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Heat Acclimatization For Triathletes

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Any triathlete will sometimes have to deal with heat, but
if you compete at Kona you can be sure that it will be hot.
To those not used to training in heat, coming from a cooler
climate and going to a hot climate that is 90⁰F (30⁰C) can
feel like an oven. The heat may not only feel uncomfortable;
in most cases will affect your performance in a negative way,
if not prepared.

The human body is incredible. It can adapt very well if trained
properly for the given conditions it will face. Exposure to
warmer climates causes the body to become more efficient in
keeping core body temperature low. Here are some of the
physiological adaptions that occur with heat acclimatization:

Sweating starts at a lower body core temperature (cooling starts earlier).

Higher sweat rates (helps to cool body down more).

Increased blood plasma levels, sometimes referred to as “blood thinning”.
Increased plasma allows the heart to beat slower and the body
to sweat more before performance decreases.

Thirst is improved allowing you to drink more.

Salt loss through sweat deceases.

All of the adaptions above will enable an athlete
to perform better in hot conditions. Therefore, if you
are aiming to have a great race day in hot conditions,
heat acclimatization is vital.

There are two options that athletes have for heat
acclimatization. Option 1 is going to the event site 14
days before the race to train. Most people will take
about two weeks to acclimatize to the heat. In general,
a fit individual will take less time to adapt to the heat
and the number of days can be closer to seven days.

Option 2 would be to create an artificial hot environment
to train in. This might include training in hot rooms or even
sauna’s.

In either case you should figure out what your sweat rates
are in the heat to prevent dehydration. Weigh your self before
and after exercise. This will give you your approximate sweat
rates, which can be broken down into hours or 15 minute
segments.

For example, if your starting weight is 150 pounds before
exercise, and you weigh 148.5 pounds after one hour of cycling,
you sweat rate would be 1.5 pounds per hour or about 0.4 pounds
every 15 minutes.

For every pound lost you should take in 16 ounces of water.
In hot conditions you should aim to take in more fluid before and
after exercise. Replacing all lost fluids while exercising at a high
level in hot conditions can be a tough undertaking.

There is also a difference between dry heat and humid heat
acclimatization. A person who is adapted to hot humid conditions
will sweat more than if he or she is adapted to dry heat. This
will affect performance because higher sweat rates assist
in keeping core body temperature cooler.

So what are the general protocols for those hoping to be
acclimatized for training in a cooler climate?

1) Arrive to a hot race destination 14 days prior to the competition.
During the first few days, begin training early in the morning and
late in the afternoon in order to get use to heat.

After five days, start doing one training session at mid-day;
you will have to race at mid day in Iron distance races.
Progressively increase your training to simulate race conditions.
For example, if training for an Ironman, you should swim in a morning
cycle then run in the late morning and early afternoon.

2) Artificial heat adaption. This is a great option for those
who live in cooler climates but can’t arrive early to a race.

Create hot conditions for training on an indoor bike or treadmill
by using a heater or sitting in a area that get lots of sun. Do your
best to simulate the race temperatures that you will be racing at.

Hit the sauna! You can do jumping jacks, step-ups, lunges, etc,
in the sauna. Start with five minutes and gradually work your way up.

With any of these recommendations you should ease your way into
them. If you feel faint, dizzy, nauseous or like general death, stop
exercising get some fluids in and cool yourself off in the shade or AC.

Lastly, it is important to note that just about every person’s performance
will decrease in hot conditions. Heat will generally have less impact on
elite athletes. Nevertheless, it is still important to acclimatize as much
as possible to hot conditions in order to minimize performance reductions.


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Triathlon post race blues?

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

It’s an all-too-common scenario in triathlon – you’ve signed up for, trained
for, and completed your race. The finish-line pictures have been taken, the
post-race parties and high-fives from friends are now past, the swim, bike
and run sessions in your planned-out program are over, and suddenly you have
a big, empty void in your life.

You feel depressed. Down. Unmotivated. Unfit. Lost.

You aren’t alone. This phenomena is called the “post-race blues“, and it
happens to basketball players after they win a big tournament, tennis
players after they achieve their desired ranking, golf players after they
conquer a new handicap, or football players after they win the championship.

The post-race blues are entirely natural. Just think about it: if you had
infinite amounts of joy, satisfaction, and self-fulfillment after
accomplishing your goal, then you’d never have any incentive to move on to
another goal! You’d just sit around basking in gumdrops, rainbows, and
sunshine the rest of your life.

Heck, Ironman triathlon probably wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the
post-race blues, since folks would just keep on doing sprint triathlons as
that would give them more than enough happiness. But post-race blues are a
reality, and you do need to know how to handle your post-race blues to move
on to bigger and better things. So in this article from the Rock Star
Triathlete Academy, at http//www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com, you’ll learn
three easy steps to beat the post-race blues.

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #1: Log Your Journey. Often, post-race
blues are amplified by a lack of closure, or the feeling that you finished
an important event but still have unfinished business. Writing can be
incredibly cathartic, and allow you to project these feelings onto paper,
whether for yourself or the rest of the world. In the modern age, this is
most easily achieved by blogging, with your race ramblings, your photos and
your videos – but you can also simply write notes to yourself in a journal.
Whichever method you decide, attempt to answer these questions: What did you
do? How did you prepare? How did you feel during the event? How did you feel
after the event? What would you change?

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #2: Reboot and Refresh. If you try to
“mask” your blues by jumping right back into swimming, cycling and running,
you might last a couple weeks before mental fatigue and boredom set in. The
same can be said for individuals who “Qualify for Kona” and jump right back
into hard training, or don’t get the PR they wanted, and jump right back
into hard training. So instead, you should “reboot and refresh”. How? Pick
up a new sport (like golf), choose a new hobby (like studying red wine or
playing the guitar) and find other sources of joy and fulfillment (like
hanging out with your friends and family). Give yourself 2-3 weeks of
complete down-time without any pressure to swim, bike or run.

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #3: Create a New Goal. The empty valley
created by an achieved goal is simply screaming to be filled by a new
mountain for you to climb. Once you’ve completed your re-boot and re-fresh,
or during that time, pour through triathlon calendars, triathlon magazines
and race reports to find an even that truly excites you. A new distance? A
unique destination? A group or club event? As soon as you have found your
new goal, it is important to register for the event and find a plan to get
you ready for the event- remember you want to strike while the iron is hot
and you have an empty void to fill. Most importantly, remember that your
goal doesn’t have to be a new race. It can also be getting six-pack abs,
losing 20 pounds, or even becoming a rock star on the electronic keyboard.’

By following these three steps to beat the post-race blues, you can avoid
the trap that many fall into: achieving a goal, becoming depressed from the
empty void, then gaining 30 pounds or giving up on their sport because they
just don’t know what to do next. If you want more tips just like this, along
with tons of free audios, videos, and other bonus gifts, visit the Rock Star
Triathlete Academy, at http//www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com.


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Triathlon Hydration

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Curious how important triathlon hydration is? How about how much you should actually be drinking during your triathlon? This article from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy will teach you everything you need to know about triathlon hydration.

Consider the following triathlon hydration facts:

* Your cycling and running speed decreases about 2% for each 1% of body weight lost through dehydration.

* By the time you feel thirsty, you can already be at 2% body weight loss .

* A 3% weight loss indicates dehydration has occurred.

* Loss of fluid during exercise varies, but averages about 34 ounces per hour (and can be 3x that much in hot and humid conditions!).

* Hyponatremia, which is just as dangerous as dehydration, is a term used to describe “water intoxication” and can occur with excess water intake above 30oz of water an hour.

* Acclimatized individuals who are used to training in hot climates or hot rooms can reduce fluid loss by up to 50%.

Based on these facts, it would pretty important to make sure your triathlon hydration is properly planned. Here is how to do it:

* Divide your weight in half to determine the ounces of water you should drink per day for adequate triathlon hydration. So a 160 pound triathlete would consume about 80 ounces of water, or 10 8 ounce servings. While some nutritionists will recommend drinking even more if you exercising, you need to remember that you’re also getting water from all the food you eat about 20% of your daily fluid intake is typically from food.

* During exercise, your triathlon hydration goal should be to consume about 17-25 ounces per hour, or around 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. A typical large water bottle is 20-25 ounces. During hot and long races such as Half-Ironman and Ironman, you can shoot for closer to 28-30 oz of water per
hour although smaller individuals will need to take caution with this level of fluid intake.

* Before a long exercise session, such as a multi-hour workout, race or trip to the gym, your goal should be to consume 17-25 ounces per hour for 2-3 hours leading up to event (but always taper off fluid consumption about 20 minutes before to eliminate “stomach sloshing”).

* Over 30 ounces of fluid per hour can cause water dilution in the blood, which disrupts normal cellular metabolism and physiology, often with dangerous consequences, such as swelling around the brain. High-end intake above these values should only occur during exercise in hot and humid conditions.

There are a few other good triathlon hydration tips you need to take into account:

* To avoid taking in too much water, you can combine your triathlon hydration with doses of external water to control heat stress, such as squirting some cold water over your head, putting ice in your jersey or uniform, or using ice sponges.

* For people who tend to sweat and cramp excessively, glycerol
supplementation can help maximize water storage, but this is illegal in some events so use caution!

* Cold water is absorbed more rapidly than warm water giving you a good excuse to use thermal water bottles and freeze them overnight.

* Pay attention to your urine color – pale to light yellow is optimal. If you’re still peeing dark yellow a couple hours after an event or training session, continue to re-hydrate.

* You can lose up to a pound in glycogen, fat and muscle tissue during a 3+ hour training session, so account for this when re-hydrating, or when weighing yourself after exercise to see how much you¹ve lost

* Remember…you still evaporate water in cooler training environments, so if you’re training in cold weather, triathlon hydration is still important!

No discussion of water would be complete without emphasizing that liquid compounds that are full of fructose, glucose or artificial colorings and sweeteners are not to be considered normal triathlon hydration methods, and should only be consumed when completely necessary, such as during a multi-hour training session during which calories are necessary, or when no form of pure water is handy.

Finally, whenever possible in your triathlon hydration, choose clean, filtered water, and avoid heavy consumption of water from plastic bottled sources, especially those that have been exposed to heat.


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Ironman Results Now!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Perhaps you’ve recently finished your triathlon and you’re unhappy with your
Ironman results. Perhaps you just signed up for an Ironman and you want
better results. No matter what your level of triathlon experience is, the
Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/ironmanresults has identified three
crucial keys for the swim, the bike and the run – and each of them will get
you better Ironman results.

Get Ironman Results for the Swim: Swim With Attitude

Let’s face it – the emotions and experiences you have during the Ironman
swim can significantly dictate your mental performance for the remainder of
the entire race. If you put yourself into a swim position that allows you to
become frustrated, you could set-up a damaging cascade of decisions that
stays with you during the bike and the run. It may seem illogical, but you
can find yourself riding above your goal bike pace by 1-2 miles per hour and
destroying your ability to run off the bike simply because you swam 100m off
course on the swim and you’re attempting to “make up time”.

So not only do you have to have an attitude during the swim that allows you
to shrug off any frustrating experiences that come your way – such as
getting kicked in the face, elbowed in the goggles or drafting off course -
but you also need to make sure that you position yourself in the swim to
decrease the chances of these events occurring. For example, you can swim to
the inside of the marker buoys (most people swim to the outside), sight off
stationary landmarks on shore (most people try to sight off buoys, which is
much more difficult), and draft on the hips of the swimmer in front of you
rather than their feet.

Make the proper swim decisions, and you’ll drastically affect your Ironman
results for the rest of the race.

Get Ironman Results for the Bike: Gearing & Cadence

There’s nothing like mashing gears for 112 miles to leave your legs feeling
like J-E-L-L-O for the run. But at an average Ironman event, 90% of the
competitors are spinning at 60-70RPM or lower as they climb the hills. This
is either the result of not knowing how to use the bike gears, not having
the mental awareness to use the bike gears, or not having the correct bike
gears. Don’t fool yourself – you may be able to do a sprint triathlon with a
chainring the size of Kansas and the cassette of a Tour contender, but that
might come back to bite you 80 or 90 miles into the Ironman bike ride.

So in your practice rides leading up to the Ironman, attempt to ride a
course that simulates your race course, and bring a cyclocomputer. Watch
your cadence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re training based on heart rate,
power, or “feel” – your cadence should be at least above 80RPM, and
preferably 85-95RPM, even on the hills.

Get Ironman Results for the Run: Nutrition

If you’ve done Ironman before, then you know the feeling. About 6 miles into
the run, each aid station becomes a blur of cookies, Coke, soup and gels -
and you can’t remember what you already grabbed, why you grabbed it, how
much you stuffed into your mouth, what time it is, or where your pace is at.

The truth is this: during the Ironman run you have to *own your calories*.
This means that every bite of fuel that goes into your mouth is cooly
calculated and stored in your mental computer that tells you exactly how
much fuel you’ve consumed. There’s nothing like being doubled over with gut
pain halfway through a marathon and not knowing whether it was because you
ate too much, ate too little, mixed the wrong foods, or somehow grabbed a
cheeseburger while you weren’t paying attention.

During your long runs, practice adding total calories consumed and
maintaining a running tally of your fuel – the mind can be trained to do
math during exercise, and if you do this step, your Ironman results will
rock.

With a proper swim attitude, smart bike gearing and cadence, and attentive
run nutrition, you’re guaranteed to get Ironman results. For more tips on
not just Ironman, but every aspect of triathlon, including training,
nutrition, expert Q&A’s, coach calls, free training plans, and much more,
visit the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/ironmanresults.


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Triathlon Carbohydrate Intake

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

When discussing triathlon carbohydrate intake and how carbs should be worked
into your day-to-day nutrition routine, the following is the one single
important aspect of human body science that you need to understand if they
want your bodies to feel better, perform better and look better. At the Rock
Star Triathlete Academy at
http://rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecarbohydrateintake/ , we
teach this as one of the most crucial nutrition concepts to know.

Here it is:

Insulin is a hormone secreted by an organ called the pancreas. Its role is
to take blood sugar and get that sugar into muscles, to be utilized for
energy. Unfortunately, if insulin levels are always high, then the sensitive
insulin receptors on your body’s cells eventually become unresponsive to
insulin, resulting in a host of problems related to what is called “insulin
insensitivity”. These problems can include weight gain, fatigue, appetite
cravings, and even cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

If you want to control your insulin levels and triathlon carbohydrate
intake, there are two very important things you can instantly doŠ

1) Don’t Go Hungry. If you¹re going more than 4 hours between meals, it¹s
likely that your blood sugar levels are dropping very low. When this
happens, and you eventually do eat, you’re more like to eat more and to eat
more carbohydrates. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise more rapidly
than usual, resulting in a big surge in insulin levels. So rather than
waiting to eat until you’re about to gnaw off your arm, give yourself a rule
of snacking or eating at least every 3 hours. By planning, preparing,
packaging and pre-cooking, you¹ll ensure that you have adequate snacks on
hand to make this form of triathlon carbohydrate intake happen.

2) Choose Carbs Wisely. The more quickly a sugar is released into the
bloodstream, the faster your insulin levels are going to rise. Some carbs
are “quick-release” carbs and include more sport drinks, candy, cookies and
sweet tasting compounds. Other carbs, are “slow-release” carbs, and the best
ones are lean dairy foods, vegetable carbs like carrots and squash, nuts and
seeds, pears, berries and green apples. For proper triathlon carbohydrate
intake, choose the quick-release carbs only before, during and after
exercise, and use the slow-release carbs the rest of the day.

With these two simple rules, you can suddenly have enormous control over
your insulin levels, your health, your performance and your body and
although there is obviously much more to consider when it comes to triathlon
carbohydrate intake, these two rules are a good place to start. For more
information on triathlon carbohydrate intake, simply visit:

http://rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecarbohydrateintake/


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Triathlete Core Training

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Triathlete Core Training

If you’ve read any triathlon magazines lately, or visited triathlon websites
like http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecoretraining ,
you’re most likely familiar with triathlete core training and the concepts
behind triathlete core training, which basically involves functional
multi-sport training for the abdominal, low back, and pelvic muscles.

Since many functional movements, such as running, lifting, or twisting,
originate in the torso, it is important to maintain strength and balance in
this part of the body. Today we’ll examine the best triathlete core training
methods for an athlete to work the core, not only in terms of the best
exercises, but also in terms of how often, how many sets and reps, length of
rest periods, etc.

First of all, understand the importance of the torso complex in multi-sport
training. Proper “downhill” swimming involves constantly pressing the chest
or shoulders down towards the bottom of the pool, relying on a light, albeit
constant, downward contraction in the ab muscles and a resistive contraction
to upward movement in the low back muscles. Both the flutter kick and stroke
actions in the legs and arms also rely on light, repetitive contractions in
the oblique and pelvic floor muscles. In the bicycle portion, the low back
must maintain a consistent extension force against the weight of the upper
body and the shoulders, unless you are in the aero position during the
entire ride, which is unlikely. Proper running cadence, with a slight
forward lean and a proud posture, again involves repetitive, light
contractions in the ab musculature.

Based on these stresses placed on the torso, it is unlikely that heavy sets
of 8-10 reps for the abs and low back will result in much cross-over benefit
to the torso. So the primary focus should be on balance, light weight, and
higher rep sets lasting from 1-2 minutes or longer. Let’s go over a sample
routine that would be perfect for triathlete core training. Just go to
http://www.pacificfit.net/exercises.php to see a description and photo/video
example.

Bicycle crunches: 25 per side – focus on smooth contractions and full
extension in legs with each kick

Superman: 20 – focus on a brief hold when arms and legs are raised off
floor…butt cheeks should be squeezed together
Standing one arm overhead press: 20 per side – drive knee as far up towards
chest as possible so that it feels like a standing crunch

Mountain climbers: 20 to each side – make sure that you are in a completely
extended, “plank” position, and that knees come as close to elbows as
possible.

Six inch crunches: 20 – go slow. A set of 20 should take 2 minutes or
longer.

For a great 30 minute triathlete core training routine, complete all these
exercises as a circuit, moving from one exercise to the next with as little
rest as possible. Perform the circuit 3x. A workout such as this should only
be performed 3 times per week at the most, and for many active multi-sport
athletes, once per week should be sufficient to induce both endurance,
strength, and balance gains in the core musculature that will make you a
better triathlete.

If you want tons of high quality, fast downloading triathlon instructional
videos, you should visit
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/freevideogift for an entire series
of free swim, bike and run videos!


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More Olympic Triathlon Training Myths

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #1: You Have To Shave Your Body To Do A
Triathlon.

Whole body shaving can reduce turbulent flow of the water against the skin,
and assist with a quick wetsuit exit both of which can shave a few seconds
from your time thus making whole body shaving a good choice for an elite
athlete or individual who wishes to gain as many advantages as possible. But
it might be a waste of time and razors if you’re just getting into
triathlon.

However, shaved arms and legs can assist with ease of cleaning wounds from
bicycle crashes. Waxing can be expensive, and razor can be be
time-consuming, so both have their disadvantages! So if you do decide to
keep yourself trimmed (especially you guys), we advise an electric razor for
the initial shave, followed by a three or four blade handheld razor, used
along with a good shaving cream.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #2: There Isn’t A Big Difference Between A
Road Bike With Aerobars and a Tri Bike With Aerobars.

A short summary of the difference between a road bike and tri bike is as
follows: The road bike geometry is designed for an upright riding position
and greater utilization of the gluteus and hamstring muscles, which is not
ideal for aerodynamics or running off the bike. The steeper aero bike
geometry results in greater aerodynamic advantages and quadriceps
utilization, both of which are crucial for time trialing and running off the
bike.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #3: Fancy Bike Shoes Are Only For the Pros.

The “fancy bike shoes” have cleats on the bottom, and these cleats allow you
to clip your feet into your bike pedals. When your feet are ³clipped in²,
you can generate more power and speed, because you are pulling up on the
pedals with each stroke. In addition, bike shoes have a more firm sole,
resulting in greater foot comfort and distribution of forces across the
entire foot, especially when compared to cycling in relatively softer soled
running shoes. So if you begin early by learning how to use the bike shoes,
you give yourself an enormous advantage.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #4: Any Wetsuit Will Do.

Because of the thicker rubber and fewer areas of thin or flexible paneling,
a surfing wetsuit can severely affect your ability to rotate your shoulders
properly and to swim with an efficient freestyle stroke. Triathlon wetsuits
were designed with an enormous focus on allowing a triathlete to swim
efficiently and comfortably. So while a surfing wetsuit will offer the same
degree of warmth as a triathlon wetsuit, it could actually slow you down
more than simply not wearing a wetsuit at all!

We hope myths help you out in your Olympic triathlon training! For more tips
just like this, and to really feel fantastic in your next race, visit the
Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/olympictriathlontraining .


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Olympic Triathlon Training

Saturday, June 5, 2010

An Olympic triathlon is a great “next step” up from a Sprint distance race,
and even a good beginner race if you’ve got the fitness to swim 1.5K, bike
40K and run 10K. But before you jump into your training, you should take
into consideration a few of these olympic triathlon training myths from the
Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at

http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/olympictriathlontraining.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #1. Paddles and Fins Are For Making Your
Muscles Stronger.

Contrary to popular belief, paddles should not be used to make your swimming
muscles “stronger” or increase the force of the water against your hand.
Furthermore, water is a fluid medium and doesn’t “tear” muscle fibers, which
means you’re not going to grow new muscle by using paddles. They should
instead be used to enhance your feel for the water.

By increasing the surface of your hand, a paddle instead allows you to have
a better idea of where your hand is as it enters the water and initiates the
pull. I am personally a fan of the Finis Freestyle paddles, because they
help direct your entire arm into a high-elbow position, which is ideal.

In the same way that paddles should not be used as merely a form of
strength-training in the water, fins should not be used simply to make the
legs more tired while you’re kicking. Instead, fins should be used to
enhance your feel for the water, and should be used to encourage you to keep
your legs relatively straight, kicking from the hips rather than the knees.
Because they tend to give you a good feel during both the up and down
portion of the kick phase, I am a fan of the Zoom H2 fins.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #2: You Should Wear Your Wetsuit the Same
Way As Your Pants And Coat.

The biggest mistake a triathlete can make when putting on a wetsuit is to
pull the sleeves and legs too far down the extremities, the same way they
would put on their pants and coat. This mistake results in inadequate rubber
left for the chest and shoulders, and a feeling of tightness, lack of
mobility, and shortness of breath. Instead, the wetsuit sleeves should be
pulled several inches up from the hands, and the wetsuit legs should be
pulled several inches up from the ankles.

To more quickly and efficiently enter the wetsuit, wear socks or plastic
bags over the feet. For both wetsuit entry and wetsuit exit, use a sports
lubrication (such as BodyGlide) on the hands and feet. For a fast wetsuit
exit, be sure to have the wetsuit rolled down to your waist by the time you
enter bike transition, and practice exiting your wetsuit while in a standing
position.

Olympic Triathlon Training Myth #3: To Be A Better Swimmer, You Don’t Need
To Use “Toys” In The Water.

You should certainly learn to swim without the use of accessories, but they
do have a proper place in the pool. In addition to paddles and fins, a few
other useful pool accessories we encourage our athletes to use are: A) a
waterproof swimming metronome to assist with rhythm, turnover and pace; B)
an old bicycle tube to tie the ankles together and teach how to eliminate
“runner’s kick”; C) tennis balls or round paddles to learn how to use the
hands less and the forearms more; D) a short pvc pipe for practicing the
“catch-up” drill, in which the pvc pipe is handed from one hand to the other
when both arms are extended in front of the body.


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Triathlon Training Guide

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Imagine a triathlon like the journey to the top of a tall mountain. There are six competitors in this journey, and at the top of that mountain is a triathlon training guide – a seasoned endurance athlete with the ability to
address all the issues that the competitors had getting to the top of the mountain.

Every triathlete struggles with different obstacles in their journey up the mountain, and the triathlon training guide emerges from his cave at the top of the mountain, ready to answer their questions.

The first competitor slowly approaches, gasping for breath, and says, “I was fast for awhile, but I got slower and slower towards the top of the mountain.”

The triathlon training guide rubs his chin, “It sounds to me like you have subpar muscular endurance. Rather than focusing your efforts on purely slow aerobic training, or doing very short intervals, make sure that you include some long tempo efforts and long intervals in your training. These should last 5-10 minutes for running, and 10-20 minutes for cycling, and be performed at about 75-85% intensity”.

The second competitor shakes his head with frustration. “I just couldn’t beat my competition in that final 200 meter sprint to the top of the mountain.”

With an understanding nod, the triathlon training guide responds, “You need some fast finish key workouts, young competitor. Try to include a final fast effort at the end of a weekly swim, bike or run that becomes progressively faster as the workout lasts, then finishes with a maximum pace fast effort, such as a 1/2 mile hard run, a 5K hard bike, or a 200 meter hard swim.”

The third competitor grimaces from soreness, “My legs got very tired every time the mountain got steep.”

“Your legs are weak,” rumbled the triathlon training guide, “Do steep hill repeats that are short in time and low in cadence, and include squats and lunges in your gym program, rather than just spending all your time in yoga class.”

The fourth competitor wavers with weakness, “I was grumpy, depressed and lightheaded most of the time I was racing.”

The triathlon training guide holds out a gel, “Moodiness is a sign of low blood sugar – you should only feel like that during a targeted fat burning session, not during a race.”

The fifth competitor stumbles forward, with sticky, sugary fingers, “My energy was fine, but I got nauseous with a grumbly stomach, so can I have a gel too?”

“Not a chance, kid,” the triathlon training guide continues, “This usually means you ate too much, and had too much blood going to your gut. Next time, remind yourself that this sport isn’t a buffet line.”

The sixth and final competitor shrugs, “This sport hurts. I twisted an ankle, all my joints hurt and the front of my shoulder is killing me.”

The triathlon training guide narrowed his eyes, “You are weak and imbalanced. Do more single leg drills, more rotator cuff and core strengthening, more flexibility work, and be sure you’re using proper gear and are fitted to it correctly. This sport shouldn’t hurt like that.”

And with that, the six competitors turned around for the easy descent down the mountain, eager to try the climb again with their newfound knowledge. The triathlon training guide smiled with satisfaction and disappeared into his cave.

If you enjoyed this story from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathlontrainingguide , then you should click the link above for even more stories, audios, videos, and articles designed to make you a stronger, smarter, faster triathlete. See you at the academy!


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How To Swim #2

Sunday, May 16, 2010

1. Master’s Swimming. Joining a Masters team can be a very good tool as you
learn how to swim for triathlon. Move to a slower lane to work on stroke
improvement. If you belong to a masters team, don¹t feel that you always
need to keep up with your lanemates at every workout. Masters teams
typically have many people with many different swimming goals. It¹s
important to do your own thing! Remember that technique comes before all
else and if this means swallowing a little pride to make improvements. Just
think of how much faster you will be in the long run (or in this case, the
long swim!).

2. Habit: Keep your arm from crossing over.

One of the most common bad habits Kevin sees in swimmers learning how to
swim is the arm crossing over to the opposite side on the pull. Breathing on
your left side results in your right arm crossing over, breathing on your
left side results in your right arm crossing. Often times this happens when
one goes to breath, but sometimes it’s caused just from over-rotating. To
avoid this, make sure your head isn’t moving with the rest of your body, and
try to pull more in a straight line (still bending the elbow) and ending the
pull on the same side you started (i.e. right hand slices into the water,
pulls back and hand ends up near right hip).

3. Keep the Feel. If swimming is your toughest sport, it is important to
“keep the feel” for the water as you learn how to swim, and get in the water
at least every other day (no, showers and baths don’t count!) This way, your
body maintains its kinesthetic awareness of being balanced in water.

4. Work Those Lungs. Mix in some hypoxic training sets into your workouts.
For example, do a set of 4×100’s breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25, with
15 seconds rest in between each 100. Your lungs will thank you for it
towards the end of the swim part of your triathlon!

5. Work Your Weakness. In the sport of triathlon, most coaches agree that
you should spend the most time working on your weakest of the three sports.
For many of you, this will be swimming! Within swimming, the same concept
applies. As you learn how to swim, spend the most time working on the
weakest part of your stroke. If balancing on your side is an issue, do some
kicking drills on your side. If moving your head is a problem, focus on head
position most of the time. Whatever your weakness may be, you will gain the
most by spending your pool time improving on that weakness.

Many thanks to Kevin for sharing these tips with the Rock Star Triathlete
Academy! For even more tips on how to swim in triathlon, along with free
video and audio tips, just visit us at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/howtoswim”>http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/howtoswim


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