Winter is coming, so get out and ride! We are all very good at using the weather as an excuse not to ride, and who wants to ride the trainer all the time? However, if you want to improve and put some distance between you and your competitors, you have to do more than they are and do it smarter than they are! The "off-season" is the perfect time to gain the advantage!
But let's be realistic: most of us live in areas that subject us to the full bore of old man winter, and a lot of us really love our trusty steeds and will do anything to protect them from harm (no, I'm not talking about your blackberry – I'm talking about your bike!). Winterizing your bike will help protect your baby as well as allow for relatively comfortable and safe riding throughout these dark, cold months.
Biking in the snow, ice, and rain can be rough on your bike. Mother Nature's elements can damage a frame and components. Here are some tips to prepare your ride for the winter and keep you riding safely through the winter:
**Lube** - Do NOT use WD-40 on your components! It breaks down oils and creates a very sticky coating that loves to attract dirt, sand, gravel, etc. Find a good synthetic chain lube – Tri-Flow, White Lightning, Pedro's, and Pro Link are some popular lubes. Clean your chain at least once a week with a good chain cleaner, then apply the chain lube and allow it to "set" for a bit and then wipe off the residue with a cloth. Each time you lube your chain, squirt a few drops on the front and rear derailleur pivot points. An occasional squirt at each end of the brake and derailleur cables, followed by working the brake and gear mechanisms back and forth to get the lubricant set in the housings will help keep your cables working well throughout the winter.
If you are in a really harsh environment with a lot of snow/rain and below-freezing temperatures, squirt some lubricant in all drainage holes in your frame as well as the seat post to help prevent water from freezing inside your frame.
**Tires** – Fat tires have better traction. Understanding the conditions you will be riding in will help determine what tires will be best. If you try and ride with skinny tires, having them slightly under-inflated in wet conditions will allow for better traction. If you'll be riding in snow, ice, and roads with a lot of debris, consider wider tires with deeper treads – this will help alleviate flat tires, and changing a flat tire in cold weather is not fun!
**Wheels** – There's no real need to buy rims just for your winter riding. Selecting the proper tires will help protect your rims. However, wipe down your rims regularly to remove any buildup of grime and other damaging debris.
**Brakes** – Inspect your brake pads regularly! Wipe them down after each ride, especially when riding on messy/wet roads. Grime and other debris may build up on them and scratch your rims.
**Frame** – Wipe your frame down regularly! Salt is very bad for your frame, so make sure you do a quick wipe down after each ride that takes you over salted roads.
**Fenders** – If you will be riding through wet conditions regularly, consider investing in some fenders. The plastic ones are inexpensive and light and are the best option to keep you dry and your office chair clean.
**Lights** – The winter and its conditions can drastically limit a driver's visibility, so if you're going to skimp on spending money winterizing your bike, don't skimp here! Use a powerful front light and a good flashing tail light (make sure this tail light is visible and not hidden by your jackets and/or gear bags). You can find very capable lights that are not going to break the bank. One of the big differences in the lights by price is in their battery life – so if you can remember to recharge yours each night (and even in the office), you may be able to get away with a more inexpensive model.
**Clothing** – This is a whole article in and of itself! Just make sure you are prepared for the elements. You want to ensure your clothing enhances your visibility, so wear something bright and with reflective strips. Layering is best to ensure you have enough to ensure your warmth but allows you to dress down for that lunchtime ride. Consider a scarf, neck warmer, or balaclava to protect your head and neck but make sure you can breathe comfortably. Eyewear is extremely important – consider clear lenses for the dark times. Good windproof and/or waterproof gloves and something to protect your feet will keep you walking and typing throughout the day.
**Bike** – And last, but not least, if you have the luxury of owning more than just one bike (or you have a very understanding significant other and can buy one), using a mountain bike or a cross bike would be very ideal as they are naturally built to handle rougher conditions.
**Ride with the conditions** – Ride slower, more steadily, and smoother and be aware of your surroundings. Know the angle of the sun and how it affects drivers' visibility; be cautious of black ice, snow banks, potholes, etc. Wet conditions mean reduced stopping power and extended braking distances.
Now you have NO EXCUSES! Get out there, train smart, and have
A general rule of thumb for writing a comprehensive training plan is that it should encompass progressive overload, be specific and take into account the individual needs of a specific athlete. Scientific approach to designing a training plan that follows such parameters is called periodization and has been initially introduced to the world of sport in ancient Greece. In 1940s eastern Germans and Romanians elaborated the methodology therefore it is them who are considered the modern fathers of periodization.
Periodization Theory
The basic idea behind the periodization is that training stresses vary throughout the year as opposed to staying constant. The type and amount of stress is determined by the athletic events that require peak performance from the athlete. In a periodized plan the year is divided into several periods, each a couple to several weeks long. Periodization plan begins with transition and preparation stages, followed by the base training, build period, peak and race; training progresses from general to more [sport] specific. The training schedule begins by emphasizing volume over intensity and reverses as the race day approaches.
Periodization stages: Base/Late base
Base phase is broken into base 1, 2 and 2, each 3-4 weeks long. The main goals of base training are building endurance, muscular endurance, force and working on speed skills. Late base or base 3 differs from the previous two in that the training volume reaches the maximum and in that is beginning to shift from general to more specific. In addition, intensity increases somewhat in the late phase as more force and higher loads during muscular endurance training are added to the schedule. The purpose of higher intensity is to prepare the athlete for the next stage ? build ? during which anaerobic endurance training is introduced.
Understanding the terminology
Endurance in other words means to become fatigue resistant. The main goal of endurance training is thus not only to lessen the effects of fatigue but also to delay the onset of it, which is achieved by training the slow-twitch muscle fibers. Endurance training is also important from nutritional perspective by training the body to utilize fat as a fuel of choice while sparing the carbohydrate and glycogen reserves. The best training to build on endurance are long duration swim, bike and run workouts.
Force, by definition, is the ability to overcome resistance. For a multisport athlete the ability to generate force means success in battling with rough conditions such as tall waves, head or cross winds and hills. Like endurance, the force relies on the slow twitch muscle fibers. An adequately trained slow twitch muscle will generate higher speeds at higher intensities without drastically affecting the heart rate. The later is particularly important in sparing the glycogen resources while relying on fat as the main fuel for the activity.
Developing speed skills is necessary for the economy of movement. Economical movement is effective and efficient and as such necessary because it spares energy, particularly at high velocities. Speed skills are achieved by incorporating drills into the training routine.
Muscular endurance defined means maintaining a great force load through time and it therefore requires muscular adaptations that result from both, force and endurance training. Muscle tissue that is trained for endurance is capable of resisting fatigue and greater lactate threshold levels. In a multisport event the most importance should be placed on muscular endurance in running. By developing muscular endurance in running an athlete will be able to keep the targeted pace without fatiguing even after the hours from previous effort (swim and bike) begin to take their toll. The best training regimen to work on muscular endurance is sustained efforts at higher heart rates (anaerobic) and with aerobic intervals, which are introduced in base 2 but get longer during base 3. The purpose of the increasing work length is to prepare the athlete for the next level ? build-at which steady state efforts of 25 + minutes at higher heart rates are quite common.
Putting it all together, the workouts:
Workout 1: Hill repeats to improve muscular endurance and force Find a moderate, about 1 mile long, hill. Pick a gear that allows for 70 RPM and the Heart Rate in Z2, drifting into Z3. Ride down the hill for recovery. Repeat the hill by gearing up and sustaining the cadence of 65-70 RPM. Keep climbing and gearing up until you can no longer sustain the effort for the whole climb (you have to slow down or gear down). HR in higher zones (at or above the lactate threshold) is allowed for the last effort as long as the effort remains constant.
Workout 2: Muscular Endurance Find a flat stretch on the road. After a thorough warm up (you have broken the sweat) ride as hard as you can for 10 min in a gear that will allow 85-90 RPM. Repeat 4 x and spin easy for 2 minutes between sets. Cool down.
Workout 3: Speed Skill
These will be all out efforts and can be done on the trainer or a flat stretch on the road. To warm up spin easy at 85-90 rpm; the work interval should be done as follows: find a gear that will allow you to pedal at 80-95 rpm and at which the ?burning? feeling in the legs develops within 30-45 seconds. These intervals should be ridden 10-12 times by taking 90 sec to 120 seconds recovery. The focus of the workout is to increase lactate tolerance while maintaining a good form. To increase the tolerance for the lactate, maintain the effort at the onset of the burn at least for a few more seconds.
What else can you do?
Taking into consideration that most of the base training falls into the winter months, cross training can replace some of the swim, bike and run routines. Cross-country skiing has been proven to have the best carry-over to cycling by working out the quads and challenging the balance. Other great sports to challenge the cardiovascular system are snowshoeing and winter hiking. Especially hiking should not be underestimated due to its aerobic nature: sustained effort over a prolonged period of time will teach the body to utilize fat and spare the glycogen.
A Closing thought
By using the example workouts in this article you will be off to a great start to the 2008 season. Good Luck!
References:
1. Friel J. The Triathlete?s Training Bible. Boulder: Velo Press; 2004.
2. Bompa T. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 1999
3. Matheny, F. Winter Wisdom: seven smart ways to become a fitter cyclist this off-season. Bicycling. 1993; 34n11:70(4)
Martina Young is a USAT Certified Coach with D3 Multisport , ACE certified personal trainer and licensed clinical massage therapist. She can be reached for coaching at Martina@D3Multisport.com
The leaves have fallen, the temperatures have dropped, and many of us have had to bust out the snow shovels already. The onset of winter is inevitable. However, on those magical days when the sun prevails, our desire to be outside helps give us the determination to bundle up in order to do so. But do we always have the discipline to make sure and consider sun protection during these chillier times?
If I personally were to answer that question, I would say no, not always. But I would also say that since starting medical school and deciding to go into dermatology, I have come to appreciate the adverse and cumulative affects of the sun on our skin. I have also been lucky enough to work with several amazing dermatologists and read some good literature on what to look for and how to protect oneself properly from the scarier side of the sun. Thus I wanted to pass on some of these tips and tidbits in the hopes of helping all of us become more vigilant in guarding our largest organ.
#1) The SPF quandry. The minimum SPF used should be 30. Higher SPF’s offer slightly more protection but make sure you are at least applying a 30. If you are the facial moisturizer type, it is wise to buy something with a built-in SPF. For women, if you use foundation, many also have built-in SPF’s, and those are also recommended. In the case of the face, more is better.
#2) The application process. The best thing you can do for your skin is to reapply sunscreen every 1.5-2 hours. Surely you jest! No. And don’t call me Shirley (name that movie). Yes, that’s the recommendation, but it is not always the reality. So, when you get up in the morning, put a layer on before your breakfast and then a layer on the exposed areas after you lycra-up. This gives you a nice double dose and perhaps avoids the lower-back-band-burn that we have all received at one point in time while riding. Also don’t forget that swimming essentially washes away even the most water-proof sunscreens. So, give yourself another layer post pool.
#3) The tried and true A.B.C.D.’s. At the chronological point in life when we advance from adolescence to adulthood, we should essentially stop growing new moles. If new moles do show up, no need to panic, just remember you’re a.B.C.D.’s. A is for asymmetry, something you do not want in a mole. Ideally you should be able to fold the mole in half and have it match. B is for borders. Good moles have good, clean borders. Potentially harmful moles have irregular or ragged borders. C is for color. You want moles that are both evenly and uniformly colored for the most part. D is for diameter. Anything that appears to be growing in diameter warrants further investigation.
#4) Check yourself, so you don’t wreck yourself. It is a really good idea to get in the habit of doing a purposeful once-a-month scan of your own skin. Get familiar with what’s always been there versus what may be something new. For those hard to see places, find a friend to help identify trouble spots. The back is the place for highest incidence of skin cancers in men, and the back of the legs is the place for highest incidence of skin cancers in women. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
#5) Even where the sun doesn’t shine? Oh yes, look where the sun doesn’t shine. This includes feet, tops and bottoms, and your actual bottom (creases and cracks included). Skin cancers don’t discriminate. Also be aware of spots that appear to be in the nail (feet or hands). Make sure a spot in the nailgrows out with the nail. Otherwise have it looked at immediately. Poor Bob Marley died of complications from a melanoma that began in his nail.
I would venture to guess that most of you who take the time to read this article are as good at the D3s of skin (*Dutifully apply a good layer of SPF 30 sunscreen *Diligently check your skin for any new spots that may meet the A.B.C.D.’s *Don’t ignore those areas where the sun doesn’t shine) as you are at being a D3 athlete. If not, perhaps now’s the time to start implementing the D3’s of the skin so that when summer rolls around you will be well-trained to conquer both the racing scene as well as the effects of the sun.
Cathy Koger is an accomplished ironman triathlete who set her P.R. this year at Ironman Canada. In 2006 she won the 5430 Long Course Series in Boulder CO. Currently Cathy is a 4th year medical student applying to dermatology for residency. She lives in Boulder with her husband Ivy and running partner Haley, the greyhound.
September can be a difficult month to keep your momentum going, even if you have an A priority race still on the calendar. Many athletes start out the season in April or May, and if you haven't taken a good break somewhere in the season, you can start to lose your steam. There are several steps you can take to keep going through this time of year.1. Mix it up. Those same training routes can get boring so try a new one. Take a left where you normally go right, or drive to park and start your run somewhere else entirely. Or go further and hit the trails for a run or mountain bike. A change of scenery can be a big boost for your morale. You can also mix up your routine by trying workouts at different times. If you normally run in the morning, try going for an evening run before dinner. For swimming, join a Masters program if one is available. Again, a small change can be enough to revamp your motivation.
2. Find a training buddy. Most towns have a local run or cycling club that are happy to accept newcomers. Get out of your normal comfort zone and show up for their group workout. Hang at the back to start, get a feel for the group chemistry, but when your comfortable, join in and make some new friends. Training wise, it can be great to provide a completely new type of stimulus to your routine. After doing long runs every weekend a good speed session at the track will challenge your legs in a whole new way.
3. Sign up. Find a fun event to train for. There are plenty of Oktoberfest runs coming up, and the fall is one of the most popular times for trail running events. You don’t have to make it an A priority race, just put it on your calendar so you have another reason to keep getting out the door. If possible, find an event that will allow you to train a weakness. For instance, if you are not strong on the run, pick a hilly course that forces you to train your weakness. Fun events like your local short course triathlon or an XTERRA event would also be good choices. You can even choose to shoot for a PR in an event that you haven't done before. Most triathletes haven't run an all out 5k without swimming and biking first. Focus your training on a single sport and see just how fast you can go.
4. Get a friend started. Most triathletes know someone, a neighbor or co-worker, who has expressed interest in going for a run or bike or even taking on their first triathlon. While training for an A race, you likely pushed them off for worry that they would slow you down. Now is a great time to encourage that person and get them involved in a healthier lifestyle. One of the most rewarding aspects of coaching is taking what I have learned over the years and helping others succeed. Triathlon can be a very selfish sport at times, and you can give back by helping others. We all started with little knowledge of the sport and we were all beginners that benefited from someone taking a little bit of their time to help us along the way. Return the favor and mentor someone into the triathlon lifestyle.
5. Shut it down. The last option, but one that may help you in the long run, is to shut down your training for a week or more. When your mentally not prepared to train and you are forcing yourself out the door, you are simply prolonging an inevitable crash. Before you get too far in the hole, mentally and physically, call it a season. I'm sure there are plenty of other items on your list that need tending to. Finish that home project you started in June or spend a lazy Saturday with your family. You may feel guilty about not getting in a run, but remember that every athlete takes breaks. Motivation will come and go, but inspiration will always be there.
Coach AJ Johnson has an understanding that no two athletes are the same even when their goals are. He views each athlete as a puzzle with unique abilities, motivators, lifestyle and potential. There's nothing I enjoy more than helping someone incorporate the individual pieces to get the results they looking for because when it all comes together, it's amazing!
Whenever improving technique is a goal, a good coach will usually suggest a set of drills to help isolate a particular part of the big picture. Although they are a HUGE part of training in swimming and running, they just aren't as prevalent in cycling ESPECIALLY mountain biking. So if you've been wanting to improve your mountain biking technique, here's a set of 3 simple drills that you can do in your neighborhood, backyard, or at the trailhead (while you wait on that one friend that we all have that seems to take forever to get his helmet buckled ) !
* The "Figure 8": This drill is so simple, yet one of the best balance and control drills out there for mountain bikers. Start in a wide flat area (like any trailhead parking lot) and turn in the widest circle that the area will allow. Once you are back where you started, turn the other way and make another circle. With each lap you make (leaving a big giant 8 on the ground with your tracks), narrow your turn to make the 8 smaller and smaller. Eventually, you will be turning as sharply as you can and making a very small 8 on the ground. It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain balance and/or speed once the 8 becomes small, and with time you will get better and better at it.
* The Slow Ride: Another great simple basic: just ride as slowly as you can. This drill is all about balance a key component of mountain biking. This can be done anywhere, from your driveway to the trail. Start off riding normal (don't start with a trackstand), then slow yourself down to a stop. Without touching your feet to the ground, hold the trackstand as long as you can, then pedal a small amount to regain your balance. The length of time that you can hold it will go up and up, and the distance that you move forward to regain your balance will go down and down. For fun, have a slow race with your riding pals whoever gets there last without turning off the course wins!
* Curb Drill: This drill can take many forms, and could be broken down into at least 5 different drills. This is fantastic practice for learning wheel placement, body weight placement, and the ever useful bunny hop. Using a curb on a street, a parking bumper in a parking lot, or a ledge on the trail, just practice going up and down as smoothly as you can. Try many different approach angles, including riding parallel to the curb. For example, once you are good at it, ride down the street along the curb (like in the gutter), and practice popping up onto the sidewalk, then dropping back to the street, over and over. Practice one wheel at a time, and then graduate up to hopping up with both wheels. If you find a curb with a good approach, try to hop all the way up without either tire touching. And then when you get REALLY good at it, find a small staircase with 3 steps and practice going up and down, up and down.
As with most drills, as long as you practice these on a regular basis, your body will adapt and eventually perform the new skill set without much conscious thought! And your mind will be free to focus on whatever else you're trying to do!
Its spring time and we tend to see large fluctuations in weather that allow for a few days of outdoor training and then possibly a few more indoor sessions. I would like to bring up three things to consider when going from a fairly large amount of indoor training or even cold outdoor weather training to really favorable and even hotter temperatures that are body is not accustomed to.First: As we get outside and start to shed layers, you may need to update your outdoor power and heart rate threshold zones, for cycling as well as your pacing and heart rate threshold zones for running. The temperatures will allow for a potential higher threshold because of warmer skin and less fabric restrictions. So enjoy the weather and see where your current fitness is with some nice warm weather outdoor threshold.
Second: Your friends are likely itching to get out and get some rides and runs in. Take the opportunity, and join them. However, don't go way beyond your current limits. If you have only been on a 2 hour ride in the past month or so, don’t plan on enjoying a 100 mile, 5-6 hour long group session. Build up appropriately. You can extend a little more on the bike than the run. If your longest ride has been 2 hours you can manage a 3 hour ride. As far as the run goes, really stay close to your recent long runs and only add 2-3 miles tops. Make sure you do not run with someone who is much faster than you as you are just risking injury. Someone who is slightly faster is one thing, but to be in a much higher pace or heart rate zone will likely leave you miserable and possibly injured, with less chance of you staying on task for the next few days afterwards.
Third: The weather often warms up faster than our biological body can respond. We are amazing animals and can adapt very quickly, however these days of rapid heat change from within a few hours and even day to day can leave you a little dehydrated. Not only just from heat outdoors, but as we begin to extend our training time and possibly the intensity. Now is the time we need to get back into our hydration and nutrition practices. As the days warm up, it's a great way to adapt your body for warm weather races. Don't hide from it, but adapt and make sure your meeting your nutritional, hydration and electrolyte needs. This will help dial in your race nutrition sooner rather than later.
Have fun, get fast and stay healthy!
Coach Jim Hallberg believes that every one of us has the capacity to improve our efficiency, get stronger and run, bike or swim faster. Sure, it takes time, dedication and discipline but it's possible. Working with an experienced coach can make sure that your efforts are targeted in the right areas to make sure you reach those goals!
When I came on board with the University of Colorado Triathlon team coaching staff two years ago, interim head coach and current D3 coach Dave Sheanin had instilled the mindset of "champions adapt" with the squad. This proved to be a strong rally call for the Buffs en route to their fifth consecutive collegiate club National Championship. It is a phrase we often remind our college athletes of when things do not go quite as planned, (which is more often than you may think)!
Triathlon, as with life, is a journey filled with many ups, downs, twists and turns. We spend an impressive amount of time, energy and resources on one or two big races each season with no guarantees on the outcome. Within each training block there are inevitably going to be hiccups and it's important that you and your coach have the creativity and flexibility to make adjustments on the fly.
Reality is, if you stay in this sport for any length of time, that illness (either your own or your child's), work/family commitments, mechanical issues, inclement weather, etc. are going to interfere with your training at some point . While the majority of these are unforeseen, our ability to positively adapt to the circumstances should be automatic. Expect the unexpected and have a plan! This proactive approach can reduce stress levels and allow you to execute a key training session, and more importantly, perform your best on race day! There are stories of Michael Phelps' coach purposely "sabotaging" some of his workouts to create a stressful environment. Phelps claims this helped him deal with his goggles filling with water during the Olympics. There is a certain mindset that is needed to effectively deal with situations when they go south on us!
Every training session and challenge should be viewed as an opportunity. Good health is an amazing gift we can easily take for granted. If you find yourself struggling through a particular training week or block, ask yourself, Do I view these early morning master swims, trainer rides or track workouts as an obligation or an opportunity? The athletes who seem to enjoy the journey and perform their best are often the ones who embrace these challenges as opportunities to better themselves, learn and get out of their comfort zones. Training can be a grind at times, but ultimately the process of training and racing should be an outlet for other life stresses. As race season is underway, here are some simple tips to help you make the most of the opportunities that come your way, and become a champion who adapts!
Growing up the youngest of 4 boys, I was always schooled on the fundamentals of athletics. I was late to the party, arriving nine years after my closest brother and 15 and 16 years after my two oldest brothers. I have vivid memories of my brothers hitting me ground ball after ground ball at the age of 9 and on. I remember shooting free throws for hours on end, or practicing my jump shot from the left side of the key, off the dribble of course. One day while I taking grounders from my brother Kevin, I took one ball to the face. I was pretty shaken up, and kept lifting my head away from the ball on the ensuing grounders. Finally, my brother walked over to me, put the ball on the ground in front of me and said, ‘Can that ball hurt you? Are you tougher than that ball?’. While I started to argue, that yes, in fact the ball could hurt me, he was already walking away, getting ready to hit me more ground balls. I didn’t really have any excuse to lift my head away, because I knew I would be giving into my fears. I didn’t want to disappoint my brother but at the same time, I wanted to be the best baseball player on the field when I was playing.
Fast forward to 1979, and I am trying out for the local little league minor leagues. I hit well that day, gobbled up all the ground balls and showed that I could pitch too. All that practice was rewarded when I was selected first in the draft, to the worst team in the league (um, is that a reward?). In my first game, I was playing second base and in the final inning we were clinging to a small lead. The opposing team had a runner on first as the batter hit a high chopper up the middle that was going to be a sure hit into center field. I ran behind second base, snared the ball, ran back over the bag for the force out and threw out the runner at first. A game ending double play, in my first game and needless to say, my training had paid off.
Over the years, I’ve had some great coaches, and some, um, not so great coaches. The great coaches were my Little League coach, Tony B, my grammar school basketball coach Armand B, and my football coach in high school, Al Morro (the legendary hammer coach) I’ve had other coaches as well, and all of these coaches, good or bad, have impacted my coaching style. Some were yellers, and some were not. I’ve always been motivated by ‘good job’, ‘nice play’ or ‘you’ll get ‘em next time’. I’ve never been motivated by the ‘get your head out of your butt’ comment. Even though some of the above coaches used the negative reinforcement tactic, it didn’t really inspire me to get better. This is one of the most important parts of coaching: an athlete has to be respected and has trust the coach! If not, all the talent and the greatest training plan in the world are worthless. I’ll touch more on this in a later post. In Part II I’ll write more about the men who helped mold me as a coach.
Mike Ricci, USAT Coach of the Year, and a Level III USAT Certified Coach is the owner and founder of the D3 Multisport coaching group. He is no stranger to business ownership and the exciting ride that brings. Having navigated the triathlon industry on the business side for over 15 years, he has learned what it takes to bring a business concept to the industry, maintain the course through difficulties, and to savor the success which is often hard earned. Mike is passionate about helping his athletes achieve their goals, helping the D3 coaches develop their own strengths and to initiate new business ideas and partnerships through D3 Multisport. Mike has a BS in Finance and an MBA in Accounting. He is a US Marine Corps veteran.
As we wrap up the season and enter the new year, it’s a great time to evaluate our triathlon achievements, and make plans for how we can improve.
The following 11 tips can serve as an accelerator for getting your training organized, and your planning off to a great start in next season!
1. Review what you did last season. Did you hit your goals?
2. Set goals for upcoming season. Don’t set the bar too low!
3. New Training Partners. Sometimes a fresh group of training partners can help you reach those new goals.
4. Set a schedule that’s repeatable. A plan where you schedule 10 hours a week and hit 95% of your workouts is better than a plan where you schedule 15 hours and hit 50% of your workouts.
5. Update your gear! Clean and tune-up your gear. Put lubricant on zippers, look over old run shoes, replace the screws in your winter run shoes, make sure you have hats, gloves, and winter gear ready to go for cold weather training.
6. Create your schedule around vacation, and add in training camps, scheduled time off and family responsibilities.
7. Plan your season into periods – swim, bike or run focus (if that’s your weakness), race pace workouts, taper, transition to new distances, and more difficult courses.
8. Plan your meals, start weight training, and yoga.
9. Schedule your workouts on your calendar. Don’t break these appointments!
10. Set a bed time and stick to it. Lights out at a consistent time, be disciplined.
11. Stick to your goals in #2!
Coach Mike Ricci is the founder and head coach of D3, is USAT Level III certified and has coaching style that is ‘process focused’ vs. ‘results focused.’ When working with an athlete, their understanding of how and why they are improving is always going to take precedence over any race result. Yes there is an end goal, but in over 2 decades of coaching, experience has shown me that if you do the right work, and for the right reasons, the results will follow! And if you understand and enjoy the process, the likelihood of achieving your goals will increase ten fold! I like to say, “If you aren’t having fun, why are you doing it?”
Sometimes coaches and athletes have different ideas about what makes for a great workout. As a coach, the easiest part of my job is posting a workout. As an athlete, the easiest part of your job should be doing them. Sure, some workouts are really, really tough and some intervals might make you want to puke. But the easy part I'm talking about is completing them according to a plan.
Here's the recipe for completing the perfect workout.
1. Hydration/nutrition. Have something to eat and drink before you work out. Each athlete has his or her own individual tolerances for how soon before a workout to eat. You can experiment with this to find what works, but don't punt on it. This is especially important for early morning workouts since you wake up dehydrated and depleted. If your body has some fluid and fuel, your workout will be better.
2. Follow the plan. You hired a coach or bought a training plan for a reason. Whatever the reason maybe-to make you work hard enough or keep you from working too hard-trust that your coach has designed a workout to obtain the desired outcome. It fits into your training calendar in a specific way. It's always best to complete the workout as written. Here's a little peek into your coach's head: it makes your coach crazy to see a 2 hour run logged when the plan calls for 1:15. We don't care if you were "feeling good",if a 2 hour run was called for, we would have put it on your plan. If you have questions about a workout, ask your coach beforehand.
3. Bail out only when necessary. Complete your workouts as written as often as possible. Coaches understand that life/family/career can sometimes get in the way. Consistency is an important part of making progress. Do your best to complete every workout.
4. Warm up. The first 10-15 minutes (or more) are for warming up and preparing your body to work. It's common to include drills and/or pickups during this period. It's easy to fall into the bad habit of thinking, "I only have an hour to run so I'm going to make the most of it by running hard for an hour." You're better off warming up for 10 minutes, running hard for 40-45 minutes, and then cooling down for the last 5-10. The quality of the workout will be higher and recovery will be easier, you'll be better for it in the long run.
5. Drills have a purpose, do them. As with the previous item, athletes sometimes feel that when they're time-limited, they can skip the drills and get to the "important" part of the workout. News flash: sometimes the drills ARE the important part of the workout! Don't just go through the motions (or skip them altogether). Swimming harder won't make you faster over time, but swimming with better technique definitely will.
6. Hydrate during the workout (and eat if the workout is longer than an hour). Keeping your body hydrated and fueled is an important part of achieving good results. Every workout is an opportunity to practice race day nutrition habits. You don't want to find out during your "A" race that your fueling plan doesn't work.
7. All out means all out, RPE 7 means RPE 7, and recovery means recovery. One of the most common issues I see with athletes is that they go too hard on the easy stuff and not hard enough on the hard stuff. If your plan calls for work at a particular level of intensity (RPE, HR, pace, watts), complete it at that level. Your coach doesn't think you're a better athlete when you work too hard. And on recovery intervals (or recovery days), go easy. A great description of recovery pace is a pace you'd be embarrassed for anyone to see you doing.
8. When your coach gives you a range of intervals, it doesn't mean you need to complete the max. If your workout shows 4-6x 800m, it's okay to do 4 or 5. If you're hitting your intervals at the right pace and feel good, it's always fine to complete all intervals. After the last interval, you should feel like you have one more in your tank. Leave it there. If you finish your last interval completely wiped out or if it's much slower than the prior intervals, you did one too many. Quality is more important than quantity.
9. Cooldown. Allow 5-10 minutes to cool down after the work portion of your session. This is part of the workout, not something you can skip. Include some stretching or yoga to keep you loose.
10. Keep hydrating and eating. Make sure you put some food into your body within 30 minutes of completing your workout. If you're "dieting," this is the wrong time to limit calories.
11. Log, upload, and analyze. Make sure your coach can see what you've done, log your workout as soon as possible after completing it so you won't forget details. In your log, include comments about how the workout went. It's not helpful for your coach to read comments about your HR or power output at a particular point of the workout. We can see that from the file. What is helpful is when athletes make qualitative comments about the workout, how did you feel? (Be sure to include any information about injuries, even little nagging issues.) And don't leave all the analysis to your coach. Examine your own results. No single workout tells the entire story so treat each as a single data point, but you can learn a lot from each data point.
Following these steps will allow you to make the most out of your coaching investment. Happy training!
We train and prepare diligently for our races, but sometimes we forget to enjoy the destination we're traveling to. Therefore, I suggest creating a post-race checklist to ensure you have something equally fun to look forward to once the race is over. I had the pleasure of racing at the ITU Grand Final in Chicago, and I developed the following checklist. Feel free to use it for future trips to Chicago or any race destination, and enjoy the post-race fun!
Things to do in Chicago when you're done racing at the ITU Grand Final:
1. **Play Country Bingo:** Try to collect photos with athletes from all participating countries. It's a fun way to interact with fellow competitors and celebrate global sportsmanship.
2. **Catch a Cubs game:** Experience the vibrant atmosphere of a baseball game at Wrigley Field, one of the oldest stadiums in the country. September baseball adds an extra layer of excitement to the experience.
3. **Enjoy a beverage at the Terrace at Trump Tower:** Take in the breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline from this iconic spot. Even if it rains, there's something magical about witnessing a Midwestern thunderstorm.
4. **Visit Revolution Brewing:** If you're a beer enthusiast, don't miss the chance to taste the offerings at Revolution Brewing and other local breweries. Chicago's craft beer scene is gaining recognition and offers unique flavors worth exploring.
5. **Watch the Elite races:** Support the next generation of athletes by attending the Junior, U23, and Elite Paratriathlon races. It's inspiring to witness their talent and dedication firsthand.
6. **Take a walk along the lakefront:** Explore the beauty of Lake Michigan and enjoy the scenic views along the waterfront. It's a relaxing way to unwind after the race.
7. **Savor local cuisine:** Indulge in Chicago's renowned pork and sausage dishes, even if you're not a fan of sausage. The city is known for its diverse culinary scene, and you might discover unexpected flavors that delight your palate.
8. **Get excited for your next race:** Reflect on your achievements from the ITU Grand Final and start planning for your next race adventure. Embrace the anticipation and excitement of future challenges and accomplishments.
Remember to embrace the post-race experience and make the most of your time in Chicago or any race destination. Whether it's exploring the city, sampling local cuisine, or cheering on fellow athletes, there's plenty to enjoy beyond the finish line.
Triathlon coaching in the modern hi-tech world of the internet has created its own challenges for coaches and athletes alike. The key to being a successful coach is being organized. Coaches typically take on more than they can handle and the athletes get less attention than they want. Many times as a coach, you'll feel overwhelmed with how many phone calls you need to return or how many emails are in your in-box. In addition, you have schedules due to your athletes and training logs to review. If you aren't careful this can turn into a vicious circle of always playing "catch up". Depending on how many athletes you coach (more on this below), you can break your athletes into three groups. For example I coach 12 athletes and I break these athletes into 3 groups of 4 athletes and the maximum number of schedules I write is 4 schedules per week. I like to create my athlete schedules in 3 week blocks and go through the cycle every three weeks. Knowing how many athletes you can coach is usually different than how many athletes you can coach well. What you think you can do and what is reality is usually very different. It took me a number of years to realize that I couldn't coach 30, 20 or even 15 athletes at a time. I know my "sweet spot" in the number of athletes I can coach and I set a limit of 12. Quality coaching is in high demand, if you can do a superior job, typically you will get rewarded quite well for it. Trying to coach 20 athletes at $150/month can be much harder than coaching 12 athletes at $250/month. Once you can establish yourself as a high quality coach, you will be able to cut back on the number of athletes you coach and ultimately charge more for your services. More quality work, less overall time that should be your goal.
Goal Setting
Why is this important to your success? Organizing and managing how many schedules you write keeps your stress in check and allows you more time to meet with and to actually do the all too forgotten "in person" coaching.
Since we've started the internet coaching era, coaches do less "coaching" than ever before. One of the best ways to actually see how your athletes are faring in their workouts is to actually see them training even if it's once per month. Setting up a weekly or monthly training session goes a long way to keeping multiple athletes happy and on track to their goals. A group session let's you view multiple athletes at once, and it allows your athletes see you coaching which will create a lot of credibility with your athletes.
The internet is an easy way to keep in touch with remote athletes and believe it or not you can actually see and converse with your athletes live with web cams. If your athletes can get videotaped while swimming, biking or running, you can also see how they are training and make adjustments without actually being there. Nothing will ever take the place of actual in person coaching, but there are ways to successfully coach from a distance.
At D3 Multiport, we use an incredible training program system from www.TrainingPeaks.com this system allows us to load our plans quickly, keep track of our athlete's progress and to know when an athlete has completed a workout. On top of that we have access to food logs, downloading power and heart rate monitor files. I know when an athlete has completed and logged a workout on Training Peaks when a simple email is delivered to my inbox, with the athlete's comments. I can check this rather quickly and if action is needed I can email or call the athlete immediately. This makes managing my athletes quite easy. I typically set aside Mondays to look over the training week to see how the actual time spent training compares to what was scheduled. On Tuesday and Wednesday I have my scheduled phone calls taken care of and on Thursday morning I write my next block of training. This leaves me with Friday to either follow up on athlete questions or make changes to schedules if needed. Once again, there is no perfect week, but I try to stick to this schedule as best I can and if something comes up unexpectedly I have the time to take care of it. Being able to have the time to be accessible to your athletes will go a long way towards promoting yourself as a high quality coaching service that delivers the goods that your athletes expect.
Mike Ricci, USAT Coach of the Year, and a Level III USAT Certified Coach is the owner and founder of the D3 Multisport coaching group. He is no stranger to business ownership and the exciting ride that brings. Having navigated the triathlon industry on the business side for over 15 years, he has learned what it takes to bring a business concept to the industry, maintain the course through difficulties, and to savor the success which is often hard earned. Mike is passionate about helping his athletes achieve their goals, helping the D3 coaches develop their own strengths and to initiate new business ideas and partnerships through D3 Multisport. Mike has a BS in Finance and an MBA in Accounting. He is a US Marine Corps veteran.
We all know that improvements on the bike can yield huge gains in your next race. Regardless of what distance your racing, a solid bike is right around the corner.
Let’s discuss a few ways to make improvements on the bike for the upcoming race season. Notice that the time of year is the fall, and we are in November. This a great time to develop something new, without any rush. Improvements on the bike may take time, months, and miles. As most of us have family and job time commitments, we need to be efficient with how we approach these improvements. Following are a few ways to kill your old personal bests and make new ones!
Before we get into that killer list, you have to commit to wanting a better bike – more than ever before! This will be a big challenge if you prefer to do a half marathon or marathon in the spring because that means you will be committing to your run. Which is great, if you want to improve your run. I’m here to share that you don’t have to sacrifice one discipline for another discipline. What I mean is, don’t trade. You don’t have to make one a weakness to gain improvements in another. You can have a good balance between all of the tri-disciplines, but commit to the bike, love the bike! Embrace it and know you will be a whole different animal.
Here we go!
Get to the weight room. The priority in the gym is GOOD technique and form. I recommend a once a week core and stability session with another day per week of body weight exercises. Get your plank on. Planks will strengthen your hips, glutes, hamstrings, abs, and lower back. All that strengthening will lead to increased stability, and flexibility. I also recommend at least one day a week focused on strength. Classics such as squats, weighted lunges, single leg exercises, etc. are easy go-to exercises. A weight program that is a bit leg heavy will translate as much as the planks. I also recommend changing the routine every 3-5 weeks – rotating between a basic traditional transition period to hypertrophy and strength periods throughout the winter months. Send me an email if you’d like more information on those three.
Make the time. Plan on two workouts for most days with most days having a bike workout. For example, swim and then bike, run and then bike, bike and then run, weight room and then bike. Then, using your weekends for long rides (2-3 hours). Assign a purpose/a focus to one workout each day. Either a priority of effort, or a certain intensity. You might decide that your bike/run day that your priority is really the run that day, or vice versa. Focus on that objective as you move through the workout. Priority number 1. Get on the Bike. The objective i the purpose and intensity of the workout.
Frequency. If you want serious gains, plan on a minimum of four days a week, but 5-6 days a week should be a consideration for at least one training week per month. I suggest most of those days riding for an hour (either trainer or outside), and one day each week should be an endurance ride.
Be mindful of good pedal technique. Practice cycling drills: single leg pedaling, pushing over the top and scrapping the bottom of the pedal are two drill examples. Are your legs pistons simply moving up and down, or do they have a flow, a bit of round flexion at the ankle? Be a little heal driven especially if your a toe-down pedaler. Be mindful and practice coming over the top of the pedal stroke, engaging in a flatter foot and sweeping the heel back through at the bottom.
Intensity. For the most part, all your rides and all your workouts dont necessarily need to have a detailed structure of time, intervals, specific numbers to watch out for. Its simply about getting some miles in on the bike, If you start riding too hard you’ll be forced to go easy at some point, or you’ll be sick of going hard when its really time to go hard in the spring or summer. Now that doesnt mean its simply easy and fluff. I would recommend most of the riding you do, commute to work, lunch time rides, trainer rides long rides, should be about enjoying the time on the bike, getting in the miles. I would say that maybe 1-3 workouts per week could have some form of intensity. Especially if they are on the trainer and it keeps the boredom at bay. I usually recommend short bursts right now and not a lot of long threshold stuff. If it plays out that your riding with a friend, or your feeling good and want to push it, have fun, Go with your body feeling go take advantage of that. But most of your miles will be fairly comfortable Z1-2.Have fun, and try to ride with others.
Zones. Remember the race you did last summer, you had your PowerMeter on, or you averaged an incredible speed, well that was your summer fitness. Your training now, should revolve around your current fitness. It’s November, and a few months have passed since your last race. In fact, your not racing, and your intensity is not the same. Therefore your zones will not be the same as they were in the summer. You need to test to see where your fitness is at the current time of year your training in. I might be 30 watts lower in the winter for my threshold, but if I pretend to train at my summer threshold during the winter months, I will most like not have any fun. Make sure that you train at your current fitness. You will most likely regain that summer threshold with the goal of surpassing it – at the right time of the season.
Bike fit. Comfort, power and efficiency yield better endurance. If your having pain or problems or discomfort, this is NOT normal. D3 has a great partnership with ReTul Bike Fits and they will help you gain comfort and power.
Handling. Lets admit it, bike handling is probably the number one reason cyclists don’t like riding with a triathlete. We break too hard in the corners, and some of us get a bit tense and wiggly when we are enclosed in a pack. Here’s a suggestion to fix those jitters: get to a closed parking lot and use the islands and really practice coming through corners. Get your center of gravity nice and low and keep the speed up. Stand on your outside pedal. Push on it. Take a skills clinic and then practice it. Be part of the machine your are spending so much time on. Get comfortable in every condition that you’ll be exposed to during a race. That way, the next race you are in, you won’t have to be accelerating back up to speed from all that was lost from breaking in the corners. You can lose anywhere from 8-20 seconds per corner, depending on your cornering confidence (or lack there of). This applies to both a road bike and TT bike.
Long rides. Call me crazy but I create little micro vacations. I make them for myself, for my wife and I, and then for the family as a whole. In the spring and maybe again in the early summer, plan a 3-5 day bike focus, where that is all you have to do! The time in the saddle will be well spent. Perhaps you can go with friends, or through a supported bike tour, anyhow you get out there – know that putting in 65 miles a day will add up to incredible gains. Bike focused distance days will solidify all focused effort and will boost your confidence.
Be the animal, that is the most efficient animal to ever live on the most efficient land machine ever created – a bike!
With a sub three hour Nice, France marathon finish, it’s a pleasure to turn the spotlight on Switzerland based D3 athlete Paul Fomalont! Coach Jim nominated Paul not only for his 2:58 finish, but for his total commitment to his training plan.
Coach Jim recognizes that Paul is naturally talented as an endurance athlete, but when he set his goal to break three hours in a marathon, he knew Paul would have to focus on two aspects of his training. He needed to add intensity training so that he could improve his speed in addition to the volume training which he enjoys. In doing so, Paul had to adapt to some new workouts. Jim said Paul was very focused on the workouts, and he could see the progress Paul was making as he was adapting to the changes.
Paul trusted his coach, followed through with his training and as a result – he met his goal!
Enjoy his Q&A:
1. You set an aggressive time goal for yourself in the Nice, France marathon. What inspired you to want to break 3 hours?
I have tried to do one marathon every year. I have watched my times move down with each attempt. My first marathon I ran was 3:30. A few years later I was at 3:15. Two years ago I did 3:05. I felt that a sub 3 hour marathon was in reach. This spring, in our local race series, I was running faster than I ever had. I remember writing Jim in the spring and telling him that it was time to go for a sub 3 hour marathon in the fall. I also admit that after running Nice in 2014, I wanted to go back this year after the tragedy this summer. I know that running a marathon is a strange gesture but it was meaningful to me to put forth my best effort as a way of honoring the spirit of life.
2. You live in a beautiful part of the world, a place most of us would love to train. Describe your favorite training routes/venues (swim, bike or run).
I really feel guilty telling people about where I live because it is so incredible. I am in a small mountain ski town of 3000 people at 5000 feet in Switzerland called Leysin (pronounced Lay-san.) It is in the French speaking part of Switzerland on the east side of Lake Geneva. Mountains are the name of the game and the bike climbs are amazing. After work I have access to 5 small cols, (4 – 8 km climbs) and do any number of these depending on time and energy. If I go just slightly farther (3 – 8 hour rides) there are several to mega long climbs (10 – 25 km!) which to choose and string together. The incredible luxury is that the Swiss trains are super bike friendly. I will go for a 200 km ride and then just hop on the train and it takes me right back to Leysin. The running is great too, though it is exclusively steep up and down. The most amazing part is, if I tire of the hills, I can go down to the Rhone valley (20 minute train ride) and run and bike on absolutely flat terrain. The Tour de Lac (ride around Lake Geneva) is 210 km and totally flat. We have a swimming pool in town and I mostly swim train there but sometimes I go swim in Lake Geneva. The water is so clear and clean you can drink from it. Leysin is a triathletes dream.
3. In addition to being a marathon finisher, you are an Ironman! What are some takeaways from Ironman training that you adopted for your marathon training. Workouts, fueling, strategy – anything along those lines.
Racing Ironmans has been a very humbling experience. I have always been used to just going as hard as I can to the end of the race. That doesn’t work for an Ironman or a marathon. I have really enjoyed the challenge of having a plan and a strategy and the patience and mental fortitude to implement it. I always knew that I could do an Ironman but I really want to do one fast. While I have been happy with my results, I still am not satisfied and do not think that I have yet run a really good race. The Nice marathon was really a breakthrough of me. It was the first time that I have trained so intentionally and then raced according to the plan. It has taken several years but I finally have listened to Jim’s advice and that is quality over volume. I think that has made the difference but it was really hard of me to let go of a 250 km bike ride in lieu of a 3 hour ride at Ironman pace on the weekend. Decreasing my junk miles and do a lot more intensity training was the key for the success at the marathon. It is one of those things I never really thought it was true, but now that I have tried it and seen the results I am a believer.
4. What was a favorite speed workout Coach Jim had you do?
By far my favorite workout is a 50 minute run with a set of 8 times 30 second uphill sprints. There is a long steep hill up to a big hotel and I warm up by running over there. The road has light posts on it and I always try to get to the fourth post in the 30 seconds. To get to that post requires a super human effort that I practically blackout on each attempt. On a good set I might make it 3 times (my record) but every time I am absolutely obsessed with getting there. It is so silly but it is such a fun workout for me and it leaves me destroyed every time. The skiing photo, while nothing to do with his favorite workout, is a good example of his cross-training.
5. D3 stands for Desire, Determination and Discipline – which is your favorite and why.
I have Desire and Determination in an abundant supply but Discipline is my favorite part of D3 and my weakness. Honestly it is why I started using a coach. As I said before it is not about surviving these races for me, it is about becoming fast. It is incredible the wealth of knowledge about performance that exists. A good coach can really formulate the right program that will get you there. Also the need to be Disciplined in long distance racing by following your heart rate, power, pacing, nutrition, etc… is such a huge key to success and just makes the game that much more fun. I have really appreciated Jim’s help. He is very no non-sense and tells it like it is to me. He has been pivotal in helping me develop the Discipline that I have needed to have had continued improvement in my racing.
Congratulations, Paul. We look forward to seeing your results in 2017.
I hear over and over again about the notion of not being able to push oneself in a particular discipline. For some, it might be swimming; for others, running, and today I’d like to discuss biking. I’d like to discuss riding faster!
In our world, that is the name of the game, and as coaches, we often hear the words, “if I could only ride faster”. Many of us have power meters, slick bikes, fast wheels, and a perfect bike fit. We’ve conditioned well with plenty of training and good nutrition. If that’s the case, then what is limiting us from riding faster? Genetics? Faster wheels? How about taking a look at the goals of your training and of each interval.
Let’s break it down.
What makes cycling different from swimming and running is that on an average day, we base those off of distance covered and the time it takes. Improvement is garnered when we hit our target time and hit our target pace. For example, 800’s on the track in 3:15. We do our swim intervals by the clock, and of course, our intervals are not simply swim 5 minutes fast, but a set distance such as 300’s, measured again, against time.
With bike intervals, we rarely base our efforts on distance but rather use only time. We look at our overall miles ridden for the day, but rarely do we do intervals and compare them to the distance covered based on the time it took. The reason is the wind is far more unpredictable and a far greater adversary to our need for accuracy. We may look at the overall speed and distance, but what about specific intervals?
Consider an interval with 10 x 3 minutes of hard effort. Did you go faster, did you cover more distance with each interval? Did you progressively work harder? Did you hit your goal speed? It’s hard to tell without a power meter; we are subject to hills and wind. But we know the hills will not be going away.
How to get faster, in the most BASIC level of getting faster, with or without a power meter:
Mark out a distance, something like stop sign to stop sign or one speed limit sign to the next speed limit sign. Use a route that you normally ride. I recommend measuring a 1-mile distance, 5-mile distance, 10-mile distance all the way up to a 40k. Some intervals do not require accurate distances, and you could simply gauge it from a fence post to another landmark – something that usually takes you several minutes to ride. You’ll want to identify something you can repeat and easily get to as part of a training program.
Have an idea of your efforts for these distances spread out throughout your route. Efforts based on speed or time required to cover the distance. How much time is it taking you to cover such distances? Where are your efforts based on the part of the season you are in?
You can most likely cover certain or particular distances quicker the closer to race season you are. For example, in the winter months, I know what a good average speed would be for certain routes I take. Yet those same routes a few months later will be a few miles per hour faster. Don’t be discouraged if you are not as fast in April and May as you were last July and August; this is normal progression. You just want to be faster than last April.
Learn to break into the next level. Go out and beat that time.
Another course of improvement in your training and racing:
Choose an average speed you would like to sustain for particular intervals, or distances, or races. This is very applicable for races and routes for which you are familiar.
For example, if you want to average 20 miles per hour you’ll likely need to spend what feels like a lot of time at 22 mph. Due to the start and stop, cornering, and undulations in the terrain, you need to work hard at spending as much time above your goal race speed. This can be broken up based on familiar speeds up hills, rollers, and flats.
Start by overreaching your goal average speed by about 2 miles per hour for up to an Olympic distance race or 40k, 1 mile per hour for half. The longer you are out there, the closer your average will be to your planned goal. But, it's amazing how much work is required to stay there, and how quickly your average speed drops.
For practice, let's say you are headed home from a ride, and you need to do the last 10 miles fast. Choose an average speed you would like to hold (and can realistically hit), then add 2 more mph. If you have averaged 20 miles per hour for this route, you need to learn to beat it and work hard to do so. No settling in, get out of your comfort zone, but stay relaxed – go do it!
You need to be realistic. We would all love to ride at 32 miles per hour for an hour.
Go fast, work hard, and KNOW that going faster still hurts, so accept the pain. Learn to ride – and run – and swim – in a manner that even though it hurts, and you want to stop, you are really relaxed, focused, and smooth. Relax your shoulders, loosen your grip on the bars… breathe! Be stronger and thus faster.
Going forward:
You should know how fast you can go for 30 seconds all the way up to 30 minutes, and everything in between, in order to have a productive training session. Know your interval distances, and know your previous times. Try to reach those distances in less time! For example, I know I can go from point A to point B, and my best time is 7 minutes and 45 seconds. The next time out, I’ll try to do that route in 7:30.
For timed intervals (5 x 5 minutes for example), pick an average speed you feel you can sustain, and then add 2 miles per hour. Adjust for hills and wind.
If you have a power meter and are going by a zone or percentage of threshold, stay focused and relaxed and see if your interval average speeds are measuring up to what you want to ultimately accomplish. If you are hoping to go faster, or you expect to be going faster, maybe you need to retest your threshold with a different mindset. How fast can you go rather than how many watts are you putting out? Some people are bad test takers and they feel they are working super hard (which you likely are), but maybe you need to focus on going super fast.
I hope this helps, take care and be safe!
Written by Coach Jim Hallberg
USAT Certified Coach
USA Cycling level II coach
Typically, I incorporate three bike rides into my day, but it's not what you might expect. I'm not logging hundreds of miles each day, and yes, I do have a full-time job—actually, two! Alongside coaching, I serve as the Content Manager for TrainingPeaks. In this role, I manage our blog, collaborate with partners like USA Triathlon, British Cycling, Team Sky, and others, and create website content. It's a fantastic job that I adore just as much as coaching athletes. So, how do I manage to fit in so much riding? It's actually quite straightforward.
A typical day starts early for me, around 6 am, when I wake up with my almost 2-year-old daughter. After preparing breakfast for us both, I prioritize some quality playtime before heading to work around 7:30 am. Now that the weather is favorable, I commute to TrainingPeaks on my bike. The journey spans just over 10 miles if I take the direct route, but I often opt for side dirt roads to avoid heavy traffic and enjoy better scenery. Along the way, I encounter a pair of bald eagles perched in the same tree every day, pass by horse pastures, and admire beautiful farms. Commuting by bike not only feels productive but also sets a positive tone for the day.
Upon reaching my desk, I review my calendar to determine my schedule of meetings and tasks for the day. This helps me identify the best window of opportunity for my hour-long ride, which typically falls around lunchtime. If my workout is specific, such as intervals, I'll ride solo. Alternatively, if I have some flexibility, I often join other strong riders from the office for a challenging group ride. We push each other in sprints and climbs for about an hour before returning to our desks for lunch and to tackle our workload. Regardless of the ride's intensity, the lunchtime session is usually demanding.
Of course, there are days when meetings and tasks pile up, necessitating a postponement of my ride to ensure I meet my work commitments. In such cases, I adjust by incorporating my workout into my commute home. To prioritize family time, I shorten the ride to about 45 minutes, which typically involves a shorter, high-intensity effort—a sort of "must-get-home-now" time trial. Even on days when I've ridden at lunch, I often push on the way home to expedite my return.
With these three rides, I can typically accumulate around 2.5 hours of riding per day—an admirable total that allows me to occasionally push myself hard twice in a day. Naturally, there are days when I opt to drive to work, spin easily at lunch, and drive home, particularly if I'm feeling fatigued. Yet, once I settle into the rhythm, cycling becomes the default choice over starting up the car. My legs grow stronger, and it's been months since I've visited a gas station.
As Coach AJ Johnson aptly puts it, "one of the things I love about coaching is that no two athletes are the same—even when their goals are. I view each person that I work with as a puzzle with unique abilities, motivators, lifestyle, and potential. There's nothing I enjoy more than helping someone incorporate the individual pieces to get the results they're looking for—because when it all comes together, it's amazing!"
Bike and run training efforts are based on heart rate zones and perceived exertion. For swimming we will use pacing, as it is difficult to determine heart rate zones in a pool.
D3's Excel file for Calculating Heart Rate Zones
In swimming we want to find out what our "average pace per 100 (meter or yards)" is. In order to determine this number we can do a number of tests. The simplest test, in my opinion, is the 1,000 yard (or meter) Time Trial (TT). In the TT your goal is to swim a fairly hard effort for the entire distance. The key is to not slow down in the second half of the swim. It's best to start out at an effort that you can maintain by the end, but you must also be able to push yourself the whole way. You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.
Swim test protocol:300-500 yd warm up.6-8 x 50 yds on 10 seconds rest.1,000 yd TT.300 easy cool down.
Example:Johnny swims 17:45 for his 1,000 yd TT. This tells me Johnny's swim pace is 1:46 per 100/yds. His 1:46 is called his T-pace. Now that we have the T-pace of 1:46 we can create swim workouts adjusted to this pace. For example a very hard set for Johnny might be 10√ó100 @T-5 seconds on 20 seconds rest. This would mean Johnny's goal is to swim the 100s at 1:41 pace. An easier set might be 10√ó100 @T+10 seconds on 30 seconds rest. Johnny's goal for the 100 is 1:56. Another set might be 10√ó100 T-pace on 10 seconds rest. This means Johnny's goal is to swim the 100 in 1:41.
As you can see there are many of variables and many workouts we can derive from that TT. It is recommended that you re-test your TT every 4-6 weeks.
In biking we want to know our heart rate training zones. To make this as easy as possible, we will use a standard 30 minute TT. From this TT we will be able to determine the correct training zones. I do advocate doing both an inside and outside LT tests.
Bike test protocol for inside testing:The warm-up is 15 minutes of cycling, moving through the different gears, always keeping the cadence above 90 RPMS. Do a few short sprints to get your heart rate up and ready for the test!
You should start out in a gear that you can maintain 90 RPMS in. Make sure you remember what gear you started in.
The 30 minute TT begins.At 10 minutes into the test, hit the "Lap" button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test.The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT.You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.15 minutes easy cool down.
Example:Johnny has an average of 156 heart rate for his 30 minute bike TT. If I calculate Johnny's zones using his LT and the Training Bible zones, this is what I come up with:Zone 1 – 102-129Zone 2 – 130-139Zone 3 – 140-146Zone 4 – 147- 155Zone 5a – 156-159Zone 5b – 160-164Zone 5c – 165-170
In running we want to know our heart rate training zones as well. To make this as easy as possible, we will use a standard 30 minute TT. From this TT we will be able to determine the correct training zones. This is best if done on a flat uninterrupted path or trail.
Run test protocol: After a 15 minute warm-up of easy running, finish with a few quick 20 seconds bursts to get your heart rate in the correct training zone.
The 30 minute TT begins.At 10 minutes into the test, hit the "Lap" button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test.The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT.You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.15 minutes easy cool down.
Example:Johnny has an average of 156 heart rate for his 30 minute run TT. If I calculate Johnny's zones using his LT and the Training Bible zones, this is what I come up with:Zone 1 102-132Zone 2 133-141Zone 3 142-149Zone 4 – 150- 155Zone 5a – 156-159Zone 5b – 160-164Zone 5c – 165-173
Michael Ricci is a USAT certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at mike@d3multisport.com.
For many triathletes, fall is a transition period. Shifting from a routine of daily double workouts and weekend races to a less rigid schedule with fewer specific goals can be both a healthy freedom and a frustrating feeling at the same time. For me, this fall break is a chance to concentrate on my primary love, running. Whether running is a strength or weakness, fall is an excellent time to pick a 10k or half marathon to train for before the less runner-friendly roads of winter appear. Why not mix up your training this fall and try a routine you haven?t used in the past. Just as students regularly have to learn new test taking strategies, athletes ought to experiment with different patterns of training. If you always follow the same routine, how will you know if you can improve or if the plans you follow are indeed ideal? Regardless of the training plan you choose, the key workouts of speed, endurance, and strength should remain staples throughout the plan.
Endurance
We all know that endurance workouts are the foundation for one's training. According to Jack Daniel?s Running Formula, each week?s long run should be about 25-30% of one?s weekly mileage. If you are training for a 10k, your longest run will be no longer than 70 minutes. A half-marathon racer will probably go no longer than 10 minutes longer than their anticipated goal time. While long runs are a great opportunity to catch up with a friend and 'zone out', we should not become so distracted from what our feet our doing as to forget our cadence. Take time during your long run to focus on being light, 'running over the ground' and 'not into it', Daniels says in his Running Formula. Ideally you want to be running 185 steps per minute. Don't forget to include an occasional 20-30 minute tempo run at the end of your long run. This teaches you to run fast when you are tired, similar to the end of a race. Of course one would want to build up this tempo addition gradually. For example, imagine you are scheduled for a 90 minute zone one run. Make the last 10 minutes a run at tempo pace (zone 3). Give yourself a week or two before, moving up to 15 minutes of tempo.
Strength
Running a variety of hill repeats are a great way to build strength which helps to ward off injuries. Hills are speed work in disguise. One can vary the following workout by running different hills and playing with the intensity by changing the length of the repeat and the recovery time. Make note of how far you get on each repeat. As you gain strength, you will be able to see improvements. Have fun with these by recruiting friends to form relays. The recovery time becomes however long it takes for your partner at the bottom to reach the top. Practice running fast both up hill and downhill.
Try running 4 x (3 x 2 minutes), where the first hill is aerobic with a form focus and a fast run downhill. The second hill is at tempo pace, and the third is at race effort. Don?t neglect your form! Focus on leaning forward, lifting your knees high, bringing your heel to your butt, and driving your elbows back. Recovery time for the second and third is jogging back down. If you decrease the number of repeats above you can add 4 x 30 seconds surging up hill at a faster pace.
Speed
Yes, despite the popular belief to wait until the end of one's training program to add speed, you should be incorporating increments of speed workouts at the beginning of your program. Keep the fast twitch muscles awake! They don?t have to be fully revved, just percolating/alert enough to turn on when asked. While some athletes have more than others, we all have fast twitch muscles and should not neglect them or the conditioning attention they deserve. A basic speed workout would be to do 100 meter or 200 meter repeats. According to Daniel's Running Formula, these repeats should be at a pace six seconds faster per 400 than a quarter run at 98-100% of maximum heart rate (zone 5). You should provide yourself with full active recovery time in between repeats. This may mean recovering for as much as two to four times as long as the work interval. The goal is to perform these repeats with efficient form so as to expend minimal energy. They will not only improve your speed but more importantly engage the muscle fibers to improve your running economy.
Try the following 100 meter repeat workout. After a thorough warm up and stretching, run for 20 minutes on the track where you are surging on the straight aways and jogging the curves. You can mimic this on a flat course in which you are surging for about 25 seconds and jogging for 35.
Now it's time to start creating! Seek variety in this fall?s training program but don?t forget to base your workouts on the three staples of endurance, strength and speed. They should be the building blocks of your plan.
How many of you triathletes out there are using this formula? Put up your hand and admit it, I can't see you through cyber space. :-)
If I receive one more email that says an athlete is using the 220-Age formula, I am going off the DEEP END! Athletes, this is not correct. It may work, but chances are very slim it will work for you. Of course the 15 people that it works for will email me that it does work, but my point is that for the MAJORITY, this formula of 220-AGE = MAX Heart Rate, DOES NOT WORK!
Your best bet is to get some lab testing done to find out your Lactate Threshold. If you don't have access to a lab for whatever reason (location or $), don't fret. We have field tests that you can do and the only thing you need is you, your Heart Rate Monitor and some 3 D's: Desire, Determination, and Discipline.
*Before You Perform a Field Test!*
First and foremost, before starting any exercise program, please get medical clearance from your Doctor, If you haven't exercised before in your life or in the past year, PLEASE let him/her know you will be exercising and that you would like to check back with them in a month, just to make sure that you are not doing damage to yourself.
If you are new to exercise you will want to forgo the testing for a while (it is rigorous) to prevent any kind of injury but instead wear a heart rate monitor to observe your HR at various points of exercise. For beginners, I have had them do as little as starting out with 5 minutes of walking, this may be as simple as one lap around a track. Or I may have them start riding a recumbent bicycle in the gym, use the elliptical machine, or the Stair Master.
One way to observe your improvement in fitness is to watch to see how fast your HR comes down when you stop exercising. Time how long it takes your HR to drop about 20-30 beats as soon as you stop. When you first start exercising it may take over 3 minutes, but as you get more fit, it may drop as quick as 1 minute. Everyone will vary; everyone will have different HR's and don't get caught up, my friend can get their HR higher type of competition. It's very rare to find someone who has the same HR as you!
I hope this gives beginners a better understanding of starting a program. Once you have been exercising for awhile, only then should you perform these tests.
When to perform an LT field test to determine your zones?
New to Endurance Training?
The "Beginner" plans we sell on D3 have no HR training or LT testing as of the above warnings. If you are new to endurance type training, DO NOT perform these LT field tests until you are well into a plan.
Already have a Few Years of Training Under your Belt?
If you are starting any of the other "HR-based" plans and have been maintaining fitness upon starting (meaning the first week or two of the plan is no-problem as you have been training at those volumes already), then you can take the LT test to re-determine your zones at the beginning or a week or two into it.
Coming off of a Recent Injury or Less Training
BUT if you are starting any of the HR-based plans after a few weeks off of training-or coming off of a recent injury, only do a LT test after you have gotten several weeks into the plan consistently so you can get a reliable measurement.
Other then that, the HR-based training plans will have LT testing noted periodically in the plans or you can do one every 4-6 weeks.
Bike and run training efforts are based on heart rate zones and perceived exertion. For swimming we will use pacing, as it is difficult to determine heart rate zones in a pool.
Determining Swimming Pace
In swimming we want to find out what our "average pace per 100 (meter or yards)" is. In order to determine this number we can do a number of tests. The simplest test, in my opinion, is the 1,000 yard (or meter) Time Trial (TT). In the TT your goal is to swim a fairly hard effort for the entire distance. The key is to not slow down in the second half of the swim. It's best to start out at an effort that you can maintain by the end, but you must also be able to push yourself the whole way. You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.
Swim test protocol:
Example:
Johnny swims 17:45 for his 1,000 yd TT. This tells me Johnny's swim pace is 1:46 per 100/yds. His 1:46 is called his T-pace. Now that we have the T-pace of 1:46 we can create swim workouts adjusted to this pace. For example: a very hard set for Johnny might be 10x100 @T-5 seconds on 20 seconds rest. This would mean Johnny's goal is to swim the 100s at 1:41 pace. An easier set might be 10x100 @T+10 seconds on 30 seconds rest. Johnny's goal for the 100 is 1:56. Another set might be 10x100 T-pace on 10 seconds rest. This means Johnny's goal is to swim the 100 in 1:41.
Field Test for the Bike and Run:
Determining Bike Training Zones
In biking we want to know our heart rate training zones. To make this as easy as possible, we will use a standard 30 minute TT. From this TT we will be able to determine the correct training zones. I do advocate doing both an inside and outside LT tests.
Bike test protocol:
In running we want to know our heart rate training zones as well. To make this as easy as possible, we will use a standard 30 minute TT. From this TT we will be able to determine the correct training zones. This is best if done on a flat uninterrupted path or trail.
Run test protocol:
What if I train indoors during the winter on a trainer? Does it require a different LT test?
The best way to do a test for LT is to do the same as outside, unless you have a Computrainer, Wahoo Kickr or a 'smart trainer' and then the test would be different. The key is to get a good warm up, do some sprints to get the HR up, and really work up a sweat before starting. Personally, I don't use a fan on the trainer either, and usually wear a long sleeve shirt. This helps me stay warm and get the HR up into the right zones.
Once you have the results, these are the HR numbers you'll use in your indoor workouts. I firmly believe in having an indoor and outdoor LT for both the bike and run.
As you can see there are many variables and many workouts we can derive from that TT. It is recommended that you re-test your TT every 4-6 weeks.
I hope this helps you understand a little better about HR training and how its important to get accurate heart rate zones for your training. Otherwise you could become very frustrated by training too hard or too easy and not seeing results. Get on a plan, calculate your HR zones based on my recommendations above, and start training smart!
Heading into the off-season (at least for most) can be a huge relief. Taking the pressure off yourself to do everything right and allowing yourself to indulge a bit can be very rewarding. The off-season can also be a great time to figure out your goals. Do you want to run faster, build lean body mass, or acquire a better swim technique? During this time of reflection and evaluation, you get to choose what is important to you. With those choices comes motivation (and vise versa).
Nutrition is certainly one thing that can help all areas of your life. Good food affect your performance, and it affects your mood, immune system, and your ability to focus. Nutrition is an important component of your goals and the off-season is a great time to renew your commitment to improve in this area. Typically there is less training and more time for cooking.
Following are my top ideas to help you get focused on what you are eating.
Part of eating well is setting your self up for success, and the other part is choosing optimally. No matter which it is, knowing quicker, easier options for meals and snacks are essential for getting on track and staying there.
Following are 7 reminders about healthy eating when life gets busy:
• Use crockpot meals with lean proteins, lots of vegetables, and healthy carbohydrates. Freeze extra portions for future meals.
• Make a smoothie with protein, fruits and veggies for post workout. Utilize thermal containers as they are great for taking drinks on the go.
• Fresh fruit, nuts or seeds can be a quick, portable snack.
• Choose wisely in restaurants. For example, at Chipotle chose the ‘bowl’ vs. a tortilla and avoid dairy items, chose vegetables and organic rotisserie chickens when you can, consider brown rice, spinach, canned beans (BPA free can) as options too. Choose the protein entree and a vegetable side, or get beans, chicken or fish to go on top of a salad, and choose olive oil based dressings.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day, thirst and hunger have similar mechanisms of action.
We are inundated with sugar and indulgences all the time. It’s not only hard to get on track, but staying on that path is challenging. It’s key to know your self. Are you someone who has a bite of sugar and then can’t stop eating it? Are you someone who wants to indulge occasionally the more strict you are with your diet? These things are important to know because for some, moderation is key, and for others, avoidance is most helpful.
A strategy for staying consistent with good choices is to keep your goal(s) in the forefront of your mind. See it, envision it happening, feel it, get excited about it. This alone can increase your motivation to make good nutritional chocies. Our minds are powerful, so give it great fuel with nutrition and with quality thoughts.
Choosing fruit over potato chips, or nuts/seeds over a cookie is a significant difference. Take for example this scenario: if you chose a cookie, and if it is not homemade, it likely has trans fat and/or saturated fat, sugar, and white flour. This combination not only raises insulin and blood sugar but it also increases inflammation in your body and increases free radicals. Nuts and seeds on the other hand, provide a balanced mix of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. They also are rich in phytonutrients, minerals, and antioxidants (the things that combat free radicals). As you can see, the choice is not just about not letting something bad enter your diet, it’s about replacing your bad choice with something good so that it nourishes your body and spirit. We will always have choices to make and the more frequently you make the correct choices to nourish your body, the easier it becomes.
We all know there are times in our lives when we indulge more then others, and of course we want to live fun and fulfilling lives, but striking a balance of good choices can make all the parts that much better.
Enjoy your fall, experiment with your goals and practice making good choices.
Megan Forbes is a Registered Dietitian who received her degree from Colorado State University in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Her post grad work was done in Boulder, Colorado through the University of Delaware. She has had a private practice for 9 years displaying a vast diversity of clientele seeking her expertise. Megan has also has a passion for sport. Her clients include professional and amateur athletes, people with cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, allergies, autoimmune disease, weight imbalance, etc. She enjoys the diversity that exists among her clients; some are fine tuning, and some are starting fresh.
