Coaching at the Diabetes Training Camp

I have had the honor of working at my 5^th Diabetes Training Camp (DTC) this August and I absolutely loved it. Working with Type 1 diabetics is extremely fulfilling and watching the DTC philosophy at work in the camp environment is a powerful experience.

For those of you who don’t know, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where a person’s pancreas stops working. Normally, a properly working pancreas secretes insulin which helps us regulate our blood sugar. Since a diabetic’s pancreas does not work properly, the diabetics must consciously regulate their own blood sugar by injecting insulin at the right times throughout the day. It’s a 24 hour, 7 days a week job and there is no cure (you can’t simply eat or exercise your way out of it). If diabetics do not regulate their blood sugars well, there can be short term consequences (like feeling lethargic or passing out) and long term consequences such as permanent nerve damage, loss of eye sight, and shorter life expectancy.  

Generally, diabetics get a 20-30 minute consult with their doctor a few times a year. Dr. Matt Corcoran, an MD, CDE, and Exercise Specialist with the American Association of Sports Medicine quickly recognized that this was not enough time to help his patients. In response, he developed a camp to address the needs of diabetics in a fundamental way. This is how DTC was born.      

Dr. Matt Corcoran with Camper Margalynne

At the most basic level, DTC is a week long educational camp that helps diabetics improve their diabetes management through nutrition and exercise. The camp brings together all the necessary team members including a medical team, a mental skills team, a coaching team, and a fitness team to address all aspects of living well with diabetes. The campers listen to lectures given by experts, engage in one-on-ones to develop individualized diabetes and exercise/training plans, have coach directed group discussions, and then go out to the fields (and pools) of Lancaster County PA to apply what they learned. The camp does a fantastic job of addressing everyone’s individual goals, from those who want to be able to walk a mile or swim one length of a pool to those want to run a marathon or complete an ironman.

Naturally, my job at DTC is to be part of the coaching staff. I help out with the swim, bike, and run/walk programs on an as needed bases: working with other coaches to develop the week’s program; discussing swim, bike, run techniques with campers; observing group training sessions; coaching on deck; and providing individuals with good old fashion workouts.  I am also around to address individual questions and take part in the coach directed discussion groups. This year, I even helped some campers/staff work on their butterfly kick in the pool (which seconds as a cool dance move and thirds as…well…we won’t go there…).

From my perspective, one of the most powerful things about DTC is the low risk environment it creates. At camp, it becomes markedly evident that there is not a “one plan that fits all” formula. There is not one plan that will resolve everyone’s diabetes needs and/or fitness goals. There are 25 different diabetics in the room with 25 different body’s that all respond to stress, insulin, sugar, and training differently. The lectures provide some very general principles and then everyone must go out, test their knowledge, and find out what works for them. Inevitably, a camper calculates incorrectly, or the body responds in a way he or she didn’t expect, or the meter wasn’t reading accurately, and he or she goes super high or low during a workout. The thing is, it’s ok. The campers are not alone in the DTC environment and can test out their new knowledge in a safe way. Not only is there a medical team ready to intervene when necessary, all the other campers can identify with the one who is having a tough time. They can empathize with each other, share their experiences, and build each other back up during the tough times. Needless to say, campers learn from each other just as much as they learn from the experts.

Getting Fit! Having Fun!

I have often wondered why I am so drawn to DTC beyond the fact that I’m a Professional Coach/Triathlete and can fill a coaching role. Although type 1 diabetes runs in my family, I do not have it. It’s taken me a few camps to figure this out, but I think it has to do with how the essence of DTC aligns with my philosophy of living as an athlete. For me, being an athlete is a life approach. It requires a relentless awareness of your own body, mind and environment. It requires an unwavering desire to live and adapt, rest and grow. DTC teaches these principles in a concrete way. It presents campers with good evidence-based information about the body, mind, and environment through a variety of different angles (medicine, psychology, nutrition, fitness). DTC goes beyond this by creating an individualize plan to support each individual’s body, needs, and goals. Then, it creates a low risk environment that allows campers to go out and live, to learn from their experiences, to trust their experiences, to share those experiences with others, to tweak their plan, to keep growing, and to never give up.    

Technique Focus 

Campers who leave DTC tend to be very successful with their goals. Countless campers have gone on to achieve extraordinary feats that doctors never thought possible for a diabetic. These feats range from getting off the couch and running a 5k just 8 weeks later, to completing the grueling 140.6 miles of an ironman, to riding a bike for 400 miles over 40 days over 40,000 feet of elevation while raising $40,000 for to DTC foundation after living with diabetes for 40 years (GO RIDE 40!). This is because DTC not only sets campers up to successfully manage their diabetes, it teaches people how to address their limitations and be successful in life. The camp essentially parallels a high performance environment, the same environment that great coaches like Brett Sutton, Joel Filliol, Greg Mueller, Cliff English, Marilyn Chychota, and Paulo Sousa (among countless others) create for their high performing triathletes. I would be lying if I said I do not try to create this same type of experience for the athletes I coach individually. Despite the fact that many Power On athletes live far away, I attempt to disperse evidence-based information through my closed Power On Coaching Facebook Page. I connect athletes within my coaching group and with nearby clubs such as the YMCA-C3 Triathlon Club, Pittsburgh Triathlon Club, and Masters Swimming so they can train with other athletes and learn from other’s experiences. I develop individualized training plans to help guide each athlete. I help each athlete reflect on their experiences via data analysis, goal sheets, post-race reviews, and end of the season reflections so they can learn to tweak their plan and find a way to be more successful in the future. I also take part in these things myself to develop my own professional career because I want to be a better coach and pro triathlete. To sum it up, the types of things that campers learn and work on at DTC are the same things that top performers are doing all over the world. The only difference is that campers at DTC all have a specific set of limitations which the camp sets out to address.

Ride 40's Grant Curry, a HUGE Success

If you have type 1 diabetes, you must go to DTC. Regardless of where you are at in your journey of living with the disease, and regardless of your current fitness level, your experience will be life changing. I’ve seen countless cases of “oh, I didn’t know I could do that” or “wow, I’ve had diabetes for 30 years and I’ve never had so much control over my blood sugar until this week.” Not only that, you will inspire other diabetics by sharing your story.

Julie and Lyndsay, both are Diabetics, both are Ironman finishers,
and both are Exceptional Women

If you do not have diabetes, you can still embody the idea of living as an athlete. No matter where you are starting from, find a good group of training partners and/or a good coach to help you achieve your goals.  

I could not thank DTC enough for having me back again and again. With each camp, I become a better coach, a better athlete, and a better person. Thank you DTC!

The August 2016 DTC Crew!

Runners Run...and then Pose

For more info on the Diabetes Training Camp, give a life changing gift to the DTC foundation, or find out how you can get funding for the next DTC camp, go here: http://diabetestrainingcamp.com/

My Talk with Race4Chase Youth Triathlon Programs!

One of my favorite jobs as a professional triathlete and coach is to promote the sport of triathlon. It has given me so much and I love to give back in any way I can. I had the wonderful opportunity to do this by talking with the kids from two Race4Chase YMCA programs this year. Race4Chase is a program that was developed in memory of Chase Kowalski who loved triathlon and was killed at the Sandy Hook Tragedy. According to its mission:  

The Race4Chase Kid’s Triathlon program is a youth triathlon program aimed to provide kids aged 6 to 12 with a safe, healthy non-competitive environment to discover the sport of triathlon.  It brings together kids from all different backgrounds and educates them on how to adopt a healthy lifestyle, coaches them to develop a foundation of athletic skills, and inspires them to aim high in sports and in life.

Designed as a six week goal oriented summer program, the program provides kids with expert instruction in swimming, cycling, running, strength training and flexibility, and also teaches them the fundamentals of good nutrition, under the supportive guidance of coaches, lifeguards and instructors. Implementing a custom-designed training program, the coaches provide the youth athletes with all the equipment, knowledge, and one-on-one support they need to become tri-athletes.  At the culmination of the training camp, all the youth athletes come together to compete in a USAT-sanctioned triathlon race.

In addition, this year the kids got a free entry to camp and a free bike if they needed one.

Here is a video on the CMAK foundation which supports the Race4Chase Triathlon Program.

One thing I really love about the camp is that it exposes kids to triathlon at an early age which is so important to the growth of our sport. If kids know about triathlon, learn how to train, and enjoy their experience, they will want to continue to do it. This will only help the future of triathlon!

For my part, I sat them down and talked about the typical day of a professional triathlete including how much I sleep (9-12 hours a day), how much I eat (lots), what I eat (healthy food like pasta, fruits, and vegetables), and my daily workout routine (swim, bike, run, strength, rest). At the end of my talk, I really emphasized the importance of consistency. If there is one thing I know about triathlon, it’s that the more you train and race, the better you get. There are going to be tough races and training days where you just don’t want to swim, bike, or run, but if you keep showing up, you will be rewarded for your hard work.  

Training Day! Everyone wanted to touch my bike...

To finish up, I ran them through my typical warm-up and drills. We concluded with some fun relays which really fired up the kids. The best relay was when they had to run backwards. It was hard enough for them just to keep going, let alone race each other while doing so! The kids absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to help out again next year!

Race Day!

Thanks to the Soundview YMCA and Valley Shore YMCA for having me be a part of this great program!

For more information on Race4Chase and how you might contribute to the CMAK foundation, check out http://www.cmakfoundation.org/.

Results!

Results!

Congrats to Power On Coached Leslie Connell Neff who took 2nd in her AG at Rev3 Pocono Olympic.

Congrats to Power On Coached Richard Baker for taking 4th in his age group at Niantic and dropping off 8 minutes from last years time.

Fitness is coming up for these two as they approach their respective Ironmans! Go Power On Athletes!

Mastery

George Leonard once wrote: “Mastery is not about reaching perfection, but rather comes from maintaining a particular mindset as you move along the path of improvement in building your skills or overcoming challenges in any endeavor.” In other words, mastery is not simply achieving something great. Instead, mastery is relentlessly perusing the question "how can I get better" when you are already pretty darn good. If you do this, greatness will be the byproduct. 

Looking for a Triathlon Coach? Reach out to coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com. 

Stuff I tell the athletes I coach...

There are going to be times when you get knocked down in your training, racing, or in life. You're going to have to choose whether or not you want to get up again. Have you prepared for that moment? Do you know what you're going to say to yourself when shit gets real hard? Do you know what you are going to do? Be tough and hold on to your goals. It will be better than amazing when you achieve them. 

Looking for a triathlon coach? Contact coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com 

Curveballs...

More experience doesn’t mean less curveballs in racing. There are almost always going to be one or two that are thrown at you in a race, you just lean to expect them and figure out how to deal with them a little better as they come. One example from my own experience was at Ironman Texas this year. I was in the best shape of my life and had everything fine-tuned. My body was ready, my equipment was clean and working well, and I was confident that I could meet my performance goals. Around 10 miles into the ride, I hit a pothole. After that, little by little, my quads started to burn like I was in an Olympic distance race even though I was going at an Ironman effort. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Then, I hit another pothole and I felt myself slide down. I immediately realized that my seat dropped. I could have just quit the race, but I road on. About five miles later, I went through an aid station and yelled out for a wrench to fix my seat, but no one had a wrench. I continued on. I saw a competitor about 300 yards up the road and road hard up to him to ask if he had a wrench. He did and he gave it to me. I stopped, fixed the issue and continued on with my race.

I checked my bike 3 times prior to the race to make sure everything was tight, but sometimes this sort of stuff just happens. It was probably the pothole that loosened things up. Nevertheless, I had to stay patient and go into trouble shooting mode. The athlete who gets thrown a curve ball, troubleshoots, and still find a meet his or her goals are the best athletes (Chrissie Wellington having flats on the bike and still winning Kona)! We don’t always meet our goals when this stuff happens, but we try anyway. It’s the kind of stuff that makes us stronger athletes.

(Pic from Quassy this past weekend)

Results!

Lots of good improvement and lessons learned this weekend for Power On athletes!

Richard Baker 10 minute improvement over last year at the Quassy Olympic!
Angie Dye achieved her goal of having fun and experiencing her first time on the beast that is Quassy Olympic!
Ted Breault who took 6th in his AG at Quassy Half!
Corey Melke Hinz who finished in the top 25% at her first trail marathon, The South Downs Trail Challenge
Natalie Kronick who finished under tough conditions at Raleigh 70.3
Gary Perillo who had an awesome kick off to his season at Ridgefield Sprint!

Congrats!

Want to join this awesome group of athletes? E-mail me at jafecik@gmail.com for more information.

Open Water Swim Safety

Open water swimming is a part of triathlon and just an all-around fun workout! As a coach, I want you to enjoy your experience, but also know that swimming can be uncomfortable in the very least and, in some cases, life threatening if things go sour. Water safety is generally a common sense issue, but when you’re not thinking clearly because you were swimming hard, not feeling well, or even panicking, common sense is often thrown out the window and all you can do is react. Review the following Open Water Swim Safety Tips to help prevent an emergency and read over the Emergency Plans to help imprint in your brain the steps you should take if you find yourself in an emergency situation. These tips could save a life.

Open Water Swim Safety Tips

1.)    Check the Conditions: Check the water conditions, weather conditions, and tides prior to getting in the water. If it seems unsafe, it’s best to wait for the conditions to improve prior to jumping in. Your open water swim can always wait for tomorrow. 

2.)    Never Swim Alone: You should always swim with a buddy. Even if there is a lifeguard present, he/she is responsible for observing the entire scene, not just you. If you are swimming with a group, still have a designated swim buddy. The quicker someone notices a dangerous situation, the quicker that situation gets resolved. 

3.)    Predetermine Your Rout and Workout: Have a predetermined route/workout plan so everyone knows the plan. That way, no one gets lost and knows when the intensity will rev up. Also, include a proper land and water warm up to help the body prep for higher intensities later on in the swim. Going too hard too soon in cold murky water can lead to panic. Building the intensity of your swim slowly can help you become in tune with your body and give you more time to become aware if you aren’t feeling right.

4.)    Fuel Your Body: Hydrate and fuel your body properly prior to your swim. This starts at least 24 hours before your swim! You don’t want to get halfway through your swim and feel sluggish or get a cramp because you did not eat or drink water.

5.)    Wear a Bright Color Swim Cap: Wear a bright color cap so it’s easy for lifeguards and your buddy to see you.

6.)    Take a Whistle: A whistle is easy to carry and can catch the attention of others more effectively than yelling out.  

7.)    Swim with a Flotation Device: A swim buoy can certainly help if you need to take a rest in the middle of the open water.

8.)    Swim with a Lifeguard Present Whenever Possible: An extra pair of trained eyes can never hurt.

9.)    Have a Plan for Emergencies: Common sense is often thrown out the window when emergencies occur. Read over the plan below to etch the emergency plan into your brain so that you know the exact steps you can follow to resolve the issue successfully.

Emergency Plan

If you are in trouble:

1.)    Calm Yourself: If you are not feeling well, stop swimming, float on your back, hold onto a flotation device if there is one and take deep breaths with a long slow exhale.

2.)    Communicate: Even if you just feeling a little off but think you will be fine, tell your buddy or a lifeguard immediately. In the very least, they can watch out for you and help you if you start to struggle.

3.)    Talk to Yourself: Self-talk can help combat the negative thoughts that come with panic. Tell yourself that you have swam this distance before and just need to take it one stroke at a time. 

4.)    Wave Your Cap: If you are having trouble contacting the lifeguard or buddy, take off your swim cap and wave it in the air to catch their attention. If you have a whistle, blow it to help call more attention to yourself.

If your buddy is in trouble:

1.)    Check In: Check on your buddy visually every minute or so to make sure they are not lost or struggling.

2.)    Communicate: Talk to your buddy if you notice that he or she is slowing down or not acting normal. Just ask them if they are ok.

3.)    Sound the Alarm: If your body is not ok, notify a coach or lifeguard as soon as you can. You can do this by yelling out or taking off your swim cap and waving it in the air to catch his/her attention.

4.)    Hold out a Buoy: Give your buddy a buoy if you have one.

5.)    Stay Aware: Do note that if your buddy is really panicking, he or she may try to grab ahold of you, hit you, and/or push you down. You MUST take care of yourself prior to taking care of your buddy. If your buddy is in panic mode, stay close enough where you can talk to them but far enough away that he/she cannot grab ahold of you. It’s best to have a trained coach or lifeguard to help move your buddy if needed. If one of these individuals is not available and you decide to help move your buddy, be confident that you are a strong enough swimmer and can help swim them back to shore.

6.)    Call 911: Once on shore, run to your phone to call 911 or point at someone and tell them to call 911 if needed.

7.)    Vital Signs/CPR: Check vital signs and start CPR if needed.  

Looking for a coach? Contact Jon Fecik at jafecik@gmail.com 

Stuff I tell the athletes that I coach...

Hey Power On,

You guys are doing a great job so far this season! We've had so many great moments already with over 10 PR's and a few age group wins. When you do the work, you have a much better chance at getting the results you want!

Just a reminder, some of your many jobs as an athlete are to do the work to the best of your ability, learn your limits through trail and error, reflect on your current limits, and let me know what happened through your post-workout comments. Recent research has shown that your subjective feedback is the #1 indication of your fatigue levels. It ranked way higher in sensitivity and consistency than objective measures (i.e. data). This is why I get on you guys for writing your post workout comments! But, ideally, you log both so that we get the full picture.

I use this information to #1 provide you with feedback and #2 make decisions about your training (your current training and the following couple of weeks). I also take into account things like your body type (the more muscle you have, the slower you recover/the heavier you are, the slower you recover), your age, your overall stress level (family life, work-life, etc), the amount of time you have to train, the amount of time you have to sleep, how long you've been training (years), if you were an endurance athlete early in life, your workout history, your injury history, your data, the focus that we are working on (swim, bike, run, triathlon balance, aerobic capacity, strength, muscular endurance, speed), your upcoming events, etc. I use this information to decide how much physical stress I can put on you so that your body is overreached by the end of the block, but not overtrained. Then, I rest your body by reducing the volume and/or intensity. If your body absorbs the training, and is not overtrained, it supercompensates and you are stronger, faster, and ready to handle more (intensity, volume, etc) or are ready to race.

Please communicate with me if your life throws you an unexpected curve ball (death in the family, sick child, job loss, unexpected travel, you are feeling really depressed, etc). These sort of situations cause stress and will effect your body's ability to absorb the training (our energy levels have limits and if we are spending energy on one part of our life, it often takes energy away from another part). It's usually not a good idea to just push through because that can lead to things like overtraining and sickness. Sometimes I need to modify your training so that we can get to the best fitness level possible and that might mean backing off a bit or discussing alternative recovery measures (more yoga, massage, sleep, etc).

That said, there are times, especially in the weeks leading up to your race, that your training will make you feel fatigued and uncomfortable. That can be a very good thing when placed at the right time. Know that I plan these times and expect you to feel this way during certain parts of your training. I try to give you hints at what to expect by writing "very big week" on your schedule or writing you a note.

Keep up the good work and keep communicating!

Research regarding subjective vs objective feedback: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26423706

Looking for a coach? Don't hesitate to reach out. Shoot me an e-mail a jafecik@gmail.com

Results

Great job to Power On Coached athletes this past weekend!
Brendan Atkins took 2nd place overall at O'Niantic 5k with a 16:40.
Bob Jones had a PR at the Westbrook Sprint Tri.
Corey Melke Hinz had a strong finish at her Half Marathon in London
Natalie Kronick had a strong finish on a tough day at her Marathon
Great work Power On!

Training for Capacity Vs Utilization

Looking for a Tri coach? Contact coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com

Stuff I tell the athletes I coach: Run Inventory

Looking for a Triathlon Coach? Contact Jon at jafecik@gmail.com.

Stuff I tell the athletes I coach: Stroke Rate Vs. Stroke Length

Looking for a triathlon coach? Contact coach Jon at jafecik@gmail.com.

Stuff I tell the athletes that I coach: Developing Feel for the Water

Interested in a coach? E-mail coach Jon for more information at jafecik@gmail.com.

Injury Protocol

As a coach, I see a wide variety of athletes and how they deal with injuries. While some athletes are very logical about their approach, others get swept away by their emotions and just push through the pain (often to their own peril). I am not with the athletes I coach 100% of the time, so I cannot always tell an athlete to stop what they are doing. My solution has been to develop an injury protocol for the athletes I coach so that my expectations are clear: when an injury presents itself during a workout, the athlete doesn't have to think too much: he or she knows exactly what to do. I like to treat injury on a case by case basis, but I believe this is a good start if I am not on deck. 

If you feel an injury coming on during a workout or are dealing with an injury, follow this protocol:

1) Be realistic- Is this soreness from yesterday's hard workout or is this an injury waiting to happen?
2) Be conservative- Stop the workout if there is even a slight chance that you may develop an injury or that an existing injury may get worse. No one workout is more important than your long term health and development.
3) Be confident- Don't second guess the decision to stop a workout due to an injury or possible injury. It's ok to say enough is enough for today. As your coach, I trust you are making the right call.
4) Communicate- Let me know so I can modify your schedule and help you through this. This is something to text me about.
5) Ice it, rest it, take some Advil, don't test the spot that hurts
6) Call the doctor if needed
7) Make a recovery plan
8) Trust in your recovery plan and your team (coach, doctors, and yourself)
9) Don't divert from your recovery plan...it's best to stick to one plan and see it through instead of jumping from plan to plan to plan, looking for that silver bullet 
10) Modify your environment to the best of your ability- Try to prevent situations where your body could get re-injured

Looking for at triathlon coach? Give coach Jon a call at 717-368-7198 or e-mail him at jafecik@gmail.com.

Results 2016 Naples Half

Huge congrats to Power On Coached James Michael Harrington on his 15 minute PR at HITS Naples half. He showed up to his first milestone on his journey to IMLP and proved that he can fight. Great job!

Looking for a Triathlon Coach? Call coach Jon at 717-368-7198 or e-mail him at jafecik@gmail.com.

We Need Your Help!

Can you imagine having to manually pump your own heart to stay alive? You would have to pump it day or night or you would die. At first it would be easy and simple. All you have to do is pump. After a while, however, it would drain you. Your entire day would revolve around pumping your heart. You would have to pump it while you brush your teeth, drive to the store, ride your bike, or hang out with your friends. It never stops. The minute you forget to pump, you die.

We all take our highly functioning organs for granted, but my good friend, Grant Curry cannot. Grant has lived with type one diabetes for 40 years. That means that, for the last 40 years, Grant has had to act as his own pancreas. He has consciously managed his blood sugars with food and artificial insulin for 40 years because his pancreas stopped working when he was 8 years old. Even when he hangs out with friends or rides his bike, he needs to have his diabetes management on the back of his mind or he could become very sick within a few hours and die.

I met Grant at the Diabetes Training Camp three years ago and he is one of the most inspiring individuals I have ever met. You need crazy endurance to be able to live with diabetes for that long. I respect him for his strength and stamina.

The Diabetes Training Camp changed Grant's life. Diabetics have special mental, medical, and physical needs and camp provides individuals like Grant to learn to live, thrive, and exercise with diabetes. This year, Grant is raising money to celebrate living with Diabetes for 40 years by riding 400 miles with 40,000ft in elevation while attempting to raise $40,000 to help the Diabetes Training Camp Foundation. The foundation creates scholarships for diabetics to go to camp and learn how to live with their disease at little or no cost. Check out his website below and consider joining me in donating a few dollars to this important cause.

Ride40.com