Feeling race ready involves more than just a training plan. It also involves conquering some nerves! Every athlete brings a unique story to their event – and needs a strategy for managing their nerves, Every athlete comes into race day with their unique story. This might be their first race ever – a new distance – a goal race – a comeback – or a dragon to slay! It’s safe to say that in most cases, pre-race nerves are real. And without a strategy to deal with them, they can make a big impact on how the race goes. Here are a few thoughts on how to manage those nerves: Know what to expect of the ..read more

By Sandie Orlando, Assistant Coach, CL Performance Training Photo credits: Steve Pennell, Instagram @fotostevezoom New bike day is super exciting, but don’t let the excitement of getting on your new ride stop you from getting it set up properly. By properly – we mean a bike fit session. Most reputable dealers will include a bike fit with the purchase. However, when it’s a ‘new to me’ bike – purchased from a marketplace or bike swap, getting in for a proper bike fit is easily overlooked. The “let’s just see how it feels” approach is tempting, but can set you up for discomfort and unnecessary ..read more

Proper nutrition before, during and after exercise can make a significant difference to your performance and recovery. New athletes who start a 3-month coaching program in December 2023 or January 2024 will receive a complimentary Nutrition Assessment and follow up. Current athletes who recruit a new athlete to start in December 2023 or January 2024 will also receive a complimentary Nutrition Assessment and follow up. An overall nutrition program that includes a consultation identifying your goals, identifying and addressing system imbalances, recommendations on foods, supplements and lifestyl ..read more

The months at end of the calendar year are a good time to take a break from ‘training’ once the target races are over. Our bodies need recovery time but even more importantly, our brains need to be refreshed. Staying in training mode can easily wear out an athlete’s motivation and interest in putting in the hard efforts required for the next training block. It can be difficult to step back for athletes who ‘need‘ to be doing something to feel healthy and happy. Whatever is driving that ‘need’ is worth taking a look at. For some athletes, the lack of structure can be disconcerting, especially i ..read more

by Sandie Orlando Open water swimming is notorious for causing stress for triathletes. Even proficient pool swimmers can feel anxiety when faced with dark water, a wetsuit or lots of other bodies thrashing around them. Each athlete experiences this differently. Some are just excited-nervous and it goes away quickly. For others, it can be persistent, paralyzing, race destroying and sometimes turns them away from doing triathlon at all. Dealing with open water swimming anxiety isn’t about getting over it once. For some triathletes, it’s persistent and requires strategies to just get through it ..read more

Join us for a coached swim clinic at Glendon College on Sunday February 12th, 2023 from 9:45am-11:15am.   Cost is $50.00+HST. We will have our CL Performance Training coaches on deck to teach you and work with you on stroke mechanics of the freestyle stroke.  We will do video analysis of your stroke from above and under water.  You will leave this clinic feeling stronger and more confident with your freestyle swimming.  To sign up, email Coach Cindy at clperformancetraining@gmail.com or sign up online here. The post Swim Clinic in Toronto, ON appeared first ..read more

Training camp for multi sport or a single sport is a fantastic way to build volume, skills and learn from coaches and other athletes. Whether it’s a day, a weekend or week, being prepared will ensure you get the most out of the experience. Here are some things to keep in mind: Get your bike in order. Riding through the winter is easy if you have an indoor trainer or go to a cycling studio. All of the technical logistics can be ignored when you haven’t had to think about flat tires, mechanical issues, weather or traffic. Before you think about transporting it to your destination, consider a tu ..read more

Build your season as you build your fitness. A shorter distance race early in the season gives you the opportunity to try out your gear, practice transitions and get into the racing headspace. As your fitness and endurance builds, you’ll be better prepared to take on the longer distances. Choose your ‘A’ race and build ‘B’ and ‘C’ races around them in your calendar. The ‘A’ race/s are those you want to be ready with your best performance – the ‘B’ races are for experience, and ‘C’ races are for experience or part of a longer training day. Base training means strength in all disciplines, and ..read more

The journey to a long distance race goal usually includes some shorter races along the way. That might be a half marathon on your way to a marathon, or sprint and Olympic distance triathlons on your way to a half or full course race. Your program hopefully includes some recovery after that race – for a couple of reasons. First – your body needs it. Second – your brain needs it! Over the course of a season our races need to be categorized to prevent injury or burn out. The ‘A’ races are the ones you want to focus to be on performance to reach a specific goal, and your training will build you up ..read more

7 keys for a successful winter of indoor triathlon bike training Coach Cindy and Coach Sandie wrote this piece for Triathlon Canada Magazine and posted a Facebook Live on YouTube to share ideas for making the most of the indoor cycling season. https://triathlonmagazine.ca/training/7-keys-for-a-successful-winter-of-indoor-triathlon-bike-training/ The post Make the most of indoor cycling appeared first on CLPerformanceTraining ..read more