COACH CYNDEE

Some people suddenly come to the realization that they are out of shape and unhealthy so they make drastic changes right away which are very hard to stick to.  If you want to make changes that will stick then I suggest making simple changes that will be realistic.  Once you have made several good changes and have stuck with them add in other changes and continue the process.  Here are 10 easy changes that just about anyone can do. Park in a spot that is further away from the front of the store rather than circling around to find the closest spot.   Take the stairs if you have the option instead of the elevator or escalator.  Drink more water each day. If you don't drink much at all set a lower goal of 1/2 gallon a day. If you exercise and know you don't drink enough then shoot for one gallon a day.  This will make you feel better, improve you skill and decrease cravings.  Add more vegetables to your diet.  Try and get 3-5 servings of vegeta...

Its never enjoyable to do something your not really good at.  When it comes to triathlons most people have one discipline they are not that good at.  Some people have one discipline that they really hate and are horrible at.  Most times people have one discipline they are really good at and they do that one more than any of the others.  Unfortunately most people don't do enough of the sport that they are really bad at.  I find this especially true of the people who are horrible in the pool.  If you are a really bad swimmer one thing (other than getting a coach) that will make you better is to swim more.  I usually suggest people get in the pool 4-5 days a week for 20-60 minutes if they need a lot of help and the same is true for the bike.  If you want to become stronger on the bike then I would suggest you bike more.  If you are thinking about doing a triathlon this year and you are really bad at one of the disciplines then take time to maste...

People think because they are training for a Marathon (half or full) or Ironman (half or full) that they will lose all kinds of weight.  Don't get me wrong some people do lose weight, but many do not.  There are a number of reasons for this and it can be very frustrating for the athlete that wants or needs to lose weight.  If you are training for a longer distance event then you can expect a few things to happen to your body and mind.  Many people have the mentality that after their longest workout of the week they need to reward themselves for their hard work and this typically comes with a lot of food.  You may have just completed a 4-8 hour workout you deserve it…..right?  Not really why negate the great gains from your workout by eating a bunch of unhealthy food.   Focus on eating healthy and nutritious food to replenish and help repair the damage from your hard workout.  Many times people think because they are training so much they don't ha...

I recently completed my 11 th Ironman in Chattanooga, TN. Racing in a place you have never been to is always an adventure.   Traveling with someone you are not with all the time can also be an adventure.   My friend of many years was racing too so we decided to save some money and room together.   He got there Wednesday night and I arrived Thursday morning.   I walked into the room and immediately noticed the freezing temperature in the room.   Upon getting there I had to use the bathroom and almost fell in the toilet because he did not put the lid down after using the bathroom.   I can only imagine the humor of me getting injured because I fell in the toilet or had hypothermia.   Ok maybe I’m being a bit extreme but you get the point.   My roommate Christian for the next several days wanted the room temperature in the 60’s whereas I preferred high 70’s low 80’s.   There seemed to be no compromise between us so as he would turn it do...

I decided to do a race called Toughman in Provo Utah on August 22 nd .  It fit perfectly into my training leading up to Ironman Chattanooga, which is September 26 th .  I wasn’t excited about the 6-hour drive by myself to Provo. Originally my boyfriend was going to go with me and we were going to make a weekend of it.  He couldn’t go at the last minute so I decided to drive up Friday and drive back Saturday after the race.  I even debated about going at all but figured I had paid for it so I might as well go.  It was supposed to be a fast course, which was exactly what I needed for training for IM Chattanooga.   My bike and swim have been really good so I hoped for a strong bike and swim and didn’t know what to expect on the run. I have been running longer but my runs have been slow.   Battling a few injuries I have not been running like I had hoped.   I was told the lake was pretty gross and very shallow.   The water was brown a...

My Ultimate Direction Hydration Vest and my Desoto skin cooler shirt Welcome to Triathlon…Now you're broke! In the world of swimming, biking and running there is so much gear that one can waste hard earned cash on, and believe me I have spent a lot of money on stuff that sits in my garage and I don't use!. I am going to share with you some of the gear I use on a regular basis that has served me well and gear that I couldn't live without. TYR Split Fins Swimming - There are three things I love to use in the pool.  They include: TYR Paddles Standard pool buoy TYR large paddles TYR split fins I have tried many different fins and I keep returning to my good old TYR split fins.  I like the split fins because they don't tire your legs like some other fins.  When you swim, bike and run you don't necessarily want to kill your legs in the pool.  The split fin is great to use when doing drills but because of the split it does not over work your legs. I lo...

So often I hear people comment that they have some part of their body bothering them so they are starting to stretch more.  Even more often people contact me for a massage because they suddenly are having pain somewhere.  It seems that most people neglect both stretching and getting a massage until something hurts.  I am always telling my clients they need to be more consistent with pre and post workout stretching and getting maintenance massages.  Before workouts warming up with active or moving stretching is very important.  Equally important is your routine after your workout, which should include foam rolling followed by stretching.  If you suddenly have pain and then think that stretching will miraculously make it go away you are wrong.   In fact I would suggest against doing a lot of stretching if you possibly injured something.   When you have an acute injury stretching may not be the best option it may need a several days to recover...