January 29, 2013 in News
When running in the cold, it’s important to warm up properly. Krista Schultz
demonstrates 5 warm up running drills to do before your run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gAoFGvpUUJY
January 8, 2013 in News
By Mackenzie Lobby Photo by Dan O’Sullivan
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of USA Triathlon Magazine.
As the mercury drops and the snow falls, the bike trainer offers a perfect workout solution for triathletes. While most prefer to train in the great outdoors, the trainer can help maintain fitness and prepare you for the sunny spring and summer seasons. Regardless of your climate circumstances and the race for which you’re aiming, spending some time in the saddle on the trainer will boost fitness and keep you focused.
“The trainer is not only a great substitute for riding outdoors, there are many times it is actually more effective for specific training than riding on the roads,” explains Coach Ken Welsh of Midwest Triathlon Coaching in Kansas City. “Since you can control your environment, you’re able to meet the goals of a workout much more closely than if you’re on the roads.”
For some triathletes, being able to hop on the trainer surrounded by the comforts of home is a nice change of pace. Most coaches recommend putting in a training DVD or past footage of races to keep you moving through the workout. “I like using motivating videos like old Tour de France coverage or last year’s NBC Ironman broadcast,” says Welsh. For hard workouts in particular, be sure what you are watching or listening to is upbeat and gets you pumped to ride, rather than distracting you. Figure out what helps to engage you in the task at hand and you’ll find time flies by.
Next time you get on the trainer, consider these workouts from USA Triathlon certified coaches. Notice that the intensities are expressed either by level of difficulty (easy, moderate, hard, all-out) and in revolutions per minute. RPMs give you a cadence at which to pedal and “easy,” “moderate,” “hard,” and “all-out” signify load. The harder the workout is, the more load you are prescribed to handle, while maintaining adequate RPMs. For instance, when you are alternating between “hard” and “easy,” your load should change between those intervals. Try one or all of these workouts tailor-made for each triathlon distance.
Sprint Distance Coach Carrie Slavinski of BriellePerformanceCenter in New Jersey: “This workout can be used as a ‘time trial’ at the beginning of your season to help you set your goals. It also can be used as a gauge to see if your workouts are paying off and can be done about every 6 weeks to assess fitness and progress.”
Olympic Distance Coach Kathy Alfino, co-owner of Mile High Multisport, LLC in Highlands Ranch, Colo.: “This is one of my favorite workouts for athletes who suddenly find their time is limited. The main set is typically 20 minutes, but the beauty of it is you can really do whatever you have time for.”
Half Ironman Coach Christopher Schwartz of Northwoods Endurance, LLC in Laurium, Mich.: “I give this workout to my own athletes. It’s flexible so you can add or shorten some of the times to make for a longer or shorter workout.”
Ironman Distance Coach Sally Drake of TrainingBible Coaching in Valley Park, Mo.: “For this leg strength session, warm up on the bike easy in Zone 1 or do an easy run and then spin. If you want a bonus, add a set of push-ups before the lunges.”
January 8, 2013 in News, Uncategorized
Coach Jesse Kieffer hosted a group training session on Saturday, January 5, 2013 to help members estimate heart rate zones (Zones 1-5c) for the bike based on the test (20 min warm up, 30 min focused training, 10 min cool down.
Why?: When you have your heart rate zones for the bike you can utilize them for various benefits when training specific to bike workouts. One benefit is that you will be aware of when you are training harder than a documented workout recommends or on the other hand that you are slacking when you should be pushing harder. Understanding your heart rate zones will help you know a little bit more about your training as it relates to periodization (training model most often used to build training schedules) and will raise a new awareness about your body during training. An example of how the knowledge will change your training is that instead of training on the bike at RPE 3-4 you will know what your heart rate range is for Zone 2. Another example is that you may notice you are training really easy but your heart rate is quite high; which may be a sign of needing more rest or over-training.
The training session was a rave success and all attendees came away with a better understanding of their optimal training zones.
December 18, 2012 in News
By Kevin Koskella For Active.com
I’ll be the first to say that I hate the cold. Cold air and especially cold water. During my 14 years of competitive swimming, I never once got used to or enjoyed jumping into a cold pool.
These days, I prefer open water swimming to pool swimming, but refuse to get in our local Pacific Ocean until it gets up around 66 degrees or so. Anything below that and I’m known to turn various shades of purple.
Cold water can not only be unpleasant and draining, it can also be dangerous. Even here in southern California, swimmers have had to be rescued because they couldn’t cope with the frigid conditions. It’s always best to do your open water swim training with a partner, just in case.
There are many triathlons where cold water is part of the challenge—especially the early-season ones in April and May (and even mid-summer in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest). What can you do about cold water, other than be uncomfortable, get an ice cream headache, and use up lots of your body’s energy just trying to stay warm?
Here is a list of tips to minimize the negative effects and the uncomfortable feelings that can result from cold water swimming.
1. Wear two caps. You lose most of your heat through your head, and doubling up your “capage” helps you to keep your heat in.
2. Wear a neoprene cap. Neoprene is better suited for cold water than standard latex.
3. You also lose lots of heat through your feet. Neoprene socks are a good idea, but you may want to use these mostly on training swims, as they can be a hassle when it comes to transitioning to your bike on race day.
4. Wear a wetsuit—but more specifically, a full suit. The sleeveless suits allow heat to escape through your armpits. I learned this the hard way when doing the Alcatraz swim in 52 degree water with a sleeveless, Farmer John-style suit. By the time I finished, I was in the early stages of frostbite. Keep in mind that, according to USA Triathlon rules, wetsuits are allowed at triathlons with water temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
5. Put in earplugs. When the water drops below 60 degrees, I think earplugs become necessary—and they do work well in keeping your core temperature up.
6. Practice swimming in cold water in the weeks before your race. At first, it can be a shock to your system that can lead to hyperventilating or a panicked feeling. You will want to swim slowly until you catch your breath. The first time you experience this it can throw you off, but with practice you will get used to it and be able to relax into your swim.
7. Do a significant warm-up the morning of your race (10 to 15 minutes, minimum). This will minimize the shock effect that cold water can have and allow you to get into a stroke rhythm much faster.
8. Blow bubbles before taking off on your swim. When the cold water hits your face, the shock causes your lungs to contract, causing breathing problems. Go waist deep into the water and submerge your face to blow bubbles. This helps alleviate the shock of the cold water.
Use these tips not only to help your body tolerate cold water swimming, but to use it to your advantage and gain a leg up on your competition.
Kevin operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming which is sold on his website in downloadable form.
This article originally appeared on Active.com — your source for event information, training plans, expert advice, and everything you need to connect with the sport you love.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and not necessarily the practices of USA Triathlon. Before starting any new diet or exercise program, you should check with your physician and/or coach.
