9 Great Places to Train in Atlanta - #9 Hill Repeats on Amsterdam Ave!

Do I like running hills?  HILL YES! 

As I spent the second half of 2011 training for the ZOOMAAtlanta Half Marathon, I found myself seeking out every hill possible so I would be prepared for the race on Saturday, November 26^th.  All I kept hearing from others who did the race last year was how many hills were on the course!  I took their words of caution seriously and decided to take on the challenge!

One of my favorite places to practice hill repeats is Amsterdam Ave.  Amsterdam Ave. stretches from Monroe Drive in Midtown near Piedmont Park, through Virginia-Highlands to Rosedale Road near Emory’s Briarcliff Campus.   There is a short steep section from Rosedale Road to Lanier Blvd, then there is a long, gradual uphill section from Lanier Blvd to N. Highland Ave.  But wait, it gets better!  I like to make this even more fun by continuing on Amsterdam, past N. Highland Ave, and turning around just before it curves around to Monroe Dr.  Then, I like to head back up Amsterdam Ave. for a longer, uphill stretch!  Then, I like to do it all over again and again! 

Over the years, I’ve learned that hills are a great way to build strength, speed and endurance.  When I was a participant with Team in Training back in 2003 and training for my first triathlon, one of the Coaches gave me tons of tips on running hills.   He said things like, “Shorten your stride”, “Pump your arms”, “Be okay with the fact that your heart rate is high…It will come back down when you start to run downhill”, “Don’t look down”, “Keep up the short strides and arm pumping until you get all the way over the hill”.  His voice still echoes inside me to this day when I’m running hills!

As ZOOMA race day approached, I knew I was ready!  I had a plan: 1st 10 miles, take it easy and run in Zone 2 near a 10 minute mile pace.  Last 3.1 miles, kick it in to high gear and attack each hill.  Like all well laid plans, this one changed a bit along the way.  Here is how my race actually went: 1^st 6 miles, I took it pretty easy and stayed in Zone 2.  I fluctuated between a 9:45 and a 10:30 minute mile pace.  After the halfway point, I decided to pick it up by staying faster than a 10 minute mile pace, regardless of my heart rate.  The hills kept coming and coming.  I didn’t let them intimidate me!  I really tried to capitalize on the downhills because, “What goes UP, must come DOWN”!  Also, it helped to see some familiar faces from Tri-Kids at the short, steep uphill that was the 12-Mile Mark!  Woo Hoo!  I was stoked and I took off like a kid who just stole the last Wonka bar with the Golden Ticket!  As I rounded the end of the course at Chateau Elan, the finish line was in sight.  I turned the corner and booked up the FINAL HILL to cross the line at 2:08:12, which was a PR!  HOLY MOLY that was a tough race!  But so rewarding!   Not only was it a PR, but it was really fun to share the experience with a bunch of fantastic, tough, fast, motivated women!  You know who you are!   <wink>

Training for and completing this race reiterated my belief that hills are my friends!  Not everyone agrees and that’s okay.  There are plenty of flat race courses out there.  Me?  I’ll run for the hills in a heartbeat! 

9 Great Places to Train in Atlanta - #8 Running in Atlanta Memorial Park!

Two weeks ago, running at the Active Oval at Piedmont Park was the focus of my blog.  Today, I want to let everyone know about Atlanta Memorial Park.  Most of us refer to it as simply, “Memorial Park”.  This is a location I keep in my back pocket for days when I need to do a Tempo run, but am feeling a bit unmotivated.  Why?  Because once I pull this park out of my pocket, I remember how beautiful and doable it is. 

I love doing Tempo runs at this park because it is actually a fairly flat course.  The course I’m referring to consists of Woodward Way, Northside Drive, Wesley Drive, Howell Mill Road, Peachtree Battle Avenue, back to Woodward Way, which equals 1.8 miles.  I like to park for free on Woodward Way near Peachtree Battle.

My Tempo workout at Memorial Park consists of running the first loop easy, the second loop in Zone 4 and the third loop easy for a nice 5.4 mile workout.  To me, this is a very doable Tempo run especially when I’m not feeling like getting out there!

After a bit of research, I discovered that Memorial Park once saw part of the bloody 1864 Civil War Battle of Peachtree Creek, as Confederate forces tried to keep the Union troops from closing in on Atlanta. Historic markers are located throughout the park for you to enjoy. 

The park land was a gift to Atlanta in 1929 from former Sen. Hoke Smith, J.W. Bedell and the Howell family, for whose ancestors Howell Mill Road was named. Development of the park began in 1933 which coincided with the bicentennial of the founding of the state of Georgia in 1733. Its original design envisioned it as a memorial forest, and many of the specimen trees originally planted still provide shade for the park.

Right now, the trees are gorgeous with the different shades of the leaves.  You better hurry if you want to experience this park in the Fall because Winter is drawing near!  Whatever the season in Atlanta, Memorial Park is an excellent place for a run!

9 Great Places to Train in Atlanta - #6 Swimming at MLK Natatorium!

“This is no time for apathy and complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I started coming to the Martin Luther King Jr. Natatorium back in 2008 when I was coaching a group of athletes who wanted help with their swimming. It was a great place to swim because they had recently remodeled the facility, it was open to the public and it was only $2 per visit. Things have changed a bit over the years. They no longer allow me to provide swimming lessons (they have their own instructors), they are closed on Fridays and they now charge $4 per visit. Regardless, it is still a great place to swim in Atlanta! I especially enjoy swimming at MLK in the morning. The floor-to-ceiling windows give a wonderful view of the sunrise!

The pool is located at 70 Boulevard NE near Auburn Ave. The parking lot at the natatorium is closed. Parking is free and the lot is located on John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE off of Boulevard near Jackson St. NE. It is always a pleasure walking from the parking lot to the natatorium and reading the plaques on the sidewalk with the names of the “soldiers of justice” who promoted equality for all. This is known as the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame and includes names such as Rosa Parks, President Jimmy Carter, Justice Thurgood Marshall, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mayor Maynard Jackson, just to name a few.

The natatorium is open for lap swimming Monday through Thursday, starting at 6:00am and goes until 5:00pm. They are also open in the evening, starting at 6:30pm until 8:00pm. There are several activities happening on Saturdays, however I have usually been able to swim between 10:00 – 11:00am. The pool is closed on Fridays and Sundays. Be sure to call the folks at MLK at 404-658-7330 if you have any doubt about when they are open for lap swimming.

The indoor pool has six 25-yard lanes. The temperature of pool varies, however it is usually set around 80 degrees. There are locker rooms and showers on the bottom level, along with a workout room that is also open to the public.

I would definitely recommend purchasing a City of Atlanta Office of Recreation Aquatic annual pass for $110. This pass will allow you to swim at all the city pools, including Chastain Park and Grant Park. All you need is documentation that you are a resident of the City of Atlanta and a money order. Take these two items to MLK and they will provide you with the pass after you finish your swim workout!

I will be heading to the pool at MLK more often now that summer is winding down and the outdoor pools will be closing. I hope you all keep up your training over the Fall and Winter! The Spring races will be here before you know it!

9 Great Places to Train in Atlanta - #4 Swimming at Chastain Park Pool!

As the dog days of summer are winding down, I am taking every opportunity to swim outdoors. One of my favorite places to swim has always been the Chastain Park Pool. The pool is clean, refreshing and open to the public!

The pool is run by the Chastain Park Athletic Club (CPAC). CPAC was founded in 2002 as a Georgia 501c3 non-profit corporation and was organized and at all times shall be operated exclusively for public charitable and educational uses and purposes.

Chastain Park Pool is located at the intersection of West Wieuca Road and Elliott Galloway Way (formerly Pool Road). There is free parking on both West Wieuca Road and Elliott Galloway Way. The pool boasts (8) 25 yard lanes, which are only crowded during the hours of swim team practice. The hours are as follows:

Monday – Friday: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM free public swim time, 12:30 - 5:00 PM paid public swim time $1/children (5 yrs and under), $2/child (6 yrs - 16), $4/adult (17 yrs - 64), $2/senior (65 yrs and up) and 5:00 - 8:00 PM Chastain Pool members only (Fridays till 9:00 PM).

Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM $1/children (5 yrs and under), $2/child (6 yrs - 16) , $4/adult (17 yrs - 64), $2/senior (65 yrs and up) and 5:00 - 8:00 PM Chastain Pool members only.

Chastain Park Pool is a wonderful, outdoor pool to use for “getting your swim on”. You better hurry! The gate to the pool will close at the end of the day on Sunday, September 11th.

9 Great Places to Train in Atlanta - #1 Grant Park Swimming Pool!

I truly love the city of Atlanta, especially in the summer! Yes. It is hot and humid. Yes. Our air quality is not good. Yes. Traffic can be annoying at times. Yes. Gas prices are high. Regardless of the negatives, I am glad to be an Atlantan! Furthermore, I am glad to be an athlete and a coach living in Atlanta. There are so many fantastic places for me and my athletes to train! I will spend the next several weeks highlighting these places for you!

Attention Triathletes and Swimmers: If you are looking for a 50 meter pool in which to swim, look no further than the Grant Park Swimming Pool!

I arrived at the pool this morning at 10am to meet one of my swimmers from Vizsla Swim Team. We were pleased to find no one in the two lanes they had roped off for lap swimming. The water temperature was a refreshing 78 degrees. We jumped in and started our workout!

Since it has been quite awhile since I have practiced in a 50 meter pool, it took some time to get my rhythm. After I got used to the longer lane, I was as happy as a clam only having to encounter the wall half the number of times as usual. A few other swimmers arrived as the morning went on. By the time we left, there were five folks swimming in the lap area.

Please note, this is not a typical lap swimming pool. There are no clocks at each end, nor are there flags hanging overhead to indicate when you are getting close to the wall. The lane lines at the bottom of the pool are a bit confusing. In my opinion, these factors are not a big deal. The staff is helpful. The locker rooms and pool area are very clean. The pool is very family friendly, which was evident when kids, parents and babysitters trickled in throughout the morning. Overall, it is a great place to get in a good workout!

The Grant Park Swimming pool is a City of Atlanta facility. The Friends of Grant Park Pool is a sub-committee of the Grant Park Neighborhood Association Parks & Recreation committee. They are a group of local residents volunteering their time to help make the pool a better place for everyone.

The Grant Park Swimming Pool is located in Grant Park at 625 Park Avenue SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30312 at the intersection of Berne and Park Avenue, one block west of Boulevard. There is free parking on the streets. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for kids and seniors and $1 for kids under the age of five. Admission is FREE from 1:30pm – 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. My suggestion is to buy an annual pass for $110 which provides admission to all the pools that are a part of the City of Atlanta including Chastain Park, Garden Hills and the Martin Luther King Jr. Natatorium. The pool is open Saturday and Sunday from 12pm - 8:00pm and Monday - Friday from 10am - 7:30pm. Their phone number is 404.622.3044. The pool will close for the season after Labor Day (September 5, 2011).

I will definitely be back to the Grant Park Swimming Pool as much as possible this summer! It was so wonderful to be able to swim outside in a 50 meter pool with the blue sky and sun shining down on us! I would encourage anyone who is a triathlete or swimmer to visit the pool for a workout.

Swim with Confidence by Lowering Your Swimming Golf Score!

As a Professional Triathlon Coach and Swim Coach for Vizsla Swim Team, I occasionally challenge my swimmers to figure out what will make them faster. For some swimmers, it is gliding through the water. For others, it is kicking harder. One way to figure out what technique is best for them is to practice workouts in which the goal is to lower their swimming golf score.

The swimming golf score is calculated by adding the number of strokes they take for 50 meters and add it to the time it takes to swim 50 meters. For example, if a swimmer takes 36 strokes for 50 meters and it takes them 45 seconds to swim the 50 meters, their swimming golf score is 81 (36 + 45).

In order to lower their swimming golf score, I ask them to practice concentrating on 1.) gliding/streamlining, also known as DPS (Distance Per Stroke), in which they take few strokes, but can maintain a fast time or 2.) kicking harder, which should result in the swimming faster. I want the swimmers to determine which technique is best for them to improve their speed. Then, I ask them to practice that technique (ex. kicking harder) for their speed sets. When swimmers know what it takes to make them faster, they become more confident which will translate to faster swim times.

Below is a recent swimming golf workout the swimmers on the team completed:

Warm Up:

100 Easy Swim, 50 Stroke, 100 Easy Swim, 50 Stroke

Set:

3 x 300 Descending w/ :30 RI

Swimming Golf (Score = # of Strokes + Time):

3 x 50 w/ :20 Rest (Record your scores. Try to lower your score for each of the 50s.)

3 x 50 w/ :20 Rest (Focus on kicking hard. Record your scores. Try to lower your score.)

3 x 50 w/ :20 Rest (Focus on distance per stroke. Record your scores. Try to lower your score.)

3 x 50 w/ :20 Rest (Use what helped to you to lower your score (ex. Kicking hard, Distance per stroke or a combination of the two). Record your scores. Try to lower your score.)

Cool Down:

50 Easy Swim, 50 Stroke, 50 Easy Swim

Total: 1,950

Practice this workout and others that focus on isolating a technique to help improve your speed and confidence as a swimmer and a triathlete!

If you want more help with your swimming in a group atmosphere, please consider joining Vizsla Swim Team! We meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6am at Agnes Scott College in Decatur for a one hour coached workout. I am also available for private lessons at the City Club of Buckhead located inside the Atlanta Financial Center. Visit my website or contact me (coach@vizslacoaching.com or 404.667.0817) for more information.

Swim with Confidence!

As a Professional Triathlon Coach and Coach of Vizsla Swim Team, I often see athletes who are fantastic swimmers during practice in the pool, but encounter trouble on race day. One reason they might experience difficulty may be due to lack of confidence.

As described by Peter Haberl, Ed. D., senior sport psychologist for the United States Olympic Committee, in the USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach Certification Manual, there are four Cs that play a huge role when it comes to balancing the stress of racing.

1. Confidence

2. Concentration

3. Commitment

4. Composure

Confidence is believing in yourself, your skills and your ability to handle whatever comes your way.

Concentration is staying focused on the task at hand.

Commitment is willingness to train hard, to sacrifice, to persevere when things are not going well.

Composure is managing your emotions. Be in charge of yourself because there are many things out of your control.

Athletes can achieve a higher degree of performance and turn negative stress into a helpful challenge when they improve aspects of the four Cs.

Because nothing happens without confidence, my next series of blogs for the month of June will address ways for athletes to swim with confidence!