Santa Barbara Triathlon

Jamie Allison, 43

Tell us a little bit about you:
Professional background: I was an English teacher & Secondary Reading Director for 10 years before founding my company, Moms In Motion, Inc. Moms In Motion provides teams for women integrating fun, fitness and philanthropy all in one organized group.

Personal background: My hobbies include singing opera & belly dancing while making dinner (kidding!), knitting, reading, traveling and gardening (ok, even if it is once a year).

When did you complete your first triathlon (and if you’ve completed more than one, how many)?
I completed my first in 1984 and then lots and lots after that…

What inspires you to train/compete?
I am a distance triathlete, and because that means a lot of time, I now train to support our Moms In Motion Sprint Triathlon Team members. I love seeing the newbies out there for the first time. I’ve tried to race myself the past few years, but I have found that the most fulfilling years have been the ones where I have hung out in the back with our members assisting with their mental and physical struggles. Introducing women to the sport and watching them gain confidence is awesome because I see how they apply that new found confidence to other life challenges. And watching each member’s children, spouse and support system cheer for her is icing on the cake. Her accomplishment really does lift everyone involved in such a positive way.

What is your favorite thing about the sport?
I love the combination and challenge of three individual sports. Our members really feel they have completed something special when they finish a triathlon. It’s unique and intriguing. There’s a certain energy that is contagious in the sport of triathlon.

What’s your least favorite thing?
I guess all the gear hoopla surrounding the sport. I am a simple, straightforward, I guess you would say “old fashioned” athlete. I like the simplicity of putting on a pair of running shoes and stepping outside my door for a great run without the hassles of gear to think about.

What is the best advice you ever received regarding the sport of triathlon?
“Settle in.” - Jack Bianchi, tri coach. I love that saying because it is calming during moments of doubt and I can apply it to every aspect of my life.

Share your top three (or one, or ten) training tips:

1. Listen to your body’s signals.
2. Less is often more.
3. It has to be FUN. Life is too short for anything otherwise!

How do you stay motivated?
Mixing up sports is key. I run most of the year, so I like to take running breaks. I swim in the spring and triathlon train in the summer and of course core work throughout the year.

How has training for or participating in triathlon(s) affected other areas of your life?
I’ve never come home crabby from working out (unless I am injured). And when mama bear is happy it seems as if the entire family is happy. It’s also important to me to show my daughters the value of leading a healthy lifestyle. Being active in our family is just part of who we are. We hope our daughters will carry these values with them after they leave our nest.

Any words of encouragement for novice or aspiring triathletes?
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Celebrate the fact that you are carving out time for yourself to rejuvenate, to learn something new and to fuel your soul even in the midst all your responsibilities.

Do you have a post-triathlon indulgence?
A hot shower and a cold beer.

Heather Ann Diehl, 37

Tell us a little bit about you:
Personal background: I graduated from Loyola University in Chicago and then worked at Chicago Board of Trade for 10 years. That’s where I meant my husband, Eric, a Santa Barbara native.

Athletic background: I was captain of my varsity basketball and softball teams in high school and played club volleyball and did gymnastics year round. I went to an all girls’ catholic school in the mid-west and all my friends were athletes and excellent students. If you were not an athlete you had to be in the drama club, and that was so not my thing. I believe that playing sports in school actually makes you a better student. I had to be very organized with my time from day one and never let myself get behind. I would never want to let my basketball teammates down by not turning in a paper on time and getting benched during playoffs…

When did you complete your first triathlon (and if you’ve completed more than one, how many)? My first triathlon was in 2007 and I did it again in 2008.

What inspires you to train/compete?
My oldest son, Kyle, has autism. He works so hard every day to do such simple things as string four words together to ask for something (“I need apple juice.”). That is his daily triathlon. The ocean is a little cold for the swim? Whatever! How can I complain?

What is your favorite thing about the sport?
My Momentum 4 Life teammates and coaches. Kyle was diagnosed with autism just after I gave birth to my twin girls, and I was feeling pretty low. I had no idea what doing a triathlon was all about, but my friend Rebecca told me to be ready on the curb at 6:30 a.m. one Saturday morning. She took me to my first Momentum workout, and the rest is history.

What’s your least favorite thing?
Running. I’ve always wanted to be someone who loved running. I love the whole idea of it, but I have some back/knee/hip issues from childhood injuries that keep my runs slow and short. Those two miles at the end of the sprint triathlon are my marathon.

What is the best advice you ever received regarding the sport of triathlon?
Get a super lightweight road bike.

Share your top three (or one, or ten) training tips:

1. Find a friend and go swim in the ocean. No matter how long and how fast you can go in the pool, it is just not the same. (Thank you Marcy, Sandy K. and Bek!) I considered myself quite a “good” swimmer until I went for my first ocean swim. Rounding the first buoy, I had the mother-of-all panic attacks and our coach Marcy calmly led me back to shore and pretended like it was no big deal. Momentum teammates Sandy and Bek took me out during the week, when the kids were in school and I was able to stay calm, get my breath and just swim.
2. Bike EARLY. I have seen way to many car vs. bike accidents that did not fare well for bike.
3. Some people may hate me for this, but when doing my hated training for the run, I listen to my iPod with great motivational songs. It just helps.
4. Trick yourself. A little too much chardonnay the night before, don’t want to practice, pretend like you are just going to “show up” and the next thing you know you’re climbing Farren hill, laughing with the ladies.

How do you stay motivated?
Dawn Schroeder (of Momentum 4 Life) has a little pep talk before our workouts and has great speakers. Cancer survivors, young widows, a mom with triplets, moms with children in wheelchairs—they’re all running next to you. I have twins and a kid with autism, big deal, keep running.

How has training for or participating in triathlon(s) affected other areas of your life?
I always loved the idea of being on a team. Would I ever put on a wetsuit and jump in the ocean at 7 a.m. on a Saturday by my own accord? Hell no. I do it because I recruited two newbies (Heather H and Jen G) and I can’t let them down.

Any words of encouragement for novice or aspiring triathletes?
I did my first triathlon 6 months after giving birth to twins, after having been on bedrest for 5 months. I did it all in baby steps. A couple of five minute run-walks, five little laps in the pool. It all adds up, just keep moving.

Do you have a post-triathlon indulgence?
King size Snickers. My dad calls it the poor-man’s PowerBar!

John Herzog, 44

Tell us a little bit about you:
I work at Santa Barbara Athletic Club and Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club as the Sales & Marketing Director. I also own 2 limited liability companies.

Personal background: I am single and live with 1 housemate, my 13 year-old cat Calvin, and the assorted termites that eat my house. I grew up in Ventura and Oxnard. My mom and dad live locally, and my sister lives in Florida.

Athletic Background: I was an all-star soccer player through elementary school, then switched to short-track roller speed skating. In high school I played soccer, ran sprints and long jump in track, and played center midi in lacrosse. (I went to a boarding school in Ojai called Thacher, hence the East coast sport of lacrosse in high school). I was not good enough to play college sports, so I went to beach volleyball for 12 years, and won my first two-man tourney in 1995. (I know, I¹m short. But I could jump back then!) I have skied since I was 3, took up snowboarding in 2000, and now I do both.

When did you complete your first triathlon (and if you’ve completed more than one, how many)?
My first race was the Santa Barbara Triathlon in 2007. Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club was the sponsor of the women’s only sprint course and the package came with 5 free entries. Three of my sales guys and I agreed to pair off and compete against each other in two teams. The problem was, I could only swim  a few lengths in a pool without gasping for air. I took some swim classes, started running again, and did the sprint course in under 52 minutes. We smoked the other team, and I was hooked. I bought a full carbon bike the next day and have never looked back. The following year I did 5 races, took 7 minutes of my time in the SB Tri sprint course and did the Carp Olympic race in 2:31:08. This year I’m doing a half-Ironman and 6 Olympic distance races.

What inspires you to train/compete?
I love the way training makes me feel. I’ve never been in better shape. Plus, the fellowship of other athletes is great. The SB Tri Club is super fun, and training is a great way to enjoy Santa Barbara. It’s very fulfilling.

What is your favorite thing about the sport?
It’s a great way to transform yourself, and to go beyond the limits of what you think is possible.

What’s your least favorite thing?
It takes a lot of time!

What is the best advice you ever received regarding the sport of triathlon?
That proper nutrition is the “fourth” sport. You can’t train, recover, and race at your full potential without proper nutrition.

Share your top training tips:
•    Recovery is just as important as training.
•    Learn how to ride safely. Learn the skills of riding with a group. Look out for those around you.
•    Buy the best equipment you can afford.
•    Have fun. Winning is great, but it has no inherent meaning. Keep a broad perspective and enjoy your fellow athletes.
•    Don’t take yourself too seriously.

How do you stay motivated?
I hired Mike Swan as a coach, and I just “do as I’m told”. That works for me. He and Liz Groom are both great coaches and help you push your limits without getting burned out.

How has training for or participating in triathlon(s) affected other areas of your life?
Triathlon training has affected every aspect of my life. It takes great integrity to get in the pool, on the bike or to start a run when you really don’t feel like doing it. Doing it because you said you would, if for no other reason, yields unexpected results. This applies to all areas of my life. It’s an access to extraordinary results.

Any words of encouragement for novice or aspiring triathletes?
Start off slow, consider getting a coach, and don’t quit. You’ll be surprised at what you are capable of!

Do you have a post-triathlon indulgence?
Double latte!

We would like to add you as a featured athlete. Click HERE to read how.

Our current athletes are:

• John Herzog
• Heather Ann Diehl
• Jamie Allison
  

Tapering TipsAs you prepare for the upcoming triathlon, now is the time you need to start thinking about tapering. Tapering usually begins the week before your event day. Decrease volume and keep up the intensity. This is the motto you should use in you’re swimming, biking and run workouts.Complete rest or even slow training will NOT better your performance. Speed and power are the two things you lose first from your fitness when work load is decreased, so these must be your focus during this week before the event. Include short bursts of intense effort in all your workouts with lots of recovery time in between. This week you should not be doing any weight training. You don’t want to be tearing down muscle tissue or even try to maintain strength. Also be careful with your diet. Since you will be reducing your workouts your caloric intake should reflect that reduction. I suggest taking the two days before your event completely off. I also would recommend not introducing any new foods to your diet. Stick with food that you’re used to and drink plenty of water (not sports drinks) and get a good night sleep.The day before your event is usually when I recommend doing a combo bike-run workout. Keep it short. Anywhere from 20 min to 30 min on the bike and then a 10 min to 15 min run. All you want to do is get warmed up and include a couple of accelerations in each sport.Keep eating foods that are normal to you and drink your water. Avoid the temptation to try new sports foods and drinks at the event expo, and don’t overeat today. Do dinner a little earlier than normal and try to stay away from roughage.Event Day NutritionWhether you’re a novice triathlete or a veteran to the multisport world, here are a few tips you should remember for event day. Make sure to eat anywhere between 2 to 3 hours prior to your event. Eat something that you are used to eating, like what you’ve been eating before your longer training days. It should have approximately 200 calories. This is really not the time to try new things. Continue drinking water thru the morning and save the sport drinks for later. If your event is shorter than one and a half hours you really don’t need anything more than an electrolyte drink during the event. However, if you are going over that 1 ½ hours you will need to start replacing your fuel stores. Your needs are dependant on your weight and gastrointestinal processes, but it’s usually between 150 to 400 calories an hour. Hopefully you already have a plan that you’ve been practicing in your training. Post event you should just make sure you eat within a ½ hour of finishing and continue drinking fluids to replace water and salts that you’ve lost during your event. How can Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club and

Call the club today for a tour and a free trial pass!

Liz Groom

USAT Triathlon Level One Coach

NASM Personal Trainer

ssslizpt@hotmail.com

or Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club (805)964-7762 ext.44

COAC – (805) 964-7762SBAC – (805) 966-6147