Tales from the shop: September 2011

Hello All!

Katie here telling you about my adventures to Portland, OR. My mission was simple, become a certified USA Triathlon coach, or so I thought. The schedule seemed harmless enough but once it started my note taking skills had become rusty since I graduated more than a few years back and my brain went into overdrive trying to soak up all the information.

First up was Bob Seebohar; MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, 2008 USA Triathlon Olympic Sport Dietitian
Sport Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist, and High Performance Endurance Coach. Talk about starting off with a bang! My jaw was on the floor more than just a few times. I learned nutrition periodization, what it takes to fuel the body (I was way off on what I thought I knew!), when to fuel the body (I was way off there too!), what goes on in the body, and so much more!

Bob confirmed a few things that I did know, the difference between an athlete that isn't pushing themselves versus an athlete that has pushed themselves over the edge of overtraining. I know from experience how important it is to do strength training. What strength training exercises are the most beneficial.

Second to bat was Justin Trolle, Level 3 USAT coach, 'nough said. He went over training periodization and planning. I needed some dramamine to keep my head from spinning with all the information I thought I knew but really had no idea! How to write a workout and make it work was enlightening. It all makes so much sense now what my coaches had me doing all those years! I would write more about what Justin taught us but then you would be sitting here for days.

Third in the lineup was Bobby McGee, renowned running coach. Bobby taught us the mental aspects of an athlete. Not just "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" of mental preparation but also how to wake up the athlete's body to be more efficient. He also went over running off the bike and running in general. "Little Miss know it all" here thought I knew everything since I was a track and field athelte but Bobby still managed to teach me a lot! Go figure, a level 3 USAT coach knows more than me!

Last but not least was Ian Murray, cycling and swimming. I had a very good grasp on the cycling since I am a USA Cycling coach but the swimming was definitely a nice refresher. All is well and good in the pool following a black line at the bottom and smooth water unless kids are playing next to your lap lane, but open water swimming especially when 100 people are surrounding you is a whole other story! How to train and what to do in the many different scenarios was eye opening. Pretty interesting on the tricks to getting in and out of a wet suit!

Other than the amazing information from the presenters Portland, OR herself provided some experiences. Very different world out there compared to the beloved Deep South. We had the opportunity to grill Justin Trolle over dinner. He was brave enough to try Chile Pepper beer with me. If only we had pictures of everyone's faces as they tried that beer! Justin did say we were the best group he had so far! A group run through downtown Portland was fun. The hotel provided crusier bikes that allowed us to go a little further exploring. It made it easy to see the beautiful architecture, rose gardens, . A group of us took the Metro to explore and stumbled upon an outdoor concert by the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle corps. Very impressive!

As the lectures and adventures came to an end I was in a daze from all the information I had learned. I was lucky to have been in a class that had great presenters, attentive students, and students that asked great questions.