Tahoe Things to Do

Colleen Conners-Pace is an Exercise Physiologist, USAT Triathlon Coach Level 1, and Certified Cycle Ops Power Coach

Colleen Conners-Pace is back with continued tips for Ironman Lake Tahoe! In this post, she breaks down the second step of Ironman training: moving from the Prep Time to Base Training Period. 

As you move into the Base Training Period, you will begin to focus more on aerobic endurance.  Without endurance you will never finish the Ironman Lake Tahoe.  To train for aerobic endurance you need to keep the intensity low so the body can make physiological adaptations required to be more efficient at delivering oxygen to the working muscles. Thus, the muscles become more efficient at using the oxygen to break down fuels, primarily fat for energy. Work too hard and you train more of your anaerobic energy system, hence, you will not create the desired adaptations of increased aerobic fitness. 

You will not actually rely much on your anaerobic energy system in an Ironman. Ironman requires aerobic endurance.  Training at an aerobic level teaches your body to be more efficient at using fat as your main source of fuel.  We store up to 40,000 calories of fat in our body (even if you are 7% body fat at 150 pounds) and only 2000 at most carbohydrates (glycogen).  Rely on the carbohydrates and you will definitely “bonk,” hit “the wall,” and at the end of the day you won’t be called  an “Ironman.” (More on nutrition in future blogs.)  

So how hard or easy should one go to achieve the benefits of these physiological adaptations? The best way to know is to do a Lactate Threshold Test. This will help identify your aerobic zones so you train at the right intensity and get the biggest bang for your training time. This test can be done on a treadmill or bicycle, or both, as heart rate training zones are different for each sport. Zones from one sport can be estimated from the other, but it is simply an estimate. If you have a power meter, power zones can be calculated from the Lactate Test along with the heart rate zones. For more information on Lactate Threshold testing go to Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC.

Stay tuned for a minimalist approach on Ironman training: a much healthier, saner training plan than most out there!

Colleen Conners-Pace MA of Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC is an Exercise Physiologist, USAT Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Cycle Ops Power Coach and ACSM Health Fitness Specialist.  Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC offers Sports Performance Testing, Coaching, Training and Event Promotion. Colleen is Co-Race Director with her husband Joe Pace for the Auburn Triathlon. Auburn Triathlon is known for the World’s Toughest Half, a great training race Lake Tahoe Ironman triathletes. This race is May 19, 2013. Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC has also partnered with High Sierra Tri Club from Mammoth and are hosting “A High Altitude Triathlon Camp at Tahoe” Aug. 9-11, a camp designed to help you get familiar with the Lake Tahoe Ironman and practice race day strategy. For more info, visit www.tahoepeakendurance.com.

Ski Patrol base @ Red Dog

1st and 15th of every month

5:30pm-7pm

While skiing and snowboarding is a ton of fun, dangers lurk all around you. Learn what to look for in deep snow, conditions that cause avalanches and brush up on your companion rescue skills at the free workshops offered twice a month by the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol.  Whether you’re an experienced skier polishing up or a beginner learning for the first time, this free workshop is open and beneficial to all levels. Just dress warm and bring a beacon to participate.

Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics and 1969 World Cup tour, Squaw Valley one of the largest and most popular ski destinations in the US. Located in the Sierra Nevada, the valley has recently teamed up with neighboring Alpine Meadows and now offers visitors access to 6,000 skiable acres, 43 lifts, over 270 trails, beginner areas and unequalled expert slopes, chutes and bowls.

Squaw Valley is a beautiful mountain getaway with wonderful dining, shopping and outdoor adventures for every season. In the summer, the Village at Squaw Valley heats up with fun music festivals, art shows and wine walks.

March 20 – 24, 2013

Welcome athletes, coaches and spectators from across the country for this action packed weekend that includes an opening ceremony, athlete galas, spectator parties and world-class racing! Held at Squaw Valley, The 2013 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships is the finale to a year filled with ski racing and snowboarding competitions among the top athletes in the US. Consisting of a record setting US Ski Team alumni and coupled with top-rated slope and pipes, Squaw Valley has become one of the greatest winter sports destinations in the world. See some of the most popular local boarders Julia Mancuso, Travis Ganong and Marco Sullivan rock the pipe.

Host of the 1960 Winter Olympics and 1969 World Cup tour, Squaw Valley is one of the largest and most popular ski destinations in the US. Located in the Sierra Nevada, the valley has recently teamed up with neighboring Alpine Meadows and now offers access to 6,000 skiable acres, 43 lifts, over 270 trails, beginner areas and unequalled expert slopes, chutes and bowls.

In the summer, the Village at Squaw Valley really livens up with outdoor music festivals, wine walks and art shows. Squaw Valley is a year-round recreation hot spot featuring world class dining, shopping and adventures for every season.

No plans for St. Patrick’s Day? Celebrate at Auld Dubliner in Squaw Valley!

If you’re looking for the luck of the Irish, we can’t guarantee you’ll find it around Lake Tahoe on St. Patrick’s Day, but we’re sure you’ll find delicious Irish fare and traditional drinks to whet your whistle after a day of spring skiing!

If corned beef and cabbage, and a hearty pint is what you desire:

St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef & Irish Special at River Ranch: Head on down to the River Ranch from 12PM-8PM, and take a seat on the deck under such sunny skies, with traditional Irish cuisine and drink specials.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Homewood & West Shore Inn: This is a great combo to quench your hunger for skiing and St. Patty’s Day food and drink! Start your day at Homewood at 9AM, where they offer their signature  ”I Shamrock Homewood” t-shirts. Once you’re off the slopes, cross the street for live music, as well as a classic corned beef and cabbage feast (until 11PM).

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Auld Dubliner: Squaw Valley’s authentic Irish pub (literally imported from Dublin, Ireland) is definitely the place to be and be seen on St. Patty’s Day! If you’re looking for the best Shephard’s Pie or Traditional Beef Stew and a Guiness on the side, then make your way here. We suggest a Black and Tan.

If you feel like hunting for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow:

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Squaw Valley: Ski or snowboard with Squaw’s lucky leprechaun! Afterwards hit up the KT sundeck for an Irish pint while listening to the tunes of Leche De Tigre, live!

How do you like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Colleen, in Ironman competition action!

We are pleased to feature the first in a series of guest posts on Ironman Lake Tahoe altitude training from Colleen Conners-Pace, MA of Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC. Enjoy! 

As of today, you 2013 Lake Tahoe Ironman athletes have 32 weeks until race day! This may seem like an eternity, but in the big scheme of Ironmans it’s not. Most structured training plans for Ironmans begin around 24-26 weeks. But, by no means is that when you should crawl off the couch.

Most structured programs are periodized, with a Base Period, moving to a Build, then a Peak and Race Period. This periodized structured program is designed to progressively prepare you to race. Workouts become more race-like so by the time the race comes around you are ready!

It is highly recommended you prepare yourself mentally and physically before beginning a structured periodized plan. This is what we call the Prep period. This is where you start to swim, bike, and run: basically training to train. This is the period when frequency is important. Your mind and body needs to get used to getting out almost on a daily basis and doing something (always have at least 1-2 days off a week). This is when you figure out a routine that will work with your daily life schedule. This is when you find out where it is best to fit in the swim, when you can run, and when you can ride.

I recommend you start trying to get in two workouts of each discipline in a week. No, they don’t have to be long, and they don’t have to be hard. Make them fun! Just get out there and log two workouts a piece. Even if you don’t think you have time, even if you think you have only 10-20 min, go do it! You need to reinforce habits and routines! If you let it go one day, it will be easy to let it go another. This way, you will take advantage of any time you have, realize where you need to make more time, and will then find the time. Right now it is all about frequency not volume or intensity. This is when you begin to build a strong foundation with the three disciplines, when your muscles, tendons and ligaments that you will use become prepared for the increased volume and intensity in the training periods to come. Just like any strength training program, you always start out light for several weeks before applying more weight.

Speaking of strength training, this is also a great time to begin a more specific strength training program for triathlon. Multiple research studies have shown that strength training can improve endurance performance, especially for cyclists and runners; and strength training also plays a significant role in injury prevention. You can achieve this added strength and muscle with 1-2 full body weight sessions per week. This will enhance joint stability, cushioning, and impact during the course of the Ironman.  Take a look at “Mark Allen’s 12 Best Strength Training Exercises.”

During this Prep time remember to concentrate on running form and technique. Do cycling drills on your trainer if training indoors. For both running and riding, count your cadence (RPMS, revolutions per minute, each time pedal goes completely around) and or steps per minute (SPM, counting each time say your right foot hits the ground), and try to stay as close as possible to 90 RPMs or 90 SPMs.  Focus on your swimming, do technique drills. Continue with cross training, using other forms of activities. After a few weeks of getting into the habit of training then you can start getting more structured.

Colleen Conners-Pace MA of Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC is an Exercise Physiologist, USAT Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Cycle Ops Power Coach and ACSM Health Fitness Specialist.  Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC offers Sports Performance Testing, Coaching, Training and Event Promotion. Colleen is Co-Race Director with her husband Joe Pace for the Auburn Triathlon. Auburn Triathlon is known for the World’s Toughest Half, a great training race Lake Tahoe Ironman triathletes. This race is May 19, 2013. Tahoe Peak Endurance, LLC has also partnered with High Sierra Tri Club from Mammoth and are hosting “A High Altitude Triathlon Camp at Tahoe” Aug. 9-11, a camp designed to help you get familiar with the Lake Tahoe Ironman and practice race day strategy. For more info, visit www.tahoepeakendurance.com.

Don’t forget to mark that day on your calendar. We’re not talking about Sweetest Day here. This is the one, real, holiday dedicated to love. In case you haven’t heard, it’s called Saint Valentine’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, and it found its romantic beginnings in the 15th century, a time when chivalry reigned supreme. It comes as no surprise that the population of Europe increased exponentially during this time. But before you buy two plane tickets to Europe and rent a chariot, why not just honor the occasion by expressing your love to someone special, right in the heart of Lake Tahoe’s Squaw Valley. Celebrate the occasion by enjoying a glorious getaway to the mountains of Squaw Valley, overlooking the bright blue waters of Lake Tahoe. With its sunshine filled days, star-studded nights, and crisp mountain air, you will find more than enough reasons to get romantic. From your room at the Squaw Valley Lodge, you will be minutes away from the most famous slopes in the area. Experience some of the most breathtaking views after days spent rejuvenating in a spa massage room, or heating up in a soothing sauna. For more information on Squaw Valley, visit squaw.com.

Squaw Valley is calling! Photo Credit Squaw Valley PR/Jeff Engerbretsen

Want to ski without the Squaw Valley crowds? Then check out our midweek deal. Staying more than four nights? Then check out our Winter Promotion 25% off deal! Want to play hooky, get away with friends, AND save on skiing and lodging? Then check out our 4 Pack deal! There’s something for everyone….that is, if you like winter savings!

3rd Night Free!

• Stay two midweek nights and the third midweek night is FREE!

The 3rd Night Free promotion is valid January 6- April 14, 2013. Guests must purchase 2 midweek nights to be eligible for 3rd midweek free night. Weekend nights are not included. For stays greater than 3 nights, other discounts or promotions may be available. Promotions are subject to availability, change, blackout dates and nightly minimums. Blackout dates: February 15-23, March 12-14,2013. Not valid with any other promotional offer. 

Squaw Valley Lodge Winter Promotion – Save up to 25%!

• Rates start at $157 per night for a Deluxe Studio Condominium and $224 per night for a townhouse-style Loft Condominium.

• Save 15% on reservations of less than 4 nights.

• Save 25% on reservations of 4 or more nights.

The Winter Reserve Early Promotion is subject to availability, change, blackout dates and nightly minimums. Valid January 6- April 14, 2013. Current blackouts are February 1-2, 7-9, February 15-23, 2013 and March 4-8, 2013. Quoted per night rates are midweek for 4 or more nights with the 25% promotional discount. Not valid with any other promotional offer.

Midweek Ski and Stay Package: The 4 Pack is Back!

• Play hooky with a group of friends–you deserve it.

• Enjoy three midweek nights lodging in a spacious Loft Condominium with two days of skiing or snowboarding at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

• $439 per night or $110 per person/per night for 4 people.

Promotions are valid through April 30, 2013. Promotions may not be combined and are not valid with any other promotional offer. All rates quoted are midweek rates and do not include 10% County Occupancy Tax. Current blackout dates include January 18-20, 25 & 26; February 1, 2, 9,10 and 15 through 23; March 1 & 2. Promotions are subject to availability, nightly minimums, additional blackout dates and change.

Remember, at Squaw Valley Lodge, there are no additional Resort Fees, unlike other Squaw Valley lodging accommodations.