Attention Mortals! Since it looks like we’ll still be under tropical storm warnings this coming Sunday morning (7/25), Mere Mortals is canceled for this weekend.

Looking forward to seeing you all the following weekend with better conditions!

It was another great Sunday! We got in a longer swim than our previous one, with three laps of 250 yards or so, and we extended our bike ride out to 14 miles! We were also joined by Robbie from Bikes plus, who spoke on cycling equipment and bike safety. Charles Gheen, the SRI Tri race director was there too with special entry rates for all Mere Mortals!

The weather was great, and the water in the sound was wonderful!

Next week, we’ll swim, bike, and run, and Neil McDonagh will join us to discuss race nutrition. See you there!

Tom Henderson (email)

Here’s an updated map showing how far seven miles is. This should help give you and idea of where to turn around in order to do a 14 mile ride. I’ll try to go drive the course this evening and find a good landmark.

View Mere Mortals 14 mile bike ride in a larger map

What we did:

Last Sunday’s workout had to be altered a little bit due to several circumstances that came up. First, Our President John Murray and VP Mark Sortino were both injured in a bike crash on Saturday. They both gave us a scare, but it looks like they’re on the road to recovery and will be back in action very soon, along with another rider who was also injured.

The other problem we encountered was with our swim course. Our primary swim location in the gulf is still under a health advisory, and our backup site was filled with boats that had spent the night after the Blue angels show. We had to cancel our swim, but we look forward to next week’s swim!

Special thanks to Stan, Nancy, and Kenny for volunteering to set up and explain their transition area for everyone! They also ran through T1 (swim to bike) and T2 (bike to run) so everyone could see the steps they go through.

Next week:

On 7/18, we should have our swim course back! The oil forecast doesn’t look good in the Gulf, so it’s likely we’ll be in the sound. We’ll also be increasing the recommended distance of our bike ride from 12 miles up to 14! While we don’t officially have a run scheduled this week, you may want to bring your shoes. That way you can practice your T2 transition and just go for a short jog of a mile or less.

I will probably change the speaker and topic for this Sunday. Mark was going to come and talk about Bike fit, but he’s still in recovery mode, so I will probably move one of the other speakers up from one of the coming weeks.

That’s it for now! I will post a follow-up blog with information on the longer bike course in the next couple of days.

Thanks!

Tom Henderson (email)

Today’s workout

We started the day with some 150 yard repeats in Santa Rosa Sound, where we started in shallow water and went out, rounded a buoy, swam a short distance parallel to shore, then turned back in. We started as one big group, so everyone could begin to get the feel of what a mass start at a race is like. Several of the more experienced swimmers volunteered to “buddy” up with one of our newer swimmers and stay with them through the course. We rewarded them for their help by having them race each other for our last lap!

Next, we headed out for a 12 mile bike on our usual course. There was a very slight headwind on the way out, just enough to notice it on the the way back!

Our Speaker

Today we were joined by the race director of the Santa Rosa Island Tri, Charles Gheen. Charles told us a little about the history of the race, the planned swim, bike, and run course and alternate course for the swim in the event we can’t swim in the Gulf. He also let us know that there will be an opportunity to sign up for SRI Tri at a special Tri Gulf Coast discount race on July 18th at Mere Mortals!

Next week

Next we will be doing… NOTHING! That’s right, we’re taking the 4th of July weekend off. I hope you all have a great 4th! Come back ready to train hard, because on the 11th, we’ll combine all three sports for the very first time! Our presentation will focus on the “fourth sport” in triathlon, transitions! We’ll talk, demonstrate, and try out for ourselves both of the transtions. The first one, T1 as it is sometimes called, is the swim-to-bike, and the second (T2, of course) is bike-to-run.

Remeber to bring all your gear for all three sports! Also, be sure to hydrate before training and bring prently of fluids with you! We’ll have Gatorade refills for your water bottle and possibly some other stuff as well.

See you there!

Tom Henderson (email)

We managed to get in three lengths of the quietwater pier, practice swimming in both shallow and deep water, and spent some time treading water also. This was to get everyone more accustomed to open water and the fact that it’s quite different from pool workouts. We also practiced swim starts and finishes for beach starts. I have to say, this group really looked strong! Everyone appeared to be fairly comfortable in the water, despite the chop, the murkier water in the sound, and the fact that many of you were swimming in a group for the first time!

New information and links

Stan Adams mentions that you can build custom swim workouts on a free web site called SwimPlan.com, so I thought it might be a good idea to provide a link to the site. I haven’t poked around much yet, but the sample workouts looked pretty good.

Someone also asked about plans for longer races, and if you’ll look around the sites I linked to in last week’s blog, you’ll find that there are plans for longer races and mor advanced triathletes at those sites in addition to the beginner sprint plans I suggested.

Next week

Next week we take our swimming to the next level! Assuming weather and conditions cooperate, we’ll take our first swim in the Gulf! Be sure to bring goggles and a swim cap!

After the swim, we hop on our bikes for a 12 mile ride, with at least one option for longer for those who are interested. That of course means that you’ll need your biking gear, including bike, helmet, hydration, and other cycling gear you typically use.

See you Sunday!

Tom Henderson (email)

Hello Mortals!

Great job last Sunday! For the first time, we combined two sports, biking and running! This type of workout, commonly called a brick, is the most frequent multi-sport workout that most triathletes perform. Did your legs cooperate, or did you feel like you’d “forgotten” how to run? Don’t worry! Part of the reason we’re doing these workouts is so that your body will adjust and you’ll be able to make the bike-run transition smoothly on race day!

Training info

We have a great workout together on Sundays, but what about the rest of the week? I’ve added some links below with some great workout plans that show how beginners can build up to a sprint distance tri.

• Tri Newbies online training programs – Check out the 10 week beginner program!
• Beginner Triathlete.com – take a look at the Beginner Sprint section
• Trifuel.com – not my favorit of these links, but still some good info!
• Slowtwitch.com – Advice for newbies from the web’s most established triathlon sites!

Next week’s workout

It’s finally time to get wet! Actually, we’ve already been wet because we were soaked with sweat, but this time we get to swim! on 6/20, we’ll meet in the usual place (beach stage) at the usual time (6:25, be ready to go at 6:30). After a short talk on swim gear and safety, we’ll head over to quietwater on foot as a group and do our first swim workouts! Here’s what you’ll need for swim day:

• Swim cap – these help make you visible in the water, and you’ll be wearing one on race day, so you might as well get used to the feeling during training! I’ll have a few spares, but try to bring one, because I may not have enough for everyone.
• Goggles – there are all kinds of styles, from the $3 swedes to more expensive tri masks. The important thing is to get a pair that is comfortable on your face and maintains a good seal. For the best selection, head to All American Swim supply just north of PJC on 9th avenue. As far as i know, this is Pensacola’s only dedicated swim store at this time. Other sports stores carry goggles, but the selection is much more limited and the staff are les likely to be able to provide expert help.
• Swim suit – This week you can swim in almost anything, but you may want to start looking at suits made specifically for triathlon. I know that Running Wild and All American both carry tri clothing, and I think that Bikes plus also does. Please let me know if you can thing of other local stores that I should share! We’ll also tak about clothing choices at Sundays workout.
• Attitude! – Swimming is the sport that intimidates most new triathletes the most. Don’t worry! We’re going to ease into this, and we’ll work with as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. You’re going to do great!

Other stuff

Oil. It’s a sad part of our planning each week. As of Friday, 6/18 when I’m writing this, I’m not aware of any health advisories for Santa Rosa Sound, where we’ll be swimming. If we run in to any oil when we arrive, we’ll have to alter our plans, but I’m not expecting to have to do that this Sunday. There’s no biking or running planned for the 6/20 workout, but bring your running shoes, and if for any reason we have to cancel our swim we’ll go for a short jog instead.

See you Sunday!

Tom Henderson (email)

I was a little concerned when I got up at 4:30 Sunday morning. When I went out to pick up the paper and gather the Mere Mortals gear, there was a light rain falling. It looked like it was breaking up, but I wasn’t sure if it would be in time. Fortunately, by the time I left the house at 5:30, it had cleared up nicely, and when I got to the beach, the sun was rising in relatively clear skies.

And man, was I ever happy with the turnout! I was thrilled to have the assistance of about six of the more experienced  TriGC members, which made sign-up, new membership, and issuing of bracelets go very smoothly! We were also joined by Ann Knight, the founder of SRI Tri, and Janet Boylan, who founded and named Mere Mortals back in 1997! By the time we had everyone signed in and seated, the count had reached 50 participants!

Our speaker

Today’s speaker was John Murray, who talked with us about Tri Gulf Coast and cycling safety. John covered the many benefits of being part of our organization, including additional training opportunities, our club race kit (clothing), and some of the cool things the club has done this year already, such as training events and the redesign of the web site.

Our training

Today’s official training ride was a 12 mile bike which took us just past Portofino and back. We also had an “advanced” group who went for a 35 mile ride at a faster pace. We were treated to a tailwind for the ride out, and the headwind coming back was manageable, though it did add some challenge for our newer cyclists.

Suggestion box

Another thing I’d like to encourage with Mere Mortals is that everyone feel free to share feedback. I love to hear the positive stuff, but it’s also critical that I hear your suggestions for how to make the training better for everyone! Among the feedback received from our first session was:

• Increase the number of groups doing the scheduled workouts to allow for different pace groups. This is something that last year’s MM group had done which was very well received, and I like the idea! Next week, we’ll see if we can have 3 pace groups, one at 16-18 mph, one at 14-16, and one at about 12-14.
• Talk some more about the basics of cycling. For many of our participants, things like bike gearing, clipless pedals, and aero bars are all new experiences, and it would be good to go over some of those things. Again, I think it’s great feedback, and I’ll plan to cover some of these topics next week in addition to our discussion on run gear and safety.

Next week

Next week, we’ll do the same bike ride we did this week, but we’ll throw in a short run immediately after! This combination of biking and running is commonly referred to as a “brick.” I’ve heard a couple of reasons for this name, one being that your legs feel like bricks when you first try to run, and the other that it’s an abbreviation for “Bike, Run, Ick!”

Don’t worry though, it’s not as bad as it sounds! As a matter of fact, one of the reasons for doing this type of training is to help you see that your legs do recover if you stick with it, and the more you practice it, the better you get at it! The map below shows a course that will give you a two mile run, but if you want to go a little shorter this week, just turn around a little early!

One more thing: It’s hot out there! I’ll have a cooler with ice water in it, but be sure to bring a water bottle you can fill!

Run Map – For Bike map, see last week’s blog.

View Mere Mortals week 2 run in a larger map

Thanks!

To all those who participated in our first week, a BIG THANK YOU! It’s very rewarding to have that kind of turnout, and I can’t wait to see how many friends you bring with you for week 2!

in the mean time, feed free to get in touch with me via email or by calling me on my cell at 850-723-1541.

Thanks!

Tom Henderson, Mere Mortals Coordinator.

With just one week left until our first training session, I thought I’d get a head start on the Mere Mortals weekly blog. Time permitting, I’ll make an entry each week covering what we did in the most recent session, what’s next, and anything else worth mentioning.

Since there is no previous session to report on this week, I’ll instead focus on what to expect for our first session, and how you can get the most out of it.

What you’ll need for week 1:

Since we’re training for a triathlon, most of our sessions will include multiple sports, but this first meeting is an exception. We’ll be meeting at the stage on the Pensacola Public Beach and biking 12 miles. More experienced triathletes will have the option to go farther, but the official training ride will be 12 miles. Since we’ll be biking, here’s a checklist of things you’ll need:

1. Your Tri Gulf Coast Membership. Remember, this training is offered to TriGC members, so you’ll need to join. Save yourself time and trouble by doing this ahead of time! Sign up here!
2. A bike. I know, that’s a bit obvious, but you definitely need one! Mountain bikes and hybrids welcome!  Please note that recumbent bikes and three wheelers are not allowed in the race, so we discourage bringing them to training.
3. A helmet. Absolutely required, just like it will be on race day.
4. Fluids. Summer is here! Make sure you have a way to take in fluids while you ride!
5. Sunscreen
6. Sunglasses

Training Plan

See ride map

View Mere mortals week 1 bike in a larger map

We’ll start at the stage at Pensacola’s public beach and ride east. After you pass the Portofino towers, look for a parking lot on the right. Technically, you’d need to go a little past this lot to get your 6 miles one way in, butif you turn in the far side entrance, loop through the lot, and come back out the same way, you’ll be close enough. that also give you a safe place to stop if you need a break.

Agenda

Even though we start at 6:30, I highly encourage you to be there at least 20-30 minutes early. Out of respect for the time of our participants and speakers, we will always start by 6:35, so if you’re still getting set up, you’ll miss important information. You need time to check in, rack your bike, and meet your new Mere Mortals friends, so be there early and ready to hear our speaker by 6:35.

• Check in – 6:00 -6:30 – There will be a new requirement this year to sign a waiver at every training session. you will be issued a numbered wrist band at check in to wear for the duration of the training.
• Introduction and overview – Tom Henderson – 6:35-6:40
• Greetings from Tri Gulf Coast President – John Murray – 6:40-6:45
• Cycling safety – John Murray – 6:45-7:05
• Training ride, 12 miles – 7:15-???

Weather

A quick note about weather. If there’s a light rain, and it’s not expected to get worse during our training, we will train on schedule. For heavier rains and splash-and-dash thunderstorms, we may delay in hopes of things clearing up. In the case of threatening lightning or heavy rain that doesn’t appear to be clearing up quickly, we will cancel. Another thing to note, since we train during hurricane season, is that we will never meet when there is a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning, no matter how nice it may be outside. I hope we don’t have to worry about that this year!

BP Oil spill

I really wish I didn’t have to talk about this one! So far, wind and tides have worked in our favor to spare us from direct exposure to this spill. While I’d love to hope that this continues indefinitely for Pensacola Beach, I think it’s unlikely. We will monitor conditions and change our training plans as necessary to maintain a safe, enjoyable training experience for everyone.

See you there!

I’m looking forward to it! Feel free to call or email with any questions!