New Website is UP!
Some of you have already noticed and the new http://weshobsonperformance.com website is now active. Although we are still working out some kinks, I am excited to help provide you a site that is easier to navigate and also an easier for you to find information. One person wrote, "Hey Wes, congrats on your new site. I've only glanced at it, but the overall "look" is much more pleasing to the eye."
Clif Bar Commercial Goes Big Time!
I don't know if it was coincidental or if all of your responses had an effect, (which I forwarded to Clif Bar), but as of last week, Clif Bar announced that the commercial of yours truly will air two times during the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon. The Sports Marketing Director of Clif Bar writes, "Wes, well I was almost struck by lightning yesterday. It's still preliminary, but as of now we are going to be running the Triathlon commercial that everyone loves during the broadcast of this year's Alcatraz broadcast. It will be reproduced slightly, but the intention is to keep it just as funny. I never thought it would get much play, and now it's going on Sunday afternoon national sports TV. Go figure." Thank you all for your responses. If you didn't see it, here again is the link at http://cmac.smugmug.com/gallery/739/1/23569
LAS VEGAS FANTASY CAMP A SUCCESS!
The Second Annual Las Vegas Fantasy Camp was a great success. Wes Hobson Performance, and Endurance Films combined their organizations to produce an informative and memorable weekend for all of the participants. The Venetian Resort & Casino was so impressed with the camp's success, that a date has already been scheduled for next year's event, March 4-6, 2004!
In addition, FINE LIVING NETWORK, with an audience reach of over 20 million nationwide, filmed the entire weekend to produce a 30 minute television piece to air as one of thirteen installments in a series that will run on the FINE LIVING NETWORK in mid to late summer. The network, owned by E.W. Scripps Company, is under the same umbrella as HGTV and the FOOD NETWORK.
FINE LIVING NETWORK has already shot three of the thirteen specials: Wayne Gretsky's Fantasy Hockey Camp, NASCAR Fantasy Camp and the Rockettes Fantasy Camp. FINE LIVING NETWORK states, "FINE LIVING is to experience the first television network dedicated to the pursuit of personal passions and the art of getting the most from every moment in life. The Triathlon Fantasy Camp portrays this philosophy and we are honored to have it be a part of the series."
If you would like to be part of next year's camp, or to register for any other WHP camps, contact Wes Hobson Performance, wes@weshobsonperformance.com, to register for a spot and visit http://weshobsonperformance.com. Below are just a few participants' comments, in their own words, camp participants from this year's event.
Dear Wes,
Thank you for an extraordinary experience last weekend. Your 2nd Annual Las Vegas Fantasy Triathlon Camp was everything it was billed to be and much, much more.
As promised, you brought in world-class athletes and world class coaches to a world class venue. Moreover, you assembled an exceptional group of athletes, coaches and staff who in addition to their world class professional accomplishments... are each and everyone...world class people!
Your team's enthusiasm and genuine desire to share their wealth of knowledge and experience was evident. It was a distinct pleasure and honor to spend time with all of you. I think I would pay just to hang out with you people!!! Thus, to share time with you all while learning so much... about something so enjoyed... was immeasurably satisfying.
Please extend my thanks and best wishes to Simon, Siri, Ryan, Joel, Rob, Eric, Bruce, Kristen, Brian, Kurt and everyone. Bottom line (almost literally), please ask Eric to let me know when and where to send the deposit for next year!
Warmest Regards and Many Thanks,
Ray Stainback
Wes and Fantasy Staff,
Just wanted you all to know what an impact you all had, from the coaching to the stories, to getting a chance to talk with some of the most amazing people in the world. It had to have been one of the most inspiring experiences I've had (yeah, I'm only 23, but still). The knowledge gained from being there was incredible, hitting every aspect of the sport, both physically and mentally. It's so exciting to actually know what to do now to achieve my goals. Thank you all so much for making this camp what it was. You are all not only elite in your professions/sport, but elite individuals as well. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of that!
Great Job!
Megan Forbes
Hi to all,
To sum up the incredible experiences and memories I had of Las Vegas camp in an e-mail will be difficult but here it goes.....
AWESOME !!!
Although the staff did provide an awesome experience, they provided much more than that. Wes Hobson, former USOC "Triathlete of the year", author, camp Co-director and coach combined the "best of" knowledge from staff and the ideal amount of great, physical training for an impeccable camp.
Eric Feller, Co- Director, brought a lot to the camp. He was very helpful, pushing our abilities and providing us with great tools for our future endeavors.
Joe Friel...WOW! He's the man. An unbelievable source of knowledge. The pre-eminent coach in triathlon and author of 4 "must have" books for triathletes, provided us with the tools to successfully plan our training schedules and how to train to our fullest potential. He provided us with drills/tools to become more efficient at running that are so important and will surely improve our running splits. He is the world's best and a definite asset to the camp.
Siri Lindley, World Champion & ranked #1 in the world and #1 in my book. What an incredible woman. She is the most genuine, kind-hearted, and noble elite triathlete I have ever met. And what an inspiration!!!! She has some stories that will fulfill you in so many ways. I must mention that that girl has incredible drive, for she had a broken foot and was still training with us. Goes to show how dedicated the staff was to provide us with the awesome experience of training with top class athletes.
Simon Lessing, 5-time World Triathlon Champion and Olympian, and now I see why. What a superb triathlete. I had the opportunity to ride alongside him for a moment and it is a moment I will never forget. He also provided me with some swimming suggestions that are already improving my swimming abilities.
Ryan Bolton, 2000 Olympian and the 2000 Ironman USA Champion. Ryan is another incredible athlete, a very personable and intelligent man. He provided us with tools not just only in all three disciplines but techniques to bring with you to race day.
Kristen McFarland, Physical Therapist to Olympians, if only I took advantage or her great massages. I was able to see the relaxed and smiling faces of those who did get a massage from her. She provided us with some stretching exercises that we could all benefit from. Good luck on your first Ironman experience.
Rob Kaplan, Bike Fit Professional, a very personable and knowledgeable man. He brings it all home for you. He fits you on your bike while explaining the biomechanics in terms very understandable and comprehensible to all.
Bruce Gottlieb, Sports Psychologist. He has provided us with the mental preparation needed for not just race day, but for future endeavors in life. My mental strength was always a downfall of mine but bringing home what I learned from Bruce has already helped me attack those challenging training sessions I would have usually backed out of.
Brian Harwood, Support Staff, and that he was. He supported me on my ride and kept me moving with good pace. A definite asset to the staff and a great guy.
A special thanks also to the Venetian's Kurt Ouchida and Marsil Chaffee for helping to assist in putting this all together.
I am now mentally prepared and have the self confidence for a successful racing season. The Las Vegas tri-camp has provided me with the tools/techniques necessary to achieve my highest training potential. I had such a great time with you all.
P.S. Saturday night was a blast!!
See you next year,
Darcy Eaton
Wes/Eric,
I just wanted to let you know that the camp completely exceeded my expectations. You two should be congratulated on such a fine production. I can only imagine how much work went on behind the scenes to make this happen - logistics, scheduling, etc.
You've succeeded in inspiring me to continue on the path with a renewed vigor. I still can't get over how insightful the coaching and instruction turned out to be. Wes, you may have been a world-class triathlete, but I think you'll find even greater success among the ranks as a world-class coach. You have a talent for communicating these concepts. Many athletes don't. It was incredible having Ryan, Simon, Siri, and Joe offer feedback, advice and encouragement. Each added a new dimension to my game, I think. Come September, I'll know for sure. But, that's part of the "art" of training. Bless you all.
You also succeeded in letting us actually workout. Many camps forget that us athletes like to do that occasionally. It was a perfect volume and the locations were beautiful and challenging. The Venetian proved to be a perfect venue. Thank you.
A special thanks goes out to Bruce for reinforcing the positive mental aspect of the game and the lifestyle. I decided to try out his focus and concentration drills at the slots and walked away a richer man for it. Apparently, the roulette table had other ideas. Oh well.
Please feel free to give out my e-mail information to anyone from the camp as well as an invitation to stay with us should any one of the campers or athletes find themselves in Chicagoland (Mrs. T's or Dairyland, for example). The door is always open to all of these fine
people.
Thanks again. I will spread the word. And, I will try to get back again next year!
Regards,
Jeff
Wes,
I just wanted to let you know that I had a great weekend at the Las Vegas Camp. My flight was delayed so I arrived late at night but I was still pumped up this morning. The program was wonderful and I learned so much that I think it will really move my training ahead. I feel we all really learned a great deal about training in a fantastic setting. The "students" really came together as a group and it felt like we were a team very quickly. It would be fun to training with everyone throughout the year, unfortunately we will only get to get together through the internet.
All the pros and instructors were fun to work with and very personable. I felt I could speak with everyone and that there was no distance between us. Siri, Simon, Ryan, Rob and yourself were great. I had a great time with Siri on the Red Rocks bike loop. I was struggling on the bike but Siri stayed with me and continued to encourage me. Although I had trouble pedaling to the very top, we had a great descent. Because of my trouble getting over the top I could have felt very demoralized, but Siri encouraged me and made me feel good about what I had done. Siri was wonderful and I felt I had made a friend and really was touched with her on a personal level. Let her know how much I appreciated the time we got to have together.
The run you and I did together to the UNLV track was really enjoyable and I felt like I had a training partner. It reminded me how much more interesting and easier it is running with someone else. Riding along the strip on Sunday morning with Ryan was very nice. We had a great ride and time to speak together about his life and career.
I could go on and on about the fantastic time I had with Simon, Rob, Bruce, Joe, Andy, Kris and Eric but I need to get to work so I can save up for the camp next year. Let me know the dates, I will sign up today. I am sure that your camps will continue to grow as we all go out and spread the word on what a fabulous weekend we all had. The camp not only taught us about triathlon, but was a learning experience about life and ourselves.
Thanks again for a great weekend.
Jared
Wes -
Your camp was awesome! Brent and I definitely will be back next year so plan on us. We have already talked to a few of our crazy triathlete friends that want to join us. We (Brent & I) will help you promote your camp. There's no doubt in my mind that you will have no problem filling it next year. You and Eric do an excellent job. Keep in touch.
Linda Phillips
Hey Fantasy Tri Gang,
I've been working all week on a thank you letter to all of you because it has taken that long to figure out what I really wanted to say. It would be easy enough to express my appreciation and gratitude for your time last weekend, but something else has been tugging at me and I finally got it out in words. Here it goes..
When I was 16 I tried for the first time to seriously ride a bike. For me, this amounted to pulling my sister's old Nishiki 10-speed out of the garage and riding it straight uphill 4 blocks to Alameda Ave. I barely made it. By today's standards that bike was a real load to muscle around since the words "aluminum," let alone "titanium," did not apply. For the next few summers, that bike was my companion as I rode it around the hills of Green Mountain, then onward and upward to Evergreen.
During my senior year in high school I decided that I was going to do the Ride the Rockies bike tour as my senior class trip…alone. I trained during the spring of 1990 by riding the Front Range along the roads leading as far as Conifer, some 55 miles roundtrip and 3500 feet of climbing. At first, my mother wasn't so thrilled about my plans to go on the Ride because she thought I hadn't trained enough. Funny how during the tour my sister reports that mom couldn't help but recount where I was each day of the tour…she got a kick out of watching my personal journey realtime via Channel 4 and the Denver Post.
Doing the Ride helped to restore two things that many of my high school peers helped to negatively blur in my mind, my confidence in self and my personal sense of accomplishment. Additionally, it infused in me the desire to challenge myself more, and I felt the next step was triathlons. Not knowing any better, but full of determination, I went to the local recreation center twice. I think I'm being generous by saying that I swam maybe 200 yards each time in exasperated and breathless spurts, then essentially gave up on the whole idea. I guess you could say that swimming became my great "limiter" at the time.
Fast forward over 10 years and my own set of imperfect life challenges, and the prospect of doing triathlons has crept up again. So what's different this time? I remember once fervently saying as a child freshly inspired by the 1984 Olympics, "I can do anything I want to, just because I want to." Well, now I know that it takes more than the passion and desire, it also takes good old-fashioned coaching and support that I didn't have when I first tried to swim a single lap. In the pursuit to find that coaching and support, I feel fortunate to have crossed paths with each of you.
I share this story with you as a way of saying, "Thanks". Why? For the first time in years I am excited. I haven't seriously competed in any sport since I left high school because I let the rest of my life get in the way. By listening to many of your collective stories and feeling the positive energy you exude when talking about triathlons, I am once again inspired to do something "just because I want to." By demonstrating real character and authenticity, i.e. being true to yourself and those around you through good times and adversity, you inspire others by example. What a wonderful gift you have earned. Thanks for taking the time to share it with me…I've needed a swift kick in the butt for a long time.
Stephanie Sierra
OTHER WHP CAMPS:
You missed your opportunity at this camp, but you can still attend more WHP camps this year. For more information about the Newbie Camp, Olympic Distance Camp, the Dairyland Camp and the newly announced tailored Ironman/half-Ironman week long training camps, go to http://weshobsonperformance.com and look under camps.
12 AND 16 WEEK TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR A BETTER HALF IRONMAN:
I have personally designed a training program for you to have a better half Ironman distance triathlon. The training programs have two selections for training programs, a 9 hours per week training plan for those who are more time constrained as well as those maybe competing in their first half Ironman distance triathlon and then another program for athletes who are in good condition and who have the time to train an average of 15 hours per week. To view a program and find out more information go to http://www.trainingbible.com/whp.
WHY TRAIN?
This picture tells the tale of why you should train. This was my first triathlon back in 1983, when I was 16 years old. As you can see, I was in fashion at the time with touring bike shorts and calf high socks. I also had a 27-pound Soma Sport bike to go with it.
So, how did I end up looking this way? The challenge to compete in a triathlon came about through my brother, Steve, who is seven years older than I. He was a competitive swimmer and I always strived to break his swimming records growing up. He had done a couple of triathlons over the previous two years and I watched him compete at the Topeka, Kansas Tinman Triathlon in June (this race is still going on).
I was impressed with the mystic of triathlon and my brother challenged me to a triathlon later that summer. I had grown up swimming since the age of seven and I had been running cross-country and track the past three years in junior high school. I thought I would give it a try. Besides, I can't bow down to a competitive challenge from my brother. The race we selected was the Baptist Medical Center Triathlon (which also is still running) the same summer in August.
Race day was hot and humid. The eventual high for the day was 95 degrees with almost the equivalent in humidity. Over 800 competitors toed the line in this 1,000-meter swim, 20-mile bike and 7 mile run. Steve and I ended the swim together and in the top four places. I got on my 27-pound steed and rode TWENTY miles! This was the longest ride of my life! I dropped my brother somewhere during that time and then I headed out on the death march, I mean run. I would say this was closest to one of the longest runs I have ever done at the time.
The run was devastatingly hot and humid. I wanted to walk so badly. I didn't know where my brother was and I was running scared thinking he was on my tail since I was dragging my toenails along the ground. The picture you see is myself about 50 meters from the finish line. When my mom saw me cross the finish line she said I looked as white as a ghost and she never wanted me to do one again…I listened to her! I crossed the line and I went straight in the lake water to cool off in its 85-degree temperature.
To make a long story a little bit shorter, I finished seventh overall and I beat my brother by 28 minutes. He hasn't done a triathlon since. I keep this picture in my office and I look at it often. The main reason is that it reminds me why I train. I was so sore after that race and my skeletal system felt so messed up. I couldn't walk for a week and I had to go down stairs on my butt because my legs would otherwise lock up. I am sure many of you have had that Frankenstein walking syndrome.
If you don't train, then your body will rebel this way. I try to remember this, yet several times I don't heed my own advice. I forget what the pain after the race feels like. Two other occasions where I had amnesia was the 1991 Tucson Marathon where, after taking two months off and then only training two weeks before the marathon, I decided on doing the race two days before it. I borrowed racing flats the day before. Another instance that is embedded in my brain, and body, was competing in the 1994 Ironman New Zealand after taking three months off from training when a friend said "Let's go do it, I'll pay your way." just six weeks before the race. Well, these are other stories to hash out over a cold beverage.
If you train, racing is more enjoyable. If you train properly, then you race to achieve elevated goals. Go take a picture.
Simon Lessing
When Training, Don't Be Tempted To Compare
Your Heart Rate With Other Athletes
If you train with other triathletes, I am sure you have had the occasional conversation about what each other's heart rate is while running or biking alongside of each other. Yours may be 160 and theirs may be 142. Does this mean the other person is more fit than you? It is hard to tell, as we are not created equal. You shouldn't judge your fitness based on other people's heart rate. Occasional testing, whether by science or a self-test, is important when on your road to peak performance. Although testing is beneficial, even a lab test to determine your lactate threshold isn't 100 percent accurate. A person's lactate threshold can change several beats per minute daily depending on the stresses of your body. This can be both physical, such as lack of sleep and training fatigue or mental stress, such as pressure at work or your child being a rebellious teenager.
The adage that your max heart rate is 220 minus your age is as indicative of the adage itself, old. I have a twenty-one year old client who when walking up stairs can get his heart rate up to 212 (editor's note: slight hyperbole). What I am trying to stress here is, don't be concerned about how your heart rate compares to others. If you try to compete with someone on maintaining the same heart rate as them, then you could either over train your body into a state of severe fatigue or under train yourself and not reach peak performance.
Here is a case in point. In 1996, I spent a month living and training with five-time world triathlon champion Simon Lessing in Salon d Provence, France. Simon had a tendency of always training hard. I eventually learned, as he won five world championships, that the guy is both physically and mentally talented. We trained in all three sports every day. The swim usually lasted an hour. Simon and I were comparable in the water. He could swim faster than me in the pool, but I was always able to draft off him in races and we would exit the water together. We didn't check our heart rates during the group sessions, as we never had time between intervals and sets. My bike rides with Simon were never long by my standards. For Simon, a two hour ride was "long," but it was always a good effort. During our good efforts, our heart rates were consistently three beats within each other.
Our swim was about equal for energy expended and our bike showed that with our comparative heart rates and rate of perceived effort, we had similar fitness. The run was a different story. Every run was hard for me. Although the runs only lasted forty-five minutes to an hour, my heart rate was redlining five minutes into the run. His heart rate was 142 to 145. Meanwhile, my heart rate was 170 to 175, and this was a moderate effort run for him.
What this unscientific approach indicated was that I was as efficient as Simon on the bike, but not nearly as efficient on the run. Simon evidences this by consistently out splitting me one and a half to two minutes during a ten kilometer triathlon run. If I were to base my triathlon training for all three disciplines with the same heart rate training zones, then I might be overstressing one of the disciplines while under stressing another discipline during training.
So how does one wear out the world champion? After the first few days that I was at Simon's abode, Mike Pigg and Jimmy Riccitello joined us at Salon d Provence for a couple weeks of quality training. We were all on the same team and preparing for the France Iron Tour, eight triathlons in nine days. After a few days of training with Simon, we realized we were getting pummeled "racing" him every day. We devised a plan to dismantle this seemingly invincible athlete. One thing Simon has is an ego and we used that to our advantage. We decided that instead of us all trying to hang with Simon and prove our manhood daily, we would each take a discipline of the day and do the workout with him. For instance, if I knew I had to be shoulder to shoulder with Simon for the run session that day, I would go as hard as I could because I knew I was taking the other two workouts easy. For three days Pigg, Riccitello and myself went toe-to-toe with Simon, as a team! Finally, on the fourth day of the team tactics, Simon was wasted and he took the day off. The three of us chided him a bit, celebrated for three minutes, and then went back to bed.
Ideally, you want to know what your Lactate Threshold is for each discipline. This will allow you to train sport specific to improving your weaknesses of a discipline much more rapidly than having the same heart rate zones for all three disciplines.
www.weshobsonperformance.com
Contact:
Wes Hobson
