NEW BOOK FOR THE BEGINNER TRIATHLETE

TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION IS A BOOK FOR THE VERY "BEGINNER TRIATHLETE."

There's a reason why triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. It has captured the imagination of so many because it's a sport that has changed the lives of ordinary "extraordinary" people all over the world

It does not require you to have the perfect athletic body or to be a highly skilled swimmer, biker, or runner. As a matter of fact, many people can't swim a stroke or have not run or biked for years, yet still take up the challenge of triathlon.

In the process they learn new skills, improve fitness levels, make new friends, and attain an improved level of over-all health and well-being.

The focus of "Triathlete In Transition" is to guide and inspire new triathletes as they begin their triathlon journey.

Much like my two "Ironstruck" books, Triathlete In Transition is not just another triathlon training book. Yes it will guide you as you work your way toward your first triathlon, but more than that, it is intended to inspire and motivate you to become more than you ever thought possible. Regardless of your fitness level or athletic ability as you start on your amazing journey, TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION has the potential to help change the course of your life forever.

In order to cover as many important components of your preparation as possible, I have invited along seven guest writers to share their wisdom and knowledge with you.

The guest experts include...

Derek Cook--Naturopathic Doctor

Grant Molyneux--Top Triathlon Coach

Kevan MacNaughton-- Over 25 years as a Bike Shop Owner

Jeff Thomlinson-Yoga Expert

Shelley MacGregor--Massage Therapist

and Triathlete In Transition is proud to introduce...

Steve King--The voice of Ironman Canada

and..

Terry Laughlin--The creator of the TOTAL IMMERSION swim concept

as contributors to TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION.

We share in a common goal of doing all we can to make your triathlon journey a rewarding and exciting experience.

This new book is available on Mindset Triathlon as a download. The cost is $18 for an instant download purchase and you "never" have to pay shipping costs.

Visit Mindset Triathlon and be one of the very first people in the world to read TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION.

IRONMAN CANADA REST

Well, it's not quite two weeks since Ironman Canada 2009 happened in Penticton and after talking to many people about it, it appears that it was one tough day out there for many of you.

Lots of stories of the swim being crowded and the bike being not bad up to Osoyoos and then the wind, heat, and smoke all becoming a factor in the mid to late stages of the bike. Of course that meant a marathon from Hell for most people as they were in pretty bad shape getting off the bike.

Some people seem very disappointed in their times, yet often it's not always fair to yourself to judge an Ironman day by your finish time, when actually it's how you fared in the conditions of the "the day" that are should be considered.

As triathletes it sometimes gets lost in the mix that the average person can't run to the end of their street. We seem to forget that even if there are 3000 people entered in an Ironman race, it's only a tiny, tiny percentage of the population of the world that could ever make it to the start line.

However your race turned out, I hope you are resting up. Even if you seem to feel not too bad, it can be a month or even two before the chemical balance in your body gets back to normal.

Penticton Ironman pictures

Well another Ironman has come and gone and once again the Penticton Ironman course was an extreme test for triathletes from around the world. 2600 starters finished the swim and tackled the hot and windy bike course that is no doubt one of the most spectacular and challenging in the world of Ironman.

Age-groupers and pros alike dropped out of the race and still there were spectacular performances on both the men's and women's side.

I was in front of the book store on Main street doing signings for most of the week and it was great to meet so many amazing people who were in Penticton to take part in or to watch the Ironman.

When I wasn't doing book-signings, I was working on book four that has now been completed and in the final stages of editing and developing a cover.

TRIATHLETE IN TRANSITION should be in print near the end of the month and hopefully I will be introducing it in person at Melissa's Road Race in Banff on the last Saturday in September.

Kelowna Apple Triathlon

Arrived in Lovely Kelowna late Friday night and caught some sleep before setting up early at the Apple Triathlon for book signings....My Ironstruck T-shirts were a resounding success and many of the teen racers bought them.

You know, I was watching the 8 and 9 year olds and it is simply amazing how talented these kids are and what a passion they have for the sport of triathlon.

It is just such a cool sport because they can all participate and have a great time regardless of how new they are to athletics. I could see many kids who could also be champions in 10 or 12 years if they stick with the sport and decide to reach for the stars. The Kids of Steel program is a marvel and it's no wonder all these races across the country fill so fast.

All those kids who competed today should be so proud of themselves and I hope they embrace fitness as a way of life forever.

Tomorrow we will be treated to watching the likes of Simon Whitfield and Jordan Brydon competing in the Nationals here at the Apple.

Hey! What do you know! Simon Whitfield started out as a kid of steel.

TOTAL IMMERSION

TOTAL IMMERSION Is easily one of the best swimming techniques for triathletes of all levels. Since I created ironstruck almost 5 years ago I have been in contact with thousands of people who have been captivated by the Ironman. They may have visited this website, read one of my books, emailed me, or just stopped by to chat while I was doing a book signing at a race. Most of the time the contact is initiated because most of them are compelled or "Ironstruck" by some unseen force to embark on their own Ironman journey and are in search of answers. Answers that will get them to the Ironman finish line one day.

It might mean getting on a road bike for the first time, dusting off the running shoes, or learning how to swim from the very beginning so they can enter the world of triathlon and eventually join a few thousand others one day at the swim start of their very first Ironman. This is where TOTAL IMMERSION can become a very important factor.

I can say with a certainty that the biggest stumbling block for most of the newly Ironstruck is learning how to swim or learning how to swim better. It certainly was for me as I couldn't swim a stroke when I decided I wanted to be an Ironman. Unfortunately, back then the swimming techniques provided by TOTAL IMMERSION were not available. It took me about year to be able to swim two miles in a pool. It was most likely the most inefficient swim stroke a person could possibly have, but I was off to Kona to tackle Ironman Hawaii 1984.

IF YOU ARE HAVING CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS WITH
YOUR SWIM TRAINING AND SWIM TECHNIQUE FOR AN
UPCOMING TRI OF ANY DISTANCE, CONSIDER TOTAL
IMMERSION. I WAS ALWAYS A CRAPPY SWIMMER AND
THE TOTAL IMMERSION TECHNIQUE MADE THE
IRONMAN SWIM ENJOYABLE AND WORRY-FREE FOR ME.
I ALSO CAME OUT OF THE WATER MORE RELAXED AND
HAD FAR MORE ENERGY LEFT THEN I NORMALLY DID
WITH MY OLD STROKE. THIS WAS A HUGE
DIFFERENCE GOING INTO THE BIKE AND MARATHON.

TOTAL IMMERSION is offering all ironstruck
visitors a 10% discount on Books, DVD's, and
all other TI teaching tools.
Simply click on this
linktotalimm
ersion.net/store/ and go to the store
page and type ironstruck(all small case)into
the shopping cart coupon box and you receive
your 10% discount automatically.

My strategy was simple. I just moved my arms as fast as I could for about an hour and forty minutes until I reached dry land. I didn't want to stop moving my arms because I was afraid I would sink. I had such poor body position, that as soon as I slowed down my legs would sink. Well, they sank anyway and dragged along behind me, but the slower I went the faster they seemed to sink.

I incorporated this same strategy in the first 10 of the 14 Ironman races I entered over the years. In all of those Ironman swims I came out of the water exhausted and with my heart-rate racing and out of control.

The energy that is lost that early in the race is unrecoverable.

Most of my problems were caused by having terrible swim technique and also because I never had a swim plan and was routinely getting clobbered in the swim from the flailing mass of bodies that are part of every Ironman swim.

Then one day after another hour spent at the local pool reinforcing my poor swim stroke, a fellow triathlete asked me if I had ever heard of TOTAL IMMERSION? He had been swimming beside me and I think he knew I really needed help. I was a 1:25 Ironman swimmer at this stage and he was just about breaking 60 minutes.

I told him I had never heard of it, so he reached in his gym bag and pulled out a copy of the book TOTAL IMMERSION. He told me to take it home and read it. In my 25 year involvement with triathlon, that was without a doubt the best piece of advice I was ever given. I read the whole book that night and although I had my doubts at first because it virtually meant learning to swim all over again, I took it to heart and put TOTAL IMMERSION to the test the very next day.

I kicked off from the side of the pool and did exactly what was suggested in the book for attaining better buoyancy and body positioning in the water. Without exaggeration, I took about five strokes and for the first time in almost twenty years felt my heels break the surface of the water behind me. It's the first time I actually had anything even close to good form in the water and I hadn't even reached the other side of the pool.

I was ecstatic and over the following months did the drills that slowly rid my muscle memory of all my bad habits and helped me develop a long, smooth stroke that is "perfect" for any triathlete who wants to become a confident, efficient swimmer and save tons of energy for the later stages of their triathlon.

I took my new improved stroke to my next Ironman and because I wanted to make the most of it, decided to swim on the edge of the mass of swimmers so I would be away from the mayhem and be able to maintain the long, smooth stroke that TOTAL IMMERSION had taught me. I felt that I would most likely swim further, but it would be well worth it to have an enjoyable swim that conserved energy.

My mantra during my swim training using the TOTAL IMMERSION method was "not how fast I got to the other end of the pool, but how I got to the other end of the pool." I held that thought and took it to the Ironman and put it to the test.

When I came out of the water I couldn't believe how great I felt. For the first time my heart-rate was in control and the entire swim had been enjoyable and not the usual part of the Ironman that I always dreaded. I stayed out of trouble and maintained the same long, smooth stroke for the entire race.

I was astounded when my swim time was a personal best by almost 5 minutes. It was so surprising because never once did I consciously try and "swim fast."

I TRIED TO SWIM SMOOTH.

If you are concerned about your swimming or if you think the Ironman is beyond your reach because the swim seems overwhelming, then TOTAL IMMERSION could very well be your ticket to the Ironman finish line.

Even if you have done several Ironman races and struggle through the swim much like I did for almost ten years, the TOTAL IMMERSION swim system will change the way you look at swimming forever and you will begin to look forward to the Ironman swim and not dread it.

If you are just beginning your triathlon career, TOTAL IMMERSION is the perfect system to incorporate into your swim training as your career develops. If you are completely new to swimming, then you have the advantage of developing a great stroke from the very beginning without having to break bad swimming habits.


TOTAL IMMERSION is offering all ironstruck visitors a 10% discount on Books, DVD's, and all other TI teaching tools.

Simply click on this link
totalimmersion.net/store/go to the store page and type ironstruck(all small case)into the shopping cart coupon box and you receive your 10% discount automatically.