Join us on April 30 for a special open water swim clinic with Austin Aquatics and Sports Academy! Their team of certified coaches will walk you through a discussion on swimming in open water, followed by a guided in-water practice swim. This is the perfect opportunity to brush up on your skills and feel comfortable in the water leading up to race day!
Head over to Austin Aquatics & Sports Academy to learn more and register.
by Jennifer Ward
Has triathlon altered or affected how you see yourself as a woman? If so, how?
It has altered how I see myself as a person. I was an athlete when I was young, but after completing college, I didn’t really compete in sports anymore. When I took up triathlon three years ago, I rediscovered a part of myself that I thought had died. It has given me a renewed sense of confidence and vigor. It has given me renewed energy and helped me to see that age is a state of mind.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced personally as a woman, an athlete, or both?
One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a triathlete is balancing life demands with all of the training and trying to reach my goals. In order to garner and maintain the support of my husband and family, I had to decide that my goal was not going to be “to be the best.” That goal would have required me to put my life on hold to train. Instead, I set the goal that I would “be the best that I could be within the time constraints of my life.” I set realistic goals within those constraints and feel good about what I was accomplishing both at home and in sport.
What are your tips for balancing training with a full life?
I think one of the most important things to remember is that triathlon is not your life, it’s just a part of your life. If you keep that in perspective, things fall into their proper place. You don’t need to fit someone else’s training plan into your life. Do what makes sense for your schedule. For me, that usually means getting up early and getting training in before my kids are up and before work.
What do you wish you’d known when you started triathlon? What’s your best tip for a first-time female triathlete?
I wish I would have known that it is better to go into a race slightly underprepared than it is to go in overtrained. There were so many times when I thought I just needed to get in a few extra miles or to go a little bit faster than planned and then I ended up injured. Now I live by the motto: “train smarter, not harder.” Being strategic in training and listening to your body when it tells you to back off or rest goes a long way toward longevity in the sport and success in reaching your goals.
As part at Women For Tri, we are doing a “Women for Tri Workout Wednesday” where we encourage women to celebrate the day by working out together, empowering each other, and sharing their photos. Is there anything you’d like to to say to all the women working out on that day?
I, too, have a group of friends I train with regularly. We call ourselves the Before Breakfast Club. Getting up early and training with them is therapy for me. I think it is wonderful to train with other women to share ideas, successes and failures, and encouragement. It is a natural forum to learn from each other and to celebrate the achievement of goals. Doing life together with others and building others up makes life worth living.
Has triathlon altered or affected how you see yourself as a woman? If so, how?
It has definitely affected me as a human being. I feel it has given me a more positive outlook on life, and given me more confidence in working hard towards my goals.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced personally as a woman, an athlete, or both?
The constant labelling, stereotyping, and boxing into how/what/who I ought to be, and the challenge of concentrating on who I am and the person I want to grow into, rather than binding myself to what other people expect and assume me to be. That has actually been a huge challenge.
What are your tips for balancing training with a full life?
I wish I had the answer! I’m still trying to figure that out myself.
What do you wish you’d known when you started triathlon? What’s your best tip for a first-time female triathlete?
I have loved the journey exactly as it has been. The thrill and curiosity of the unknown, the surprises, the growth, the ups, downs and up-side downs. Passing on what Paula Newby Fraser has always told me: “don’t overthink it.”
Has triathlon altered or affected how you see yourself as a woman? If so, how?
It’s given me a lot more confidence and a lot more belief in my abilities, especially since I set the goal of doing an IRONMAN when I was in a hospital bed. I think just having that goal is something massive to work toward. As I got closer and closer to it, it made me believe in myself a lot more. I think having that self belief and self confidence that’s crucial for anyone in all stages of their lives.
What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced personally as a woman, an athlete, or both?
As an athlete, it’s got to be my injuries. I’ve only got three fingers now which makes swimming more difficult, and it’s harder for me to use my bike like a normal person would. As a woman, we have a tendency to not back ourselves and not believe in ourselves and I think that’s a pretty big challenge. And also, because the sport of triathlon is fairly male dominated, even just finding training partners was really difficult for me. I guess I’m luckier than most because my partner was very fit so I’d do a lot of training with him. I still think if there were more women in the sport that would be really good for everyone.
What are your tips for balancing training with a full life?
I think my tip is that I had to learn to let myself off the hook. If I didn’t do very well in a training session or was really tired and didn’t go as hard as I would’ve liked or didn’t eat my recovery meals at the right time—I think you’ve just got to recognize that no one’s perfect and we’re all just doing the best we can. In the scheme of things if you miss a session or your day doesn’t go as planned it’s not the end of the world.
What do you wish you’d known when you started triathlon? What’s your best tip for a first-time female triathlete?
To not take it too seriously. It’s a sport that we all do because we love it, and I think you can forget about that and get really serious. That for me saps all the fun and enjoyment out of it.
As part at Women For Tri, we are doing a “Women for Tri Workout Wednesday” where we encourage women to celebrate the day by working out together, empowering each other, and sharing their photos. Is there anything you’d like to to say to all the women working out on that day?
I’d say dream big, believe in yourself, and know that if you put the work in, you’ll see results!
Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2017/03/international-womens-day-round-table.aspx#ixzz4akIexN29
Looking for the perfect gift for the triathlete in your life? Order a Life Time Tri gift card!
We are now offering physical gift cards for the following Life Time Tri events:
Order your gift cards by 12/20 12:00pm CST to receive them before the holidays!
*Gift cards will come with unique code on the back for redemption.
Must be redeemed on the corresponding event website that it was originally purchased for.
If you have additional questions, please email us at [email protected].
We invite you to join us as we #CommitToTri in 2017!
Each event features an International distance course, which consists of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike and a 10-kilometer run (distances may vary slightly by location). Select events also offer Sprint, SuperSprint and Kids Triathlon courses of shorter, varying distances.
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April 2, 2017 |
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April 9, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 |
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July 8, 2017 |
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July 16, 2017 |
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August 27, 2017 |
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September 24, 2017 |
To register or learn more about any of the 2017 Life Time Tri events, visit www.LifeTimeTri.com. Stay updated with the latest information by following @LifeTimeTri on Twitter and the Life Time Tri Facebook page.
Athletes –
As you know, heavy rains throughout Central Texas have greatly impacted conditions in Lady Bird Lake.
Our staff has been monitoring the situation with the City of Austin, LCRA and Homeland Security since early this week. At 6:00 a.m. today, relevant authorities opened the floodgates at Mansfield and Tom Miller Dams, creating a massive downstream flow that will continue through Tuesday.
Since early this morning, we have been exploring and presenting various modified swim courses, but we were ultimately unable to remedy a feasible solution that would ensure the 100% safety of our athletes, volunteers, staff and emergency personnel.
While unfortunate, the race will continue as a bike-run. Here are the race-day implications:
New race start
7:15 a.m.
International
All international triathletes, international relays and AquaBike participants will start on the bike course, in a time-trial format, within their same wave sequence. Wave 1 of the international distance will now start at 7:15 a.m. Please be fully prepared by 7:00 a.m., standing at your bike rack until directed by event staff, who will queue athletes along the bike out transition exit.
Sprint
Sprint participants (individuals and relays) will follow suit, starting after the international athletes with an expected start time of approximately 8:15 a.m. Please be fully prepared and standing at your bike rack by 8:00 a.m., awaiting instructions by event staff.
SuperSprint
SuperSprint participants will release behind the sprint athletes in the same sequence, with an estimated 9:00 a.m. start time.
Duathlon
Due to course logistics, currently registered duathletes will now default to a bike-run competition, starting with the 40K bike course, then completing a 2-loop 10K run. Duathletes will now be merged into the greater field of international distance (bike-run) competitors and will start with their age group.
AquaBike
Due to the swim cancelation, all registered AquaBike participants will be completing a 40K time trial on the bike course. Currently registered AquaBike participants will continue to compete within their same division.
All athletes that compete in the bike-run format will have USAT age group scoring count toward triathlon rankings.
Thank you for your attention, for your patience and for your support of a safe event. Should you have any further questions, please contact Athlete Services at [email protected] or visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/LifeTimeTri.
We are excited to bring you what we hope will be Austin’s best weekend of triathlon, whether you are a first timer or returning for another ride. Since 1991, the Life Time Tri CapTex has become a fixture in the multisport spotlight – not only in central Texas, but also among the other 10 races in the national Life Time Tri Series.
New this year, we will be offering both AquaBike and Duathlon race options! In addition, CapTex joins four other events that comprise the prestigious Texas Triathlon Series. Athletes who complete or volunteer at each of the five local events qualify for the can’t-miss, end of season finisher party. Check out the 2016 Athlete Guide for detailed schedules, course information and more.
We’ll see you at the start line this Memorial Day for our 25th Anniversary event!
Traveling to Austin, Texas for our 2016 Life Time Tri CapTex? We’ve gathered a list of the best Austin triathlete hotspots so you can have your most memorable racecation yet.
The must-stop coffee shop. Juan Pelota Café, located inside of the famous Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop is known for serving “high-fives and awesome coffee.” Here you’ll find every type of cyclist and triathlete, and it’s the perfect stop for pre- or post-ride caffeine.
Quick, reliably healthy eats. While eating at Whole Foods may be a no-brainer to some, Whole Foods Austin is a whole other experience — the company’s flagship store features every kind of healthy cuisine imaginable. Post up at the Bowie BBQ counter for some classic Texas barbecue, enjoy fresh seafood from their 5th Street Seafood menu, or even swing by their Tartinette Test Kitchen food truck to taste the latest and greatest in food trends and seasonal flavors!
Where to get outside. Austin is known for being an active city, which provides lots of options for those looking to head outdoors and work up a sweat. Hit the Parmer bike trails for a popular out-and-back ride featuring beautiful rolling hills, or go for a run around Zilker Park. If water sports are more your speed, try kayaking or SUP-ing down the Colorado River and Lady Bird Lake.
Your local tri shop. Austin Tri Cyclist is one of the country’s oldest and largest specialty bike shops that caters to the triathlete community. Here, you can count on the knowledgeable staff to help you find last-minute race gear, or swing by to talk shop and get great recommendations on where to ride!
It’s not too late to register for Life Time Tri CapTex! Join us on Memorial Day and kick off summer in the heart of Austin.
Please join us in welcoming Accelerade® Sports Drink and Accel Gel® Rapid Energy Gel as on-course nutrition sponsors along with Endurox® R4® as the recovery drink sponsor for the Life Time Tri CapTex.
Accelerade will be offered in two refreshing flavors; lemon lime and lemonade at each transition, aid stations on the run course and at the finish line. Accel Gel will be available on course in three great tasting flavors; chocolate, citrus orange and strawberry kiwi.
If you are not a current user of Accelerade, we encourage you to sample it prior to race day on a ride or run in order to acclimate your body to a sport drink with protein. Protein occasionally causes GI discomfort in a limited number of individuals. We have found that the best way to reduce the possibility of GI distress is by taking small quantities of fluid (1/2 ounce) regularly ( every 10 minutes) during strenuous exercise.
Endurox R4 will be available in the athlete recovery area in fruit punch.
Accelerade Sports Drink, Accel Gel Rapid Energy Gels and Endurox R4 Recovery Drink all contain a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, scientifically proven to be the optimal ratio to help the body extend endurance, replenish muscle glycogen, provide more energy faster and speed muscle recovery.
Click here and use the coupon code CapTex to receive a special deal when you pay a flat shipping of $3.99 for free samples of Accelerade®, Accel Gel® and Endurox® R4® directly to your door.
Participants will ride Austin B-cycles for the SuperSprint event this Memorial Day
In advance of the 25th annual Life Time Tri CapTex on May 25, Life Time –The Healthy Way of Life Company and Austin B-cycle, Austin’s bike sharing service, today announced the introduction of a new “Austin B-cycle Wave” — a featured highlight of the SuperSprint distance during the popular event. The collaboration is designed to encourage individuals of all experience levels, including those new to the sport of triathlon, to participate in the Memorial Day event taking place throughout downtown Austin.
The SuperSprint race is one of many distances offered during the Life Time Tri CapTex at Auditorium Shores. The Austin B-cycle Wave will have 20 entries, which includes complimentary use of an Austin B-cycle for the 6.21-mile SuperSprint bike course. Participants will also swim . 25 miles and run 3.1 miles as part of the SuperSprint event, and will compete against one another for unique B-cycle prizes.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Austin B-cycle in an effort to break down the barriers aspiring triathletes normally face and bring this new opportunity to participants at the Life Time Tri CapTex,” says Lindsey Kurhajetz, senior brand and marketing director, Life Time Athletic Events. “Equipment can be expensive, especially for first-time triathletes who aren’t quite ready to make such significant investments. With Austin B-cycle, people can ‘try a tri,’ and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Beyond use of the bike, all Austin B-cycle Wave participants will receive complimentary 24-hour Austin B-cycle passes, a gift certificate for $10 off an Austin B-cycle annual membership and Austin B-cycle race weekend swag bags featuring other Life Time Tri CapTex goodies. In addition, with their complimentary access passes, B-cycle SuperSprint participants will be able to continue to explore Austin after the race by checking out a bike from any of the 46 B-cycle stations downtown.
“We know Austin B-cycle is the fast, fun way to get the most out of Austin and now it’s a fast, fun way to race the Life Time Tri CapTex SuperSprint,” said Elliott McFadden, Executive Director of Austin B-cycle.” The addition of our bikes with this year’s race creates a great way to experience downtown, whether you are new to the sport or an experienced triathlete.”
On race day, B-cycle bikes will be available for pickup on-site in a special transition area, with Austin B-cycle staff ensuring all bikes are race-ready. In addition, Life Time Tri CapTex spectators are encouraged to utilize Austin B-cycles while visiting the race venue at Auditorium Shores race weekend.
For nearly two decades, Life Time Tri CapTex has taken over the streets of downtown Austin. The race has become an Austin Memorial Day tradition and the event features individual and relay Sprint and International distances, a SuperSprint and a SuperSprint B-cycle wave. This year, Life Time Tri CapTex will also see the return of the USAT Paratriathlon National Championships.
For more information and updates on the Life Time Tri series, visit lifetimetri.com, “Like” the Life Time Tri Facebook page or follow @lifetimetri on Twitter.
by Laurel Leicht (former Fitness Editor for Shape Magazine)
I spent countless hours this year training for my first IRONMAN race—long rides on the weekends, early-morning runs, swims after work. Though I was devoting so much time to preparing for the race, it seemed surreal that I was actually going to attempt to cover such a long distance in one day. I’d only ever done Olympic-distance triathlons before; now I was going to try to do about four times that mileage within one 17-hour stretch? Was I completely crazy?
A month before I was supposed to travel to Panama City, Florida, for the race, I still hadn’t wrapped my head around what I was about to embark on. At that point, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview several inspirational women who were about to race the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Their stories were amazing because of all the obstacles they’d overcome: blindness, breast cancer, the loss of a husband in military combat. I was especially moved by their experiences though, because all these women seemed so real. They were all just regular people, like me, balancing work and family and squeezing training in somewhere in between it all. Mirinda Carfrae is a badass and incredibly inspirational, but almost super-human. Speaking with these female age-group athletes, I realized how you don’t have to be a world-class competitor to cross the line at an IRONMAN race; you just need to have the drive and put in the time.
That’s the message IRONMAN and Life Time want to extend to women across the country with their new nationwide “Women for Tri” initiative. By increasing awareness and interest in the sport of triathlon, along with providing content and training resources, the program aims to unite and empower female athletes of all fitness levels and help them reach their goals.
Love triathlon and want to get involved? IRONMAN and Life Time are looking for a select group of influential women from all walks of life who are passionate about triathlon to be a part of the Board of Advisors. Anyone with a passion for triathlon can apply, whether you are an age-group athlete, coach, pro or are otherwise involved with the industry. The board will work with IRONMAN and Life Time to research, brainstorm, create and put into action new steps to grow female participation. If you’re interested, contact Amanda Wregg or Lindsey Kurhajetz at [email protected] before January 1, 2015.
They’re putting together an Ambassador Street Team, as well, to mentor and help cultivate new athletes. Stay tuned for more information about how to join the street team in coming months.
I didn’t have this initiative while prepping for my own race, but I did have an incredibly supportive female coach and talked to as many IRONMAN-experienced women for their training and racing advice as I could. Still, come race day, I was a bit of a basket case.
Amid the nerves buzzing around the beach that morning, I just happened to run into one of my favorite women from my Kona interviews: Sister Madonna Buder. At 84, she’s the oldest female finisher of an IRONMAN race (IRONMAN Canada when she was 82), has finished upwards of 50 IRONMAN races, and looked cool as a cucumber that morning. We took a picture together and wished each other luck. Knowing that she and so many other strong women would be traveling along the course with me all day helped me walk to the start line with confidence and a sense of peace. That’s the kind of support I hope many female triathletes, both brand new to the sport and seasoned, will find in the new Women for Tri initiative.