• Top 5 Overall (Male & Female)
• Top 3 Age Group (Male & Female) - 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85+
• Participant ages will be calculated as of 12.31.21.
• If an athlete finishes 1st overall and 1st in their age group, they receive 1st place points in each scored category.

Triathlon returns to Charlottesville for the first time in over 20 months at 2021 Cal Tri Fry’s Spring - 6.27.21.  The race starts at 7 AM on Sunday, June 27 at Fry’s Spring Beach Club (FSBC).  There are 7 events including triathlon, triathlon relay, runbikerun, swimbike, swimrun, swim & 5K run.  The marquee event, the sprint triathlon, offers a 350 meter pool swim, 12.7 mile bike & 5K run.  Below are a few tidbits about the competitors and an update on the race.

• 51% female
• 7 states & DC represented (FL, MD, NC, NY, OH VA, WV & DC)
• 75% participating in the sprint triathlon
• 11 is the youngest competitor
• 71 is the oldest competitor
• 35% first time athletes
• The 12.7 mile bike course has over 1000’ of elevation change

“2021 CAL TRI COMMONWEALTH SERIES” This summer, each race features Virginia’s official flower, bird, dog or fish on a medal as a tribute to some of the things that make the Commonwealth special.  Each medal locks together to form a pyramid (pentahedron) that will be a great keepsake.

• 2021 Cal Tri Fry’s Spring - 6.27.21 - Dogwood (Flower)
• 2021 Cal Tri Crozet Park - 7.11.21 - Cardinal (Bird)
• 2021 Cal Tri Walnut Creek - 8.22.21 - American Foxhound (Dog)
• 2021 Cal Tri Charlottesville - 9.26.21 - Brook Trout (Fish)

Are you ready to race again? It’s been a year since everything was cancelled and we are starting to see races on the calendar again. Although we’re excited to get back at it, a word of caution to try avoiding unnecessary injuries. 

Many people started off a year ago exercising more because they were no longer commuting, sick of being stuck at home or just had more time on their hands. As the year wore on, a lot of those good exercise habits were dropped. But now with races being held, we’re anxious to get back at it. Be sure not to jump back into it too quickly leading to an overuse injury. 

An overuse injury is basically what it sounds like: and injury stemming from training too much and often times too quickly. Sometimes they just slow your training down for a while but they can also end your season before it starts if you’re not careful. Interestingly, it’s not uncommon for overuse injuries to present themselves months after you ramp up your training. Regardless when it pops up, it’s likely because you took on more than your body could handle. Overuse injuries can affect seasoned athletes as well as beginners. 

After taking a break from active training, it’s easy to jump in right where you left off. Let’s say you were running 20 miles per week consistently for the first half of 2020 but then life happened and you were barely running at all the last half of the year. As you begin prepping for spring races, don’t jump back into running 20 miles per week like you were last year—your body won’t be accustomed to the impact involved with that much running. A safer approach would involve slowly building your weekly miles by incremental amounts. When it comes to running, many are familiar with the 10% rule: never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from the previous week. Recent research suggests this may not be true for all runners (elite runners might tolerate greater than 10% changes with minimal risk to injury). Although it can be mentally painful to progress back to your previous volume this slowly, it greatly reduces your risk for injury. 

The same principles apply for swimming and cycling. Although the 10% rule isn’t quoted in these arenas, it would be prudent to slowly build your volume for these sports as well. While deciding your workouts, you should look at both weekly volume and daily volume. For example, if you previously cycled 50 miles in a given ride without any thought, but haven’t cycled for 3-4 months, don’t go out for a long 50 mile ride your first ride back. Take a few weeks and ride 20-30 miles as your longer ride, just to get your body use to sitting on your bike for hours at a time. With swimming, spread out the volume evenly over the week. Don’t do one swim of 3,000 meters when you haven’t swam more than a few hundred meters for months. By doing swim workouts with limited distance and with increased rest times, you will decrease the likelihood of straining one of your rotator cuff muscles or irritating a tendon in the shoulder.   

Pretty much all workouts are recorded now days. Although many people log their workouts solely for bragging rights on social media, having a record is a great way to see where your training volume currently is, where it has been and how you can progress. Training Peaks, Strava, Garmin, Suunto, Polar and many other platforms/devices track your volume. Look back in your history to see how your training volume has fluctuated and how you can gradually progress you training to meet your racing demands.

Lastly, if you feel aches and pain as you increase your volume, listen to your body. It’s not unusual to have minor aches every now and again—that’s part of endurance athletics. However, these aches shouldn’t last for days or weeks and turn into pain that limits your function. Don’t be stubborn and try and run through that ankle pain or swim through the shoulder pain. Your training will be more satisfying and rewarding if you address these issues before they sideline you. Seek professional advice from a trusted doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor familiar with endurance athletes.

~Jordan Perry PT, DPT

California Triathlon, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, announces a campaign to raise $10,000 in support of its safe, affordable & accessible mission.  Funds will be used to support key initiatives including:

• Youth Racing  Athletes 22 and under enjoy a 50% discount meaning an athlete can enter a sprint triathlon for as little as $30 at early registration.
• Free Coached Clinics.  California Triathlon supports 22 clinics for 2021 tailored to get athletes race ready.  Funds raised cover insurance, permits, and coaching.
• Free Coaching.  New triathletes get free coaching via the SPRINT 90-Day Program, 
• Free Race Entries For Race Volunteers.  The VOGO (Volunteer One, Get One) program rewards athletes who volunteer at race events. Since its founding, over $300,000 worth of race entries has been earned.

California Triathlon’s Online Donation Platform

 Since 2010, California Triathlon members have enjoyed free membership.  For funding, the organization has relied on a combination of sponsorship and fundraisers.  “Historically, in-person activities, such as working concessions at collegiate and professional sporting events and concerts, has been a significant fundraising vehicle” says Anthony Grey, California Triathlon’s VP of Fundraising.  “Because of a decade of goodwill, we are able to rely on the generosity of our most active and loyal members.”   Supporters can donate here.  

Don’t forget to checkout our Partners page for offers from our wonderful Sponsers blueseventy and Zealios.

2021 Cal Tri Lake Monticello - 5.2.21 reached capacity a full three months before the race due to a combination of above average interest and precautions put in place to support socially distanced racing. Athletes from 20 states, the District of Columbia and US Armed Forces Europe will be competing in 18 separate events throughout the day ranging from a 5K to a 70.3-mile triathlon. A waitlist is available but interested participants are encouraged to sign-up for one of the other five 2021 Cal Tri Events races in the area throughout the summer. 

“This race is an opportunity to showcase the Lake Monticello community and surrounding area. The participant list is really young, averaging 33 years old and including 50 youth athletes. Memories will be made at 2021 Cal Tri Lake Monticello.” says Thom Richmond, Cal Tri Events President. 

Volunteers and volunteer groups are still needed to support the race. Individual volunteers are eligible for a free race entry to a future race via California Triathlon’s VOGO - Volunteer One, Get One Program. Additionally, large volunteer groups are eligible for a significant contribution based on their participation level. Please contact Marina at Marina@CaliforniaTriathlon.org for details and thank you in advance. 

With safety top of mind, the World Triathlon COVID-19 Prevention guidelines for Event Organizers will be utilized in conjunction with guidance with state and local guidance. Athlete precautions include greatly expanded transition areas, a modified race schedule, temperature screening, streamlined packet pickup, rolling swim starts, mask usage before the race as well as provided at the finish line, and sparse aid stations with only bottled water provided. Cal Tri Events produced a successful social distanced race in 2020 and will bring that experience to this race. 

About Lake Monticello. Lake Monticello is a private 3,500-acre community anchored around a 350-acre lake. Members, nearly 10,862, enjoy many recreational areas and amenities, including five beaches, a marina, a championship 18-hole golf course, six tennis courts, a restaurant, and clubhouses. Additionally, they have access to community playgrounds, a pool, and various recreational fields and courts. The community is close to many nearby historical attractions, wineries, breweries, and easy access to Charlottesville, Virginia. 

About Cal Tri Events. Cal Tri Events is a 501(c)3 non-profit with a safe, affordable, and accessible mission. It is the largest nationwide short course triathlon series.

Australian Craig Alexander, 5x World Champion, shares his main tips on how to run faster off the bike (a vital skill for any triathlete).

SUBSCRIBE to the California Triathlon YouTube Channel to get fresh batches of California Triathlon Soup. Just like grandma made!

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It’s the beginning of a new year and everybody is dreaming big dreams.  Whether you are an elite athlete, a middle-of-the-packer or looking to get to your first finish line we encourage you to set an early season baseline that you can measure against later in the year and have it to compare with next year and beyond.  To make the process a little bit more fun, we turned the baseline test into a challenge for the team too! 

STEP #1:  5K run at tempo (or fast pace) after a 1-mile warm-up. Record the 5K run time.  Also record environmental information like temperature and humidity if possible.  Avoid high intensity for 3 days and then proceed to Step #2.

STEP #2:  12.5-mile tempo bike (or fast pace) & 5K run after a 1-mile warm-up.  Separately record the bike time and the run time.  Both disciplines can be outdoors or indoors.  Also record environmental information like temperature and humidity if possible.

STEP #3:  Calculate Brick Impact Percentage = Impacted 5K (Step #2) / 5K (Step 1) - 1.

RESULTS.  The smaller the Brick Impact Percentage the better.  A number of 0.10 or below is considered good.  If the number is greater than 0.10 you might consider moderating the bike pace.  With increased brick training and overall fitness, that number will likely decrease.

VARIATIONS

• Olympic Distance Baseline.  The same steps but with a 10K bike and 40K (24.85 miles)
• The order of Step #1 and Step #2 can be reversed.

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Don’t forget to checkout our FREE training plans to help improve your performance after you complete your baseline testing!