Run the dirt: Fall TT Trail Running Series -- Starting October 5th!!!

TARGETRAINING FALL TRAIL RUNNING SERIES
Sundays, OCT 5th toNOV 23rd
Week 1-2 5k Sherwood Island, Westport
Week 3-4 5 miles Devil’s Den, Weston
Week 5-6 5 miles Troutbrook, Weston
Week 7-8 10k Cranberry Park, Norwalk

We will re-run the same course at each of the 4 venues. If you miss a weekend, you don’t miss out! If you make each race, you can try to beat your time from the previous weekend.

Current clients can use their endurance package to join. Ifyou are not a TT client but wish to do the series you may buy a ten pack or sign up each week. Each event is $30 – and includes bagels and coffee post run!

Fun for everyone, first-timers to pros.
Run just like a training session.

Records and Rain Fall at Tour de Greenwich

Having grown up in Greenwich, this Sunday’s Tour de Greenwich was a fun rendezvous for me. Not since 2001 have I had a chance to take the start line for this local event, but after spending an evening with family just down the road from the race start, it was a nice cup of coffee and a brief ride to the start line on a drizzling, muggy morning. It was great to see so many familiar TARGETRAINING faces and other cycling friends joining me at the start.

This is a unique race as there are two distinct age group starts, 39 and under and 40+, so you may win your heat but not the overall. Thus, it is always advantageous to race fast from the start of the 20-mile rolling course if you are vying for the overall win.

With this in mind, I mounted my team issue Cannondale with ZIPP 808 wheels and a compact set of time trial bars to maximize my ability to push the pace in the race.
It took a few miles of the 20 mile course to shake myself of the rest of the field which left me with what became one long solo time trial effort on pristine, yet very slippery, back country roads. When all was said and done, I managed to win my heat and the overall by breaking my own course record by over a minute and finishing in a time of 46:32 with family waiting at the finish. What a nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

A Puncture Perfect 100k Saturday

We awoke Saturday morning to damp and foggy weather but with the promise of clear sunny skies by mid day, a dozen TARGETRAINING riders set out for our 1st metric century ride of September. Although the rain had ended, the roads were left slick and littered with debris which caused havoc on this dedicated group of cyclist. Within the first two hours of the ride, we had already fixed 4 flat tires, and we finished the day with 6!

So while Carlos held the fort down with some fun indoor rides, outdoor group leaders, Max and Eneas, were running out of spare tubes.
In the end it was a long day in the saddle, but we all had a great time with excellent company.

We hope that Mother Nature helps us next weekend for our 2nd century ride of the month, and provides us with clear and dry conditions.

TARGETRAINING's Valentin Lopes has good showing at Ironman Louisville!

Valentin finshed the 140.6 mile journey of swimming, biking, and running in a time of 10:30:22.

From the photo you can see he was quite happy with his performance. He only missed a spot to the Hawaii Ironman World Championships by 1 spot! But, he already signed up for another crack at the race in 2009! Next time!

You will be seeing more of Valentin at TARGETRAINING this Fall and Winter. He is taking a little break from training and will be helping with our training sessions.

Get your daily R.I.C.E.

R.I.C.E.

The method of R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is best known as the treatment for acute injuries such as joint sprains or muscle strains. But why wait until you are already injured to experience the benefits of this treatment? I believe that the principles of R.I.C.E can, and should be used on a daily basis to prevent injury, improve recovery time, and decrease muscle soreness.

REST:

The traditional meaning of Rest in the RICE treatment is to immobilize the injured area and limit use for 24-48 hours to promote healing.

Rest can also mean getting adequate and regular sleep. Seven to eight hours a night is recommended, with additional benefits coming from as much as 10 hours an night. A well rested athlete has a quicker reaction time, a better mood, and less fatigue during training.
Additionally, adding a rest day or a rest week into your training cycle will help your body adapt to a hard training load. Your body and mind need time to rejuvenate and relax in order to perform at the highest level.

ICE:

Ice is used in the RICE treatment as a great way to decrease swelling and improve the healing time of sprains and strains. It should be applied to the injury for 10-20 minutes at a time every few hours.

Icing, in the form of an ice bath, is a great post-workout recovery technique. Despite a recent study minimizing its effectiveness, it is still one of the most widely used recovery techniques. From football players to marathon runners, some of the world’s best athletes use this method. The temperature of the ice bath does not need to hover just above 32 degrees for it to work. Immersing you legs for 10-15 minutes in water that is in the high 40’s or low 50’s will do the trick. An ice bath can prevent injuries by reducing the inflammation caused by a tough workout, which will prevent the inflammation from becoming a full-blown injury.

COMPRESSION:

Compression treatment for an acute injury involves wrapping the area to help increase blood flow and prevent or reduce swelling.

Compression can be used on a daily basis to increase blood flow to stressed tissue, and improve recovery time. Compression was once only accomplished by ACE bandages, today there are many sport specific companies that have a line of compression clothing designed for athletics. Compression tights have proven benefits during and after your workout. The main benefit of compression tights are; increased blood flow, which brings oxygen to the muscles faster and removes lactic acid, and increased support of the muscle fibers during contraction, which results in less wasted motion, and a more efficient contraction.

ELEVATION:

Elevation is the 4th element in the RICE formula. The goal is to elevate the injured area above the heart to reduce swelling and the pooling of blood around the injury.

Swimming, biking and running are hard on the legs. Elevating your feet/legs to a level higher than your heart will let gravity do some of the work returning blood back to your heart. Propping you feet with some pillows while lying down is a great way to enjoy a book or watch TV after a hard day of training.