Announcements

Ironman training and racing can bring with it, a dark side, and bright side. Both a beginner, and seasoned veteran, should be aware of both.  The demands of Ironman changes lives, but it is the responsibly of coach and athlete, to ensure the change is going to make the life during and after Ironman healthy. The health of the athlete should be physical, but also mentally and socially.  There will be a time, when swim/bike/run will not be part of the prescription for the day.  Hopefully, this isn’t during a training block, but it ultimately will be a prescription someday once the athlete moves on from the Ironman lifestyle.  As I navigated through my own racing career, and continue to navigate life without Ironman training in it, the bright and dark lessons learned along the way have become clear.  I move athletes through training to gain faster splits, but also pay close attention to the impact this training has on the circle of life that surrounds them.

For a very limited time, QT2 Systems is offering a Kona sale on its Annual Mission Plan service! Sign up for a QT2 Mission Plan before October 23rd, and get special pricing of $99/28-days. No discount code necessary! Just purchase, and get the savings. Normally $124/28-days, this is our lowest Mission Plan pricing, ever, so don't miss out. Mission Plans are a fully customized and supported training program, built around your specific limiters and race schedule. To read more about Mission Plans and to sign up, click HERE.

For those of you that follow The Core Diet nutrition program recommended by QT2 and OutRival Racing, you know that we don’t recommend many supplements at all.  This is because most supplements simply don’t work.  Money spent on supplements is almost always better spent on good quality food products instead!  Beta Alanine is one supplement that may have enough research behind it now to show some use in endurance sports. In fact, Beta-Alanine may help support muscle capacity and lessen muscle fatigue to benefit athletic performance. The amino acid beta-alanine supports muscle function by acting as a buffer to delay the onset of muscle fatigue for durations of exercise under 5 minutes.

QT2 Systems is very excited to announce its first ever 8-week Mental Fitness Webinar Series!

QT2 Systems, LLC Mental Fitness Coach, Lori Ashworth, will be hosting this opportunity, starting on October 25th, at 7pm EST. Lori is a licensed therapist, and will be covering topics such as balancing work, life, and training; sleep hygeine; visualization; coping with disappointments and injuries; to name a few.

Triathletes talk (a lot!) about swim-bike-run training. That can depend on coaching philosophy and individual training protocol. There is no one set periodization that should be followed for all individuals. A big mistake I see a lot of athletes (particularly with the bitter winters of the north east) do is scale back over the winter and arrive in April with a blank slate, scrambling to get fit for their first race in June. The problem with this is they have no foundation or groundwork to work upon to increase fitness safely without getting injured. April is too late to try and build a base to gain fitness from, work on skill development and spend time getting their race fueling protocol, bike fit, run shoes, wetsuit etc. in racing form. 

The 2019 QT2 Triathlon Team is now open for application - join the team that qualified over 60 athletes for Kona in just the past two years!

Self doubt can be an athlete’s worst nightmare. It can impact your workouts, keep you up at night, and taunt you on race day. At some point, all athletes will experience some form of self doubt in their career, and it's important to learn to fight these feelings so they don't debilitate us. As I always say, mental toughness isn't something athletes are born with it's something they learn over time and something there is ALWAYS room for growth in. Below are some tips when you are experiencing self doubt.

To all of our athletes, sponsors, coaches, and staff: We would like to say a big THANK YOU for your effort and your support to make last weekend, in Lake Placid, NY, a huge success. Not only was it one of our team’s flagship Ironman Races (over 35 athletes from QT2, ORR and Ashpalt Green), we had several other events happening simultaneously, with expo space with FieldWork Nutrition, the QT2 LLC Leadership Bi-Annual Conference, our 2ndAnnual Smashfest Charity Ride benefiting Smile Train, and of course our Pre-Race Breakfast followed by our IMLP Course Overview - which was streamed on Facebook LIVE and open to all athletes racing.  We couldn’t have done it without the support and commitment from YOU – playing an intricate role in our being able to do what we do. And, it does not go unnoticed.  So THANK YOU. Truly.  

Jesse Kropelnicki, founder of QT2 Systems LLC and it’s multiple brands, has always sung the praises of hiking.  He often talks about hiking for a faster Ironman finish.  I submit to you the idea that hiking won’t just improve your Ironman time, but also better prepare you for an ultramarathon (talk about specificity here!), a marathon, an endurance cycling event and even, when all is said and done, life in general.  In other words, if you haven’t already, take a hike!  

2018 marks the twentieth running of Ironman Lake Placid. Both beautiful and challenging, this course is one that most athletes won’t soon forget. While its hilly course isn’t really a great choice for a PR, it is a race that rewards the patient athlete who races smart.