Back to school!

At the beginning of the month I attended an exercise physiology and obesity conference held at UBC. I found out I had to be there on the Wednesday, with seminars starting at 8am Saturday... it was a bit of a stressful stretch trying to tie up loose ends in Victoria before hoping on the ferry!

I wasn't too excited about going, the timing just didn't seem right. I had a lot of work that needed to get done over the weekend and sitting in a conference room was not a part of my plan. I did manage to get everything done before leaving for Vancouver, which was a huge relief :)

The conference ended up being absolutely fantastic and at the right time for me after all (maybe not the right place, with all the snow!). I had just applied for a post graduate diploma in Sports Nutrition through the International Olympic Committee and I was not sure if going back to school was the right thing to do or not. I was definitely leaning towards yes, but there was still a bit of doubt there as well. The conference simply made me want to study again and I realised how much I missed structured learning. Sounds a bit random, right? Well, it felt random that's for sure! Kind of hard to explain...

It has been 2 years since I graduated from university and now I look forward to studying again. Nutrition courses start in January and I am absolutely honored to study under the guidance of work renowned sports nutritionists (one of them is the head of sports nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport). I was actually accepted by a different institute but when I saw the faculty listing of the IOC diploma, I just had to get into that program!! :) I have studied sports nutrition at an undergraduate level but I can't wait to studying it at a graduate level :)

I guess what I'm trying to say is: YAY, I'm going back to school :)

N

Custom Clothing

Custom cycling jackets and jerseys just arrived! If you ordered an item, it will be given to you at the team Christmas party Friday night :)

Overload, Adaptation and Business

When we train, we place a specific load on the muscles or systems that is greater than normal load. This will cause adaptation. Once adaptation is reached, the load can increase again. There is more to it, but for the purpose of my little analogy this will suffice. Earlier this week I realised that the training principles of overload and adaptation apply to business as well... in my case they do anyways.

In August, coaching was going well. I was still working at the bike store. Now that I think of it, I have adapted to my work load. It wasn't greater then normal, which led to adaptation and then to plateau. Towards the end of August, I got a fantastic offer to set up an office at the Brentwood Massage & Physiotherapy clinic. I guess that was the additional overload I needed to take my business to the next level.

I left the bike store in September. That was a huge step for me, because all of a sudden I had a new office to get off the ground and I had lost my security blanket (bike store steady income...). There was a definite overload involved... and it kept on increasing from one week to the other. Within 2 months I have almost doubled my athlete base, started looking for new coaches to join my team, work load at the office has increased rapidly and custom cycling clothing and swimsuits are on the way.

At the beginning of the month, I thought I have adapted to the load and the first week of the month was nice and relaxing. Obviously, it was time to increase the load :) Funny enough, a couple of opportunities came up that will do just that! I wasn't even looking to increase the load, it just happened :)

So where am I actually going with this analogy? I'm not too sure... I just thought it was interesting how things just evolve the way they are supposed to. Every day brings something new. Its a good thing, it keeps me on my toes :)

Keep in touch... I will post updates on a regular basis as things evolve! New and exciting things are on the go :)

Keep on training!

N

I guess people actually read my blog! YAY :)

I have been told I am not a very good blogger and that I should update this blog more often... so I promise to do that from now on... :)

Whats new at PT Performance Training?

• We will be hosting a series of monthly seminars, starting mid January 2008.
• CompuTrainer rentals available!
• Group swimming sessions every Monday morning at Crystal pool.
• Video analysis using state of the art biomechanics software to analyse your technique, prevent injuries and give you a visual tool to enhance your performance.
• We are looking for cycling and running coaches to join our growing team.
• A series of publication is in the works... the first one, a nutrition guide for endurance athletes, will be available in Feb/March.

If you would like more information about any of the above, contact me through www.ptcoaching.ca or visit again soon :)

N

Triathlon Cruise for MS!

I am proud to announce that all the proceeds from the triathlon cruise will be donated to MS. More details, including full cruise itinerary will be posted in the next couple of days.

Stay tuned :)

Coaching Anyone?

PT Performance Training is looking for endurance coaches!! If you have coaching experience and education please contact me at pt_performancetraining@yahoo.ca for more information.

I would to hear from anyone who is positive, has passion for endurance sports and coaching and would like to keep learning and developing as a coach and a person :)

Coaching anyone?!

Education at Sea - Triathlon Cruise!!

Join PT Performance Training and Jeremy McLeod onboard the Carnival Pride for 7 fun days and nights on March 2nd, 2008!

Are you a little bit curious about triathlon? Could this be one of those "crazy" ideas that pops into your head from time to time? Or maybe you're a recreational athlete who has been meaning to look into it. Well, here is your chance to change your whole life.

I have teamed up Victoria CruiseShipCentres to offer a week Education Triathlon Mexico Cruise for those interested in starting triathlons and those ready to take their existing training to the next step! This Triathlon week is geared towards getting you ready to participate in the 2008 Triathlon Season!

Price includes your accommodations, meals, entertainment, all seminars, group coaching, cocktail party and gratuities while onboard!!!

Booking BonusWhen purchased and deposited by October 15, 2007, you will be entered for a draw to receive your seminars for free, as well as, all seminar materials!

Go to: http://www.jeremymcleod.cruiseshipcenters.ca/Promotions.aspx for more information, and to reserve your spot!!

Hope to see you onboard... :)

Thursday Night Track

Someone decided it will be a great idea to bring a camera to one of our Thursday night runs... While I'm not a big fan of an intimidating looking camera pointing at me while I coach (trust me, that camera has the biggest lens you have ever seen...), the pictures taken turned out great! Here are a few :)

Pink Swimsuits...

One of the girls on my team decided that pink it the "it" color right now... and came up with the idea of getting custom pink swimsuits. So we are getting pink swimsuits with our names on the back ... The design on the front is a surprise :)

Watch out for us at the pool!! ;)

I have an office!!

So many new and exciting things are happening at the same time... its a bit hard to digest it all at once!

This week is my first week as a contractor at the Brentwood Massage and Physiotherapy clinic. My treadmill will be set up there, along side the CompuTrainer. It feels really good being able to coach and provide sport science services on a full time basis :) I will still be at the bike store every now and then to do traditional bike fittings and help out with the inventory.

The services I will offer at the clinic are:

• Lactate testing for cycling and running
• Bike biomechanics/efficiency assessment using the CompuTrainer
• Video skill analysis for all sports using Dartfish software
• Consulting in various sport science related topics such as nutrition, training, mental skills, biomechanics, etc...
• Personalized coaching for endurance sports and general fitness

I'm very excited about being a part of a fantastic team of physios and massage therapists :)

Ironman Canada

Almost a week later, I think I am in a better mind space to reflect on the race...

My first conclusion is that racing is easier then coaching and cheering... I know it may sound a bit odd, but it is probably just because up until now, I was always on the other side: the racing side! I think it is good to know what it feels like on both sides; it creates balance :)

My second conclusion is that my team ROCKS! The support, encouragement and dedication you showed is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My third, and most important conclusion, is that Chris is an awesome athlete. I have worked with him for only 4.5 month leading to his first Ironman and I think I was more nervous then him coming into this event. He has worked hard, and the end result was a perfectly executed race. The swim was much better then expected. The bike went from strength to strength as he paced himself well, watched his nutrition closely and got off the bike with some strength in his legs for the marathon. A negative split on the run got him to the finish line at 11:26 hours, 559 out of close to 2700 people. Not bad for a first Ironman race and his second season as a triathlete!!

I am happy, proud and excited for what next season will bring for my team... 5 people (so far) will be racing at the 2008 Ironman Canada, and many more will compete at various triathlon distances, running and cycling event :)

New Website!!

I am very excited for the launch of my new website! It took a long time to get it going and I am very happy with the end result. I will keep changing things as I go, but I am happy to have it out there for everyone to enjoy. Check it out: www.ptcoaching.ca.