What Sara's Up To

I'm training hard. Keep up with some 30+ hour weeks of swimming , cycling, running, strength, stretching, etc. Fortunately, I've got some great friends and people supporting me in the Clermont area.
I'm having fun on the pool deck. My masters swim group is going strong. I had a record 27 people in the pool on Wednesday morning (granted, the weather was beautiful:).
I'm busy planning one last triathlon camp. The "Train with the Pros" weekend starts on February 12th and finishes with the Florida's Great Escape triathlon at Lake Louisa on the 15th.
I'm getting ready to race! The FGE will be my first one...since I'm the defending champion I've got to step it up and perform!
I'm writing my little fingers off. My column in Triathlete Magazine got it's first piece of fan mail today. Someone wrote in via the online 'feedback' and it was forwarded to me:)
I'm lecturing for USAT. The webinar on Wednesday was a success. I had over 60 people register for the 1 hour online lecture. It was a bit nerve-wracking to be talking to so many people and not be able to look them in the eye. Fortunately, I got to glance at the 'feedback' and it was all very positive...I might be presenting again soon.
I'm excited to travel! I haven't been on a plane in AGES and I'm heading out to California on the 18th of February. Visit Dustin, see Julie, train in Chula, present at the USAT coaching clinic, work with Bobby and Bob, see the lights of Mexico, etc. And then fly back to Florida on the 25th (my birthday).
That's all I can think of for now, there is a lot more but I'm watching Rudy on TV and can't focus:)

Webinar

Check out the front page of USA Triathlon! http://usatriathlon.org/
That's ME! I actually scared myself when I opened the site today...not my favorite photo:(.
Anyways, I'll only be up there for a few more days because I'm hosting a 'webinar' for Continuing Education Credits for Triathlon Coaches. http://usatriathlon.org/news/article/9240
How hard can it be to talk about open water swimming for triathlon for an hour? I put together a little PowerPoint Presentation that will go along with my talking. I used some fun photos from the Internet and some from my personal collection of races to keep it entertaining:)
If anyone needs 1 CEU...go sign up! It'll be the easiest credit...but the most fun and entertaining!

Frozen Mesh Bags

I was coaching on the pool deck this morning (from 6-7:30am) in 6, yes SIX, layers of clothes!
The only cold part of my body was my 'watch hand' because I kept pulling it out of my parka pocket to take splits and read off times!
All the mesh/equipment bags on the side of the pool froze! Literally, no joke! The swimmers ran to the pool edge, dropped their stuff and hopped in to warm up. After a while, with the splashing from the flip-turns, the bags got damp and then they froze stiff! When I asked everyone to pull out their pulling equipment they had to break apart ice to open the bags!
Seriously, it was smarter to be IN the water in those temperatures...especially since they had all four heaters running through the night. I just hope it's still decent in an hour when I go hop in...after sitting uncovered all day in the cold wind, I can only imagine how much heat has escaped.
Other than that, I've moved all my training inside today. It was still on the verge of trainable weather yesterday...just crazy winds...so I did my bike and run outside. Today, different story. The cold front that was creating the winds has arrived and I'm perfectly happy running on the treadmill and cycling on the trainer for a few days until this mess is gone. As long as the pool remains warm, I won't be complaining!

Checking In

Long time, no posting here on the Sara McLarty Blog. I've been up to my eye-balls with things to do! From answering emails, to preparing and hosting camps, to coaching individual athletes, and finally getting some training for myself. I've managed to post the Masters Swimming workouts pretty regularly...haven't missed a beat yet!

Over the weekend, I hosted a triathlon camp for beginner triathletes. We had eight people attend and it was a great success. My participants were like huge sponges and they just absorbed all the information that I gave them. We finished with a mock-triathlon around the NTC on Sunday afternoon. For most participants, it was the first time they had gone from swim to bike to run...all in a row. There were nothing but smiles at the end of the camp and I look forward to hearing all about each person's first race (or next race) play-by-play story!

This morning was a great workout, I really liked the set that I came up with for my swimmers. Their only complaints were about the temperature of the pool...which I have no control over...and before they knew it, they were over 4-Grand in the pool! Pretty impressive for just over an hour in the water!

After that, I continued my new strength program in the gym with my coach Misty. And, when I say 'new' strength program...I mean new in the fact that I'm actually doing a strength program! Haven't been in the gym this often or getting as much out of it since my days as a Florida Gator...and we had a former body-builder as our coach!!

After I lifted some weights and grabbed a snack, I did a bike/run combo session with one of my campers. I never turn down the opportunity to train with someone else, especially on a beautiful day like today. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the air was cool and crisp, I was on my bike...what more could a girl ask for?

Well, she could ask for a CLEAN house...but since asking won't get you too much, most of the time, I made an effort this afternoon and tackled some of the disastrous parts of the Carroll Street house. Lets see, that was the kitchen counter and floor, the piles of laundry in my room, bathroom, and closet, the inside of my car (after the camp all weekend), my computer desk (where do all these papers come from??), etc. I think Louie and Thomas both appreciate the freshness that is emanating from everywhere I made an effort!

Tomorrow I start with an even earlier morning than usual. I'm heading to the Orlando Airport at 5:00am to drop a camper off for his flight back to Arizona! Should be fun and since I'm yawning at 10:30, right now, I think I'm off to catch a few ZZZZZ's!

Which one is Louie?? And which one is Louie's new girlfriend?? She showed up the other day...NO, Dustin, I DON'T have another cat...YET!!

My NEW Theme Song!!

Tri-a-thon:) Three is always more than two!!

Photos from New Year's Tri Festival

NTC New Year's Festival

Fun in C-Mont

Misty and I (self-portrait) in the loaded Xterra.

The sport-utility-vehicle actually getting used for SPORT.

Swimming and kayaking in Lake Minnehaha on Saturday afternoon, January 10th, 2009. Yep, that is me in the water, no wetsuit, smiling for the camera:) Since all the other locals were out in their motorboats enjoying the day...Misty and Sara R. stayed very close with the kayaks!

Then Misty and I switched, she swam next to Sara R. and I did some kayaking (and sunbathing).

We switched again and I finished up with some more swimming...and then caught a ride into shore (thanks Sara:)

Emotional Email

I got this email in my inbox yesterday. It absolutely makes all the hard work, crazy training, and the long days worth every second!

Sara - I felt compelled to go onto your website and get your e-mail because I wanted to pay my highest compliments to your writing style and obvious teaching talent. I have great respect for all that you have accomplished to date and your sacrifices and dedication required to achieve it all. I hope that you keep publishing. In this growing triathlon industry-- you seem to be very well positioned to shine yourself and to positively affect others with whom you coach and race. My very best of luck and continued success.

Thanks so much for the kind words. I will continue to have success as long as I am able to motivate or inspire people through the sport of triathlon!

Awesome Sunday Training

For most of last week, I was dreading Sunday. It was all because I had peeked ahead at my training schedule and saw that I had a 4.5 hour bike ride! Oh boy...270 minutes in the saddle...hooray!
Fortunately, my thoughts on the training schedule changed dramatically when I found a willing training buddy for the whole morning...Jarrod Shoemaker just flew down to Orlando on Friday for a long week of training in the sunshine (and a 1/2 marathon race next weekend). We were chatting on the phone/email and he mentioned that his coach had instructed him to get a total of 400 miles on his bike while he was in Florida...roughly averaging 40 miles a day.
I suckered him in with the promise of 80 miles in one day (which would give him a pretty good start)! We headed out of my house at 7:30am and rode towards Winderemere. A little over an hour of nice conversation pace...and then we met up with the Windy Group ride for some quad-tearing hill climbs at 30+ mph!
One of two options...I am either still not back to full cycling ability (the kind where I was kick butts last winter) or there are some super-serious-guys on the rides this year that are totally kicking up the pace and dropping me like a bad habit!
Either way, I'm only making it to Grassy Lake with the group and then getting shelled off the back. But, I was fine with that yesterday because I still had over 2 hours to ride. Jarrod and I continued on at a conversation pace again (joined now by another local triathlete, Nic) and cruised around to the rest-stop at the gas station in Mont Verde.
the remainder of the group pulled in a few minutes after us, filled up on fluids and calories, and continued on back to Windermere. We hopped on and had another few minutes of fast riding until we peeled off back to Clermont. Conversation pace again (my favorite) over to Lake Louisa, a quick stop at Nic's house, back along Lakeshore drive to East Ave. and then into the Carroll Street house at exactly 4 hours and 15 minutes of ride time...78 miles total.
At this point, I have no energy or desire to make my own brunch food so we made ourselves semi-presentable and went over to Sommerlake Cafe for the $4.50 pancake & eggs special ($5.00 if you are like me and add blueberries to your cakes).
With bellies full of syrup and eggs, the three of use decided to continue our great day of training and take advantage of the NTC pool being Long Course Meters. We arrived at the pool with a goal of completing a 3K workout. I told Jarrod and Nic that each of us was responsible for thinking up a 1000 meter set. Everyone was pretty creative (thanks for the 200 IMs Jarrod!!) and we got a bit of a Florida tan in the mean-time!
I was in the shower trying to remove the ever-present chlorine smell from my skin when I suddenly realized that I had signed up for a massage earlier in the week! I came barreling out of the shower with soap suds flying everywhere to find a clock and see what time it was. No joke...it was 2:50pm and I had a 45 minute session with Maria at 3:00pm! PERFECT timing, with out even trying!!
It was a great day of training, I'm very proud of myself and my training partners. There's not much you can't accomplish when you've got people doing the same thing right next to you...easy motivation! And, speaking of training partners, I'm late for swim practice with the kids!

Published Articles

I've been writing for the USAT Life magazine for over a year...but this is the first time I thought about scanning in the page and posting it here. I write this for the "Youth" section of the magazine. Most of my ideas come from memories or experiences that I had as a youth triathlete.

In November I was thrilled to be asked to become the new author for the "Lane Lines" column in Triathlete Magazine. This column is in the 'training' section of the magazine and I write about, yep, you guessed it: Swimming, open water swimming, and swim training! Something I know a little bit about:)

By the way, that photo ^ is my FAVORITE! It's from the swim exit (or end of the first lap, I can't tell) at the Hy-Vee triathlon in Des Moines in 2008.

The next photo is Page 2 of the article.

And, finally, this was a surprise article in Inside Triathlon magazine in the December issue (the last one before they reveal their new format in '09). You really get a feel for how long articles are composed before they go to print when you totally FORGET that you were interviewed for the spread!

That photo ^ was also taken at the Hy-Vee triathlon, but in 2007. It was my favorite until 2008:)