Planning your season is the first step to success. The tried and true method of setting A, B, and C priority races is still the best way to set out your season. But while you set out your general training for the next six to eight months or more, it is important to consider the mental component as well. When it comes to planning your season, honestly evaluating your ability to stay motivated and dealing with natural dips in motivation is as critical as the training.
Nearly every athlete overestimates their ability to stay motivated for long periods of time. As triathletes, it is built into us to push our limits and not slack off. This is something that is both a great asset and potential disaster. It is natural at this time of year to feel super motivated and ready for anything. However, the reality is that motivation comes and goes. The discipline it takes to train, recover, diet, etc. takes its toll on everyone, no matter how motivated you are in January. If you try to overcome this natural dip and keep pushing through, this eventually leads to the point of a complete breakdown.
There are three ways I work with athletes to avoid issues arising down the road.
First, I tell all of my athletes to understand that it’s OK to lose your motivation so they don’t feel like they have to hide that from me and just “get the work done”.
Second, I often hold athletes back during the winter months, preferring to unleash that motivation in the spring and summer when it can be used to much better means. Mental fatigue accumulates over time, so I account for the mental energy needed to get the training done. If we use up that mental energy in January and February, that can have a negative effect in March or April.
Finally, if the A race is more than six months away, I tell my athletes to set their A race and then forget it. Often, it is a vision of the A race that is used to overcome the dip in motivation. Instead, I have them focus on a B priority race, a general goal like increasing power, or a process goal like being consistent with their training. This gives them something to stay focused on that leads to better performance without the A race becoming a burden.
So as you lay out your schedule, don’t focus only on the physical training. Take into account the mental energy necessary to continually get workouts done and give yourself short breaks to reset and re-energize your mental state.
Coach AJ believes that the foundation of a great coach/athlete relationship is mutual agreement on a few core principles: the setting of realistic expectations and goals, honest and open communication and trust. Once we establish that base, I don’t follow a specific template. I tailor each plan to the individual and make adjustments along the way.
Most triathletes have a long season of training and racing and after the last big race, you hopefully took a nice break. I like my athletes to take 2-3 weeks of unstructured movement. No scheduled swim bike run in Training Peaks, no need to turn workouts green. Some of my athletes go crazy, they simply want to wake up and see Training Peaks workouts and others are so relieved to see nothing pop up. I find after a few weeks most are itching to get back to routine and this is where it can be a lot of fun.
I shy away from traditional triathlon training during these months to keep the athlete engaged and fresh. I like to address the three following areas:
1. Strength
a. This is the time to work on imbalances, test your single-legged squat, deadlift and bosu ball work and see which leg needs work, I guarantee one leg is better than the other. Work both legs but add 20% to the “weaker” leg.
b. Get strong. Track your squats, deadlifts and big muscle group exercise and push the max. You will be sore (yes, sore) but this is the time of year to do that, without a long run on the schedule or hard bike sessions you can and should be sore.
c. Let the strength dictate biking and running efforts. d. Do a Functional Movement Screening and find your weakness, imbalances. Pay the money to get the correctional exercises and add those to your daily routine.
2. Address your weakness.
Most of us want to do more in the sports where we are strong. While that is fun, is it what you need? This is the time to do a swim, bike or run block. Here are a few blocks I have given athletes:
a. Swim Block: 3 weeks with a minimum of 25K per week. I give them workouts that range from 4-7,000 and let them choose how to get to 25k. Some will do 10k one day and take a day off, others prefer 3,500 each day, some do 2 workouts a day. By week 2, the fatigue sets in and generally by week 3 they start to see some real gains. We keep Strength as #2 priority and biking and running take a back seat.
b. Bike Block: 3 weeks with a goal of 200-300 miles per week depending on the athlete, their available time and weather. I mix in a few harder efforts, which are optional based on how they are feeling, the bigger mileage is attainable when they can knock out 1-2 long rides outside. Again, strength is #2 priority and swim and run take a back seat.
c. Run Block: 3 weeks for this block which will vary depending on the athlete, their goals, durability, and base. The focus is 3 weeks of running 6 days a week building mileage each week. For some, the goal may be the 30/40/50-miles week, others it may be hitting key runs 2-3 times a week and then the rest is base running. The running carries the biggest risk of injury so be careful.
3. 15 hours in 3 days. This is a fun one!
1-hour swim, 3-hour bike, 1-hour run – 3 days consecutively. Determining if this is aerobic or has specific pace, HR, power efforts will depend on the athlete and current fitness.
There are many, many ways to gain fitness, have fun and be ready for race season. These are just a few I like. My #1 goal for the off-season is DON’T GET INJURED and #2 DON’T gain more than 5% of your bodyweight. A few pounds are okay and likely a good idea if you race lean, but not any more. than that.
Activating your muscles prior to a run is an important step toward having a smooth, strong run. Coach Mike demonstrates three of his favorites in this Triathlon Minute video tip.
I used to think of fascia like a saran wrap surrounding tissues in the body and as such, I did not find it particularly exciting. During the first semester of physical therapy school, however, when I had an opportunity to dissect a cadaver, I started to understand and appreciate it as a more complex organ. Yes, the latest research refers to fascia as an organ. By definition, fascia is a continuous interconnected network that permeates almost every part of the body. For the purpose of readability and relevance to our audience, the focus will be directed to fascia in relation to the muscle tissue.
Fascia is dense tissue primarily composed of collagen that surrounds muscles. Fascia is not a separate structure “slapped” on top of the muscle for enforcement and protection. Instead, think of it as a three-dimensional matrix, continuous with ligaments and tendons. Fascia is rich in mechanoreceptors, which are sensory receptors that monitor structural changes in the tissue. The receptors found in fascia are Golgi, Pacini, Ruffini and interstitial. They monitor tone, proprioceptive feedback, and sympathetic activity respectively. They respond to muscle contraction, pressure changes, and sustained pressure.
One can see that by affecting receptors we are affecting fascia and by affecting fascia the muscular and nervous systems as a whole are pulled in the process of rehabilitation. Literature is describing at least six possible distortions to the fascia: trigger bands, herniated trigger points, continuum distortion, folding distortion, cylinder and tectonic fixation. Each of these dysfunctions will present differently and a trained practitioner will be able to identify and treat it accordingly.
A self-care tip from a specialist on fascial distortion, Tracy Byarlay, includes a combination of foam rolling and "voodoo flossing". Byarlay states that rolling by itself compresses fascia. Flossing, on the other hand, breaks off the crosslinks and enhances profusion to the affected area. He suggests combining the two techniques for an optimum effect.
Our bodies are complex. There are many structures that can be involved in an injury and what works for one person might not work for someone else. Fascia is just one example of a tissue that can cause long-term dysfunction if not treated properly. Take the time to find a trained practitioner that understands the body well and is able to identify the driver of pain as well as their own limitations in knowledge and willingness to refer elsewhere if their skill set cannot correct the problem.
Coach Martina observes that most athletes like to concentrate on the aspect of training that they are the most comfortable with, which are often long workouts with low effort (volume emphasis). While volume does play a role, shorter workouts at high effort (intensity emphasis) are also very important. Knowing when to do what type of training is crucial in succeeding and staying injury free. As a coach and a muskuloskeletal expert, I create plans that enhance physiological strengths of an individual and correct his or her weaknesses, which makes training fun, efficient and effective.
Coach Mike met Dave in person, for the first time, in 2001 in Panama City Beach. Mike was in his 2nd year of full-time coaching and Dave was racing his first IM. Mike had written a 20-week training plan for Dave, and he seemed diligent with his workouts and Mike thought Dave have a good day. His time ended up at 12:08 (1:10s / 6:15 bike / 4:28 run). A pretty solid day and he thought Dave would be well under 11:30 the next year. But Dave had other plans. He finished law school, got married, had 3 kids and became a successful IP attorney. That's a nice ending to anyone's story, right?
Fast forward to 2013 and Dave contacts Mike about writing a plan for him for the 2014 season. He writes a Custom Plan for him for that season and things seem to go well. He's working on being more fit, not necessarily competitive, and he's improving here and there. For 2015, Dave decides he wants to get serious. Dave bumps up his training to 1-to-1 coaching for 2015 with Mike. He also invests in a power meter, he attends one of our camps and his results show some nice forward progress. Somewhere along the line, he tells Mike that he wants to break 5:15 in a 70.3 and eventually 5:00. Mike thinks anything is possible if someone is willing to work for it, but he also knows the reality of how busy Dave's life is - 3 kids, demanding job, and he travels just about weekly. There is some improvement in his swim, but the rest is pretty much stagnant. It's not lack of effort on Dave's or Mike's part, but it just took some time for Dave's body to adjust. As Dave continues to work hard through 2016, he finally sees big improvements in his swim times and bike power ... and that brings us to 2017!
We are pleased to introduce you to Dave Donoghue our Athlete of the Month. Soak in all that he has to share about setting goals, training toward those goals and most importantly what you can learn from all of that effort!
1. How did you come into triathlon and get connected with D3?
I grew up swimming competitively but was never much of a runner. I started running marathons in law school to lose weight and as a competitive outlet. I eventually progressed to a handful of 12-24 hour adventure races. Shortly after graduating from law school, a classmate and I decided to sign up for Ironman Florida at a mutual friend’s wedding. Realizing that I had no idea how to train for an Ironman, I scoured the internet and found a relatively new coaching company D3, and its founder Mike Ricci. Mike guided me through that year of training and even was at the race offering crucial encouragement that got me through the run. I finished that Ironman in around 12 hours. Shortly after crossing the line, Mike had a plan for getting me under 10:30. But I had just met the girl of my dreams and was busy starting a career. So, I took a decade or so off to establish my career, build a marriage and have kids.
After that, I did some distance trail running races and a lot of uninspired running for exercise. Then about four years ago, my oldest, who was seven at the time, called me “chubby.” That night I looked in the mirror and had to own his comment. It was neither what I wanted for myself, nor what I wanted to model for my kids. I tried a variety of things to get fit — running, boxing, hockey. Eventually, I realized that triathlon was still what inspired me and what would drive me. There was no question that I would turn to D3 and Mike again to do it.
I connected with Mike and spent fourteen months getting control of my weight with a D3 nutritionist and building fitness toward Ironman Wisconsin. Days before Wisconsin, I needed a minor, emergency procedure on my eye. That postponed the race. As I discussed an alternate race with my wife Laura, she told me that the summer spent training for Wisconsin was the worst of our marriage. I was training too much and not present enough when I was there. Together, we settled on the 70.3 distance as the best balance of my need to race and be healthy, and our need to be together and present as a family.
2. Jumping to a comment Mike made in that he remembers you sharing a goal that you wanted to break 5:15 in a 70.3 and eventually 5:00. How did you come to set your sites on that goal?
I have never wanted to just finish a race. Even when I was starting out and that was the best I could reasonably expect, I was focused on improving and becoming a more elite athlete. Because of that, a sub-5:00 70.3 has been my goal for several years, albeit a distant one to start. To me a consistent sub-5:00 70.3 is a dividing line between people who are committed to the sport and those that are more casual. The 5:15 goal was only an interim goal on the way to sub-5:00. Of course, having gotten close to sub-5:00 this season, I immediately readjusted to 4:30 and 4:45 as my goals.
3. Has your intention shifted to help you focus on your goal? How?
My intention has shifted significantly. I have never had a problem completing workouts. I always do the work. I am by nature a TP greenie, as some D3’ers say. In order to get faster, I found that just showing up was not enough. I needed to increase my discipline beyond just making the workouts. I needed to place the same focus that I have always placed on making the workouts and hitting times or watts, on the non-workout details — getting rest, good sleep, proper nutrition, mindfulness during workouts, transitions.
One example of my shift is how I approach a workout. First, I make sure to have memorized my intervals. That way I know the workout intimately and do not lose track of what I am doing. Additionally, I make sure I know the purpose of the workout and I briefly visualize it. That helps me make sure I bring the right intensity to the workout. I also identify one or two things to focus on during each workout to make sure that I am improving and mentally present. Those steps — thanks to D3 mental skills coach Will Murray — ensure that I maximize the value I get from each workout. And before I start the workout, I take the time to do mobilization work so that I am ready to go from the start and do not hurt myself.
4. Describe a typical week for yourself as you balance/blend work, family, and training.
Most mornings, I get up early to get my workouts in, and do a little work, before my three kids — 11, 9 & 7 — get up. Then I make them breakfast and help them get their days started. After talking to my wife for a few minutes about our days, I go to work. Most nights I head from work to my kids’ hockey practice or a Boy Scout meeting. Then it is home for a bit of family time and work before bed. Weekends look similar, except after the early workouts, I spend the day with my wife and kids doing their activities or doing something around the house. Whatever the schedule, I always clear any later workouts with my wife Laura so that she is not feeling like I am losing our balance by pushing the workouts into family time. Having said that, I have begun doing long rides in Chicago’s western suburbs which takes up more waking hours from my family because Laura and the kids were concerned with my biking in local traffic, which can be intense.
Beyond putting up with the training and racing schedule, one of the big things my wife has done to help me balance is making healthy, balanced lunches and dinners. Around the ice rink and at Scout meetings, I am well-known as the lucky guy with the lunch box. It is a huge help in maintaining good nutrition and avoiding bad choices on the run.
I also try to incorporate my kids into workouts whenever I can. My oldest two do some of my easier runs with me, leading to each of them trying 5k races over the last year or two. And I often have them join in core workouts or transition practice. They love it and it helps reinforce the lifelong fitness lesson I am trying to model for them. Finally, when I travel, I pre-plan my workouts, finding pools ahead of time (I favor SwimRadar and YMCAs) and renting bikes when I am someplace with good riding and can fit in the extra time.
acing schedule, one of the big things my wife has done to help me balance is making healthy, balanced lunches and dinners. Around the ice rink and at Scout meetings, I am well-known as the lucky guy with the lunch box. It is a huge help in maintaining good nutrition and avoiding bad choices on the run.
I also try to incorporate my kids into workouts whenever I can. My oldest two do some of my easier runs with me, leading to each of them trying 5k races over the last year or two. And I often have them join in core workouts or transition practice. They love it and it helps reinforce the lifelong fitness lesson I am trying to model for them. Finally, when I travel, I pre-plan my workouts, finding pools ahead of time (I favor SwimRadar and YMCAs) and renting bikes when I am someplace with good riding and can fit in the extra time.
5. 70.3 NC was the race! Describe the day, the focus on your goal, your mindset, thoughts along the course, finish line, etc.
70.3 NC was a culmination of not just this season, but the last several seasons for me. I knew I had a great training year. I kicked it off with a great training camp in Solvang, California with Mike and another D3 teammate Bud Winn. I saw some big jumps in bike power, and I focused on my run significantly, with a number of 50-mile weeks across the season, which are huge for me. My run speed increased and my mental strength on the run increased even more. And having raced more than I ever had in a season, I knew that my race plan was dialed in. So, I came into the race excited and confident. As always, there were some nerves and life provided a few curves on race week, but I kept my focus on controlling what I could and letting go of everything else.
Race day was perfect. The weather was great. I worked my plan and ran through affirmations from my family that Will Murray taught me to use. They remind me why I race, put the race in perspective and pump me up, all at the same time. The swim could not have been better, the water was comfortable and smooth, and the current was fast. My transition went well, albeit at least ten seconds slower than it should have been (more on that later).
The bike was surprisingly cool and fast. While I had trouble getting my watts as high as I wanted them, I hung with D3 Elite team member Mike Davis for nearly 15 miles which was a great sign for me. Otherwise, I focused on keeping my cadence high and nailing my time goals for each of the five-mile segments that I split the bike into. With the lower watts, I gave up some speed on the bike, but by mile 45 I knew I would come into T2 with the ability to go sub-5:00. I was feeling good, and excited. I briefly got lost in T2 and again ended with a transition time that was at least ten seconds slower than I needed.
The run was a new experience for me. As has become my norm, I struggled to keep from going out too fast in my first three or four miles. By mile five, I had only seen a handful of people go past me on the out and back course. It was great. I distracted myself giving the top ten men splits. Being near the front of the race instead of amongst the walking dead on the run was incredible. It made the race much more fun and it made recovery much easier.
Throughout the run, I was estimating my finishing time and was pretty confident that I was on track for a minute or two sub-5:00. I slowed down a bit in miles 11 and 12, but was sure I was still on track and pushed for a great mile 13. I had planned to hit an 8:30 pace for mile 13 to put an exclamation point on the race. I missed the 8:30, but only by a handful of seconds. I finished strong. I was on a huge high until I saw my official time — 5:00:09. Ten seconds off a goal I have chased for several years.
After making a list of all of the details I could have controlled to get those ten seconds back, it is pretty clear that I could have beaten the 5:00 mark by minutes. And it is clear that the ten seconds were the perfect motivation for seasons to come, and for the off-season. I have dedicated my off-season to a detail focus, one of the things that sets me apart from my opponents in my legal practice. Nothing is too small and everything will add up to a great off-season and a hard run at a sub-4:30 70.3 next year.
6. What was a favorite workout Coach Mike gave you as you prepared for the race?
My favorite workouts are the ones that I initially doubt and then finish. On the run this season, that workout was a six to ten mile run with pacing goals that looked something like 2-3x9:00 miles (attainable but quick for me), 2x8:50 miles, 1x9:15 mile (rest), 2x8:45 miles; 2x8:30 miles. It took me weeks of that workout to hit both 8:30s, but it felt great when I did. In the pool, it usually means a big distance jump. I usually swim 2,500 to 3,400 yards. Occasionally a 4500-yard workout comes up. They are daunting, but I take great confidence from pushing out of my comfort zone and finishing them. On the bike, it is almost always FTP intervals.
7. What are 3 things you've learned about yourself as a result of this race?
First, I am an athlete. If I am patient and put in the work, with Mike’s and D3’s coaching, I can compete as a relatively high-level age group athlete. Second, I love the sport and the challenge. Achieving the goal is great, but my favorite part is the journey. There are few things better than looking at Training Peaks and seeing a mentally and physically challenging week ahead, or sitting at the bottom of the Fig Climb in Solvang with Mike and my D3 teammates ready for an hour or two of suffering. Third, despite the time cost, pursuing my triathlon passion has made me better all around. A better husband, dad, and lawyer. The time cost makes that somewhat counterintuitive, but it is true in so many ways.
8. What is 1 thing you learned in 2017 that you'll take forward into 2018 as it relates to triathlon?
That was a surprisingly hard question. I learned a lot about myself as an athlete and a person this season, but the biggest thing I take into 2018 is probably that I am far from done. I have a lifetime of goals in this sport, in terms of improving, in terms of eventual podiums and in terms of helping others — hopefully one day including one or more of my kids — develop a love for triathlon.
One final thought, if I may. This was not technically a question, but I am a lawyer and it is hard to make us stop talking or writing. I want to thank my triathlon community. First, my family for inspiring, supporting and putting up with my triathlon passions. Coach Mike for helping me remake myself into an athlete and achieve some big goals in triathlon over the last four years and those to come. And last but not least, so many D3 teammates and coaches, including Bud Winn, Julie Dunkle, Jim Halberg and Mike Davis for the long-distance camaraderie and inspiration.
We are very excited to recognize Dave Donoghue as our Athlete of the Month. As you read, the reflections about how his intention toward training has shifted, his commitment to blending his love of triathlon with his family and the focus he's putting on the details this winter are what make him a remarkable athlete. Congratulations, Dave!
If you are struggling with motivation to get out the door and get your workout done, Coach Alison has 3 tricks that will help you switch gears to get it done! Watch the Triathlon Minute.
I am super grateful that I was selected to be a part of the 2017 D3 Elite Age Group Development Team. I cannot fully express the benefits I have gained from being part of this team. This was my third season competing in triathlon and my first season with a coach (Laura!!!).
Triathlon is such a tricky balance and to be able to be a part of such a supportive and knowledgeable network of coaches and teammates has helped me navigate my way through the racing and training process. If I ever have a question, I have tons of people and resources at my fingertips. Having coached workouts in each discipline on a weekly basis has allowed me to become stronger and better and more efficient in everything I do. By having a coach there, I was able to work on areas that I didn’t even know I needed to. I think it’s also helpful because the onsite coaches can communicate with my coach so that she is aware of what my progress and needs are.
Also, the team workout setting allows you to push yourself to levels that are hard to achieve on your own. It’s also more fun to suffer with other people! The dedication, desire, and determination of everyone on this team is contagious. I truly appreciate all of the help and things I have learned from both all of the coaches running practices, my coach and my TEAMMATES. It is really cool to be able to train with and learn from people who are at such a high level that you would never be anywhere near them in a race. I have received nothing but support, feedback and encouragement from all people involved with this team and I look forward for many seasons to train with the D3 Elite Age Group Development Team.
Thanks everyone for letting me be a part of this and for pushing me each week and getting me to a level that I never could have achieved on my own!
Sincerely,
Dore Berens
Elite Age Group Development Team Member 2017
Are you a masher or a spinner? Coach Jim explains the importance of mixing up your bike cadence during training and how the different efforts will help improve your cycling.
In recent years, I’ve done a lot of commuting by bike. In general, I love being on the bike and riding to and from work provides a great preparation/decompression buffer between work and home. In the mornings, I think through a fair amount of my day’s planning and in the evening, I reflect on the work day and think about family time. Plus, when I’m home, I’m home. I don’t give up family time in the evenings sitting on my trainer.
I’ve been impressed by the training benefits as well. I typically ride two to four days per week--averaging around 120 bike-commuting days (and around 3,000 miles) per year. I ride year round--as long as the roads aren’t icy/snow-packed, I’m out there. My commute is about 25 miles round trip and takes about 45 minutes each way. All those little rides add up. Although it’s weird to look at my Training Peaks calendar and see a bunch of 12.5-mile bike workouts, the frequency (and structure) of my commuting has been pretty darn good as training (and has been providing solid racing results).
Some of my rides are recovery -- easy spins just getting from point A to point B, but a 45 minute time window gives a lot of great options. My first 10+ minutes are generally warm up and then I sometimes include structured short or longer intervals, steady-state work, fartlek, spinning drills, etc. I can work the uphills, the downhills, the flats. There are all kinds of opportunity to get real work done.
A few notes about what I consider to be the ideal situation for bike commuting (the situation I’ve fallen into): I think the distance I live from my office is pretty optimal--about a 25-30 minute drive versus a 45+ minute ride on roads with wide margins (and some dedicated bike paths). I live east of my office so the sun is never in my (or a driver’s) face in the morning or evening--great for safety. My job doesn’t require me to travel around town during the day and, perhaps most importantly, I have a shower at the office. So with those optimal conditions, I thought I’d share some thoughts on how to bike commute if you have less-than-optimal conditions.
If you don’t have a shower at your office, there may be one nearby--health club/YMCA, neighboring office, or a friend who lives near where you work. These are options that increase the hassle factor a bit, I know, but can be worth exploring. Some folks can get away with a “bird-bath” in the office bathroom. You can always leave a towel and some deodorant at your office. I typically drive to work on Mondays and bring in my clothes for the week.
You don’t have to commute to/from your home and you don’t have to take the shortest route--I love to take the long way in or home! Back when I was dropping my kids off at school in the morning, I’d drive my bike with me, drop them off, park next to their school, and bike-commute to work from there. It takes a little extra planning in the morning but having something to do before work doesn’t mean you can’t ride in. Note also that if you work just a few miles from your office, you don’t have to take the most direct route--take a longer way to get more miles in. If you work say 30 miles from your office but don’t want to ride that long morning and evening, drive in part way and ride from there. Again, there’s more hassle, but you’re converting time on your butt behind the wheel to time on the bike--great deal! And if you work from home, you can always ride before and after work as IF you had a commute!
Riding in the dark is a little scary at first, I’ll admit it. But my bike handling skills have improved more from riding in the dark than anything else I’ve done over the years. You have to pay attention and be ready to react to road conditions much more quickly than you do in the daylight. Obviously, great lights are important and I highly recommend two sets--one set (headlight and taillight) that go on the bike and another set that goes on your helmet. Invest in bright, high-quality lights. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but a couple hundred dollars is not unreasonable. I find that cars give me more space when they pass me in the dark than they do in the daylight. Plus, there’s nothing that makes you feel like more of a bad-ass than being on your bike in the dark and knowing that your race day competition is sitting on their asses in their cars at that very moment.
Keep in mind that you get some budget for equipment by not driving--using the standard mileage rate of 53.5 cents per mile this year, I’ll “save” over $1,500 this year by not driving my truck including $400-500 directly in gas alone. I generally plow some of that savings back into making my commute more pleasant--great clothing, bike maintenance, etc.
Build up a wardrobe of the right clothing. Cold-weather gear can be expensive but there are always team deals, end-of-season sales, and hand-me-downs. Always think layers. The best investments I’ve made have been in thermal base layers, multiple sets of gloves, and weather-proof tights. You don’t have to start riding year round so give yourself time to find the gear that lets you ride comfortably in the conditions you require. (I now have enough gear to allow me to ride in the cold down to single-digits.)
I started commuting on my road bike and this is a good option to get started but eventually, I decided to invest in a used cross bike that has become my dedicated commuter. I added fenders and reflectors and it’s pretty heavy. (Train heavy, race light!) I mounted 38mm ebike tires that have super flat-protection and are nothing that I’d normally train (or race) on. But the total package provides me with something that perfectly serves its purpose.
There can be a lot of obstacles but most of them can be overcome. Before you give up on the idea of commuting, expand your thinking to see what’s possible.
Coach Dave's experience has shown him that athletes get the best results when they are both physically fit and technically excellent – but knows it can be challenging to slow down enough to work on form. An impatient person can learn anything in a hurry, but they will learn incorrectly. As a swim coach the most common question I hear after a workout is “How many yards was that?”. My favorite answer is “Why does it matter?” Yes, volume certainly has it’s place in training, and so does intensity. But ultimately there is a point in all three disciplines where to get faster you need to improve your technique.
The human body is made up of about 45% protein. It is a vital macronutrient to your overall health with primary functions in movement contracting muscles, immunity (antibodies), structure (collagen), transport (hemoglobin), the list goes on and on. Proteins are built upon amino acids (comprised up of a nitrogen-containing molecule) that are bonded together to form it. They are key building blocks that help you sustain your training and recovery. Understanding how protein supports your training is critical to your overall performance. As you exercise and train, your muscle is breaking down, damaging in some cases. This initializes muscle protein synthesis to build the muscles back up and grow them. However, for best results and benefits you need to support your exercise with proteins that deliver those amino acids to your muscle via your bloodstream.
There are different types of amino acids, basically broken down into 3 groups:
1. Non-essential (these can be synthesized in the body and not necessarily needed to be supported through diet)
2. Essential (these must be consumed through your diet and are important key building blocks to building muscle)
3. Conditional (may be produced in the body but dependent on when they may be considered essential, i.e. illness).
Knowing the difference is important so you can understand more about the source you’re consuming, basically if it is a complete protein or not. You want to make sure you are consuming as many complete proteins in your diet as possible to get a maximum benefit from protein consumption. Complete proteins are those sources that contain all essential amino acids. Some examples are dairy proteins, poultry, fish, and meat. If you are vegetarian, there will be more of a need in supplementation to reach complete protein levels based on amino acids contributed what is typically consumed being low in essential amino acids.
Understanding what protein is and how it can benefit you is the first step, the second is understanding how much you need to help support your goals.
To support your recommended daily allowance, you would need ~0.8g/kg body weight. However, if you are an endurance athlete, you’ll need to be in the range of 1.2-1.7g/kg body weight. More recent research has come out showing increased muscle building and recovery benefits based upon increasing protein consumption to 2g/kg body weight or roughly 1g per pound of body weight. I have seen improvements anecdotally with athlete’s I’ve worked with that have shown improved lean body mass, performance, and strength by increasing their protein to that level.
The last learning is the “when” to consume protein. It’s a 24-hour nutrient, however, so there are critical points where it can be more beneficial than others. After exercise, you should look to consume a protein recovery beverage or protein-rich source. However, there is a 24-hour window post exercise where protein consumption is important, it may be more ideal to consume immediately upon finishing your training. You should target to consume a protein source every 3 hours throughout the day. By replenishing every 3-hours, your protein consumption will continuously deliver amino acids to the bloodstream and which then reaches your muscles. This leads to other recent research regarding how consumption of protein before bed, helps limit muscle breakdown and increases muscle protein synthesis. This is most likely occurring because there is a continuation of amino acid delivery in the bloodstream. Before bed, it is ideal to consume protein, but more particularly, a casein protein source as it digests slowly.
Remember when selecting protein sources for your diet, the ideal sources are that of complete proteins and high in the amino acid Leucine (an essential amino acid and also called a Branched Chain Amino Acid due to its structure). Leucine is the trigger and ignites muscle building by signaling the body to begin muscle protein synthesis. Whey and milk-based proteins are typically the fastest and richest sources of protein if it is an option. If vegetarian, soy and quinoa may be your best options.
Knowing the difference is important so you can understand more about the source you’re consuming, basically if it is a complete protein or not. You want to make sure you are consuming as many complete proteins in your diet as possible to get a maximum benefit from protein consumption. Complete proteins are those sources that contain all essential amino acids. Some examples are dairy proteins, poultry, fish, and meat. If you are vegetarian, there will be more of a need in supplementation to reach complete protein levels based on amino acids contributed what is typically consumed being low in essential amino acids.
Understanding what protein is and how it can benefit you is the first step, the second is understanding how much you need to help support your goals.
To support your recommended daily allowance, you would need ~0.8g/kg body weight. However, if you are an endurance athlete, you’ll need to be in the range of 1.2-1.7g/kg body weight. More recent research has come out showing increased muscle building and recovery benefits based upon increasing protein consumption to 2g/kg body weight or roughly 1g per pound of body weight. I have seen improvements anecdotally with athlete’s I’ve worked with that have shown improved lean body mass, performance, and strength by increasing their protein to that level.
The last learning is the “when” to consume protein. It’s a 24-hour nutrient, however, so there are critical points where it can be more beneficial than others. After exercise, you should look to consume a protein recovery beverage or protein-rich source. However, there is a 24-hour window post exercise where protein consumption is important, it may be more ideal to consume immediately upon finishing your training. You should target to consume a protein source every 3 hours throughout the day. By replenishing every 3-hours, your protein consumption will continuously deliver amino acids to the bloodstream and which then reaches your muscles. This leads to other recent research regarding how consumption of protein before bed, helps limit muscle breakdown and increases muscle protein synthesis. This is most likely occurring because there is a continuation of amino acid delivery in the bloodstream. Before bed, it is ideal to consume protein, but more particularly, a casein protein source as it digests slowly.
Remember when selecting protein sources for your diet, the ideal sources are that of complete proteins and high in the amino acid Leucine (an essential amino acid and also called a Branched Chain Amino Acid due to its structure). Leucine is the trigger and ignites muscle building by signaling the body to begin muscle protein synthesis. Whey and milk-based proteins are typically the fastest and richest sources of protein if it is an option. If vegetarian, soy and quinoa may be your best options.
Nick Suffredin is a specialist at helping Team D3 athletes understand their race day nutrition needs. Their successes, working together, have helped generate a lot of happy finish line smiles. Nick is a former scientist from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) where his primary responsibility was to support the GSSI physiology research program. As part of the innovation team, Nick supported research to help improve athlete recovery and performance. Primarily working in the human performance laboratory he incorporated components such as sports nutrition, sports psychology, exercise physiology, motor behavior, bio-mechanics, and strength and conditioning. His targeted research was testing elite professional athletes to enhance their hydration and nutrition intake to improve their performance.
Passionate triathletes, passionate coaches … the D3 Elite Development Team, brings the two together in Boulder, Colorado for a commitment of calculated workouts in order to achieve big-hairy-goals throughout a 10-month race season! 2018 will be our third season for the team and we have our goals set on peak performances once again. What sets this team uniquely apart from others is the quality of coaching, the commitment to your goals and the camaraderie of the team. Plus, this is the only co-ed elite team in the Boulder area. These are unsurpassed in the sport!
Achievements:
As a result of their commitment to hard work during training, the 2017 team earned numerous top podium spots, achieved personal bests and contributed to the overall success of Team D3 including:
Additionally, 2 of our 9 athletes in the Ironman World Championships this past October train with the Elite Dev. Team.
Let’s move your racing forward to a higher level in 2018 (and future seasons)!
A little curious to see who was on the team this past year? Interested to know what other successes the team has had? It's ok to do some additional research ... here ... but we know you'll like what you see!
The D3 Elite Development Team is a good fit if you have:
* Your sites are set on achieving a breakthrough for the 2018 race season.
* Discipline to follow a training plan crafted by a D3 coach aligned with your individual goals.
* Determination to commit to ten months of swim, bike and run workouts with a team who all bring-their-A-game to each workout.
* Race history that demonstrates your moxie.
* Readiness to volunteer for at least one local-to-Boulder race.
* Willingness to engage on social media.
* Commitment to race at least one local-to-Boulder race with the entire team.
* Commitment to race in the Elite Dev. Team kit.
* In a nutshell, act as an ambassador for D3, support the mission and bring the heat when it comes to demonstrating our 3 Ds: desire, determination, and discipline.
The Details:
Why: It's in the coaching and it's in the camaraderie. This team is your opportunity to achieve something BIG! With coaches that are as driven as you are, and who have an eye on helping athletes develop skills, race plans and dreams, this team is unparalleled. Weekly access to coaches with credentials that have helped athletes exceed their expectations is why this is of high value to you. We understand your training time is precious, and each training session will make progress toward achieving your goals. Plus, you will be accountable to teammates who also want to see you succeed.
Who: While having high achieving athletes on the team is exciting, we are interested in working with athletes who have the Desire, Determination and Discipline to take their game up a notch (or 5)! We are interested in developing the talent that lies within each athlete. Having the following baseline race results is a strong indicator of future success with our coaching:
Male:
+ Ironman: Under 11:00 with a goal of 10:00 or better.
+ Half Ironman: Within 5:00 hours, with a goal of going 4:30 or better.
+ Oly: 2:20 or better
+ Sprint: 1:12 or better
Females:
+ Ironman: Under 11:45 with a goal of 11:00 or better.
+ Half Ironman: Within 5:20 hours, with a goal of going 5:00 or better.
+ Oly: 2:35 or better
+ Sprint: 1:20 or better
Workouts: This is where the magic begins. Under the direction of Level III USAT Certified Coach Mike Ricci and other D3 coaches, team athletes can expect purposeful workouts that drive and push individuals to be better athletes and bring the team together as one on race day!
1. Swim workouts will be on Friday mornings at 6 am at the North Boulder Recreation Center.2. Run workouts will be on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 am and will rotate various locations to keep it fresh.3. Bike workouts will happen on Thursday mornings after the time change in the spring.4. There will be bi-monthly group rides as well and they will be announced each month, depending on race schedules.
Costs: Our focus and motivation is t
o help athletes achieve their goals. In doing so we build strong coach-athlete partnerships. Athletes on this team must commit to having a 1-to-1 coaching arrangement with a D3 coach, or a Custom Training Plan developed by D3 Head Coach Mike Ricci for the duration of the season. Individual coaches will be in-the-know about the team workouts and will make sure team athletes have a balanced direction toward achieving their individual goals. The price points and benefits vary with each coaching level, but all are within reach! In addition to the coaching fees, the Elite Development Team dues are $125 per month with a 10-month commitment. These dues include the power-packed coached workouts, access to coaches who have your goals in mind, the team race kit and additional team schwag, sponsor discounts, and facility entry fees during workouts.
Big Picture:
Athletes who are coached at any level through D3 are considered members of Team D3. The D3 Elite Development Team is unique in that athletes apply for and are accepted on the team, plus they get to train together in Boulder, CO. The Elite Development Team is part of and will be supportive of all Team D3 athletes. Team D3 athletes live around the world and it is our goal to bring them all together through a strong community. Some of these athletes may occasionally join the team for workouts.
The training begins on Friday, January 5th. Application deadline is on Wednesday, November 15th. Applications received after that time will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
How prepared are you for race day? Did you study the weather elements for the course you'll be racing and look for opportunities to simulate those during training?
Coach AJ explains in this Triathlon Minute video tip.
At this year’s IMWI race, I had the privilege of supporting a group of 37 athletes from Team World Vision who were racing to bring clean water to remote villages throughout Africa. As a collective group, they raised over $300,000 with their efforts and will be bringing clean water to over 6,200 people for LIFE! Within this group of individuals were many first-time Ironman finishers. As the days unfolded post-race I was intrigued by some of the Facebook postings expressing a sense of feeling “lost” and emotionally “numb” coming off their races. It was quite apparent many of them, perhaps like you at some point after a big race, were working through what is affectionately known as the “post-race blues” or “hangover”.
This phenomenon is quite common in endurance sports. After spending months and countless hours working towards a big goal, it seems almost normal there would be a bit of a letdown and feelings of being lost once the adrenaline dissipates, the buzz surrounding the race dwindles and we resume life as we knew it before training for our big event. Throughout the training process, our bodies and brains have been programmed to a very disciplined and specific weekly structure which provides us with a sense of purpose and joy. Once that routine becomes disrupted, it is easy for us to feel like we are in a mental fog or operating without a sense of purpose. What we are likely struggling with post-race is a loss of drive and motivation.
Science Backs it Up: The Struggle is Real
According to Dr. Jeff Brown, author of The Runner’s Brain and lead psychologist for the Boston Marathon, “Having a feeling of being let down, or even a short wave of depression, following a well-prepared race, can be a normal experience.”
Fortunately, for most of us, this emotional low is a short-lived state. Here are four strategies to help you navigate and avoid the post-race blues:
1. Have a recovery plan, both physical & mental.
Include some short walks or very light aerobic activity to keep the blood flowing the week immediately after your race. Your body will appreciate the slow drip of endorphins. Plan something fun to do which will allow your mind to be at ease and perhaps act as a distraction from any challenging emotions you are experiencing.
2. Make mental notes of what worked well and areas for improvement.
There are good takeaways from every race which help us with the debriefing process. Log these items in Training Peaks for your coach and have them ready for discussion as part of your post-race analysis.
3. Focus on the process vs. the outcome.
This is especially true when we have a disappointing race. We can fall prey to the negative thoughts of, “Was all this training and effort really worth it?” Continue to appreciate the sense of accomplishment and improvements made within the course of the training process. Our self-worth should never be attached to results.
4. Take a mid-season/end of season break.
I am a big proponent of taking a mid-season and end of season break. It is an effective way to allow our minds and bodies to reset before transitioning into another training block or the off-season.
Good luck through your season, and I'm available if you have questions or need some post-race encouragement.
Coach Brad Seng's coaching methodology revolves around the roles that both the body and the mind play in an athlete’s ability to reach maximum potential. Training the body to swim, bike or run faster, further or with more intensity is hard work. With a custom built training plan and good nutrition on board it definitely gets a whole lot easier. But I know from first-hand experience that if a person is not mentally strong, things can still go south in a hurry – especially in long distance races.
The 4 goals of recovery nutrition include:
Following are recommendations for fluids, snacks and meals that will help you achieve the four goals of recovery nutrition.
Rehydration Fluids
Recovery Snack Ideas
Recovery Meal Ideas
Megan Forbes has over 14 years of experience in the nutrition field and has adapted to all of its changes with research and education. She is passionate about learning what is best for each person and focuses on finding the root cause of problems.
Consistent training and following the plan is a sure sign of race day success. And that is why we are turning the spotlight on Tasi Karabinis! His coach, Jim Hallberg, said that not only is Tasi committed to his training, he is a good communicator about what's going on and that helps to develop the athlete-coach partnership which ultimately helps an athlete get to his/her goals. Tasi is in a situation that many triathletes face in that they have to balance their love of triathlon with family and work. However, Tasi quite simply goes about it in a refreshing way. He has two small children, one who was eager to join him throughout his training (literally, see the photo), plus he runs a coffee roasting and distribution company in Oneonta, New York. Tasi pulled it all together for a PR at Ironman Santa Rosa and we would like to recognize him for bringing it all together and achieving his goal!
1. You live in NY. How does your summer training differ from your winter training?
The biggest difference can be summed up in one word…Trainer. The weather doesn’t really impact my running since I prefer to run in the cold but it does mean the bike is on the trainer for several months. Winter training in NY means hours on the trainer and unfortunately, winter in upstate NY can be October to May sometimes. The trainer because is a necessity living here so you have to deal with it but Jim kept the workouts interesting and challenging which made it much easier this year than in the past. It was actually fun this year—some good hard workouts from Jim, college basketball or football on the iPad, and when I was lucky Addison (she’s 7) keeping me company running on the treadmill alongside the bike trainer.
2. You own a family coffee business that serves the entire north east called B & K Coffee. What are your thoughts on caffeine and training?
I’m a little biased (I think everyone should drink coffee and lots of it) but I am all for caffeine and training. For me personally, I use it as a psychological boost or as a special treat on longer days just to provide a sense of normalcy to the day. I have a shot of espresso every afternoon so I typically use an espresso flavored gel on longer bike rides just to make the workout seem like a regular day. Just don’t overdo it before a workout—as Jim recently told me after I confessed to having 5 shots of espresso before a run and wondered why my heart rate was a little high that day for the run.
3. What is one of the most fun workouts Coach Jim has given you?
There have been a bunch of workouts that I’ve really enjoyed. Jim had me do a swim workout Race Start Speed 4x200 which was a really hard workout for me but I really enjoyed it. The thought may have entered my mind that Jim was trying to kill me that day but I managed to survive and had fun doing so. He also managed to keep the trainer fun with a bunch of hard interval workouts. My favorite was the 10x1 min and 10x2 min hill climb workout.
4. You recently raced Ironman Santa Rosa and had a PR. What is a favorite memory from the race?
The whole day was really a great day. The views of the vineyards made for a pretty remarkable backdrop on the bike course. Unfortunately, our 5-month-old came down with an ear infection before the race and the rest of the family was unable to fly out for the race so the pictures of her “watching” the Ironman feed on an iPad were pretty special.
5. From NY to CA, that's a big distance to travel for a race. What advice do you have for other athletes traveling for an Ironman?
Get there early!! This was the first race I have done that required shipping bikes and flying. Getting to Santa Rosa on Wednesday was a good decision but I probably should have arrived Tuesday. There is just so much to do leading up to race day when you are that far from home—registration, checking out the course, finding places to eat, and getting race morning nutrition set up that the earlier you can get there the better. Not to mention the time it takes to loosen up from the cross country flight.
As we approach fall, many triathletes have completed their “A” races for the season - or at least the first of them. Maybe you had a great day and are working to identify those minor tweaks to make your next race even better. Or maybe on race day you weren’t able to accomplish what you set out to achieve. In other words, ‘round about now you might be looking for redemption.
You might be tempted to just show up and hammer the next race, harnessing all your frustration from the day that didn’t go as planned. But unless you make some changes in your training and racing, “just hammer it” may not be an effective race strategy. Here are four ways you can improve your chance for redemption in as little as 6-8 weeks:
1. Identify Your Greatest Potential for Improvement
Specifically, I’m talking about finding the low hanging fruit of race time. Is there somewhere that you can shave off a few minutes by making a relatively minor change? If your transition times were long compared to those who finished around you, that’s a perfect place to start. Did you fade in the final miles of the bike or run? Spend a few weeks boosting your endurance. Want a slight bump in speed? Incorporate hills on the bike and run.
2. Review Your Training Habits
First, take an honest look at your training calendar and assess your training consistency. Is Training Peaks mostly green, or do you have a lot of “rainbow” weeks? If your calendar tends to be more of the latter, focus on increasing your consistency by just one or two workouts a week. It’s a manageable change but one that will yield noticeable results.
Next, look critically at how you’re executing your workouts. Are your easy days easy enough, and are your hard days hard enough, or is there little difference between the two? Set a goal of ensuring that a bystander on the pool deck or spying you along your biking and running routes could unquestionably spot the difference between hard and easy.
Lastly, examine how your weeks and days stack up: are you getting any/enough recovery? If you’re not seeing a day or two within each week with lighter intensity, and one week out of every three or four with a noticeable decrease in training volume, then the answer is no. Increased fitness cannot occur without recovery, so hit the couch. That’s an order!
3. Evaluate Your Race-Day Fueling
This piece can be particularly critical for long-course athletes. If you don’t have a rock solid, tried and true fueling plan that you can execute without thinking about it, now’s the time to create one. If you do, take a second look at it. If you often feel you’ve run out of gas by the end of the race, you may need to adjust your caloric intake. If the logistics of bringing twenty gels on your bike are bringing you down, explore liquid nutrition options. And if you don’t currently include protein (long-course only), sodium, and amino acids in your fueling, it’s time to add those in.
4. Fine Tune Your Race Plan
If your mental response to point #4 was “Race plan? What’s that?” I’ve just identified the number one change for your next race. A race plan doesn’t have to be long or complicated, but it does need to outline your intended effort levels and nutrition intake for the race.
Once you have a plan, you’ll want to confirm that your race targets are effort-based rather than pace-based and are appropriate for your fitness level and training experience. Another way of thinking about it is that your race targets should be based on what you’ve recently proven you can execute through training, and not the goal time that you’ve dreamed up but has no basis in reality.
The last piece of the puzzle, then, is to actually execute your race plan. Redemption will be found through improving the process, not by watching the clock. And an extra dose of grit couldn’t hurt. Best of luck!
You look around and see all these superior athletes surrounding you. At the pool, you notice ripped swimmers as they saunter across the deck, slip into the water and motor back and forth at speeds such that you can’t imagine how they are doing that. On the bike, you are tooling along at a crisp pace, and some other cyclist eases by, seemingly without effort, gives you a little nod, and turns into a steadily decreasing shape until becoming a tiny dot disappearing over the horizon. During your run, same thing: you get passed by a couple of young women who are having an in-depth conversation about their physics exam or some term paper coming up.
But the conversation you are having with yourself is not about what they are talking about. You are asking yourself one question that, at that moment, seems like the most important thing of all: “Do I even belong here?” The conversation with yourself continues: “Everybody around here is fast, and they look so fit and they have really nice kits and fancy bikes and the latest swim equipment. I’m just a normal person. I don’t fit in. I don’t belong here.”
And maybe you are right, but it doesn’t matter and here’s why. You are not here for them. You are here for you. Here are three steps for transforming this doubt that you belong, into something useful and powerful and even motivating.
Step 1. Revisit and write down (yes on paper with a pencil or your favorite pen) your reasons for doing your sport. Your reasons and drives for training and racing may be about maintaining your fitness and health, or your body shape. It may be to relieve the tensions of normal life. It may be to knock off a life goal, check off a bucket list item or just see whether you can actually do this. Or it may be to win your age group, to grab a personal record or qualify for some championship race. Whatever the reasons, as many as they are, as big or tiny as they might seem, write them down (all of them) and take a look at them. This isn’t about all those other people, those swimmers and cyclists and runners. This is for you, and they don’t really figure into all this.
Step 2. Pay attention to the actual actions of those around you. When you pay close attention to all these seal-sleek swimmers and speedy cyclists and fluid runners, how do they treat you? You might be tempted to evaluate what you think they think of you, rather than what they are actually doing. When you look for it, you may notice that they are actually behaving toward you in a very supportive way. Notice the little looks of approval, the “nice-work” statements, the little acknowledgements that you are out there training and racing. That you are one of them, that they acknowledge you.
Step 3. Acknowledge other athletes. You could wait around hoping someone will give you a thumbs-up, or a knowing nod or a “good job.” Or… you could initiate those things. See another athlete on a run or a ride or at the pool? Give a little nod of approval. Encounter another triathlete at the gym (yes, you can tell who they are)? Tell them, “Nice work.” Be genuine, be brief. But instigate the continuing culture or letting everyone know that everyone belongs.
There will be strange responses, no doubt. Some athletes are shy. Some are absorbed in their training session and don’t even see you. No problem. You belong, and so do all the other athletes. Help create the culture of belonging. Because you do. We all do.
Mental Skills Expert Will Murray often hears triathletes saying that the sport is at least 50% mental and 50% physical, but I’ve come to notice that they spend very little (if any) time doing mental training. Fortunately, it’s easy and fast to train-up your mind to help you achieve your triathlon goals. I’ve been lucky enough to bring these mental conditioning techniques to first-time athletes and Olympians, kids and seniors, triathletes who want to finish the race and those who are gunning to win.
Want the honest truth about where to seed yourself for the swim start? Coach AJ Johnson lay's it out in this Triathlon Minute.
If you are using a PowerMeter you will want to understand the difference between Average and Normalized Power. Coach AJ Johnson explains in this Triathlon Minute video tip.
Research shows that gait pattern alone gives only limited insight in potential running related dysfunction and must be assessed together with the foot structure to understand the dynamic that can lead to injury.
The foot is a very complex structure and often undertreated in the rehabilitation of many orthopedic conditions including knee pain and low back pain. There are 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles in a foot. A typical foot is divided into the rear or hind foot, midfoot and forefoot. The rear foot is composed of the talus and calcaneus (largest bone in the foot), mid foot is an assortment of bones: cuneiforms, cuboid and the navicular bones (also known as tarsal bones) while the metatarsal and phalanges form the forefoot.
Our basic foot function is to provide a firm platform for landing and absorbing the impact during initial contact with the ground as well as a flexible lever important during the push off stage for walking and running. Foot structure affects the ability for the foot to pronate correctly (timing and the amount), the foot strike pattern and ability to absorb the ground reaction force.
The first phase of gait during walking is heel strike. At that moment 80% of the body weight is over the calcaneus and proper alignment of the articulating bones such as talus and tibia is critical for proper distribution of vertical forces. Bones turn and move on one another to make walking possible with assistance from our muscles and ligaments. Pronation of the foot is a typical occurrence during gait and plays a critical role in the reduction of forces acting on the foot from the moment the heel strike to toe off (beginning and end of a walk cycle).
Two most basic foot deformities are pes planus (flat feet) and pes cavus (high arches). Pes planus is often acquired in adulthood due to a mismatch between active and passive stabilizers of the longitudinal arch, which is the arch giving the foot the height. The etiology or cause of pes cavus is unknown and can be located in either of the three sites of the foot or in a combination of these sites.
Pes planus and pes cavus are often accompanied by hallux varus (great toe turned inward at a sharp angle), bunions, forefoot varus and hammer toes respectively. Considering that bones in the foot articulate with the tibia, which articulates with the femur that lives in the hip socket, one can see how a dysfunctional foot structure that triggers an atypical gait pattern will have an affect on the body, particularly on the knee and the hip.
Foot and gait analysis are critical in not only treatment of injuries but also for their prevention. Before considering a minimal shoe, zero drop shoe or a cushioned shoe the foot structure should be evaluated and understood so that a proper match is found. Sometimes an orthotic is a great solution. Particularly in cases where passive structures have been chronically lengthened and an alternative correction will likely fail.
A good gait analysis should consist of a form breakdown: head position, elbow position, foot to hip alignment and placement of the foot when landing. Because gait alters at different speeds, an analysis at base pace, medium effort and all out sprint is beneficial to take a closer look at mechanics and how they alter at different speeds. The recommendation would be to look for a professional that is detailed and understands proper gait as well as required body mechanics and alignment.
Remember, running by itself won’t cause arthritis or injury. Altered foot structure and gait pattern will.
Coach Martina knows that most athletes like to concentrate on the aspect of training that they are the most comfortable with, which are often long workouts with low effort (volume emphasis). While volume does play a role, shorter workouts at high effort (intensity emphasis) are also very important. Knowing when to do what type of training is crucial in succeeding and staying injury free. As a coach and a musculoskeletal expert, she creates plans that enhance physiological strengths of an individual and correct his or her weaknesses, which makes training fun, efficient and effective.
