for 7th place! Oceanside was the first half ironman for Taro Ando and Kyle Woodley. They both had a great race experience, followed their nutrition and hydration plans and had no problems, and held solid splits in the swim, bike and run!! Kyle finished with a time of 5:21:07 and Taro 5:45:08! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE COACHSBR TEAM ELITE ATHLETES – YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Below is an email I received from Taro this morning. This is the kind of stuff that makes me love being a coach!!!

Hi Coach Sherry,
      First of all, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my coach. You are so awesome and it’s been fun to train under you. And the results show!
      2nd, I want to give you a big congrats for your 3rd place finish. I can’t believe you placed even with an injury. You are a trooper!
      3rd, I finished a little faster than I thought. 5:45 overall. Swim was a little slower than I was shooting for, but I think the waves didn’t help. 42 minutes. Bike was good at 3:01, especially considering I got a flat and rode with 60 PSI for about 36 miles (Pit Stop worked, but I didn’t use it 100% correctly I guess). Run was pretty slow at 1:54, but I’m okay with that. T1 was 4:52 (don’t want to talk about it)and T2 was 1:48 (not bad, but could be faster). Here’s a video my wife took of me at the finish line. Finished strong like you taught me!

http://youtu.be/Snyq6KkYlLw

And how was the race for CoachSBR, you ask?? I had a great experience this year, considering I’ve been dealing with a hamstring issue since February, and especially since I really feel my focus so far this season has been geting the Team Elite athletes ready for their season. I felt great on the swim, had what seemed to be a mediocre time (as usual) but moved up 8 places from last year. I was frozen when I got out and my fingers were numb. Pretty much the usual stuff. My 2012 Oceanside highlight was getting a PR on the bike at 2:43:22, avg of 20.57 mph, four minutes off last year’s time!! The run was ”character building” to say the least, but I managed to hold an avg pace of 8:00/mile and come in at 1:44:59…Total time was 5:16:05, for a Third Place podium finish!

THE SEASON IS GETTING INTO FULL SWING AND AND WE ARE READY~ BRING IT ON !!!

COMING UP NEXT, WILDFLOWER!!!!

Lori Hoechlin

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:18:06 +0000

Name:Lori Hoechlin

I grew up doing gymnastics for most of my time through college. I also did some competitive swimming while in High school although the way I feel swimming now really can’t believe that I competed well in the sport. After college I knew I wanted to keep competing because it’s something I’m very passionate about. About that time the sport of triathlon was just coming around and it sounded like something exciting and challenging so I decided that would be the direction I would go.

A few years later I met my husband who had two young children and we quickly added two more. I continue training some but found my time consumed by family activities.

Now that my family obligations have dropped considerably I have turned much of my attention back to being competitive. I did my first full aqua-bike and half-ironman last year and placed second and fourth respectively. I always said I wanted to do an Ironman by the time I was 50 and so that time has come. I am looking forward to training with a great group of athletes this year. Makes all the pain so much more bearable. It’s great to be working with a coach who has been where you want to go.

Kyle Woodley

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:14:53 +0000

Name: Kyle Woodley

Triathlons are fairly new to me, as I just starting doing them a few years ago. I didn’t even own a road bike until 18 months ago! I’ve never run a marathon, nor a half marathon for that matter, but for some reason, the combination of swim, bike, run is very appealing to me. I’ve done two sprint triathlons, and one Olympic distance, and 2012 will be the year of my first Half Ironman with California 70.3 and Orangeman as well.

My strength is definitely my running, as I ran track in college for the University of Washington and don’t mind bragging about running a sub 16 minute 5k in my prime….quite a few years ago! I’m quickly learning to love the bike and swim as well. Those “Hillacious” rides are killer, but we’ve got a great group to train with.

Sherry has been a wonderful coach, and has helped with my training accountability. We’ll see how 2012 goes, but maybe Ironman Arizona 2013 will be in the works!

Jason Polletta

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:32:08 +0000

Name: Jason Polletta

Couch potato to big cyclist, over 6,500 miles on the bike in 2011 (6,495 miles in 2010). Been interested in doing an Ironman for years, and after my crash in August 2011, I decided it was time to quit talking about it and go do it. So I’m entering the world of triathlons with the goal of an Ironman in 2013. Two Half Ironmans planned this year (Wildflower/Orangeman). I guess the ultimate goal is Kona, but I’m not sure that’s even close to realistic, so maybe that shouldn’t be mentioned? But it’s my goal, and some of my good friends in life would say it’s my obsession.

Why do I do this? I want to prove something to myself. Prove that anyone can do it. I used to be over 200 pounds and had unhealthy habits, etc. Plus I’m very competitive. What’s the Ironman quote? 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles on the bike, run a marathon, and brag for the rest of your life.

And I have all sorts of training quotes to keep my motivated, and this one I thought summed it up for me pretty well: “You know that thing in your head that says ‘You really shouldn’t be doing this?’ Well, I don’t have that.” – Mark C.

Brenda Gustin

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:25:11 +0000

Name: Brenda Gustin

Former Competitive Roller Figure Skater Regional and National Champion 13-18 years old. Took a break for approximately 10 years and then developed an interest in Group Exercise Classes. Became an Instructor in 1995 and Taught Step Aerobics, Hi Low Impact, BodyPump, Kickboxing, Senior Fitness and settled into my favorite, Indoor Cycle. During that fifteen year period, I went back to School at Orange Coast College and also received my ACE Certification for Personal Training, which I also enjoyed doing. I have been and continue to be involved in the Fitness Community. I also volunteer with some Adaptive PE Students from OCC, who have become my friends more than students.I also enjoy volunteering and Participating at CAF Events. I have been a Certified Scuba Diver since 1988 and hold a Rescue Dive Cert as well as a Dive Buddy Cert for Handicapped Scuba Association(finished in 2010)

So why did I get involved with IronDistance Triathlon? I experienced a couple of life changes. One, I lost my brother to Prostate Cancer. In some ways, I guess that woke me up to my own mortality. Two, that same year, I turned Fifty. I felt I need to experience something way bigger than myself. I had the desire to see what I could endure. My brother had to endure so much pain and suffering and was far braver than I could ever be doing an IM, but, I just felt the need to have that goal. My experience in my first Iron Distance race was Vineman 2010. It was not only the most satisfying physical challenge, it was an emotional release like I have never experienced. Even though my brother lost his battle with cancer, I felt his spirit with me to the end of that day. The countryside seemed more vibrant. I enjoyed the occasional chat with other participants. And never once thought I would quit.

Now I want to do another with the mantra of NEGU….And needed an Awesome Coach to get me prepared for it. Maybe I can be a little more competitive this time:)

And….BTW…I am Happily Married to Roy Gustin, with whom I enjoy doing some of my training rides.

2012 ~ BRING IT ON!!

Sherry — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:50:54 +0000

What has been happening since my big adventure in Kona?? I’ve been recovering, enjoying some “unscheduled” time, and making big plans for 2012! I took about a month off “training” and just got in the pool a couple of times a week, of course taught cycle classes (with very little resistance on the wheel…) and did no running for about ten days, and first on the Alter-G treadmill. I gave myself lots of “wiggle room” over the holidays and even missed a few Tues/Thurs 6pm master’s swims over the holidays with NO GUILT ~ and it was REALLY cold outside!! I had a great race at Kona and a smart recovery. The year 2011 will always hold great memories for me, I feel so blessed!

Now that the holidays are over, the Christmas decorations are away and I can actually see the floor on the laundry room, time to get caught up on the blog! Click the Long Course Team Elite tab to learn about our team of athletes for 2012 (well, give it a day or two for me to get it on there!). I continue to offer one-on-one coaching consultations & evaluations for athletes on an hourly basis to help them get their 2012 season off to a great start. The Y-Tri Club continues to grow, and the Saturday rides with Newport Coast Triathlon Team and the Y-Tri Club are the highlight of everyone’s week, I think!!! We’ve had a great winter of cycling the roads all over Orange County, and people especially like the “Hillacious” ride we do once a month…I’m pretty sure that’s a smile I see on their faces as they’re climbing the hills around Newport Coast. What a beautiful place to suffer!!

I’m especially excited about our new CoachSBR sweatshirts. They are VERY cool and so cozy for going to the pool, gym, etc. You’ve got to love the grey hoodies, all the awesome triathletes in the OC are wearing them!!

Here’s to a great year of setting goals & putting in the hard work to reach them, enjoying the excellent company of our friends, triathletes and non-triathletes alike, good health and lots of laughs. Let’s make 2012 the Year of the Cowbell!!!

Michael Hattan

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:45:58 +0000

Name: Mike Hattan
Race: Ironman Arizona

In the late eighties, I was in high school competing competitively in triathlons, thanks to my mother, a veteran triathlete. In 1990, I joined the military and served my country as a Special Operations Medic in the Navy. During that time, I did not do any triathlons. After my military service, I was accepted into Podiatry School and started a family. The next eight years of my life were dedicated to changing diapers, studying, working endless hours in my surgical residency and getting fat!

In January 2010, I met Sherry Rennard. I joined the YMCA triathlon club in Newport Beach. I started casually working out and doing local Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. I did this under the direction of Sherry. As I continued my quest toward the eventual goal of an IronMan finish, the weight started to come off and the performance/mileage gradually increased. Last November, I made the huge leap and signed up for IronMan Arizona! Over the last year, I competed in the California 70.3 Half IronMan (6:10:52) and also the Vineman 70.3 (5:56:51). Since that time, I have ramped up my training for the Arizona Ironman on November 20th 2011! I am putting in 20+ hours weekly training, I am 75 pound lighter, have been injury free through this whole experience and can say I am READY for IronMan!

Coach Sherry came into my life as a spin instructor and friend and now is SERIOUSLY my coach. She is unlike any other coach I have ever had. She is invested in seeing that I do well, knows how my legs feel, knows if I need a rest day and keeps my diet in check “feed the machine” she says. She seriously has taught me the true meaning of training with purpose! I cannot wait until November 20th to hug and kiss my family at the finish line at IronMan knowing I DID IT RIGHT! Thanks Coach Sherry!

KONA 2011 RACE REPORT, by Sherry Rennard

Sherry — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:40:32 +0000

     I have had one week to reflect on my experience at Kona. Since everyone else is filing their race reports, being the competitor that I am, I realized it was time to get busy.
     The Ironman World Championships is definitely all it is cracked up to be, and then some! I learned things I will take with me for the rest of my racing days; met people who inspired me and made me realize what being BOLD and COURAGEOUS really means. Throughout race week, every day hundreds of athletes would arrive and you could hear every language being spoken. I went to the race start every morning except once and did a swim (that obviously really paid off, hahaha!!!) in the AMAZING clear blue water, perfect temperature, many varieties of fish swimming about. My longest swim was on Saturday (one week prior to race day), for 1:20, we swam out to the next-to-last buoy for what seemed like forever. Based on how long it took me to get out there and back, without much stopping, I knew my swim goal of 1:30 was realistic. I was hoping the draft would help me out, but I knew that coming out of the water mid-pack in my age group would be a realistic goal at best.
     With that being said, one thing I always kept in mind was the sage advice of friends who have raced at Kona. They all reminded me that it would be smart to not “race” my first year here, but to “experience” the event, always keep my head about me as my best resource, and finish no matter what. I wanted to set race goals that were realistic for me if I raced smart, while maintaining the balance of savoring this fantastic experience, feeling well trained and tapered (which I was!!), pushing myself at the right times, and especially not getting caught up in everything else that was going on around me. I had a plan to accept whatever my time was on the swim and leave that behind me, then play my strengths on the bike and run to reach my finish goal. I know there were people who had their own goals set for me, and I would often remind them that this is the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, and most of these competitors are very fast and have a lot of Ironman race experience that I don’t have…although, I must say that I think I was one of the better-looking and better-dressed competitors!! Kona 2011 is only my third Ironman (Lake Placid in 2006 @ 12:33, Ironman Canada 2009 @ 11:54). This experience is humbling, to say the least. The woman who won the 50-54 y/o AG, Teresa Rider, has done 24 Ironmans. She has been World Champion twice. She finished in 10:44 and there were several women who were not that far behind her. That is the caliber of athlete who races at Kona. There is a lot to be said for Ironman racing experience anyone having experience racing this course in the past has a huge advantage.  MY goal was to finish the race in under 12 hours, and anything under 11:54 would be even better. I figured I had a chance to get in the top 25%, and a top 10 finish would be icing on the cake. When I broke it down to swim/bike/run and of course transitions, I knew my goal time would be attainable if I raced strong & smart.
     I was one of the first to arrive on race morning. Every moment was special, from getting the numbers stamped on both arms, to stepping on the scale for the pre-race weigh in. My only complaint was that they were playing “Inya” music during the set up, and it was downright depressing!!!! I called my niece in PA., then sat under a palm tree, taking in all the scenes, and cried for a bit… a sense of awe, relief, anticipation, joy, thankfulness and humility; it was a very intense time for me. I said a prayer that I would be safe that day, for courage and strength, and gave thanks that I was able to be in that place, at that moment.
     I had a flat in my rear tire before the race start. I saw some latex leaking out after I had pumped up the tires in the morning. I found a staple, probably picked up on the walk over to the bike check-in (it rained a lot two nights previous). After my two flats in Canada, I decided to have the tire changed. By 6:45 it was done and I was one of the last to get in the water at 6:50. I now had no spare, but did have Pit Stop and lots of C02, and a husband who was a volunteer bike tech on the course, so I felt OK about that. Before I knew it, I was trying to find a spot to start the swim, and off the gun went!!
     The swim was crowded and chaotic in the beginning, but really not that bad. Everyone did seem to be swimming “right”, no breast stroking, stopping, etc. I stayed in the draft as much as I could and hoped everyone in front of me knew where they were going. The buoys are not very big, and when I did look up, we were all headed to the same place which was a good thing!! . At the turn around, I glanced at my watch, 42 minutes, so I knew I was on goal pace. OK, so I probably was not going as fast as I could have been, but I tried to keep a good turnover cadence and constantly thought about my form. I had the voices of all the best swimmers I know: Julie Ertel, Camille, Julia and Angie, in my head, telling me to keep the elbows high, get the chest down and butt up, cup the hand properly, wave “bye bye”, swim over the barrel, push the water back, etc. I knew there was a bit of a current on the way back so I anticipated a bit slower of a split there… After the turn around, the pack thinned out considerably, with all the fast swimmers way out in front of me by that point. Not being in a draft against the current is not good, so I tried to stay behind at least one person as much as I could, but my navigational skills would often tell me this person was NOT swimming straight, and I would go on my own to try to get into a faster stream. Shortly after the turn around, I suppose because the water was not churning so much, I became aware of the plethora of sea life around us; schools of beautiful fish, coral, and suddenly spinner dolphins everywhere. Anyone who has been with me in the ocean knows I am crazy about dolphins!!! I get ecstatic when I see them anywhere nearby, and to have them frolicking underneath me, swimming along with me for at least ten minutes, was bliss!! I slowly but surely made my way back to the beach, came out of the water at 1:33, a bit slower than goal pace, but I felt fresh and ready to go.
     T1 was quick, got out of there in 1 minute less than I had anticipated, and I quickly settled in on the bike for the first ten miles through town. The first 35 miles of the ride were comfortable and I felt strong/fast, worked on hydration, and before long I was making the turn for the 18 mile climb to Hawi. I had practiced this earlier in the week and knew it was a long, gradual climb, with some rollers, but the winds for the seven miles at the top could be brutal, and very scary. My friend Jerry had advised me to try to stay in the aerobars, no matter what, and I knew it would help to spin at a high cadence. I had a strong ride here, and when the winds would gust at me from the side, I would lean into them, allow myself to be moved a bit, but I would not give up. I stayed in the aerobars the entire time, repeating the same scripture over and over in my head (…be bold and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you at all times…), gritted my teeth, and DUG IN!!!   After the turn around, on the long descent it is important to maintain control against the wind, while trying to make up for some of the time lost on the climb. I made it back to the Queen K, having passed many in my age group at that point, and settled in for the ride back to town. At mile 80 I started to hit the legendary head-winds which continued for the next 30 miles. I remained as aero as possible, continued to drink copious amounts of water and electrolytes, and taking in nutrition, which was hard to do in this heat. Dr. Sam Sunshine told me the temp. was 115 or something like that with the heat. My bike shorts were covered in salt. I still question whether I should have used my aero helmet. It may have made me a bit faster, but I was able to douse my head & body with water at every aid station, so this did help me stay cooler. What I did not realize, however, was how soaking wet my shorts and socks would get. By the time I got to mile 70, my crotch was screaming, and when I would occasionally get out of the saddle, I had horrible searing pain in my right foot (I think I’m getting a neuroma…). Since we all know that pain is to be expected in the Ironman, I just pushed through it… suffice it to say, I was so happy to get off that bike, it made me look forward to running a marathon!! My goal was to finish the bike in under 6:05 and I finished at 6:03. I did not want to push too hard to get under 6 hours, only to lose a lot more time than that on the run. I had learned in Ironman Canada that it always does come down to the run.
     Another lesson I learned that day was to put on fresh, dry socks for the run, and some Vaseline would help also. I had worn compression socks on the bike, which I planned to wear for the run as well. As soon as I started running, I realized that my feet were already raw in spots on the bottom from being in the bike shoes for six hours. Ouch. I had already knocked on the door of the House of Pain, and I was running through the threshold!! I was focused on running on target pace to finish in under 4:10 and reminded myself that the sooner I got to the finish, the sooner I could take off those wet shoes & socks!!   I thought of Barbara Wright, who would have said, “It’s time to GET UGLY”!!!. The feet continued to get wet as I used ice and sponges throughout the run to try to cool off. I held ice cubes in my hand, put ice in the hat & bra, and even in my shorts a couple of times. It was HOT!!! I made my way down to the turn around on Ali’I Drive, stayed on goal pace, then back through town and up the long, steep hill on Pilani. In my opinion, this area, and the run north on the Queen K toward the Energy Lab, was the toughest part of the course. This hill takes a lot out of you, and the rollers on the Queen K really start to take a toll on your body. I started drinking Coke at mile 11 and with every mile I started to feel just a little faster/stronger. I saw Pete at mile 10 and he tried to run with me a bit/talk to me. I put my hand up and said nothing….”Don’t talk to me now… I’m in the House of Pain and really don’t want to hear or say a word… it’s time to focus… dig deep….remind myself of what this is all about… how hard I’ve worked to get to this very point… a PR right around the corner if I keep this up”.… At the turn around, I felt solid and knew I would be able to pick up the pace a bit for the next nine miles. I saw lots of people walking/puking/and generally in a bad way by this point in the race. I continued to hydrate/drink coke/take electrolytes. By mile 22, I was starting to push myself a bit faster with each mile, wanting to feel when I crossed the line that I had gone as hard as I possibly could without bonking or having some catastrophic occurrence out there. My legs were feeling strong, I had absolutely no stomach problems or cramping, and with each person I passed, I felt a renewed sense of strength. The last two miles were incredible, unbelievable and unforgettable!! The downhill on Pilani killed my quads, but the roar of applause and encouragement from the crowd kept me running strong! I turned the corner on Ali’i drive and there I was, running toward the finish line!!! This is a memory that will be etched in my mind forever, pumping my arms in the air, the biggest smile on my face, and crossing the finish of the biggest race in the sport of triathlon… I did a little dance at the end, got the crowd all pumped up, then Rhonda and I realized that Mike Reilly had not called out my name!!! WHAT??? Well, I was not going to leave that finish area until I heard him SAY MY NAME!!! Camille claims she could hear Rhonda and me on the live broadcast, and a few minutes later Mike did announce to me, “Sherry Rennard, You are an Ironman”…!!
     One week later, the blisters on my feet have almost healed, some of my toenails are dying a slow death, but I am feeling strong and rested and very blessed. I am taking it very easy for the next couple of weeks, allowing my muscles to repair, my soul & body to rest, and savoring this wonderful experience called KONA…. and, of course, making some plans for 2012….Aloha!

KONA FINISH INFO!!

Sherry — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:43:58 +0000

I AM A KONA IRONMAN!! Reached my race goal of under 12 hours, got a PR of 11:48. RACE REPORT TO FOLLOW…. AS SOON AS I COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS!! Swim was good in beginning, confusing after the turn around, and the the dolphins were frolicking underneath us to distract me, and then there was THE CURRENT!! It was a TOUGH day in the heat. I held on for dear life on the windy climb to Hawi, ran the whole marathon on blistered feet, and dug DEEP to finish strong.. Thanks for all your encouragement!! LOTS more to come!!