I've been searching for the right words for this post. I could feel what I wanted to say...but the words to match didn't come out.
So, instead, I'm going to let some others' famous words do the talking -- in the hopes that it will help you become more inspired and take action.
...what can I say...I'm a sucker for a good quote! ;-)
-------------------------------------------------------------
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going" ~Beverly Sills
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
"Don't wait. The time will never be just right" ~Napoleon Hill
"You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight" ~Jim Rohn
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Bike cleaning 101
“A clean bike is a fast bike.”
Paul Terranova
I can’t stress enough the effects a clean bike has on performance. If your bike is dirty and gunky then it’s more likely to perform poorly than it would if it were clean.
When to clean your bike: Really you should do some sort of cleaning to your bike after every ride. Sometimes a simple wipe down will do when other times require more detailed work. A simple wipe down can be done after a spin class where Chrissie has just killed you and there is sweat all over your bike. Especially the front end (brake caliper, fork and stem). A more detailed cleaning needs to be done after a wet ride. Even if you just went through a puddle of water you should clean your entire bike.
Where to clean your bike: The garage is always a great place to start. Sometimes we don’t have the garage option so find a place that you don’t mind getting a little dirty…. porch, driveway, patio or bathroom. That’s right, I said bathroom. I have used the b-room more than once to clean my bike. I just stuck my bike in the bath tub and used the moveable shower head to get it sparkly clean.
Why: Explained above. Plus it could save you some costly repairs down the road.
Who: That who is you!!!! Why you? Simple, because the more times you clean your bike the more familiar you are with how it works. After cleaning your bike a few times you’ll realize things you didn’t know before and if something goes wrong on a ride you have a better chance of figuring it out with the basic knowledge you have of your bike. Seriously… I learn something new each weekend when I clean people’s bikes. It’s interesting and it’s saved my butt more than once on the road.
How: How I do it is I start with the front wheel and work backwards. I clean the front wheel and inspect the tire and make sure there is no wobble to the wheel. I then move onto the fork and front brake caliper. Next would be the front stem and handle bar set I have. Using a q-tip to get into the hard to reach places. Moving along, I head to the top tube, seat/ seat post and down tube. Next, I’ll remove and clean the rear tire. While I have it off I’ll clean the rear brake caliper and inspect the tire/wheel. Now comes the fun part…..cleaning the derailleur. The easiest way to clean this is to just spray the entire thing down with Simple Green and then do your best to clean off all the dirt, grease and dead animals. Put your tires back on and clean the pedals and chain. The chain can be cleaned with Simple Green and using some elbow grease you can make your chain last a lot longer. Once you are done with that lube your chain and take your bike for a short spin running it through all the gears making sure that it’s still all in sync.
This should take you a little less than 1 hour. You’ll need some rags, Simple Green or another cleaner and some chain lube. A good rule of thumb is to clean and lube your chain every 4 rides or every 150 miles.
Coach Logan
Paul Terranova
I can’t stress enough the effects a clean bike has on performance. If your bike is dirty and gunky then it’s more likely to perform poorly than it would if it were clean.
When to clean your bike: Really you should do some sort of cleaning to your bike after every ride. Sometimes a simple wipe down will do when other times require more detailed work. A simple wipe down can be done after a spin class where Chrissie has just killed you and there is sweat all over your bike. Especially the front end (brake caliper, fork and stem). A more detailed cleaning needs to be done after a wet ride. Even if you just went through a puddle of water you should clean your entire bike.
Where to clean your bike: The garage is always a great place to start. Sometimes we don’t have the garage option so find a place that you don’t mind getting a little dirty…. porch, driveway, patio or bathroom. That’s right, I said bathroom. I have used the b-room more than once to clean my bike. I just stuck my bike in the bath tub and used the moveable shower head to get it sparkly clean.
Why: Explained above. Plus it could save you some costly repairs down the road.
Who: That who is you!!!! Why you? Simple, because the more times you clean your bike the more familiar you are with how it works. After cleaning your bike a few times you’ll realize things you didn’t know before and if something goes wrong on a ride you have a better chance of figuring it out with the basic knowledge you have of your bike. Seriously… I learn something new each weekend when I clean people’s bikes. It’s interesting and it’s saved my butt more than once on the road.
How: How I do it is I start with the front wheel and work backwards. I clean the front wheel and inspect the tire and make sure there is no wobble to the wheel. I then move onto the fork and front brake caliper. Next would be the front stem and handle bar set I have. Using a q-tip to get into the hard to reach places. Moving along, I head to the top tube, seat/ seat post and down tube. Next, I’ll remove and clean the rear tire. While I have it off I’ll clean the rear brake caliper and inspect the tire/wheel. Now comes the fun part…..cleaning the derailleur. The easiest way to clean this is to just spray the entire thing down with Simple Green and then do your best to clean off all the dirt, grease and dead animals. Put your tires back on and clean the pedals and chain. The chain can be cleaned with Simple Green and using some elbow grease you can make your chain last a lot longer. Once you are done with that lube your chain and take your bike for a short spin running it through all the gears making sure that it’s still all in sync.
This should take you a little less than 1 hour. You’ll need some rags, Simple Green or another cleaner and some chain lube. A good rule of thumb is to clean and lube your chain every 4 rides or every 150 miles.
Coach Logan
Friday, February 13, 2009
Hills Hills Hills
If you’re going to ride a bike in Austin, you’re going to ride hills. Learning how to ride them will help make your ride a lot more enjoyable. Personally, I love riding hills. Something about reaching the top of a steep climb gives me this sense of achievement that I do not get when riding flats. I even use hills to help determine my fitness level. When I do the Bee Caves loop, the numbers of times I need to get out of the saddle to get up a hill helps me determine where I am in my cycling fitness.
But I digress. I want to spend a few minutes to give advice on how to help anyone become a good hill climber. In my opinion there are three key areas to better climbing, 1) technique and gears, 2) leg strength, and a 3) mental attitude.
Techniques include body movement and placement, gearing, cadence, breathing and heart rate (effort). Your upper body should be relaxed and rock slightly with each peddle stroke. Your hands should be relaxed and almost resting on the handle bars; you should not be griping the handlebars with a lot of strength. Too much movement or too much tension in the upper body wastes energy. Your shoulders should be back and ‘open’; it allows your chest to breathe efficiently. Sitting back in the saddle during the climb gains you a leverage advantage on the pedals.
When starting a hill, pick a gear so that your cadence is relatively high. As you progress up the hill, shift to higher gears as your cadence drops; always try to keep the cadence above 75-80. Keeping your cadence high helps to prevent muscles from fatiguing early in the climb and keeps your legs from producing large quantities of lactic acid. It is also easier on the knees and back. If you find that can’t keep your cadence above 70 in your easiest gear, you may need to have a higher gear installed. Normally I ride a 12-25 on a hilly course and I’m thinking about using a 12-27 for my Canada race later this year (you have to save those legs for the run).
You should always climb in YOUR comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if someone is passing you at the beginning of the hill, they may blow up towards the top and you don't want to spiked your HR to keep up. Your goal is to keep your breathing deep and comfortable; your heart rate should stay below your threshold level. I try to find a rhythm to where I can keep the same effort for the entire length of the hill.
I like to hear to listen to people debate about standing versus sitting in riding hills. They see the pros standing in the Tour de France as they attack a hill and think they can do that. First of all, they are pros. And secondly, they don’t have to run after the race. TdF riders get a massage and relax after their ride. Its better for tri athletes to sit in the saddle and keep their efforts constant for the entire ride and not to the surge attacks up the hill. Another reason to stay in the saddle is to help keep your heart rate down. The general rule of thumb is your heart rate increase 5 to 10 beats per minute compared to sitting at the same speed. And you have to use your upper body muscles to keep you in control. It’s okay to stand up to stretch and to give your cadence a little jump, but sit down as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of exercises to build leg strength. The two I like the most are doing hill repeats and stairs. When doing hill repeats, find a hill that has a long steady steep climb that you can do 4 to 6 times. I have two ways of doing the repeats. One is to keep the gear as low as possible and your cadence around 60. These are slow climbs using a lot of strength and your heart rate will probably be above threshold. The other is to just hammer up the hill as fast as you can. When you do hill repeats, they never get easier, you just get faster. Running stairs simulates the peddle stroke and can be a very effective way of building strength. I like to find a parking garage that has about 4 or 5 levels and run to the top as fast as I can, repeat 3 to 5 times.
Greg LeMond said “There’s not much difference in the perceived effort between a 40-minute time trial on the fast flat road and a 40-mintue hard climb. But most riders perceive climbing as harder. You need to adjust your thinking to be a good climber.” So the next time you see a hill, just smile and know that it’s no difference then riding hard on a flat road. This slight mental change will make the hill seam easier and be a lot more fun to ride.
But I digress. I want to spend a few minutes to give advice on how to help anyone become a good hill climber. In my opinion there are three key areas to better climbing, 1) technique and gears, 2) leg strength, and a 3) mental attitude.
Techniques include body movement and placement, gearing, cadence, breathing and heart rate (effort). Your upper body should be relaxed and rock slightly with each peddle stroke. Your hands should be relaxed and almost resting on the handle bars; you should not be griping the handlebars with a lot of strength. Too much movement or too much tension in the upper body wastes energy. Your shoulders should be back and ‘open’; it allows your chest to breathe efficiently. Sitting back in the saddle during the climb gains you a leverage advantage on the pedals.
When starting a hill, pick a gear so that your cadence is relatively high. As you progress up the hill, shift to higher gears as your cadence drops; always try to keep the cadence above 75-80. Keeping your cadence high helps to prevent muscles from fatiguing early in the climb and keeps your legs from producing large quantities of lactic acid. It is also easier on the knees and back. If you find that can’t keep your cadence above 70 in your easiest gear, you may need to have a higher gear installed. Normally I ride a 12-25 on a hilly course and I’m thinking about using a 12-27 for my Canada race later this year (you have to save those legs for the run).
You should always climb in YOUR comfort zone. It doesn’t matter if someone is passing you at the beginning of the hill, they may blow up towards the top and you don't want to spiked your HR to keep up. Your goal is to keep your breathing deep and comfortable; your heart rate should stay below your threshold level. I try to find a rhythm to where I can keep the same effort for the entire length of the hill.
I like to hear to listen to people debate about standing versus sitting in riding hills. They see the pros standing in the Tour de France as they attack a hill and think they can do that. First of all, they are pros. And secondly, they don’t have to run after the race. TdF riders get a massage and relax after their ride. Its better for tri athletes to sit in the saddle and keep their efforts constant for the entire ride and not to the surge attacks up the hill. Another reason to stay in the saddle is to help keep your heart rate down. The general rule of thumb is your heart rate increase 5 to 10 beats per minute compared to sitting at the same speed. And you have to use your upper body muscles to keep you in control. It’s okay to stand up to stretch and to give your cadence a little jump, but sit down as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of exercises to build leg strength. The two I like the most are doing hill repeats and stairs. When doing hill repeats, find a hill that has a long steady steep climb that you can do 4 to 6 times. I have two ways of doing the repeats. One is to keep the gear as low as possible and your cadence around 60. These are slow climbs using a lot of strength and your heart rate will probably be above threshold. The other is to just hammer up the hill as fast as you can. When you do hill repeats, they never get easier, you just get faster. Running stairs simulates the peddle stroke and can be a very effective way of building strength. I like to find a parking garage that has about 4 or 5 levels and run to the top as fast as I can, repeat 3 to 5 times.
Greg LeMond said “There’s not much difference in the perceived effort between a 40-minute time trial on the fast flat road and a 40-mintue hard climb. But most riders perceive climbing as harder. You need to adjust your thinking to be a good climber.” So the next time you see a hill, just smile and know that it’s no difference then riding hard on a flat road. This slight mental change will make the hill seam easier and be a lot more fun to ride.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Shin Splints...Sheesh
I don't know about you guys, but I have been plagued with shin splits for as long as I can remember. Even back in middle school and high school, I would leave my basketball or volleyball practices feeling like I couldn't take another step. Let's not even talk about the discomfort of doing any speed work on the track. Shin splints are a pain (literally) and seem to linger on from season to season unless you take very good preventitive care and stay on top of it throughout your training.
Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped me tackle the pain:
1. Warm-Up & Heat - Make sure to get your legs nice and warm before starting any workouts that may cause shin pain. You want to make sure that the muscles that attach to the tibia and fibula have adequate blood flow before you begin your exercise - tight and stiff muscles/tendons risk being stretched beyond their natural range of movement resulting in pain and inflamation. I have found that heating the lower leg (whirl pool or heating pad) seems to really help my legs feel better as I get started with my workout. You can also warm up the muscles in the front of the shin by doing foot circles (circles, up/down, right/left).
2. Strength - It is very important to keep up with your calf and hamstring exercises if you have trouble with shin pain. Calf raises (straight, toes out and toes in) as well as hamstring curls (heels up on the bouncy-ball, shoulders on the ground, hips raised, curl your heels in) are both great exercises to incorporate into your core workout (3 sets of 15, 2-4 times weekly). Maintaining strength in these antagonist muscles will help reduce the tension on the muscles in the front of the shin.
3. Stretching - In addition to strengthening the muscles, you want to stretch very well before and after workouts. Calf and hamstring stretches are important as well as stretching the muscles in the front of the foot/ankle. To get a better stretch for the front muscles in the lower leg, start in the calf stretch position (pushing your arms against the wall, pressing the calves to the ground) and then push your knee slightly forward (your heel coming up in the back).
4. Exercises without Resistance - Making circles or writing the alphabet with your foot is an easy way to strengthen the smaller muscles in the front of the leg or shin area as well as the ankle. The great thing about these exercises is that you can do them easily during the day or while sitting at your desk.
5. Exercises with Resistance - The elastic bands are great for this. Have a friend hold the elastic band on both ends pulling against your foot. Hang your foot over the edge of a bench or ledge and raise your toes back toward your shin (3 sets of 15) - you should feel this in the outside of your lower leg. You can also do this by tying the elastic band in a loop and hooking it around a heavy object like a table. With this method, you should do three different exercises - up and down, center to right and center to left. Make sure that you are only moving your foot(not the knee or leg).
6. Shoes Shoes Shoes - With all the miles that we put on our legs, we should be replacing our shoes about every 400 miles or 3-6 months (most people don't replace their shoes frequently enough, leading to injuries). You also want to make sure you have the right shoes for your foot type and/or running style. Problems with pronation, poor running technique and low arches (flat feet) are all common causes of shin splints. Most running stores can watch you run to determine what shoes will work best for you. Orthodics and inserts can also help tremendously.
7. **ART Therapy** - After years of battling shin splints, I found that ART therapy was the very best thing for my shins. It seemed like a miracle cure, although definitely not a pain free process (funny how those metal tools can be your best friend and enemy at the same time!) Fortunately (or unfortunately), you can do a similar type of therapy on yourself at home. Take the end of a spoon (top end) and run it up and down your shins to break up the adhesions that form along the bone. You can also grind your thumb up and down the shin bone. FUN, I know!
8. Too Much Too Fast - Shin splints often result from overloading your lower leg muscles. Increasing your intensity or duration too quickly as well as running on uneven surfaces or increased "pounding" on concrete/hard surfaces are a few of the most common causes of inflammation in these muscles. Make sure that when beginning a training program you build gradually and incorporate speed work at a moderate pace.
9. Ice - Make sure to ice your shins after every practice. Every practice. You can use ice bags, however running an ice block up and down the shin (or in small circles) is said to be more effective.
10. Rest - If none of these options have worked for you, I hate to say it but you might just need some good old fashioned rest. Triathletes are not good at this in general, but sometimes a day or two off the legs can really help. And don't worry, you aren't going to lose all your fitness in two days....seriously ;)
I hope that these tips will come in helpful! Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
Coach Suzanne
Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped me tackle the pain:
1. Warm-Up & Heat - Make sure to get your legs nice and warm before starting any workouts that may cause shin pain. You want to make sure that the muscles that attach to the tibia and fibula have adequate blood flow before you begin your exercise - tight and stiff muscles/tendons risk being stretched beyond their natural range of movement resulting in pain and inflamation. I have found that heating the lower leg (whirl pool or heating pad) seems to really help my legs feel better as I get started with my workout. You can also warm up the muscles in the front of the shin by doing foot circles (circles, up/down, right/left).
2. Strength - It is very important to keep up with your calf and hamstring exercises if you have trouble with shin pain. Calf raises (straight, toes out and toes in) as well as hamstring curls (heels up on the bouncy-ball, shoulders on the ground, hips raised, curl your heels in) are both great exercises to incorporate into your core workout (3 sets of 15, 2-4 times weekly). Maintaining strength in these antagonist muscles will help reduce the tension on the muscles in the front of the shin.
3. Stretching - In addition to strengthening the muscles, you want to stretch very well before and after workouts. Calf and hamstring stretches are important as well as stretching the muscles in the front of the foot/ankle. To get a better stretch for the front muscles in the lower leg, start in the calf stretch position (pushing your arms against the wall, pressing the calves to the ground) and then push your knee slightly forward (your heel coming up in the back).
4. Exercises without Resistance - Making circles or writing the alphabet with your foot is an easy way to strengthen the smaller muscles in the front of the leg or shin area as well as the ankle. The great thing about these exercises is that you can do them easily during the day or while sitting at your desk.
5. Exercises with Resistance - The elastic bands are great for this. Have a friend hold the elastic band on both ends pulling against your foot. Hang your foot over the edge of a bench or ledge and raise your toes back toward your shin (3 sets of 15) - you should feel this in the outside of your lower leg. You can also do this by tying the elastic band in a loop and hooking it around a heavy object like a table. With this method, you should do three different exercises - up and down, center to right and center to left. Make sure that you are only moving your foot(not the knee or leg).
6. Shoes Shoes Shoes - With all the miles that we put on our legs, we should be replacing our shoes about every 400 miles or 3-6 months (most people don't replace their shoes frequently enough, leading to injuries). You also want to make sure you have the right shoes for your foot type and/or running style. Problems with pronation, poor running technique and low arches (flat feet) are all common causes of shin splints. Most running stores can watch you run to determine what shoes will work best for you. Orthodics and inserts can also help tremendously.
7. **ART Therapy** - After years of battling shin splints, I found that ART therapy was the very best thing for my shins. It seemed like a miracle cure, although definitely not a pain free process (funny how those metal tools can be your best friend and enemy at the same time!) Fortunately (or unfortunately), you can do a similar type of therapy on yourself at home. Take the end of a spoon (top end) and run it up and down your shins to break up the adhesions that form along the bone. You can also grind your thumb up and down the shin bone. FUN, I know!
8. Too Much Too Fast - Shin splints often result from overloading your lower leg muscles. Increasing your intensity or duration too quickly as well as running on uneven surfaces or increased "pounding" on concrete/hard surfaces are a few of the most common causes of inflammation in these muscles. Make sure that when beginning a training program you build gradually and incorporate speed work at a moderate pace.
9. Ice - Make sure to ice your shins after every practice. Every practice. You can use ice bags, however running an ice block up and down the shin (or in small circles) is said to be more effective.
10. Rest - If none of these options have worked for you, I hate to say it but you might just need some good old fashioned rest. Triathletes are not good at this in general, but sometimes a day or two off the legs can really help. And don't worry, you aren't going to lose all your fitness in two days....seriously ;)
I hope that these tips will come in helpful! Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
Coach Suzanne
Friday, January 30, 2009
Building a House
So it is early on in the season and we are faced with a long road ahead. When I speak with people about training for specific races or when talking about this years tri season, the analogy of building a house comes to mind. I tell them that building a strong foundation is important and that will make the house or training much stronger on down the line. I also tend to use this theory in my personal racing and it has brought some success in the past few years. Keeping the big picture in mind and not getting caught up with all the hype of getting in shape fast should be the priority. It is tough to do when comparing with athletes that kept good shape in the Off-Season, so you have to be patient.
I start with the FOUNDATION: When building a house the foundation of course is the part of the building that nobody sees when they drive up but from a structural standpoint, it is the part that holds up the house. In training, the foundation is broken up into two parts... 1) the cardiovascular structure of your body and 2) the technique you use when working out. The foundation is very important and there are some steps that need to be taken to make sure there are no issues on down the line when building a house or when coming of the winter months in training. Foundation problems in a house may not be seen right away and therefor can create some issues with cracks on the walls and problems with the roof. The foundation problems that can occur in training are more with performance issues or with injuries that occur from neglecting this important building process.
1.) The cardiovascular structure of your body is the network of VEINS, ARTERIES and most important CAPILLARIES. The capillaries are the only part of the cardiovascular structure that you have any control over. When working out in a controlled pace, you can build the capillary beds deeper into the muscles, which allow you to feed the muscles better. As you build a base of working out and start to increase your training you have to maintain control in your longer workouts. Increasing your training from zero to getting going a few hours a week is BASE training, not over training to 15+ hours a week. So coming off the few months where you might have lowered your training hours (OFF-SEASON), the base period is the few months where you start picking things up. There can be a good mixture of intensities with slow, medium and fast pacing but the majority of the longer workouts needs to be done at a heart rate in the AEROBIC ONE zone (about 75% of the workouts).
2.) The technique you use when training in the base period of the season is important because you can get your muscles to to get stronger with good technique. Functional training with the sports of swimming, cycling and running with drills is the best way to do this. Also keeping control when muscles start to fatigue in training. You can also allow the body to build the cardio part better if the muscles get stronger, so they do go hand in hand with one another. Muscles endurance is build with proper technique and when neglected, athletes get through the workouts without building strength. Training with bad technique will cause smaller muscles to help out during fatigue and therefor push these smaller muscles to get injured (tendons, ligaments strains are the main ones to go first).
The FRAMEWORK is the next step.... This is the part of building a house that sets the shape and structure of what holds everything up. With this in mind, you need to make CORE and STRETCHING the framework for all your training. You need to keep your muscles in good shape to keep yourself consistent in working out. Once again, when building a house this is something you don't see everyday but it is an internal structure that is very important. You can keep a good maintenance to stretching and core work with just a few hours a week, but can easily be missed if you get caught up in just the training. Listen to your body when working out and make sure that you take care of any issues before they become a bigger problem.
The WALLS and the ROOF of a house is what everyone sees and therefor it is the cosmetic part of building a house... so in training, these are the actual workouts you do from day to day and what everyone sees. You want to make sure that you are CONSISTENT first and that you are getting something special every time you do one. Maximizing your training time is key for busy professionals like yourselves. Plan on having a THEME or PURPOSE to every workout so that you have a stronger reason to get through it and perform well. Technique and Form can be a good theme to some of these workouts. Simply using some workouts as filler hours and having fun may be a great purpose in itself. Also, not putting too much pressure to perform very intensely at every workout is great for getting more out of the training. Sometimes when you have a long day at work or you have mental distraction keeping you from performing strong will make you dread the workout and therefore a great reason to have purpose or theme to training.
As you start your season or your periodization to your specific race, think of it as building a house. The more important you make the FOUNDATION and the FRAMEWORK the more you'll get out of the rest of the building process with less setbacks and bigger success. Some of you are building a beautiful house right now, so we'll be looking forward to seeing the end product in a few months! I'm in the process of building a "lake house" as there are a few of us heading to Ironman Coeur D' Alene... : )
See you at practice!
Coach Maurice
I start with the FOUNDATION: When building a house the foundation of course is the part of the building that nobody sees when they drive up but from a structural standpoint, it is the part that holds up the house. In training, the foundation is broken up into two parts... 1) the cardiovascular structure of your body and 2) the technique you use when working out. The foundation is very important and there are some steps that need to be taken to make sure there are no issues on down the line when building a house or when coming of the winter months in training. Foundation problems in a house may not be seen right away and therefor can create some issues with cracks on the walls and problems with the roof. The foundation problems that can occur in training are more with performance issues or with injuries that occur from neglecting this important building process.
1.) The cardiovascular structure of your body is the network of VEINS, ARTERIES and most important CAPILLARIES. The capillaries are the only part of the cardiovascular structure that you have any control over. When working out in a controlled pace, you can build the capillary beds deeper into the muscles, which allow you to feed the muscles better. As you build a base of working out and start to increase your training you have to maintain control in your longer workouts. Increasing your training from zero to getting going a few hours a week is BASE training, not over training to 15+ hours a week. So coming off the few months where you might have lowered your training hours (OFF-SEASON), the base period is the few months where you start picking things up. There can be a good mixture of intensities with slow, medium and fast pacing but the majority of the longer workouts needs to be done at a heart rate in the AEROBIC ONE zone (about 75% of the workouts).
2.) The technique you use when training in the base period of the season is important because you can get your muscles to to get stronger with good technique. Functional training with the sports of swimming, cycling and running with drills is the best way to do this. Also keeping control when muscles start to fatigue in training. You can also allow the body to build the cardio part better if the muscles get stronger, so they do go hand in hand with one another. Muscles endurance is build with proper technique and when neglected, athletes get through the workouts without building strength. Training with bad technique will cause smaller muscles to help out during fatigue and therefor push these smaller muscles to get injured (tendons, ligaments strains are the main ones to go first).
The FRAMEWORK is the next step.... This is the part of building a house that sets the shape and structure of what holds everything up. With this in mind, you need to make CORE and STRETCHING the framework for all your training. You need to keep your muscles in good shape to keep yourself consistent in working out. Once again, when building a house this is something you don't see everyday but it is an internal structure that is very important. You can keep a good maintenance to stretching and core work with just a few hours a week, but can easily be missed if you get caught up in just the training. Listen to your body when working out and make sure that you take care of any issues before they become a bigger problem.
The WALLS and the ROOF of a house is what everyone sees and therefor it is the cosmetic part of building a house... so in training, these are the actual workouts you do from day to day and what everyone sees. You want to make sure that you are CONSISTENT first and that you are getting something special every time you do one. Maximizing your training time is key for busy professionals like yourselves. Plan on having a THEME or PURPOSE to every workout so that you have a stronger reason to get through it and perform well. Technique and Form can be a good theme to some of these workouts. Simply using some workouts as filler hours and having fun may be a great purpose in itself. Also, not putting too much pressure to perform very intensely at every workout is great for getting more out of the training. Sometimes when you have a long day at work or you have mental distraction keeping you from performing strong will make you dread the workout and therefore a great reason to have purpose or theme to training.
As you start your season or your periodization to your specific race, think of it as building a house. The more important you make the FOUNDATION and the FRAMEWORK the more you'll get out of the rest of the building process with less setbacks and bigger success. Some of you are building a beautiful house right now, so we'll be looking forward to seeing the end product in a few months! I'm in the process of building a "lake house" as there are a few of us heading to Ironman Coeur D' Alene... : )
See you at practice!
Coach Maurice
Monday, January 26, 2009
Making a list and checking it twice……. And other ramblings.
I live for lists. I usually have about 5 different post-it notes going at one time and then there is the day planner that I can’t live without. But lists can play a very important role to your tri training. Lists for what to bring on your ride, lists for the grocery and lists for what to do with the rest of the day.
Usually on Friday night I pack my gear for the Saturday’s training. While at work on Friday I try and make a list of things that I will need. Such as… helmet, shoes, bike, change of clothes and food. I have a pretty set standard of what to bring but things do change as the distance of my rides increase.
For example:
If I am doing a long ride of 80 to 100 miles I’ll pack some extra stuff like more Gu’s, water, Cliff bars, sunblock and $$$. I try to not rely on stopping at stores for food. I’ll grab water or a Gatorade but I try and stick with what I brought with me for food.
**** This weekend I did not follow my usual routine and did grab an oatmeal cream pie. I ate about ¼ of it before it’s novelty wore off and I gave the rest to Noah. You may also find this helpful......MGD and an apple danish at the 1/2 point of a long ride does NOT help you no matter how brain damaged you are. I know this from lots of experience.
Another list that I can’t live without is the cold weather list. If it’s cold outside you can bet that my list is twice as long and my J&A’s bag is twice as full. Arm warmers, knee warmers, skull caps and extra socks are a must. I may not need them but it’s better to have them and not need them than not have them and need them. I am a firm believer in over packing. There were many times early in my riding life that I didn’t bring enough clothes and I suffered.
Another thing I was thinking about this weekend was the freezer bag that I can’t seem to throw away. I have a Zip Lock freezer bag that I have been using for 2 years to keep all my mandatory ride stuff in. License, debit card, cash, sunblock, chapstick, extra Chamois butter and my cell phone. This is something that I suggest all riders bring. It fits nicely in my back pouch of my riding jersey and everything stays dry. I ripped a hole in it 2 weeks ago and thought I would have to replace it. I’m kind of attached to it so I patched it with some duct tape and called it good.
Yes….. I have some issues. :)
Coach Logan
Usually on Friday night I pack my gear for the Saturday’s training. While at work on Friday I try and make a list of things that I will need. Such as… helmet, shoes, bike, change of clothes and food. I have a pretty set standard of what to bring but things do change as the distance of my rides increase.
For example:
If I am doing a long ride of 80 to 100 miles I’ll pack some extra stuff like more Gu’s, water, Cliff bars, sunblock and $$$. I try to not rely on stopping at stores for food. I’ll grab water or a Gatorade but I try and stick with what I brought with me for food.
**** This weekend I did not follow my usual routine and did grab an oatmeal cream pie. I ate about ¼ of it before it’s novelty wore off and I gave the rest to Noah. You may also find this helpful......MGD and an apple danish at the 1/2 point of a long ride does NOT help you no matter how brain damaged you are. I know this from lots of experience.
Another list that I can’t live without is the cold weather list. If it’s cold outside you can bet that my list is twice as long and my J&A’s bag is twice as full. Arm warmers, knee warmers, skull caps and extra socks are a must. I may not need them but it’s better to have them and not need them than not have them and need them. I am a firm believer in over packing. There were many times early in my riding life that I didn’t bring enough clothes and I suffered.
Another thing I was thinking about this weekend was the freezer bag that I can’t seem to throw away. I have a Zip Lock freezer bag that I have been using for 2 years to keep all my mandatory ride stuff in. License, debit card, cash, sunblock, chapstick, extra Chamois butter and my cell phone. This is something that I suggest all riders bring. It fits nicely in my back pouch of my riding jersey and everything stays dry. I ripped a hole in it 2 weeks ago and thought I would have to replace it. I’m kind of attached to it so I patched it with some duct tape and called it good.
Yes….. I have some issues. :)
Coach Logan
Friday, January 16, 2009
NUTRITION: Some of my favorite things!
If you didn't already know, one of my "hobbies" is keeping up-to-date with the latest nutrition information and healthy living. I also love the challenge of finding all the bits and pieces to make my immune system as strong and healthy as possible. With many of you picking up the training and doing it in the middle of cold/flu season...it is really important to make an extra effort to give your body what it needs to stay healthy. (note: I'm definitely not an expert in this area...but these are things that I use on a daily basis and have found to work really well. With all these things...do your research and take what you feel is right for you & your lifestyle).
1.) ACAI JUICE - the best kind that I've found is called "Wild Harvested 100% Pure Acai Juice" by Genesis Today. I take one shot glass of this stuff first thing in the morning. LOTS of benefits, including: supporting energy levels, supports blood sugar levels, digestive function, mental clarity, immune system support, cleansing and detox.
2.) Coromega OMEGA-3 squeeze packets - my favorite flavor is the chocolate organge - YUM! I've always known the benefits of FISH OILs but was scared of tasting "fish" all day after taking the supplement. These little packets are awesome! They contain 2000mg of fish oil and 650mg of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids. And, I don't taste anything fishy! (my sister can't stand the flavor...so this is going to be a very individual thing). One of the hardest things I find with all these supplements is remembering to take them....and what good are they if you don't take them on a regular basis? That's one of the main reasons I love these...they come in individual packets...and you take 1 in the morning...so EASY!! (or easy to stuff in your bag and take at work).
3.) Slice of Life gummy vitamins for adults - these are small gummy-bear-like vitamins -- I recommend the Vit c+ and the B12 +. There are probably better/similar vitamins of these kinds out there...BUT, I like these because of the point I made previoulsy -- I ACTUALLY TAKE THEM on a daily basis...to be honest, I crave taking them! Vit C is super important for supporting your immune system and B12 & B6 Vitamins are for energy levels.
4.) Vitamin E supplement - working out intensely creates a stress on our bodies...which many times results in the production of free radicals...Vit E is one of the main supplements to combat these free radicals. Usually the regular multi-vitamin will have vit E in it...but, I think it is important to take an additional supplement. The main thing to note is there are different types of Vit E -- the better type for combating these free radicals is "d-Alpha Tocopherol" (you'll see it listed as the first ingredient. The other type is "dl-Alpha").
5.) MULTI-VITAMIN - this is sort of the overall insurance pill for your immune system. Giving me a "back-up" to all the vitamins and minerals my body needs in case I don't get enough from my foods. I take USANA vitamins...but you can find some really good ones at Whole Foods.
All these supplements are great -- but, at the end of the day, what is most important is eating the right, nutrition-dense foods. But, let's face it, most of us don't eat really balanced meals all the time -- so, it I think it is important to supplement with things like these!
Happy Training!
-Coach Chrissie
If you didn't already know, one of my "hobbies" is keeping up-to-date with the latest nutrition information and healthy living. I also love the challenge of finding all the bits and pieces to make my immune system as strong and healthy as possible. With many of you picking up the training and doing it in the middle of cold/flu season...it is really important to make an extra effort to give your body what it needs to stay healthy. (note: I'm definitely not an expert in this area...but these are things that I use on a daily basis and have found to work really well. With all these things...do your research and take what you feel is right for you & your lifestyle).
1.) ACAI JUICE - the best kind that I've found is called "Wild Harvested 100% Pure Acai Juice" by Genesis Today. I take one shot glass of this stuff first thing in the morning. LOTS of benefits, including: supporting energy levels, supports blood sugar levels, digestive function, mental clarity, immune system support, cleansing and detox.
2.) Coromega OMEGA-3 squeeze packets - my favorite flavor is the chocolate organge - YUM! I've always known the benefits of FISH OILs but was scared of tasting "fish" all day after taking the supplement. These little packets are awesome! They contain 2000mg of fish oil and 650mg of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids. And, I don't taste anything fishy! (my sister can't stand the flavor...so this is going to be a very individual thing). One of the hardest things I find with all these supplements is remembering to take them....and what good are they if you don't take them on a regular basis? That's one of the main reasons I love these...they come in individual packets...and you take 1 in the morning...so EASY!! (or easy to stuff in your bag and take at work).
3.) Slice of Life gummy vitamins for adults - these are small gummy-bear-like vitamins -- I recommend the Vit c+ and the B12 +. There are probably better/similar vitamins of these kinds out there...BUT, I like these because of the point I made previoulsy -- I ACTUALLY TAKE THEM on a daily basis...to be honest, I crave taking them! Vit C is super important for supporting your immune system and B12 & B6 Vitamins are for energy levels.
4.) Vitamin E supplement - working out intensely creates a stress on our bodies...which many times results in the production of free radicals...Vit E is one of the main supplements to combat these free radicals. Usually the regular multi-vitamin will have vit E in it...but, I think it is important to take an additional supplement. The main thing to note is there are different types of Vit E -- the better type for combating these free radicals is "d-Alpha Tocopherol" (you'll see it listed as the first ingredient. The other type is "dl-Alpha").
5.) MULTI-VITAMIN - this is sort of the overall insurance pill for your immune system. Giving me a "back-up" to all the vitamins and minerals my body needs in case I don't get enough from my foods. I take USANA vitamins...but you can find some really good ones at Whole Foods.
All these supplements are great -- but, at the end of the day, what is most important is eating the right, nutrition-dense foods. But, let's face it, most of us don't eat really balanced meals all the time -- so, it I think it is important to supplement with things like these!
Happy Training!
-Coach Chrissie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
