On Sunday, May 22, swimmers will be diving in at the Culver City Plunge, raising money for the LA Tri Club’s signature charity event — the sixth annual Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge (C2C). Swimmers volunteer to swim for a single 30-minute stage for as many laps as they like, in a collective effort to raise awareness over a troubling fact: Drowning is the leading cause of death in children 14 and younger in California. #ITSTHENERVE is thrilled to be participating at the event and being a part of this positive movement. We interviewed USC Triathlon Team Head Coach and three-time Ironman finisher Rad Hallman to learn more about the event, and get some training insight from the triathlete himself.
What is the Coast 2 Coast Challenge?
The C2C is the LA Tri Club’s signature charity event, held to heighten awareness and to raise funds to provide free swim instruction for under-served LA youth. Since its inception, this event has benefited over 2,800 children between the ages of 3 and 14 in underserved neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles county. 100% of the proceeds from the C2C pay for swim lessons aimed at reducing child-drowning accidents in LA.
What is the USC triathlon?
USC Triathlon is one of the largest Collegiate Club teams in the nation. We compete against other teams in the West Coast Conference and we recently finished 12th in the country out of over 100 teams.
You’re coach, an Ironman and USA Duathlon member who has competed in the Duathlon World Championships. What are some of your core training tips?
If you’re out there wanting to know how to get faster, forget about quick fixes and go back to basics. Focused, proper training consistently and in the right dose is the best and only way to get lasting gains as an endurance athlete.
Your strategy for training is “make training fun.” How do you do that?
I can’t reveal my secrets, that’s why they’re secrets! The best way to have fun is to have a purpose to each workout only with people you can train alongside. The great thing about the USC team is the camaraderie amongst the team members. Each member always has a training partner and that’s an invaluable resource.
What are some of your nutrition guidelines for optimizing your workouts?
Nutrition is a highly individualized component to training and racing. Much like the workout itself, nutrition has to be considered in the context of race distance goals and the workouts to come later in the day or week.
Good luck to all participants this weekend! To learn more about the charity and donate, click here.
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