Welcome! Your journey from January to August has already begun. Congratulations on choosing to take on this tremendously rewarding challenge! This is the place where I help you put the pieces together, day to day, to accomplish your goal of completing the Tri for the Cure - A Women's Triathlon.

Along the way, take to heart the lesson that fitness is a lifelong commitment. Maybe this is your first step, maybe this is one step of many, but taking good care of our bodies requires a lifetime of service. Just as you wouldn't go a day without food, don't go a day without exercise or otherwise doing something good for your body. This is why we start in the middle of winter. Start now, start today whether it is January or June, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and one day after the other. Suddenly it will be August!

On this training page, you will find a host of resources; everything you will need to successfully complete the sprint distance triathlon of the Tri: a training calendar, strength program, swim workouts, clinics; links to additional resources on nutrition, racing and more; access to Coach Melissa for Q&A and help with anything we've missed! It is my goal to get you to the finish line with a huge smile on your face and thinking about what your next fitness goal will be.

Contact Coach Melissa for additional information or questions on coaching, training and instruction: mantakm@comcast.net or call (720) 273-1333.

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June Training Goal: Preparation Phase: Triathlon Specific Training

June is time to do some specific triathlon preparation. This month you will do some “brick” training. Bricks are back to back workouts in two or three sports, e.g. swim/bike, bike/run or swim/bike/run. This type of training makes triathlon unique. The most difficult transition to train is the bike to run. I have included one bike/run brick per week with an optional swim/bike brick. Do the workouts as close as possible; get off the bike, change your shoes and get out and run. (Whenever I speak of the run, it is always OK to walk any or all of this training.) On the bike and run, continue with endurance training, but add some hills if you need additional challenge.  I have designated certain days for hill riding and running. Do your best to get out and work the hills, you’ll be happy you did this work on race day!

Swim Notes

Open Water Swims

The open water swim has season begun at Chatfield Reservoir at the Gravel pond, separate from the main reservoir. Anyone can swim at specific days and times that are reserved for swimmers to train in open water.  You can swim on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 7:00 pm and Saturday mornings from 7:30 to 10:00 am. You do need to be a COMSA member (Colorado Masters Swim Association) at a cost of $35 for the season. If you drive into Chatfield, you will also have to pay the park entry fee….carpooling or riding your bike will save money. This fee is well worth the money to cover liability and swim privileges at the reservoir. Even more importantly to give you experience and confidence swimming in open water as this is a very different experience from pool training! Keep your eyes on the website and your email for swim clinics in the near future. Here is the website link for COMSA: www.comsa.org 

For new swimmers, note that most pools are 25 yards or meters and swim workouts are written in multiples of 25, ex: 25’s, 50’s, 75’s, 100’s, etc. Take note of what distance you are swimming during training by counting your laps and multiplying by 25. Example: 20 lengths of 25 meters = 500 meters. The Tri for the Cure swim length is 750 meters. Kick refers to using a kick board or otherwise only using your legs to propel yourself. Pull refers to using a pull buoy or otherwise only using your arms to propel yourself.

The swim workouts on the training program refer to numbered,
detailed sessions; listed below:

Here is the website link for COMSA: comsa.org

Basic Strength Training Routine for Triathletes

• Chest Press
• Lat Pull Down
• Triceps Press
• Biceps Curl
• Shoulder Lateral Raise
• Walking Lunge/Leg Press/Squat/Step ups (choose 1-2/session)
• Hamstring Curl
• Abdominal Crunches

Complete 2-4 sets of 12-15 reps

6. Bike: Time to get on that bike! Spring thaw is actually happening! You can ride indoors or outdoors, take a spin class or take a spin around town. Just get on a bike. Also…. Do you have a bike that works? Are you going to buy a new one? Is that one in your garage in good operating order? If not, get it out, dust it off and get it to a bike shop (Bicycle Village has several metro area locations) for an tune up to make sure it is in proper working order. The bike is the biggest piece of technical equipment you will use in training and racing the TFC. Best to be comfortable with it.

7. Swim: Get in the pool! Figure out where you are going to swim: at your gym, local Y or rec center, etc. If you're afraid of the water or a real beginner, get some lessons. Mostly just get in the water and get comfortable, play! You'll need some time to figure out the best bathing suit, goggles and bathing cap for you. Equipment matters. The more comfortable you are with your equipment the more confidence you'll have for training and racing.

TFC Swim, Bike and Run Clinics hosted
by Coach Melissa:

Starting in April, Melissa will be offering 24 clinics! 12 pool swims, 4 open water swims, 4 bike and 4 run sessions. These clinics are offered exclusively to Tri participants. For details and links to register, go here.

For month number two, get moving and keep moving! Get to the gym, get outdoors, do whatever it takes to get and stay active. The program below provides some ideas on how to make that happen and how to fit it into a week. The workouts will be more and more triathlon specific as the race approaches. If you need help, ask! There's no such thing as a stupid question. Contact Coach Melissa at: mantakm@comcast.net

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June Training Program
Preparation Phase: Triathlon Specific Training

Clinics this month Sign up here:

• Intermediate/Advanced Swim Clinic – Friday, June 6 from 6-8 pm
• Run Skills – Saturday, June 7 from 9-10:30 pm
• Bike Clinic: Speed and Strength Training on the Bike – Sunday, June 8 from 7-9 am
• Beginner Swim Skills & Drills – Sunday, June 8 from 1-3 pm
  

Click on any date to view the training plan for that
day or download a printable version
of this calendar.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		Click on any date to view the training plan for that day or download a printable version of this calendar.

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Coach Melissa Mantak Professional Triathlon Coach

Coach Melissa has worked as a coach for 15 years. Currently, she coaches triathletes and other endurance athletes full time. She has been the Coach for the Tri since 2005. Melissa works with all levels of athletes from first timers to professionals. She spent 10 years racing triathlons as a professional with numerous World Cup victories. She includes World Cup Series Champion and USOC Triathlete of the Year among her many accomplishments. She has a Masters degree in exercise pysiology and is certified by USA Triathlon as an Elite (Level 3) and USA Cycling as an Expert (level 2) coach. Melissa has also worked for 10 years as a personal trainer with a certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist.