Ask the Pro - Lisa Bentley

PB: Lisa, thanks so much for agreeing to answer some questions for our first issue of PERSONAL BEST.
LB: I am thrilled to be part of the Ironman 70.3 Calgary Team and excited to bring the Ironman 70.3 race Calgary. Our team is committed to providing athletes with all the tools and advice required to have them achieve their personal goals, part of that commitment is ensuring they have all the information they need to get a personal best of race day!

PB: Lisa, one of the most frequently asked questions is about the Ghost Lake Reservoir. The Ghost Lake Reservoir is not well known, even to many Calgary Triathletes, what is it like?
LB: Ghost Lake Reservoir is a beautiful lake created at the confluence of the Ghost and Bow rivers by a dam constructed way back in 1929. The lake is set in the Rocky Mountain Foothills in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains which are visible just to the west. It is a big (11km2), deep lake (>100 feet) with gin clear water.

PB: Is the lake cold?
LB: The lake can be pretty cold. Ice comes off the lake in May and depending on the year, the lake should be about 18-20C or 65-70F on race day. The lake is very popular for water skiing and other recreational sports, and will be a great temperature for racing.

PB: What is the bike course like?
LB: The bike course is absolutely beautiful! It rolls its way through the foothills and pastoral cattle ranchlands and into the city from the southwest. The roads are in excellent condition, many have brand new pavement while others are planned to be repaved prior to the race. It will be a fast course.

PB: Is the bike course challenging?
LB: Very. It is a hilly course, but the pavement is smooth and there is often a great tailwind. If conditions are right on race day, this could very well be a PB course.

PB: What do you think about doing Ironman Canada following Ironman 70.3 Calgary? Are they too close together?
LB: Not one bit! For many experienced athletes (and even many unexperienced athletes) I recommend doing a half ironman prior to doing the full iron distance race. The timing of Ironman 70.3 Calgary is perfect in a build toward Ironman Canada. With four weeks between the two races there is ample time to recovery from a hard race at Ironman 70.3 Calgary and peak for Ironman Canada. In fact, the training program we have put together anticipates just that! (see the Personal Best Training Program below).

Do you have a question? If you would like to ask the pro, please email your questions to paul@tricalgary.com .

The Personal Best Training Program

The Ironman 70.3 Calgary Team has prepared a training program to prepare you to successfully complete a half Ironman on August 2nd, 2009. The program formally begins January 1st, 2009. In preparing this program the team has spoken with a number of coaches and athletes that specialize in iron distance and other endurance events including pros like Kyle Marcotte and Lisa Bentley. This training program assumes that you have done at least one triathlon and that you can already swim, that you have a good athletic base and you are currently doing 4-5 hours of training per week. Before starting any strenuous training program we recommend that you speak to a doctor. There can be significant benefits to having a training program customized to address your specific limiters, your work schedule and other priorities. We recommend that you contact one of our approved coaches to develop your individual coaching program.

Click here to see our month by month specialized training program to prepare you for Ironman 70.3 Calgary AND to continue on to successfully race Ironman Canada on August 30th, 2009!!!!

Personal Best

Welcome Ironman 70.3 Calgary! Our mission is to host the best triathlon you have ever competed in. We know that you will love Calgary (we sure do!) and we know you will love the race.

We are glad that you have subscribed to our on-line magazine because we have great expectations for it. Our goal with it is to provide you with knowledge of the race, training advice, nutritional advice and racing advice to give you the best chances of obtaining a PERSONAL BEST. As a result, we called the newsletter PERSONAL BEST (or PB for short).

Each issue will include an “Ask the Pro” section, where you can ask a Professional Ironman Athlete for training and racing advice – this issue features 11 time Ironman Winner Lisa Bentley who is on the organizing committee for Ironman 70.3 Calgary.

Each issue will feature a training program for the month, that if followed closely, will ensure that you are ready to race on Sunday August 2, 2009. Each issue will highlight where you should be in your training and suggest some areas to focus on and some common mistakes to avoid.

So please read our PB Magazine and provide feedback – our goal is to get you to the starting line on August 2nd healthy, fit and ready to race and to put on the best race you have ever seen, to reach such an audacious goal we need your feedback and suggestions! So bring it!

Paul, Dan, Lisa, Dave and Cheryl – Your Ironman 70.3 Calgary Team.

Please comment on this post or email your feedback to paul@tricalgary.com