TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS Giveaway!

RunnerDude has partnered with TIMEX to bring you this awesome giveaway! Follow the directions below to enter for a chance to win one of two TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS watches. One male and one female winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter. The winners will be announced on the blog on June 17th, 2014. Good Luck!

After registering, be sure to check out my interviews with TIMEX Multisport Team Members Susanne Davis and Meredith Dolhare.

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RunnerDude Chats With TIMEX Multisport Team Member Susanne Davis

Recently I had the privilege to interview Timex Multisport Team member Susanne Davis. Susanne is a decorated athlete who has set course records and won many Sprint Distance Triathlons.  As a Professional Triathlete in the 1990s, she travelled the world racing ITU World Cups and competed in the 2000 US Olympic Triathlon Trials.  In October 2010, in only her second Ironman, she turned Kona upside down by breaking the existing 35-39 Age Group World Record and placing 2nd Overall Amateur at the 2010 Ironman World Championships.  She was the 1st American Woman and placed 23rd among the Pro Field!  This year in 2013 Susanne put in one of the greatest races of her life.  She is now an American record holder being the fastest  Amateur over 40 in the 35 year history of the Ironman World Championship going 9:41:40.   She is also the reigning 2013 USA Triathlon Masters Champion at Olympic Distance.  She finished the year as the number one ranked Master’s triathlete in the country. In 2011 during her first year on Timex Multisport Team, one of the country’s most successful triathlon teams, Susanne was voted Rookie of the Year. 

Read on to learn more about this amazing athlete....

RD: Tell us a little about your youth. Were you athletic as a child? Did you grow up in an athletic family?

Susanne: I grew up running track and cross country in High school and College at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse.  I am the youngest of 6 kids and my sister Beth who is closest in age to me (5yrs older) was my biggest influence.  I went to her meets and loved the camaraderie and team spirit.  Her coaches would always come up to me and say, "I hope you are a runner because you've got those long, lean, fast "Martineau legs"." That invitation and wanting to be as good or (actually better) than my sister was my motivation.  I always was competing to keep up with her growing up. Water skiing, down hill skiing, mountain biking, running, swimming faster across the lake each year camping etc. It makes me laugh and wonder if my daughter who is 5 years younger than my son if this will play out in her life.  Her personality is a lot like me.

RD: When did you first realize that the triathlon and more specifically the Ironman was your niche?

Susanne: I did my first triathlon in summer of 1993.  I was almost last out of the water, road past half the field on a borrowed bicycle and ran very strong passing tons of people to the finish!  I had no idea but at the awards ceremony they announced me as the winner and gave me a check for $100.00!  I was shocked and elated. This is where my dream started and ironically the motto of Ironman, "Anything is Possible".   I thought, wow I can make money at this?  I won this triathlon on my first attempt!  I think I could be one of the best anywhere! Being 22 years old and a bit naive has it's advantages.   Here I was from a town of 12,000 people where I beat 150 of them.  It didn't dawn on me that the world has 7 billion people.  I read in Triathlete Magazine that the best athletes trained in Boulder so I moved there for the summer to become one of the best triathletes!  I took 30 minutes off my next triathlon and in my senior year of college I won almost every NCAA cross country race.  It was from the strength and speed I earned simply from doing triathlon for 3 months. I was convinced triathlon was something I should pursue.  I became the top Triathlete in the state of Arizona and was invited to live and train at the Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete training for the first Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000.  My swim wasn't strong enough to make it out of the water in the lead pack and with drafting on the bike it made it impossible for me to catch up and finish 1st or 2nd which is how you qualified.  I was burned out and took a 3 year break from triathlon.  I went back to running and balanced it around a sales rep job.

RD: How does being a triathlon competitor in the 90s compare to being an Ironman competitor in 2014?Susanne: Ironman didn't become my niche until I had children.  I gained 50 lbs with my first son and worked as a Sales Rep traveling on the West coast for 60 hours a week.  I cried everyday I had to leave my son to drive to LA.  I quit and a neighbor/CEO asked me to coach him for an Ironman.  He didn't know how to swim, never biked and hadn't run since college.  I trained with him and lost the weight.  I decided to try a half ironman, qualified for Kona and placed 11th amateur overall and 3rd in my AG 30-34.  Not until 5 years later after having my second child did I realize Ironman would be my niche!  I grew my coaching business and trained with many of my clients.  It was the perfect environment to light the Kona fire in me again.  I was 3rd overall with the pros in my qualifying race at Honu!   At Kona, I was the top American amateur in the World Championships and 2nd Overall Amateur.  I had beat my existing age group World Record and taken 30 minutes off my previous Kona time finishing in 9:51!  What!?  It was then in 2010, 17 years after my first triathlon that I thought I found my niche.  God gave me a taste of success and I believed I could get faster and become the best in the World.  

RD: What was your toughest race? What made it so tough?
Susanne: Last year at the Ironman World Championships. 

I was on fire from the start swimming 90 seconds faster than my previous years, biked 11 minutes faster and was stoked going into the run which is my strongest leg of a triathlon.  But, at mile 2 my pace slowed from 7:15 to almost 9 minutes as my hips and glutes were locked and not firing.  No uphill to blame. I thought OK, my body will be OK it just needs another mile to stretch out from the ride, but every step hurt. My husband screamed, "Banana (Susanna banana) nick name) you are going to CRUSH the world record! For the past two years I've run 3:17 or 3:18 off the bike.  I yelled back, " I'll be lucky if I break 3:45 today". It's going to take all I've got.  I chanted the names of people I loved and who supported me and sang songs of faith, "He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save... Please lord move this mountain of pain and slow running.  Then at the Energy lab, "Eye of the Tiger came blasting through the only speaker on course. Rising up back on my feet.  I pumped my fist in the air, yelled out let's get this party started and boom - I took the pace back down to 7:30 pace!  

RD: What's a typical training week look like for you?

Susanne: Monday my alarm goes off at 4:20am.  I make a double shot cappuccino and teach YMCA 90 minute spin class at 5:15am.  I run home, make breakfast, pack lunches and at 8am I drop my kids at school.  I go for a run and start coaching athletes or write programs on Training Peaks all day until I pick my kids up from school at 2:20pm.  I make a snack, do homework, make dinner, read with them, go to bed and start again! 

• Tuesday I have an off day and coach people and catch up on daily house or mom duties.  I also teach math as a volunteer in my daughters class.
• Wednesday is my mid-week long ride with a run after it.
• Thurs is speed day. I do a speed set running in the morning, coach personal sessions and swim Masters over lunch. 
• Friday I teach another Spin class at 5:15am, then run or swim.
• Sat: My husband watches the kids and I ride 4 hours and run off the bike.
• Sunday: is a family day, church and off or a long run.  

I'll squeeze in extra swims throughout the week to make sure I'm swimming 4 times just before Ironman.  

All of my mileage and paces vary throughout the year based on what phase of periodization I'm in.

 

RD: What tools do you use to help elevate your training.

Susanne: I train with a Timex Run Trainer 2.0 Heart Rate and GPS monitor.  I'm a big believer that numbers are important and provide needed guidance in training.  Every workout is written with a specific goal of heart rate and pace.  I maximize my time, effort and benefit from the training at the highest level.  I also use rpms and watts as well to control anaerobic efforts at race pace when teaching spin class as a turbo session weekly.  All these numbers can be pretty important on race day.

RD: You're also an endurance coach. How does the time commitment of training others affect your Ironman training?

Susanne: Certainly the time could get away from you easily and some weeks it's very challenging to balance. I am very good at organizing a calendar.  Many of my clients who I coach are with me for years and they understand the complexity of balancing time with other commitments. I coordinate some long Sat rides with clients who are around the same strength.  It's a benefit to us both.  I do group sessions the last two months leading up to a big Ironman race.  I also limit how many clients I personally work one on one with so I can keep balanced.  I've hired a few amazing assistant coaches who know my philosophy in coaching and are experts as well in different areas of training.  I love my daughter's saying, "mom I'm not an octopus".  I have to remind myself of that when I'm over commit myself.   

RD: Have you ever pictured yourself doing something different with your life?

Susanne: No! I love my life!  I love my family, friends, where I live, my job as a coach and the Timex Team. I feel so blessed to be where I am.

RD: What do you enjoy most about coaching others?

Susanne: I love to share my knowledge and see the light click, the confidence build and the results improve. The appreciation and accolades I get from my clients goes full circle.  I inspire them and push them to be better and they do that for me.  Qualifying for Boston the Kona Ironman or getting on a podium is a life long journey for some.  Watching them get there and knowing I'm part of the reason is seriously rewarding.  They cheer for me as aggressively as I cheer for them.  Many have become lifetime friends.

  

RD: Looking back over your athletic career, what would you do differently? 

Susanne: I would have raced Ironman much sooner.  I went 9:51 at the age of 39 in my first real effort to perform there.  If I think back, a young Kate Major (a good friend) had a really successful career with several 3rd place finishes.  She set an amateur world record just 2 minutes faster than my effort back when she was 23.  I've looked at that and thought where could I have been if I started this Ironman journey in my early 20's.  Unfortunately, I thought it was a crazy distance that I wouldn't even be able to handle.  I think I could have been a fairly successful Pro at this distance over the Olympic ITU format.

RD: How did it feel becoming the fastest amateur over 40 in the 35 year history of the Ironman Word Championship with your 9:41:40 finish time?

Susanne: There were so many emotions.  Surprise after my run start.  Incredible satisfaction from the fight of the race.  A thrill that I finally made the top of the podium.  Relief as I'd chased this for the last 4 years.  But mostly it was the sweetest ending to an extremely difficult year for my family. Triathlon has been a great stress reliever in my life through the years. I'm thankful I had it last year.

RD: Are you hoping you hold on to your reign of the USA Triathlon Masters Champion title at the Olympic Distance for a while or would you be okay with someone edging you out?

Susanne: Most races on my calendar I go into with the intention of winning.  There are a few that are tune up races where I know I'm not in top form.  This race is in Milwaukee and I'm surrounded by family so I certainly have a star next to it on my calendar.  It's an "A" race for me and I will prepare myself (as I'm my own coach) to win again.  I'm OK if someone edges me out on the day.  I can control my preparation, but I can't control the day.  You never know what is going to happen to your body or equipment on any given day.  I do know that I will be fast and ready and I have a program that got me there last year.

RD: How does competing at the masters level differ than when you were younger? What do you know now as a masters competitor that you wish you had known when competing in your 20s? 

Susanne: My confidence as a master's is what I didn't have racing as a Pro in my 20's.  Then, you were only as good as your last race.  If you didn't win money you didn't get to travel to the next competition and I was afraid I'd lose my sponsorships and disappoint many people in my life.  Now I'm a mom, wife and coach.  I also happen to be the top Master's triathlete in the world.  Figuring out how to find this balance is so rewarding and if I don't win, I still feel the other rewarding parts of my life.  My family still loves me if I'm 1st or 15th.  It's always a win-win now.

RD: What do you think about younger and younger kids (teens and pre-teens) competing in ultra-type endurance competitions? 

Susanne: Great question.  I've coached elite Jr. High and High School runners and I've seen the difference between coaching philosophies and the other athletes on their team.  The old adage of everything needs to be done in moderation couldn't be more true at a younger age.  If a parent has a teenager with the passion to run a half marathon or a marathon then they should investigate coaches.  Find a coach who can build them up gradually and help them cross train or do the right core strength to avoid over use injury and burn out.  I've seen both sides of the coin.  Athletes who were burned out, injured and didn't run again after high school. I've also seen my clients go on to have full ride scholarships and shine in college.  

A child's desire to be great is something you can't teach but comes from within.  It's how you stoke that fire that makes the difference.

RD: What are your future aspirations? 

Susanne: I feel like I've achieved everything I've wanted to achieve in the sport.  That's not to sound conceited but I am satisfied with what I've done.  The fire is still there and I will compete like I always have but do I have to be the top amateur or top 20 pro or set a world record in the 45 age group?  For now, no. But ask me in a year.

My focus now that I've reached the top is to share my knowledge and passion with more people.  I will be growing my training business to help make a difference in more people's athletic life.  I will continuing being a role model for my kids, clients, people over 40 and moms who want to achieve something great for themselves.  Racing a marathon, a triathlon or cutting time off your next race is doable at any age.  If you need help, find a coach like me. Some people think they can't achieve their dream or are overwhelmed.  I say dream, plan and believe anything is possible. I know, because I just proved it. 

Be sure to checkout Susanne's website  www.tricoachdavis.com.

TIMEX Giveaway!

Stay Tuned! In honor of Susanne's great accomplishments, RunnerDude has partnered with TIMEX to giveaway two TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS watches! Look for more on the giveaway and how to enter for a chance to win one of two GPS watches this Monday!

RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Dolphin to Elbow Plank

Planks are an effective way for runners to build core strength. However, as effective as they may be, they can also be rather boring to do. The following is a twist on the traditional front plank that decreases the boredom and increases the difficulty level.

To being, position yourself in a front plank with your hands resting on a mat and both arms fully extended. Extend your legs behind your (knees locked) with your toes resting on two glider discs (paper plates work well too). Check to make sure that your mid section isn't hiked up (your butt should be in line with your shoulders and heels). Keeping your body in a straight diagonal line, bend your right elbow until your forearm is resting on the mat. Then do the same with the left arm. As you bend your arms your body will slide back on the glider discs. Then, engage your core and extend your right arm then left arm (your legs will slide back in) until your back a the start position with your arms fully extended. Repeat this motion for 15 seconds, then switch to lowering the left arm first followed by the right for another 15 seconds.

For a better visual of the exercise, check out the video clip below.


RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Dolphin to Elbow Plank from Thad McLaurin on Vimeo.

For more exercises for runners, be sure to check out RunnerDude's new book Full-Body Fitness for Runners.

RunnerDude's Weekly Exericse: Prone Cobra

The core is the power source of your running. Within the core is the spine, the hub of life for the central nervous system. The prone cobra exercise below helps improve your ability to stabilize your spine. Spine stabilization is essential to any sport and running is no different. Not only does this simple but awesome exercise help with spine stabilization, it also works the entire core, including the lower back, your abdominal muscles and hip muscles. The upper-back between the shoulders also gets some action.

To do the exercise, lie facedown on a mat with your arms by your sides and your legs straight behind you. Next engage your glutes and lower back muscles to lift your legs off the floor while simultaneously lifting your head, chest, and both arms up off the mat toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a 3-count. Then relax as you return your legs, arms, chest, and head back to the mat. That's one rep. Continue 3-count lifts for 30 seconds.

For more exercises for runners, check out RunnerDude's new book 

Full-Body Fitness for Runners.

Trouble Keeping Laces Tied? Try ClickTight!

The cool thing about the Internet is the ability to connect with people all over the world. I've made awesome friends in the UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil (just to name a few) and now the Netherlands. A few months back Jurriën Theuvenet, the owner and founder of ClickTight Innovations contacted me about testing out a new product--ClickTight. I'm always game for testing new running related gear, so I told him to send me the ClickTights.

What is ClickTight? It's a new little device that you slip on your laces which keeps them secure and prevents them for coming untied. Oddly enough, the idea for the product didn't sprout out of a running related need, instead it was the result of finding a way to keep a surfer's boardshorts from coming off. 

While surfing in Mexico, Jurriën realized that the only way to keep his boardshorts from falling off was to double-knot its laces. This also meant a cumbersome knot pressing in his stomach while lying flat on the board. On the beach, he drew some initial designs of a flat lace-lock system.

As soon as the first prototypes where made Jurriën realized this technology had wider applications, particularly for athletes who habitually use a double-knot to tie their shoelaces. Tying shoelaces is one thing; untying another, and a nuisance after a sport activity. 

Back in Amsterdam Jurriën met up with Hans Koeleman to further the design. Hans Koeleman is a freethinker who believes there is a creative solution to every problem on earth. Educated at universities in the United States, the arenas of two Olympic Games and the work floor at Nike, he is embedded with a fairly impatient drive for excellence and innovation. Thankfully he recognized the immense potential of ClickTight and became a crucial contributor to its further development.

My ClickTights arrived in the mail and I immediately began testing them out. They are very simple to put on your shoes and the nice thing is once they are on, they're on. You don't have to take them on and off. There are three different ways you can use the ClickTights with your laces. I chose the traditional bow look. To tighten the laces you simply lift the ClickTight flap, pull on both sides of the bow, and then push down on the ClickTight flap until it clicks securing the laces in pace. I tested the ClickTights on numerous runs and have not experienced any issues with the flap coming "unclicked." Everything stays in place and when it's time to take off the shoes, you simply lift the flap and pull up slightly on the ClickTight unit to loosen the laces and then you're ready to slip off the shoes. It's really that simple.

ClickTights aren't available in stores just yet. To get a pair head over to the ClickTight Kickstarter page and a pledge of $15 or more will enable you to get one pair of ClickTights. You can choose from the basic Black/White ClickTight, a color ClickTight (5 colors to choose from), the ROPARUN ClickTight, or choose from one of the Challenger ClickTights (5K, 10K, 22.1K, or 42.2K)

RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Resistance Tube Front Raise Lat Raise

Often overlooked, the upper-body plays an important part in helping maintain good running posture. This is particularly true on longer runs. The more muscular endurance a runner has in the upper body, the longer he/she will maintain good posture delaying the onset of fatigue.

To do the exercise, grasp the handles of a resistance tube. Step on the center of the tube with both feet. Begin with your hands down by your thighs (1). Keeping the arms fully extended (no bend at the elbow), raise both arms straight in front of you until they are parallel with the floor (2). With controlled movement, lower your arms back to your thighs. Keeping your arms fully extended, raise both arms out to the side until they are both parallel to the floor (3). That's one rep. Shoot for 10-12 or 12-15 reps.

  

Tip: For more resistance, stand on the tube with your feet wider apart. For less resistance, stand with your feet closer together or just stand on the tube with one foot.

For more exercises for runners check out RunnerDude's new book Full-Body Fitness for Runners.

RunnerDude's Weekly Exercise: Med Ball Hamstring Leg Lifts

Hamstrings and Quads should be the "yin yang" of the body working together in harmony. The quads a little stronger than their posterior friend then hamstring. Hammies, however, give many a runner trouble, particularly on long runs.  Hamstrings aren't supposed to be as strong as quads, but many times runners, especially distance runners, have overy dominant quads. This is often the case in runners who heel strike. They're constantly loading the quad ready to pull their bodies forward due to the wider stride. This constant activation strengthens the quad but weakens the hamstrings. Sometimes the quad can get so out of balance that it can pull on the hamstrings causing them to become tight setting the runner up for injury. Or the hamstrings become weak, so when they are needed on a run, the may pull or cramp.

The best recommendation I have is to reign in the stride so the foot lands more under your center of mass. This decreases the quad activation, keeping everything in better alignment and letting the body work more like a shock absorber. You can also work to strengthen the hamstrings. The exercise below is a great one to do just that. This take on a simple hamstring leg lift uses a med ball as the base for the working leg. The med ball adds a balance element causing you to focus more on using the hamstring to lift the torso into a bridge. It's also a great core exercise.

To do the exercise, lie on a mat. Place your left foot on top of a medicine ball. Raise your right leg while keeping the left foot on the ball. Use the left leg to raise your body off the mat until your body is a straight line from your left knee to your shoulder, then lower your body until it almost touches the floor. That's one rep. Do 8-10 or 12-15 reps. Repeat the process with the right foot on the step and the left leg in the air.