Building Your Community At Tri For The Cure

We'd like to encourage you to invite your friends and family to watch the race, and to build a community around your achievement! Running a triathlon is a huge accomplishment, and having friends and family waiting for you at the finish line is a great feeling. We've done our best to accommodate spectators, so be sure to read up about where they can park, get food, watch the race, and find you after the race! Check out the FAQ's for spectators here: http://triforthecure-denver.com/spectators Additionally, we encourage friends and family to volunteer at the race. We have numerous jobs to be done. Volunteer information can be found at http://triforthecure-denver.com/volunteer, and people who are interested can still sign up to become a volunteer! Tri for the Cure Denver is built around charity and fundraising for breast cancer. Proceeds go to Susan G. Comen for the Cure, and together we've raise over $800,000 to find the cure. If you're still considering fundraising, there's still time! Check out our fundraising information at http://triforthecure-denver.com/fundraising. Good luck on race day! You can still register online until Wednesday, August 3rd - visit http://www.triforthecure-denver.com to sign up!

How to Mentally Prepare for the Tri For The Cure

With race day approaching, your main priority is to be mentally prepared. Hopefully by now you're pretty well trained physically. The next week should be about mentally refreshing yourself and knowing what you need to know come race day to avoid any confusion or nervousness. We do everything we can to support our racers, and we have resources available on race day. We provide a group of Swim Buddies to help you along the open swim portion if necessary. They will have swim noodles that you may rest on, but you may not use the flotation device to propel yourself forward in the water. Swim Buddies will swim the distance with you, but cannot physically assist you in any way. The Swim Buddy tent is located at the swim start, so please alert a Swim Buddy if you require assistance. Also, medical personnel are stationed throughout the race course and the park for your safety. Our medical tent is located on the south side of the post-race area, near the finish line. Emergency Medical Technicians and vehicles are located in key areas for each event. Every measure is taken to ensure the safety of all athletes. The red Medical Tent is fully staffed with medical professionals for both participants and spectator needs. Please be aware that during the bike portion of the race you must know how to properly change a tire - so be sure to bring a patch kit. If you get a flat tire during the race, it's up to you to repair it to finish the race. Now is a great time to get a bike tune-up to make sure that everything is in working order! Take some time to read through our FAQ's at http://triforthecure-denver.com/rules_faq so come race day you know exactly where to go and what to do! You can still register online through Wednesday, August 3rd - visit http://www.triforthecure-denver.com to sign up! Good luck!

Last Minute Things To Remember Before Tri For The Cure!

In the last week before the The For The Cure Denver, remember to be ramping down your training, getting some good rest, and eating very well! In addition, keep your mind clear and focused by preparing for the race now so you're not scrambling at the last minute to get supplies and information. Here's a quick checklist of things you need for your race. You can pickup some of these items at the pre-race Expo on August 6th: http://triforthecure-denver.com/expo_packet_pickup Transition Area Checklist: -Two towels (large and small) -Water bottles -Food (bars and/or gel) -Swim goggles -Swim cap (you must wear the cap issued in your race packet) -Timing chip and band -Race belt and bib (or use safety pins) -Watch or heart rate monitor -Bike -Shoes (both biking and running if using two pair) -Socks -Helmet -Glasses -Floor pump -Seat pack (tube, patches, tire levers, multi tool, co2) -Running hat In the transition area, it's not uncommon for athletes to lose track of their spot among 3,000 bikes‚ especially when you are focused solely on your race. Try bringing a bright balloon or other colorful object with a unique design and tie it on the bike rack designating your space. You'll be less likely to get lost in the craziness of the transition area! The transition area opens at 5:00 am. If you arrive before 5:00 am, you will not be able to access the transition area. However, we suggest you arrive two hours before your scheduled start time. Start times will be assigned the week before the event. All athletes MUST be set up in the transition area by the time the first wave begins at 7:00am. After 7am, roads close and access to the transition area will not be possible. The good news is that you can set up in the transition area, then come and go as you please. Spectators may arrive at any time, however, the access road to the transition area is not open after 7:00am. Make sure that you're well prepared before race day and good luck! You can still register online through Wednesday, August 3rd - visit http://www.triforthecure-denver.com to sign up!

Keep Your Mind Clear As You Train

A lot of people say that running, biking, or swimming helps them clear their mind and operate better – and it’s totally true. Endurance exercise is proven to help the mind function more smoothly throughout the day. However, when you’re training for a big race over a long period of time, mental burnout is very normal towards the end of your training cycle.

If you’ve been in the same training routine all season, you may be experiencing a case of mental burnout. This is really common as the body’s muscles break down and build back up, and you dedicate lots of time to training. If mental burnout occurs, there are a few things to get you back in the game mentally and finish the season strong:

Try mixing up your routine. If you normally run in the mornings, try running after work (or vice versa). Bike or run different trails or on different days. If you’re swimming in a pool a lot, try some different strokes, or check out some open swim days (you can find places for open swim at http://triforthecure-denver.com/resources).

Also, never discount the power of a rest day or two. If you’re overtraining, take some time off to recover and go do something fun! Finding a run or biking buddy to train with you is also a great way to kick mental burnout.

Whatever ways you can find to mix up your routine will be a huge asset to you – not only to physically challenge the body in a new way, but also to mentally clear yourself. We’re looking forward to seeing you fresh and ready-to-race at the Tri for the Cure!

Share your own tips and feedback below!

Taper Your Training for Race Day at the Tri for the Cure

When preparing for any big race, training is the most important element. For a triathlon, running, biking, or swimming every day is recommended (although, be sure to factor in some rest days here and there). But what happens when you start getting closer to race day? Do you keep training hard or do you back off? How frequently should you be training the week or two before a race?

Training and racing are two different things – training is intended to condition your body over time to perform better. Racing is intended to perform (either to work at finishing the entire race, or to work on improving your times). Therefore, it’s ideal to arrive at the Tri for the Cure fully recovered and injury-free in order to perform at your best! This means the 7 – 10 days before the race should be a big taper from your training in order to recover your mind and your body.

When you train, your muscles are broken down so your body can build them up stronger. Unfortunately the body doesn’t completely rebuild that muscle in only a day – it takes more time. Mark race day, Sunday, August 7^th, on your calendar, then mark 10 days before that as your ‘taper day’ (Thursday, July 28^th). After July 28^th begin training only every other day (or every third day if you’re already doing every other day), and keep your trainings lighter and easier than normal. Never push your limits right before a race. After August 2^nd, try to stop training and only go on the occasional very light run or swim. Be sure to eat lots of lean protein, dark leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains (like quinoa, barley, and brown rice). Also, try to do lots of stretching, yoga, and some light core exercises.

If you follow this timeline, you’ll arrive at Tri for the Cure fully recovered and ready to race (plus it’s just nice to take a break)!

***If you still need to register for Tri for the Cure, there’s still time! Prices increase August 1^st, so visit www.triforthecure-denver.com now to sign up!

Good luck!

Eating Right for Denver’s Tri For The Cure

When preparing for any athletic event, it’s important to fuel your body with the right foods. If you’re currently training for Tri for the Cure in Denver (coming up in only a couple weeks – www.triforthecure-denver.com), hopefully you’re getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and reducing sugar, caffeine, empty calories, empty starches, and alcohol from your diet in preparation for the event. If you are, then great job! If not, you can still re-vamp your diet so your body runs better during the race and during training.

All athletes get the munchies and some point, so it’s important to find good, healthy snacks that won’t throw off your training. Here are a few healthy ideas:

-Kale Chips (you can buy them, or buy fresh kale and dehydrate the leaves)
-Dark Chocolate-Covered Goji Berries
-Raw Cacao (find online or at your local health food store)
-Baked seed crackers (hazelnut and sunflower seed crackers are great!)
-Lots of fresh fruit!

 As you prepare your last few weeks of training, keep yourself motivated with the occasional snack or rest day to stay clear and in focus!

We’re looking forward to seeing our athletes at the Tri for the Cure on August 7^th!

Common Triathlon Rules

There are many different facets of a race that help to enhance your experience and make it a day to remember. Race day protocols help keep the racers and their supporters safe. Here are the top six rules for a safe Tri for the Cure:

1. For the swim portion, there will be lifeguards out in the water on surfboards or kayaks. You are allowed to stop and rest with them as long as they do not move you forward in any way.

2. During the bike portion, you must have your helmet on and clipped before you take your bike off the rack, and you must leave it on and clipped until your bike is re-racked.

3. When you are out on the course, keep three bike lengths between you and the rider in front of you. This will insure safety in the case of any biking mishaps.

4. During the bike portion of your race, pass other cyclists on the left (loudly say “passing on your left”).

5. Be sure to carry tire-changing tools and know how to use them, since no outside assistance is permitted during the race.

6. Remember that the use of headphones are prohibited during the bike and the run.

For a complete list of triathlon rules, see the USA Triathlon website at www.usatriathlon.org.
 Have a great race and a safe time preparing for the big day and don't forget to register on http://triforthecure-denver.com/!