N o L i m i t s T r i a t h l o n

Coach Todd: Madi I remember one of the first times that I met you. You were at a hotel and Rose had just finished Ironman Canada. Both of you were so excited. You said that you wanted to do an Ironman one day. And I think you even said when you were 18. Now look at you. You are an up and coming future triathlon star.

Coach Todd: Tell everyone a little about what distance of race you are focusing on right now.

Madi: I remember that meeting too. You were very tall to me back then. I have just moved up to U23 this year. It is so exciting to be going up to Olympic distance and being on the start line with the best in the world. I am going to learn so much from them. Ironman will have to wait for a little bit

Coach Todd: What does your typical week look like in terms of training? For example how many workouts do you get in and how many hours do you train?

Madi: I train 2 disciplines a day minimum. This year is much more volumes than I have ever done because double the distance but making sure not to get injured. This time of year is swim focus though (since it was never my strength). So to answer your question 4 hrs and up a day. I love it.

Coach Todd: People will often comment that you are a beautiful runner. Do you have any tips for people to improve their run?

Madi: That’s so nice to hear. I love running, especially with you, but I have really struggled the last 2 years with my run as I just kept growing and growing and not getting faster. At the end of last season I started to feel like myself again and I am finally getting stronger and everything else is catching up. It’s going to be a great season. You just need to stick with it and it will come.

Coach Todd: One tip that we talked about years ago and I still share with athletes is how you imagine that when running hills you pretend you are running on flat ground. That is a great tip. What is your favorite run workout to do?

Madi: I’m not crazy about the structured cross-country and indoor track workouts but I love it when runs have a lot of variety so I don’t get bored. I always have to stay focused and feel challenged. I do like to have a partner push me and someone I can challenge as well. And hill workouts are still my favorite because they are flat! Hehe

Coach Todd: On your Facebook page you often have your picture beside well-known athletes like Lance Armstrong etc.. Who has been the most interesting athlete you have met and why?

Madi: I have been so lucky to meet so many great people. I sometimes can’t believe how lucky I am. It’s so hard to pick because they all influence me in so many ways. I love strong women like Heather Wurtle, Janelle Morrison, Bree Wee, Gwen Jorgenson, Paul Finlay and women like Syl Corbett, Jill Kirker and Richelle. They are so stong and positive and never quit through all the ups and downs. But my most inspirational has been Mark Allen. He is one tough cookie. He has so much experience and is so so tough. I love talking to him.

Coach Todd: A big part of being successful in triathlons is being able to control what you think (self-talk) and say. Picture this…you are in the middle of a triathlon working super hard and you are just behind the leaders. What do you say or picture in your mind at this point.

Madi: My first thing that I say to myself is that “I can do all things through Christ” (Lisa Bentley’s saying as well) there are No Limits if you believe in yourself. It doesn’t always work trying to be positive and you have to have tons of practice doing it because if you stop for one second and let one negative thing in it just grows. I am still working on it hehe.

Coach Todd: One more question. What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 2 years?

Madi: I see myself being healthy and happy racing on the World Cup circuit, representing Canada and being an Olympic hopeful for 2016. I am grateful to be able to this sport and chase my dream. Oh and trying to catch you Todd

Coach Todd and Mary are both taking on new athletes starting in January.
Todd has 1 spot available and Mary has 2. Send us an email or use our contact page for more information.

The Winter Classes are now open for registration. http://nolimitstriathlon.com/classes/

Please send me an email or through Contact Page to reserve your spot in your favorite class.

Thanks,
Todd

Mary's spin class

The 2011 Ford Ironman World Championship will be broadcast on NBC Sports on December 10, 2011 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm EST.

Welcome to Winter!

I am always surprised at when I talk to many athletes when they mention their temperature cutoff for winter running. This can range from 5 to zero, to -5 to -15 to a downright chilly -30 degrees Celsius (or more).

I come from a background in downhill skiing so I am familiar to the Winter cold. This does not mean I like the cold.

Nonetheless I am ready to head outside to train on my run days.

Here is a recent picture of my saturday brick class just about to start our run in -30 degrees C (including windchill).

Here are some Winter Running Tips
1.) Dress for the cold - check the temperature and windchill before heading out

2.) Run into the wind - before your start your run know which way it is blowing so the wind is at your back on your return home (this is so important!)

3.) Proper shoes wear some shoes that have good grip on the bottom for any snow or ice.  Choose shoes that have denser material to help keep your toes warm.  Currently my winter run shoes are the Newton All Terrain Trainer and these work well for me.

4.) Limit your time running based on temperature - In my brick classes we almost always head out to run no matter what the temperature but what we will change is the type and duration of workout.  If conditions are very cold and slick we will change the workout to a very easy jog and usually only run 15 min into the wind and then 15 min return with the wind at our back.  Typically called “Survival or Character building Runs”.

5.) Cover up your skin (face and hands) If you look at the picture of us you can see that most of us have something to cover our face (neckwarmer or other).  I also chose to wear ski goggles and that really helps me on super cold days.

6.) Layers - Start with wicking clothing close to your body and then add more layers.  Aim to finish your layers with a wind resistance jacket or pants.

7.) Be careful on any hills or slight changes in elevation (especially bridge decks or under passes) as they can be very slick with thin layers of ice.

8.) Carry a phone, and tell people where you are going and when to expect you back

9.) Hydration / nutrition - if you are running for more than an hour remember to bring water or a sports drink with you to help stay hydrated.  Gels can easily be consumed during your runs.  Keep them close to your body so that they do not freeze.  I remember one run where my power bar was much too hard from the cold to try and eat.

I hope that these tips will help you keep your run training going throughout the winter. Hey, if you do not like the cold there is always a treadmill!

Just like that a new Cobb saddle was given away simply by following my site. Super easy. I will have more cool things to offer for the followers in the future. Remember all you have to do is put your email near the top right hand side of the standard site (not the mobile site). The mobile site is what you see usually on your phones or tablet devices. Signing up for my newsletter is not the same as following the website.

Thanks and click the video below to see if you won!

1 more day to get your name in for the draw for your choice of a Cobb Saddle (cobbcycling.com).  All you need to do is follow my blog at nolimitstriathlon.com.  Note that following is not the same as being on my newsletter list.  Simply enter your email near the right top corner of the website to follow.  If you are viewing the site using your smart phone or other mobile device you need to click at the bottom of the page (view standard site) so that you are able to enter your email.  I have been riding Cobb V-Flow for my last 3 ironmans and love it.  Good Luck!!

My final test run with the Newton MV2 took place on Nov 13.  The race was the Last Chance Half Marathon here in Calgary.  I have been running in the shoes occasionally during October and November.  I was unable to run over an hour in the shoes so my longest run was somewhere near 12-13 Km.  As the race week approached I caught a cold and my training was zero.  Fortunately on race day I felt ok and decided to see what I could do and give the shoes a good test.

My result was a PB of 1:28.30. which I was super pleased with considering my sickness the week before and limited training. Continue reading →

A few weeks ago I sat down with Rob Kelly of Kelly Brothers Productions and we had a fun chat about how many hours are needed to train for an Ironman. What spured me on to ask Rob for this interview was his facebook post while in Kailua Kona watching IronMan Hawaii. The post is below

From the Kona Media Kit:

Who are these people? 18 hours a week? Minimum?

This led to the following interview (see below)

Coach Todd: Today I am talking with Jordan Bryden who is a Calgary based professional triathlete. I can remember watching you as early as 2000 and hearing someone in the crowd say “wow that guy is the next Simon Whitfield”. It has been very cool to watch you grow up in Calgary follow your racing career. Continue reading →