Tag Archives: training

Stream of Consciousness

by Karen Smyers “What do you think about when you are on a long ride or run?” I am sometimes asked.  My standard response, in which I attempt to showcase my serious dedication as an athlete, is something like, “I think about my breathing, monitor my heart rate, visualize riding or running with perfect form […]

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Death of a Thyroid: my diagnosis and treatment for thyroid cancer

By Karen Smyers In September of 1999, I was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma—thyroid cancer.  I want to write up my story so that others can maybe learn from the details and also be reassured that this diagnosis does not mean the end of your athletic dreams. I was grateful that within 24 hours of my […]

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Confessions of a Poppy Seed Addict

by Karen Smyers The IOC recently announced that it is adding marijuana to its banned list of drugs and triathlon’s governing body will follow suit.  (When the IOC says jump, the ITU says “Altius?”)  I find it rather ironic that their reason for adding a non-performance-enhancing drug to the banned list is that athletes must […]

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Stay on the Sunnyside

by Karen Smyers Lately I have been getting a lot of practice at making the best of a situation.  Last summer, I turned a severed hamstring into a good opportunity to go forth and multiply.  I took advantage of the C-section that followed nine months later  by getting back on my bicycle seat much earlier […]

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Going Nowhere Fast

by Karen Smyers This is the time of year that many of us hunker down to wait out the cold and blustery winter.  When it takes longer to get dressed to battle the elements than it does to do the actual workout, I usually nix biking outside.  Some of you may be hardy enough to […]

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Training with Calvin K

by Karen Smyers An essential element of most triathletes’ success and longevity in the sport is their training partners. Your partner in pain can goad you into one more hill repeat like nobody else can.  Think of the number of mornings you would have just hit the snooze alarm if it weren’t for the fact […]

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Executing the Perfect Taper

by Karen Smyers One of my favorite phases of training and racing is The Taper. It ranks right up there with massage and carbo-loading on my list of reasons that I do triathlon. I find myself looking forward to the taper weeks and even months in advance. When I am trying to schedule a time […]

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