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Dont listen to your coach. Dont follow your program
Strange thing to say on a site with a coaching focus?
The best coach of you is YOU. What do we mean? Ditch all outside help? Sack your coach? No way
what we mean is only you have the full awareness of how you body is adapting to training
when we set out schedules and programs they are not unlike bus timetables or meeting rosters- unexpected events happen or meetings run overtime
a good program is consistent and has a clear direction but it is also adaptable
when we put 20×1km repeats on a program does that mean you attempt 20×1km? absolutely
do you do slightly more or slightly less? perhaps and this is why……….
the most important thing is not to understand the program content but the PURPOSE of the session
if the purpose of a session is to build muscular endurance then if you feel ok at 20×1 you might do a few more
if you are absolutely cooked and starting to strain then you’d consider cutting it shorter
especially if this means we get half arsed efforts out of you for the next 10 days
this is where smart athletes separate themselves- they dont dodge training/make excuses but they are also highly tuned in when its the right time to push it or not
we call this self coaching- its the hardest to learn but its so so important
no genius of a coach can protect an athlete from their own stupidity. no smart coach expects an athlete to act like a dog and bark on command
You have to be committed to the program but its also your responsibility to look after your own needs
Unless you see the coach daily they cant always see if you are slacking off or pushing when you should be backing off
So start tuning into what your own feedback is saying- be honest with it
on those days you have more to give then give it, your rate of progress will be markedly improved
on those days you are spent- act smart get some sleep and reschedule
this is the art of self coaching- master that and you are a long way along the path
this is why its so important to not get hung up on fixed paces for every session and worrying about “X” km. When we give you a 2hr moderate aerobic run it means run as fast as you can whilst staying in the middle of your aerobic range. This can vary widely from day to day and terrain to terrain. It certainly doesnt mean dawdle around at the bottom of your aerobic range “just to comply” with the program- we want max adaption but without disruption to the rest of the program. We also dont want dawdle for 1hr 30mins and then nailing yourself on the “cattle dog” home straight of 30 mins. When you send the coach the “average” HR he hasnt got the time to look through every segment of everyones run to see if this sort of stuff is going on- you have to help out if you want results. Dont be a victim of a program -own the thing
so get into self coaching you’ll get much better results
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Its this time of year people start writing their 16 colour training programs. We sit down after winter and start thinking about how to turn our training around. To “take it to a new level”. How many “New and Improved” labels do you see when shopping for nearly anything. Its human nature to seek higher utility/want something we “better” or will potentially yield greater satisifaction. Why wouldn’t we? This is what has advanced mankind over the generations. But man has also become very good at processing- ie finding something that works well and then repeating with greater efficiency or bigger scale to obtain larger returns. Mining is a good example of this- once you know where the Diamonds are and how to dig them out well then you use larger excavation and drilling equipment and load the stuff into bigger trucks to increase your productivity.
Success in training/(maybe life?) is strongly correlated to consistency. The whole theory of progressive overload is very hard to achieve if you dont have a consistent method of applying it. So why is it that we can be prone to want to mess with our programs so much?
Do you really need a different mesocycle every 3 weeks or do your swim sets or run sets have to change every week?
One thing we have seen in rather large number of cases of success whether it be business,sport or religion is that these people/groups employ a sustained and consistent process- often to the point of obsession
There’s that fine line the continuum between creativity and control, entrepreneurship and risk aversion, flexible and inflexible
So going back to our training life what does this mean? Is it possible that we can take smaller controlled risks with our program (creativity) whilst maintaining a stable proven pattern (control and risk avoidance)
if you are coached you potentially leave the risk taking part to the coach (he may actually use you for creative risk taking without you knowing it or stick to whats proven)
if you are self coached think about whether you have the risk/reward ratio right. Just because the internet is filled with complicated programs and that book you just bought has very catchy looking programs -it doesnt mean you should copy it
Seldom do those who jump around from one thing to the next repeatedly succeed. You take a risk and follow it through until you can see a sensible conclusion(works or does not) or you stick with whats proven
This is the principal of sustained process management. Have a think about it before getting those highlighters out
It can get to be boring at times or feel like a “grind” but the payoff of sustained process management can potentially be very great
Have a look at the guy chiselling the statue in the photo above. If you walked past him for a few weeks you could comment “wow look at that guy just tapping away at that piece of marble-he’s wasting his time -still just looks like a piece of marble- he should quit get out the cutting saw and turn it into tiles”. Then after weeks and weeks a finished artwork appears that may sell for many times more than all the tiles you could have made from the same marble
The creative part doesn’t emerge until right at the end-all that boring sustained process management has to come first
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Aug 11
3
Single or Multisport Approach?
I’ve come across a lot of press releases,pro interviews and anecdotes on this topic
Story goes likes this………..hey you multisport athletes- combined time wins not who’s the fastest at each discipline- if you want to win at multisport you’ve got to train for it right so stop focusing on one sport at a time and then trying to put them together…..etc
Right?……..
I think there’s a case to say WRONG. Whilst I’m not disagreeing with the fact that there is a minimum level of training that needs to be applied to chain the different sports together eg particularly swim/bike and bike/run
However a potential problem is people get stuck on trying to improve at all three(or more) sports at the same time. This is entirely possible to some degree -particularly at the lower end of an athletes fitness potential and/or training experience
The closer you get to the front of the field and the longer your experience with training the slower those improvements come. The simple principle of overload gets harder to achieve- the body has become pretty accustomed to most things you can throw at it out of the mulitsport workout bible
So thats the time when a single sport focus can be of potential benefit. For example lets say our subject has a threshold pace of 4mins per km running on the back of years of multisport training. This person does their standard 3-4 runs a week (1 long, 1 moderate, 1 intervals, 1 recovery) along with their 3-4 bike sessions and 3-4 swim sessions. As a result of this consistent volume you often find they can hold a very high percentage of that FT pace for a long time but when asked to “push it” there isn’t a lot more there. Why? because the number of times they “test” that limit in a week are very few. The number of total sessions addresses their aerobic development and muscular endurance but very little is being done to regularly raise the “ceiling”
It is very difficult holding those 12 workouts a week to really bust the door down.
Think about studying for a set of exams where you had to keep swapping subjects every couple of minutes- you’d eventually improve but many things would potentially escape you eg that complicated formular that takes a few days of applied questions to sort out
There is nothing wrong with taking a single sport approach for a decent period before coming back to the multisport athlete approach
For example lets give our runner above 4-6 weeks away from swimming and halve his riding time
Shit he’s got all this energy now. Perhaps we give him two interval sessions a week
Perhaps we really challenge the pace of his long run
Perhaps we can do some specific hill work or technique work
Potentially he could have 2 or 3 rest days and still manage to do way more running than before
It would also give him more flexibility to go hard when he felt he had the legs for it
All of these things help teach the muscles and brain to do something they arent accustomed to- its like doing intensive tutoring on your maths
One of the really big benefits of the single sport approach is the extra rest availble, typically more rest =better adaptions (provided you also do the work)
The other massive benefit is the ability to do multiple daily or intraday sessions within the same sport- this is much harder to schedule with 2 or 3 sports all wanting attention
For example the cruisy run in the morning and the harder intervals session in the evening followed by an easy recovery run the next morning to really maximise the adaptions
So be open to both single and multi approaches- they are both necessary and effective if incorporated in the right way
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
One of the greatest benefits of starting any race is simply to participate.
Lets look at this in contrast. On one hand sport can be uncompromising, requiring unwavering dedication and “all or nothing” if you aspire to pursue it at the highest level. This is essentially a description of a professional approach or that of an individual is willing and able to make the sacrifices this requires.
On the other hand sport is a form of recreational pursuit, social engagement, health supporting and relief and contrast from our other pursuits (some of them professional some of them amateur)
In between is what we might call “semi-serious” ie willing to invest significant time without completely needing to forgo other endevours. Right up the top of these semi-serious are the “pro-am’s” that train and live like professionals yet dont compete at the highest level. Some of them dont actually have any profession (sport or otherwise)
Have you ever heard the expression that “we are becoming increasingly specialised to the point where people know a whole lot about a very little”. This describes the long term trend towards professionalism- increasingly all or nothing approach where for instance a lawyer might stake his whole career on becoming expert on one very narrow area of tax law. There are less and less “generalists” in this world- because the world is making less space for them
What I find is that the all or nothing approach tends to permeate adults approach to their sporting pursuits. That is if you cant be winnning or get to the top level then why bother?
Its an interesting question in the context of the Tour De France being on TV right now. When Tour fever takes hold the roads suddenly become filled with seriously overweight guys flying around on bikes. You can understand the commentary from people (especially females) that they are embarassing and should “just give it up”
Now that simple statement I have a big problem with. Australians one or two generations ago had a much higher participation rate in sport. On top of that more jobs were manual and there was less cheap sugar filled food on tap. But why o why would we ridicule people who actually try to participate?
Maybe the problem lies again in the balance- if these same lycra clad obese types were a little more consistent with their participation, instead of work 24/7 and then for 3 weeks hit the bike when the tour was on then they wouldnt be visually offensive. However they have made a start which is better than 99.9% of the population
I see the same thing happen with athletes. As soon as a job heats up or they have less training hours available they start stating their “retirement” intentions. They literally write a scripted speech for their family and friends as if they were a famed professional and those people really placed some stock in the importance of the event. Because of the “all or nothing” ethos they decide that they simply must ditch the sport indefenitely………..I mean why bother racing if you cant train 15hrs/wk consistently
Most of the serious age group athletes I have trained with have had to make their sport participatory as a first emphasis and from time to time this has to cycle down to accomodate their real professional activities. Whats more common amongst those who have been successfull over a long term is that they actually enjoy the participation itself
There is another group of people who do very well but as soon as the schedule has to bend they cannot compromise. Many of these guys approach training like taking medicine- they do it very professionally but dont enjoy the experience- have a look through those franchise gyms- they are filled with “professional-take the daily medicine” exercisers. In my experience these same people struggle with the concept of just being a participant and as a result drop out or become dissatisfied or frustrated. They avoid racing “until they have time to train properly” I have some mates who have been avoiding racing for 10 years or more yet still keep training away “until that day”. A further step on is they ditch the whole thing forever- as if they were a retiring professional who was only doing it for the money. (Funny thing is most of the real professionals actually would do it for free they like it that much)
This approach completely also disregards the relaxation or social benefits of just entering a race or rolling up to training when you can get there. You may have to accept that you are not ever going to win your age group but you can have a bloody nice life if you just enjoy the whole journey. Nobody over the age of 30 really cares where you placed or what time you did. Sure some do but they are the insecure and those who never made it themselves.
Dont write retirement speeches. Dont make it all or nothing. Participation is a fluid concept. Myself personally will not have time to race an IM this year- but I am not “retired”. I have already entered about 5 other shorter events. Will I have time to train properly for all of them? Im not sure. I’ll be on lots of aeroplanes with work etc so I’ll just have to do what I can. I really enjoy participating and my time with my mates at races. I will never make my living from racing- and most of us make a way better living doing something else. Even when Im winning my age group when I do have time to focus, its really inconsequential in the scheme of things. Its the experiences with friends and the places you race that put colour on the experience
So enjoy being a participant- its just as important as competition- and probably more
Posted in All Articles Psychology by .
In a ride through the local suburbs this morning I observed a group of men walking slowly and frailly with their dogs. I asked my partner how old she thought they were (they didnt seem that old) and we concluded not much older than us.
So it lead to a discussion about what choices these group of men had made to get to that point? – they all seemed happy and content enough and presumably affluent and successfull given the suburb and their attire. Lets assume they were mostly happy with their physical condition and what limits it was going to put on them as they progressively aged.
If I stay in my comfort zone with my life choices- job,family, residence etc then that is one way I can control stress level. If I dont add new things in the mix constantly then its likely to put less pressure on me. Lets call me type B
If I get out of my comfort zone-try new things, switch jobs, force myself to live somewhere else, try to study at night on top of work etc- then that naturally is setting me up for a more “stressfull” life right? Lets call me type A
If I’m type B I’m relaxed already and I probably dont need to exercise nearly as much to level myself out. Type A probably have regular moments when they question what they’ve bitten off and need a lot of exercise to help balance out the stressfull environment they have chosen
The difference between type A and B- type A are constantly looking for stress, type B might be trying to avoid it. We go through life being told stress is bad and to get rid of it. It can be very productive stuff if you direct and balance it properly. Both can be successfull strategies. What’s important is you need to know how you are wired and whats going to make YOU happy.
So that group of guys I saw this morning some of them might be financially successfull and fully content with the relatively sedantry life they have chosen. I know guys like this who are just content relaxed and happy. They dont need to exercise because they dont feel stressed and they are happy with the fact they will become less mobile as they age. They are happy with their choice
Then there will be some people that just cant try enough in life and want to go as hard as they can go for as long as they can go. They want to take on big goals and take big risks. If you have been around sport for a while you’ll recognise this is the personality type of many athletes (more than not). Its very rare that these guys can function well without a physical outlet. In fact the more stressed they are the more they persue extreme athletic endevours- its a fact that a very high % of endurance athletes have high stress jobs or high stress family lives or have high stress “goals” in general.
There are also people between these two extremes- a blend of each. But you must be true to yourself and know your type- emulating the choices of your peers will not address your own stress balance needs. There are many very very successful people out of both camps.
Why labour on this point? We’ll we find in modern life that people will label serious amateur athletes as “weird” or not belonging to type B (or derivative thereof). The focus is on what purpose riding for 200km or running for 42.2km serves? Answer ….none ostensibly….unless you look deeper at the persons makeup……that very activity may be the key to balancing all the other things they want to achieve in life or are demanded of them. If that same person reverted to the lifestyle of type B they might end up being very poor at everything they do.
The type A’s usually have a longer bucket list than type B. They still want to be moving fast in their 60’s and 70’s- never content that they have done enough. While its convenient and easy to point to stress as a result of their choices- its somewhat less conventional to look at their choices in terms of “actively seeking” a stressful existence
The catch is its damn hard to swap groups if you leave it late- past 40 and its especially hard for men to suddenly cobble together the requisite physical capabilities to train hard. Just as you cant train to be top of a white collar or blue collar field overnight-it takes many years of education and grind. Another name for this is “stress”. You cant successfully employ type A strategy towards your training one year and type B the next. Being consistent to your type leads to the best result and satisfaction.
We all know people that train like lunatics for a day at a time, or a few months or a couple of seasons before stating that “they have too much on their plate” or are “burnt out” or “just not enjoying it”. In other words they dont see a long term benefit in taking on the extra stress. Conversely there are some people who are always enrolling in another uni degree or races or trying to run fast well into their 50,60 and 70’s. They get called freaks or unbalanced. From time to time their mates try to emulate them and state something like “he’s genetically better suited or seems to have more time….insert excuse here” Ironically some of the highest stressed individuals in their working career are also the most successfull at sport- what they tend to have in common are two things
-being true to their type (comfortable in their own skin and choices)
-consistent lifestyle strategy
Im guessing out of that group of guys this morning half would have been content and the other with regrets. A few might be rich beyond belief, worked hard at the one career and enjoy slow walks, gardening and suburban life- why would this guy want anything else? Nope he’s content. Then there’s likely to one guy who slacked off in his career (cruised) didnt really try to study or read anything and isnt in the best shape. He might not be “stressed” but he’s been unproductive and dissatisfied- not true to his type
Then there are the guys who dont hang out with the dog walkers who are still travelling for work, pulling long hours and running hard in the dark before work- still going for it. These guys have stressfull but highly productive lives- consistently high paced and true to their type
So sit back and reflect on your type and your choices- you might look at stress a bit differently going forward- its a good thing
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In response to some recent questions we thought it apt to pen a couple of basic things to keep in mind while running:
What f$%cking part of my foot am I supposed to use?
I am not sure why this topic has to be so complex. There are whole shoe companies preaching the virtues of running on the front of the foot for instance. Last time I checked the idea of a foot was to spread the load over a large surface area. If we had feet the size of a stilleto we would leave holes in the ground. In defence of these same companies this is rarely their intention to advocate only running on a small part of the forefoot- it just makes a convenient marketing point of difference if they state that your running will be radically changed- by running moreso on that part of the foot- a big difference
What does the foot do from front to back?
The foot has a couple of really hard thick bones on the back joining the achilles that is dam strong. It then widens out into progressively smaller and complex bones. If your foot touches the ground at the heel and then progressively rolls forward then the load of impacting the ground is absorbed along the length of the foot
The faster the foot is travelling back behind you the more you can deflect this force into forward propulsion. If you are able to do this very quickly then a lot of the impact is avoided and thus it is less necessary to use the whole length of the foot- contrast slow walk downhill to a fast run uphill. the faster or more uphill you run the less you naturally impact on the rear of the foot
Where the real confusion lies?
People study good runners, very good runners running “fast” with minimal ground impact and note that the rear of the foot does not touch the ground much. They then conclude that to run fast you must run on the forefoot. This has about as much logic as putting the tires off a ferrari onto a dump truck in the hope it will move faster
Ground Contact/Dwelling Time
The longer your foot spends on the ground the more breaking effect it is likely to cause- its simple friction right?. When we see people diagnosed as running on the heels too much that is often just a symptom of lacking enough drive off the ground and leg speed in general. There is nothing wrong with how their feet go onto the ground-its just they dont get off the back of the foot nearly quick enough and roll onto the front-ready to push into the next stride. Learning not brace with the legs and brushing over the ground will help much more than trying to deliberately run more toe centric style (which is not going to help at all -you are just going to impact the ground with less surface area) Whilst some shoes may encourage a cantilever from front to back they cant teach you the right action up in the legs and core that drive this fore aft movement. So forget what part of the foot is right. Use the whole bloody thing and get the technique right
What does the foot do side to side…..basically ?
Again the industry has everyone believing they have a pronation problem or a supination problem or tracking problem or canting problem etc etc. Whole walls of “control”, ”stability”, “neutral” and “cushioning” shoes confuse the hell out of people.
Its a complex piece of gear no doubt but basic your foot is designed to land on its outside edge (ie from a slightly supinated position) and then roll in progressively spreading the shocking through the bones and tendons in the feet (pronation). As it does this your arch will compress to further reduce the shock
- Supination- is not a bad thing
- Pronation -is not a bad thing
- Arch compression- is not a bad thing
So why when people buy shoes do the kids in AF get all hung up on “curing” people of these ills. I’ll go out on a limb and say 80% of people in “stability” shoes dont really need them. In fact they are probably making the muscles in their feet weaker.
Excessive pronation or supination can be bad no doubt. So a little help from a shoe can be of benefit. But you must also address whats going on mechanically. Eg If you have no abductor strength and your leg turns in too much due to your feet might flick out to the side and hit the ground on a silly angle. Changing shoes might take the pain away for a while but you’ll probably risk injury all the time.
So remember its good for the foot to roll from outside to inside. Its normal and it gives your maximum strength in driving off the strong stuff in your foot -the achilles tendon and the bigger toes and bigger bones over that side. Next time your run think about using the whole thing. Dont lock down your laces and freeze your foot inside a shoe- get the whole thing working. (A word of caution- we arent fans of the whole free running on concrete brigade- yes running on grass can be great but doing 20k on roads in vibrams- well no foot was designed for that- see any concrete roads around in civilisations where man is best adapted for running?
Ideas about propulsion
There are a few common ideas about how various experts frame up propulsion. One way is to look at forward motion of the legs via
-Pendulum (Swing)
This describes the effect of one leg swinging forward and primarilly being engage by the pelvic and hip area
-Cyclic (Cycle)
This describes the effect of the leg bending at the knee and ankle using the various leg muscles – as the knee bends and straightens the legs appear to move in a circular fashion. The more you bend your knee in forward motion the less effort is required to bring the upper leg forward (the lever length decreases)
-Plantar/Dorsifexion (Spring)
Most of your spring comes out of ankle flexion/extension primarily the achilles tendon which connects into the calve muscles. Its a massive shock absorber too and the fastest way to make adjustments to fore/aft balance
You can experiment with pendulum/cyclic and springing actions in your running motion. There are various drills to seperate each.
The wrong blend
Many athletes pick up books and conclude that “springing off the ground vertically is bad” or “striding too long is bad” or “high knee lift is bad for distance running”
Its all about blend- as you run faster different blends of swing/cycle and spring are needed. There is no such thing as the right technique for all speeds. If you have a muscled upper body you will balance differently on the ground to a slightly built runner. If you have big legs you will run differently again. The key is to experiment with different amounts of swing,cycle and spring that afford you the greatest economy
You need to think about it while you run
Running is actually an act of dynamic balance. If you are not constantly adjusting in the ankles and feet then chances are you’ll have to correct some other way- eg excessive swinging(striding) or cycle (getting low to the ground with excessive knee bed). When you get the right mixture your foot should brush the ground and contact just under your hip- remember the longer your stride -generally the more the axis of your body needs to tip forward
Upper and Lower Body Are Connected
The focus of runners often tends to be the legs. The hip and torso are just as important. Firstly some of the most powerfull leg muscles connect through the pelvic region- which also transfers big forces through the spine.
Twisting/Counter Twisting
When you twist the upper body the lower body wants to follow
-A controlled amount of twisting in the torso helps counter react/balance the twisting forces as your foot rolls in and pushes off the ground
-Too much twisting will need a larger counter reaction- more twisting from the lower body than is necessary and balance problems
Arm/Hand Swinging
When you swing your arm hard on one side of your body while running the opposite leg wants to follow it
The faster your legs move back the more they benefit from a fast swinging counter weight from a forward moving arm
Many athletes in an attempt to “control” their running or having read that “long distance runners dont use their upper body much” will avoid swinging their arms or stop their torso from twisting at all. All this does is remove a valuable source of propulsion and require an alternative (often weird looking) means of attaining balance
A similar number problems occur if you move your arms excessively
Again its about getting the blend right- and this changes with speed, body type, terrain and situation.
So next time you head out on a run think about:
-using the whole foot along its length
-using both sides of the foot
-using leg swing,cycle and spring
-using upper body twist and arm swing
Plenty of stuff to experiment with there – lot of good books around- I’m vastly oversimplifying but playing around with it is the idea at hand
Posted in All Articles Running by .
Jun 11
26
Making the most of lows and highs
When a large glassy set of swells roll into a point break surfers suddenly down tools, scramble to the beach and make the most of it when its around.
When sentiment towards a company improves they scramble to secure cheaper equity funds on the back of a rising share price
When the fish are around the trawler men stay out at sea for days pulling as many into the boat as they can. On the other days they mend nets or take some time out
So why is it that athletes tend to be so rigid in their behaviour?
Your energy levels are no different to the surf, business cycles or schools of fish. They go up and down and not always predictably. By being inflexible in your approach the following things can occur
-You try to train hard on a day that you are low and end up even lower
-You do a short session on a day when you have buckets of energy and end up cruising through it- with minimal adaptions
-You end up sick
Most athletes have one or two high points a week. It’s seldom for more than two days in a row. Over the years we have found that some of the following ideas can make the most of those high points:
Guidlines for “high” days
a.Bookend same day sessions-the day you do hard windtrainer interval session your nervous system is “up” Doing a short run interval session later straight after works very well because its still in the same window
b. Continuous/Combination sessions on same day eg hard swim followed by long ride followed by windtrainer
c. Back to Back Days eg Hard run before hard ride the next day or the traditional long ride sat/long ride sun thing
d. Extend key workout and/or increase intensity during last 40mins - eg pushing to fatique and past in the last 40mins of a 5hr ride
Usually 2 days after a hard session is when the soreness and recovery process begins- so by wedging a few of your key workouts together you make advantage of the “high”
We find that many athletes will have a strong point about Wed and then Sunday after they’ve had a day to wind down from work. To make avail of this the key long run might be on Wed and the long ride on Sunday
Conversely if there is no energy there- why dig a hole- make the most of it -go walk or get a massage or adapt your workout
Swimming with a pool buoy the day after a hard ride can be the difference between a quality session and slow mindless rubbish- you might as well work your upper body if its fresh-this allows you to condition your upper body the right way
Moving your key long run a day or two later is an excellent idea if you feel there’s not enough energy to complete it properly.
This approach requires integrity and honesty with yourself- it means that on your “on” days you need to be genuine about going for it. If its a sunny day and you are feeling great why not add 30mins to the end of that run and push into a new level? You cant ultimately expect every session to start feeling brilliant. Just have the radar on for the true “lows”
So what about the other end of the spectrum- how do you approach those low days?
Ideas for “low” days
a. splitting workouts- eg 20min run in am at very slow pace to wake up the nervous system, harder 40 min later when it kicks in
b. short/frequent workouts- we often find those starting back or in the IM blues stage are better doing regular short sessions in lieu of fewer long sessions. this helps provide regular endorphins but allows extended rest by avoiding the duration workouts. On flat days often just doing a 20min swim/30min ride/20 min run will help you relax and loosen up without sitting around all day feeling lousy
c. modifying/aborting workouts- there are days when its genuinely a good idea to turn a run into a walk or cut that 100km ride shorter. If you are smart you’ll tune into the signs. For example if you can feel an injury flaring up or you cant get your heart rate up because you are overtired- then think about quitting while you are ahead.
d. do something else- shock horror……..there are other things to do but train? get your tax return done so when you want to go for that 8hr ride next month you arent sitting inside doing tax on a sunny day. Get that broken stuff at home fixed. All of that stuff provides the organisation to be a better athlete. Its actually time invested in your future training
On aborting workouts
There tend to be two extremes here- those who are terrified of ever missing a day and those that look for any reason. Most serious athletes tend to fall into the first group. The key here to recognise that days off or rest are a form of training. (on the proviso that you actually get the work done up to that point)
As experience grows many athletes get better at recognising those truly low days and are able to abort them guilt free without trying to do makeup sessions. Some of the best athletes we have ever trained with are hopeless at it. As a result they often end up with poor race results and suffer big lows and highs. It takes self confidence to be resting when others are out training.
There will also be some people who read these posts who genuinely live in denial. They call themselves athletes and have a cupboard full of M Dot gear. However they are always needing rest, and not “feeling right” missing sessions or overdoing others so much they cant train for 4 days. For this group we would say that as long as you are getting benefit out of a session you shouldnt be aborting it. Training is uncomfortable and leaves you feeling flat- especially the last 10% of a workout. Thats the idea of it. So dont be the guy who always dogs the last 10%. Keep fishing when its raining- when you see a waterspout pack up.
Breaking the boundaries on those high days
If you ever worry about not training enough then you can always go harder on the “on” days or in races. The same people who tend to never miss a session quite often never break the boundaries either. They continuously complete workouts that they can already do rain hail or shine, tired or rested.
Personally I would rather attempt something in training I CANT do than something that I CAN already do. Isn’t that the idea? When you get those “high” days- go somewhere into the unknown when you scare yourself. Racing is the perfect time for this- which is why I mostly cover my PM or run watch in racing. I want the data but I dont want it to set the limits
Over reaching v Overtraining
for simplicity lets say training breaks us down in 3 ways:
a. in a way that we recover from quickly (days)
b. in a way that can take a reasonable time to recover (many days or a couple weeks)-overreached
c. in a way that takes a long time to recover (many weeks or months)- overtrained
type c. is counterproductive as it stops training stimulus from being effective
now there is a whole lot of mumbo jumbo on sub classifications of this which I dont think are usefull outside a SS lab
it is normal after a heavy training block to cycle downwards while the body repairs
if this continues on for months you have defenitely overdone it
over time you get better at monitoring training loads and the tell tale signs that a big hole is coming
the common mistakes are to back way too late (overtain) and hit a huge hole -this is the rarity amongst AG
OR to hit a small hole and then overcorrect- which then reduces the training stimulus/slows adaption periodically
in simple terms if the pattern continues downward for several weeks its time to back off
but dont use every time you feel flat for a few days as an excuse
The traps of training to a “schedule”
Training to a 7 day schedule or 3-4 weeks cycle where every session is a prescription or a linear progression is the opposite of this approach. Its seductive to the western brain, looks great in spreadsheets and sells well. Its also very dangerous when an athlete has no regard for their energy level. Its also wasting time….why?
This game is all about adaption right? Due something you cant do until you adapt and get the hang of it. Adaption rates vary widely depending on the skill, the genetics, the season, rest levels etc
Lets say we give an athlete a “Build” period and we watch the pace of their long run climb for a given heart rate. After 4 weeks they still feel fresh and are still adapting. Then why would we go and schedule a recovery week just because it looks orderly? Keep the adaption going right?
Conversly if this same person was doing a speed block and started to feel a bit low after 2 weeks and having a hard time recovering properly we might schedule an easier week before going again.
The common denominator is tuning into the highs and lows- when the fish are biting keep fishing- when they are absent go in and spend time mending the nets. Unless you tune into the lows and highs- and do something constructive with them- you are going to improve much slower than those who train like robots
The old dichotomies between control and creativity, between linear and lateral progression, between structured and uncontrolled are relevant to the topic
If you are all about control, linear progression and structure then its difficult to accomodate the lows and highs of energy levels- no different to some people cant handle relationships that are anything other than routine and predicatable 
For this reason there are some good athletes who train with very little program in advance- scheduling their workouts purely by feel with a big picture objective across the period eg 3×2.5hr runs @x pace during the month
This is at the other end of the spectrum and some coaches work successfully like this with disciplined athletes – ie provide the key sessions but its up to the athlete to complete them based on how they feel
If you cant be trusted or cant tune into those signals of low and high Im afraid you are better off in the regular army and marching when they tell you.
The post race or post season blues
We speak to many athletes that experience an extended “low” after a big race or during the off season. (eg the old saying “The IM blues”). The most overused word on TV is “depressed”. Likewise the most overused word with amateur athletes is “overtrained”. Very few amateur athletes overtrain in the truest sense of the word. Many get injured or are very inconsisent as a result of overreaching too much in a few sessions.
Seldom its a terminal problem if you embrace the idea that “lows” are not a bad thing. It is quite normal to feel a bit mellow and not want to push yourself for a few weeks after IM. The worst thing you can do is to fight it and try and get back “up” straight away. We see this time after time- people who need to mellow out but want to get back to the next high. As a result they stay flat for an extended time and cant make the most of the next “high” in their energy levels. Plan some other projects, see some friends, clean up your house, go surfing, enjoy feeling a bit “melancholic” and read a book. After you’ve done that get ready to go really hard again not half arsed. Chances are you’ll avoid a low that goes for months
Tune into your highs and lows and you’ll have a much happier and successfull day out there. You’ll also avoid those extended “blues” and lows that span multiple months.
Happy surfing
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
Jun 11
10
Useful Power Meter References
We have included here some useful references for starting your training with a power meter (stuff we get asked all the time). All of these are exerpts from “Training and Racing With A Power Meter , Hunter/Allen 2nd Ed”
1. Working out what your functional threshold power- here is a simple way of testing
http://www.3jc.com.au/FTPTest.jpg
2. Benchmarks for Power output in w/kg- ie what to aim for
http://www.3jc.com.au/Powerguidelines.jpg
3. Visual Explanation of “Sweet Spot”- why FTP training is efficient time wise/adapation process et
http://www.3jc.com.au/sweet spot.jpg
4. Power Profiles- Typical % of FTP a Triathlete can expect to sustain at various distances
http://www.3jc.com.au/PowerProfiles.jpg
Posted in All Articles Cycling Power Training by .
Context before Content
Lets play marketing cliché buzzword bingo …..
“the method, the way, the system, the philosophy, the secret, the patented formula, the unique principals, our proprietary systems, our proven methodology, step by step easy to follow content, world champion endorsed product, more successful athletes than..insert hyperbole, etc etc”
Everyone is looking for that special formula aren’t they? – in business and in sport even in their relationships (why is Opra so popular?)
The logic behind this is to replicate a system of success and apply it to a new case- the magical “content”
No wonder higher education is so desired by the business community- that Harvard MBA or the London Business School – Master of Economic degree will put you on par with the board members of Macquarie Bank or HSBC ….who are successful guys right? Learn the same content and you’ll be flying….
Does this actually work in practice?
When we look at the traits of exceptional people and exceptional groups very rarely do they emulate what others are doing. In order to differentiate you have to go where others are not prepared to. Take some risks and do something different.
Many sporting greats train alone or in isolated environments for extended periods. We’ve all read about the habits of Mark Allen or Peter Reid, Roger Federer, or African runners living in little villages. Often they eschew the methods of the day and live a little unconventionally for a while- briefly surfacing to blitz their competition. Many many successful athletes are very private and confined people
So what happens when these people succeed? Everyone wants to get a hold of their method. Hundreds sign up for Mark Allen Online or beg to be taken on by Gordo (who trained a heap alone or small groups) or Brett Sutton (who has an isolated group in asia). They all want to follow the formula “X” for success and get their hands on the special content
Now dont get me wrong you can attain a great deal of success by studying a proven method well. Earning a MBA from Wharton or reading Dave Scott’s books will certainly get you started. But thats what it is a start or a good leg up
How do you know that training like Dave does is right for you? Is running a business the way a McKinsey consultant or the way Jack Welsh ran GE going to suit your needs? For some people it may get them much further down the line than they would ever get themselves so we can only see the positives if used the right way.
But getting 100% sold on a “method” is one of the greatest mistakes someone can make. Did Brett Sutton get to be good at what he does by listening to what everyone else said all the time? Or did he study hard, think about it and then doggedly set his own course with a lot of energy? You know the answer there. He succeeded by being his own man. Not a sheep in herd. I’ve seen a lot of coaches who have attained very high results using a method but are completely inflexible when a different athlete comes along- thats their perrogative. Or they lament that other coaches are doing it all wrong- by not doing it his way=proven. People doing exactly what s/he did- being their own man. Many strong charismatic coaches often overpower their athletes opinions to suit their own needs= making money and increasing their referent power. Some athletes are strong enough to push back -many are not. I think its an antiquainted philosophy to say “I expect an athlete to do everything without question”- thats insecure and pretty outdated if you ask me. Most people who really know what they are doing are not intimidated by someone who challenges them in a reasonable way (emphasis on reasonable- their are some age groupers is particular that are uncoachable)
Which is why replicating “method” success is so hard. People often mistakenly focus on the content instead of the context. Its not how Roger Federer structures a training session that makes him so good I would hazzard to say. But undoubtedly he trains with incredible focus, puts very high standards on himself and attempts to do things that other people dont (or havent even thought about trying). You and I could go hit the same number of balls on the same courts, do the same programs etc but without his intensity, focus and context it wont have the same result. You’d be surprised how simple and boring the content actually is in a lot of their programs
So for mine thats the big take out of “methodologies” ie Dont have them. Remain open minded to what methodology you use- doesnt matter if its unconventional or not. Im not saying have no content or become to lazy to look at what others do but spend most of your energy on the context of your training. Place high expectations. Never worry about what anyone else is doing. Keep it private. Keep at it -consistently. Take regular reality checks- if its not working dont worry about what works for Joe Friel or Brett Sutton- find something that works for you-your own formula for success. Dont bullshit yourself-make it results based.
Context before context. Methodology is something you study then put back on the shelf. Leave methods to the sheep
Posted in All Articles Psychology by .
We are now approaching the colder months here. Those readers in the Nth. Hemisphere will make the point that Australians dont face nearly the same challenges as they do. To a large extent this is true but there are some common considerations for all athletes in facing the change of season
It is well accepted that humans are indeed like other animals and experience “hibernation response” and at the more extreme end “seasonality disorder”
In simple terms animals do a bit more hunting and gathering when the weather is good- build up a little cache of food and a safe nest and then wait out the colder months. During this time they generally sleep more and exercise less.
If you look back through human history we are not that much different. Understandably the bigger the change in season the more pronounced this behaviour tends to become. The fact is its a natural and healthy process if properly planned
Some general observations:
-Very few people can train the same volume in winter that they maintain in summer- in this I’ll make the condition that Im talking about those that train consistently and hard
-Exercising in extreme heat or cold produces temperature stress that consumes energy on top of the exercise demands itself- this is why its so much harder to do the same time trial time when its 5c out- lets not go into tyre pressures please!
-Intensity-it is normal for people to have difficulty exercising at the same intensity when very hot or cold- obvious hey- but how many of you actually make allowance for it. Are you still trying to hammer those FTP intervals at the same watts all year round?
-Sleep/recovery- in colder temperature its healthy and natural to want to sleep more and exercise less. Recovery tends to also be slower. This is true for very hot climates also. How many of you actively make the decision to sleep more during the winter months?
About this time of year we get the usual bleating from people:
-struggle to get up
-cant get going in the cold
-im not motivated
-not enjoying it
etc
This is of no surprise if the planning is not there to accomodate the change in season
-Are you still going to bed at the same time as summer?
-Do you have all the warm clothes laid out ready to go. Is your gear really good-lights,jackets,hats etc or is it just “dealing” with it? ( i actually used to put the tights/bike thermals on before bed when Ive lived some really cold places)
-Are you trying to ride just as hard as summer?
-Are you giving yourself more time to warm up?
-Are you thinking about when the best time to do things are- swim at lunch instead of am for instance when sun is out? swim less bike more?
I so often find that disappointment is as a result of not making a conscious change to the plan
We get the old problem of overcorrecting rearing its head- train like a world champ for 10 weeks while the weather is good, winter hits-no change to routine>get sick>stop training> get depressed> start back at the bottom again
Then there are the people who actively sleep in more- maybe dont go out if its pissing rain or too cold but they maintain a routine the whole way through winter. Perhaps they train less hours but when the sun is out with a bit more intensity. These people dont miss training and then try and cram back- they just keep chipping away. Perhaps they cut their night swims down to 40mins when its cold but they go a bit harder
So who is going to come away at the end of the year stronger- the guy chipping away and sleeping more or the guy training the house down and then going cold turkey in winter
One is training with his brain the other 100% brawn
Food- The guilt
When did it become unnatural to eat more when its really cold? Listening to some of the PT idiots on TV you’d think the whole world needed to live off powdered protein every meal weighed on scales and 45 different measured portions a day
No wonder people get sick and disappointed with themselves in winter- they are working against nature
To put it bluntly if they could keep their mouth shut more consistently in winter and summer then they wouldn’t have an incentive to try and overcorrect nature
Are you adapting what you eat to the season? soups, warmer curries and roasts etc make sense. Why would you be living off ice smoothies and protein powder all year round?
Overcorrection- thats the common thread
Do you anticipate the season and make adjustments-get exactly what you want. Or do you wait till your training goes out the window and get disappointed that you cant get the same sessions done?
Personally if its 6C and raining Im going to sleep in a bit hit the windtrainer hard for 30 mins have a nice cup of coffee and stay dry. I couldn’t disagree more with the old “rain hail shine” BS you get from some of the old coaches going around. When it boils down to it they want you to show up and dive into a pool that is so cold its going to make you sick- because if you dont they are not making money.
In their defence some people are just way too soft and not only will they miss that session they wont adapt and substitute either- so its simpler to say show up rain hail or shine. If you are an idiot you need to be trained like an idiot. There are many very smart athletes who have idiotic training habits- they need to be treated like idiots too. The point I am making is dont make “adapting” for winter a whole book of excuses not to train at all. Find a balance between HTFU and being too soft
Like the taxman says adaption is ok avoidance is not
Hormonal Responses and Mood
The euros embrace the idea of winter “melancholy” or ones mood becoming mellower in the winter months. They see this as a constructive emotion for more reflection and contemplation. Unfortunately in a lot of western countries we think everyone should be “up” all the time and self help books and medication are the answer. It is normal as activity levels drop or after a big phase of activity (eg after an IM) you will get a down- lets not call it depression. Thats the most overused word on TV. Most people that claim to suffer depression just suffer mood suppression- that’s normal, you are not special and you do not need Dr Phil, pills,books or your triathlon coach to bring you out of it. What you do need is to take responsibility for it. Firstly recognise and embrace your different highs and lows. If you smashed yourself and need a few months recovery busy yourself on projects at home, admin, going on a relaxed holiday- stuff that will prepare you for your next big effort. Dont sit around on tri forums feeling depressed and goal-less and wondering what to do now that IM is gone or you feel tired more so than summer. Get into something, anything. Starting something and recognising you are like 95% of the adult population is the first step. That guy you think is always “up” is probably bi-polar and his mood crashes when he is home out of your sight. Talk openly with your mates and laugh about change in mood-but dont bore them with it. If we all didn’t make such a big deal of this stuff Opera would be out of business
So lets summarise the basic ideas I have thrown up and keen to hear others ideas:
-Planning
-Active Correction
-Adaption not avoidance
-Middle ground between HTFU and stupidity
-Embrace and recognise “moods”
-Laughs, friends and keep chipping away
Good luck out there
JC (Outspoken hater of cold and reptilian in nature)
Posted in All Articles Nutrition Psychology by .
- How you set up your training environment is critical for long term success and enjoying your sport.
- Ask yourself the following questions………..
Do I drive for miles just to get to training?
Am I always tired or late to training?
Do I get to train in the best part of the day?
Am I getting social stimulation ?
Am I getting variety?
Am I getting objective comparison and motivation?
Am I able to do a long session on my own?
Do I cope with travelling when on holidays or work routine?
Do I use my commuting time for training
- If the answer is different than what you would like the answer often lies in planning
- Its amazing how many athletes train for years without having done the homework on the basics
- For example you should have the following as your arsenal……..
-From the front door an accurate 5K,10K and 20K run
-A clear route to a running track or oval and know the exact distance around it
-From the front door a 1hr,2hr,5hr ride loops and a 20K Time Trial circuit
-Know where all the pools are near home and work
-An old bike set up on the windtrainer ready to go
-what your “par” times are for all these routes
- You want to avoid two key traps:
-Being overly dependant on getting to a training group- especially if its a long way away
-Heading out the door from home with no clear goal or no clear route
- The second one is the killer. For example running from home – if you just head out with no purpose its often tempting to cut short or dial down a workout. If you decide you are running the 10K circuit it makes things objective-you can compare times. I try to avoid having routes that provide any shortcuts home
- When you travel- do some homework beforehand- use google and google earth and plot a few routes. I usually try to spot a oval near the hotel and will happilly run loops of that instead of wasting time navigating through unknown streets- unless its worth the investment /im coming back- otherwise I focus on the quality of the workout. Ring the pools locally before you get there
- Training back home- dont make it complicated. Make you routine as easy as possible for the rest of your life. If you can train near home thats extra time back for other activities. If you can combine commuting even better. The majority of successful part time athletes I know have done exactly this. If you are getting up 1hr before training 4 mornings a week its unlikely you’ll sustain things.
- Its important I think to have a mix of solo and group sessions. A bit of social activity is healthy for anyone and helps motivate and pass the training time. Likewise some solo stuff helps you match sessions to your own needs without worrying about others. So don’t make it a one or the other thing-mix it up a bit
- It takes quite a bit of time and planning to measure out courses, find roads and venues. I try to do homework during the offseason for new ideas and then once the season starts focus on “known” routes. This early preparation takes all the hassle out of training and greatly improves the quality and enjoyment of the big training blocks. Do you have contingency plans for sessions if it rains or you sleep in?
- So hows your training environment? Have you done the planning so you can pull on your shoes without hassles and enjoy it? Or is it touch and go just getting there and hit and miss depending on work? A bit of thinking about this aspect of your training will make all the difference
Posted in All Articles Psychology by .
Everywhere I go there’s another cooking show on TV……….I seem to have been sucked into the vortex of both “My Kitchen Rules” and “Master Chef”…..so what have I learned?
Key Ingredient- there should be a “hero” of a dish- a nice cut of meat or fish that is cooked perfectly- there is no need to augment it with 30 other things
Balance Acidity and Sweetness- The most popular dishes with judges always seem to have a “interplay” of sweetness and acidity- even in a very sweet desert you might have a the acidity of lemon for instance
Dont put too much on the plate-Its way nicer/easier to eat if the portions are conservative and leave the diner wanting more
Always have a sauce on a main dish- dont just put all your energy into the meat and veg- it needs an excellent sauce to tie it together…..
Ok Jimmy you really have lost it this week what has MKR got to do with triathlon training?????
There are too many triathletes who go serve up cluttered meals (training sessions) with no real hero (no focus) and no sauce (no link between the sessions) and no contrast ……………..to borrow from another reality TV show…this time dancing………you need light and shade darlink
Step back and ask yourself
- Do I have a real mixture of really harder shorter sessions and truly “long” sessions that will put me into places I havent been before?
-Do my sessions have a single clear focus and purpose?
-Is there a clear pause around big events/key sessions so they can be absorbed
-How much “filler” and crap do I have on the plate?
-Am I accountable in each session? just like the TV contestants having to watch the clock- unless you do you are just kidding yourself
-How do I link my sessions…..after all this is triathlon not 3 different sports
-Have you repeated the same program year after year and got the same results, have you plateaued and still not changed anything?
I see too many programs that are just bland and have no light and shade- day after day avoiding anything that hard or fast or repeating mindlessly the same thing with few rest days, sessions that never link, trying to do too many things in a week instead of just a couple of key sessions etc etc
maybe we should all think about preparing our training plans like a meal before a judge- make sure they have some real heroes, contrast in acidity and sweetness and a sauce to tie it together. when you serve up training like this its bound to get swallowed up!
Posted in All Articles Nutrition Psychology by .
This one came up again today…..I received an email that started like this:
Quads smashed, everything tight, couldnt make the pace of the intervals…..should I drop Fridays session etc?
Navigating the line between fatigued and f#$%ed is tricky especially for the inexperienced athlete .
The whole idea of training hard is to force the body to adapt- this means to some extent you have to break it down and make it tired- but how much?
Its very fashionable and very safe and saleable in coaching circles to say “less is more” or “dont overestimate the power of rest”. No coach ever got fired for telling someone to not train, no injuries or lawsuits ever get generated from this advice. Its always popular and people keep paying up the money….but who’s getting short changed?
There are times when it is exactly the right time to keep going when we feel fatigued- especially if you are training for endurance events. Often doing a week or two more when you feel stuffed- you pop out the other side bullet proof- cyclists, runners and triathletes have been doing this since Adam was a boy. Its the principal of overload at its best. It’s uncomfortable and mentally taxing-sometimes people do get injured pushing through a big block of training- this is why it is neither popular or fashionable- but those that do often set themselves apart
So where’s the line between stupidity and determination? The answer is primarily a good sense of self awarness….no coach can do it completely for you …but here are some cues
If you are falling asleep during the day, everything aches,you cant walk or sit without pain, you are constantly hungry and your heart rate is erratic- then you are probably in need of another rest day- its worth rescheduling or skipping for a while
If you are recovering an injury or continuing training is likely to cause injury then dont train past the point it becomes worse or jeopardises its treatment
If you have day after day for an extended period where you continually feel more tired- ie there is no intraday or intra week signs of recovery going on- then you need to back off. Especially for longer distance folks intraweek tiredness is the norm- dont let it scare you off backing up!
On the other hand……….if you are just feeling a bit fatigued then START the workout. See what happens. You can always adjust the pace or the watts a bit lower to get through it. Often you will come good and be able to work into the session. Sometimes you’ll sense you cant go too hard and the session can then become one of “active recovery” which often works better than nothing at all- particularly if you are feeling stiff from sitting during days off or previous days hard efforts. We shouldnt be scared of starting sessions tired just because we’ve studied a pretty diagram that says Training>Resting>Recovery>Adaption. Not much in life is a linear process despite the attractive simplicity within a textbook or marketing brochure !
So next time you are trying to convince yourself you are being oh so sensible and scientific ask yourself whether you really need that extra day off or whether you need to dog that interval session. You never know the next breakthrough might be hiding on the other side
Posted in All Articles Psychology by .
Think about this for a moment……….the vast majority of age group endurance athletes go through the last 2 hours of an event toward the bottom of their aerobic range
why? why does someone who has an aerobic range of 120-160 bpm chug around an IM marathon at 130bpm
answer- the legs have given out well before an limit of the lungs
more complicated is why? there are simple explanations- lack of fuel, lack of proper preparation, overpacing early in the race etc etc
now lets look at more simple ideas…..
there are many ways to ride a bike fast. You can muscle the thing – not dissimilar to a low reving muscle car with a lot of torque. Disadvantage is this big engine sucks a lot of fuel and produces a lot of heat
Humans are not much different. The guys are the worst offenders- simply because they have more muscle mass usually to throw around.
Problem? Your muscles only store so much fuel in them. The rest comes from the liver and the blood stream. There’s around 2 hours of good glycogen stored up- which is ready to burn. You can usually go another 2 or so hours into defecit before things get noticeably bad. 120K into the bike or the 5hr into the race mark- everyone starts to blow. The heart rate comes down, the legs slow down and the concrete feeling descends, overheating begins.
Now lets be clear on this you CAN train to ride very efficiently in this style but it takes dedication and a lot of work. The majority of age group men never go much past the 4-5 hr mark in training- or if they do they spend Sunday morning pigging out and lying on the floor. Whilst this fixes the problem of being low on gas that day it does nothing to prepare a body to do a 9hr + effort. Simply put -impressive bike times in training but spectacular explosions every time they race
If you start your next race with the simply focus that this is an aerobic sport- your lungs and heart should be guiding the work- not the stupid muscles or your big head. Intelligent racers try to conserve every piece of glycogen in their body. On certain parts of the course it makes a lot more sense to rev harder and use the lungs more- rather than hammer and use your muscles all the time. I’ve got a friend who owns a Lexus Hybrid 4WD – that thing has some serious grunt and can burn some serious petrol but it can also hum along on the electric motor when there is an opportunity to do so.
So ask yourself the whole way through the day….can I use my lungs and heart a bit more to do the work? Particularly in long races we rarely race at an intensity that the lungs cant keep the work going- its aerobic. But it takes focus to not just dump the gas on – you have to actively shift through the gearbox the whole day. Some times its sensible to hammer it (wind at your back/ getting onto a group in front/ getting away from a bad rider etc). At all other times look for a way to make your lungs do the work.
Of course this is a bit simplistic- all these organs are interelated, but lets go back to starting observation- age groupers crawling through a marathon at 130bpm heart rate. I’ve got a guy I coach who constantly complains he “can’t get his heart rate up on the bike”….but he consistently runs out of gas on longer rides. I ask him why not drop the gears back a bit and rev a bit higher- let the lungs do a bit more. His answer- well I just go slower then. Exactly – you need time to reprogram your muscles and brain to operate this way- you will likely go slower for a while. But if we shift the focus onto efficient riding and what we need to learn to finish an event well …..it will all pay off. Athletes who learn how to power their effort from the lungs will be able to run at 75-80% of their max all day long
So before you smack down the next ride ask yourself who’s running the show ? Lungs or legs? Heart or Head?
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
This one is coming up a lot lately amongst people I train with/ coach. Lots of 30C+ days these last few months.
We all know the feeling of facing our “key run” session at 5pm on a Sunday and its still 33C
Do you:
-Adjust the intensity to make it through the session
-Avoid it/postpone to another cooler day
-Keep the intensity but cut it short as soon as you feel the going is too hard
-Attempt make-up sessions for aborted ones in the heat?
I was out 10am yesterday for a 2.15hr run. For the same perceived effort my pace was probably 20 secs/km slower than in cooler conditions. It was really hot- probably drank 4 to 5 bottles during that time.
Should I have avoided this situation? Maybe. However I was well rested, well hydrated and I fed well the whole way around the run. Yes I had to adjust my pace significantly but was the training effect any less significant? The run is done now and I can now relax on my scheduled rest day not worrying about making it up.
It is the reluctance to adjust intensity or just accept discomfort that sees so many of these sessions missed. There’s one guy I coach who every time the temp rises above 29C I could win money he will dodge his long run and “move” to another day
There is absolutely nothing wrong with running slower in these conditions and in fact it will probably give you a lot of confidence when you rock up in Hawaii or Cairns for that next IM. There is a certain amount of HTFU that is very necessary.
Now lets look at the other side of the coin:
-If you have the opportunity to do your longer session in a cooler part of the day then why wouldnt you?
-If you are tired or havent eaten well you are unlikely to make it through a session like this- only you can be the judge of this- your coach is not inside that body of yours
-If you dont focus on really good hydration and recovery- ice/getting the legs up afterwards etc these sessions are going to smash you
-There are some days where the conditions are so oppressive its a smart idea to maybe split a longer run eg 1.40mins and 40 mins later in the day
-If you are suffering genuine heat stroke it is stupid to continue on trying to complete a session
Again there is middle ground- use an honest assessment and accept reality- its going to be hard, your pace is going to come down a bit and you are going to want to stop. Be honest with yourself and ask whether this is just a “I dont like the discomfort” or a “im in trouble physically here Im doing damage” situation. 9/10 times it will be the former and not the later
Remind yourself that in races you are going to find yourself in exactly this situation- training in these conditions is an excellent opportunity to simulate coping with them. And you know what your body will adapt. But I think that understates the real benefit- your mental state will too. The more of these situations you find yourself working through the easier it gets. When you stay calm, knowing you can keep running in stifling heat, it makes the whole process much easier. Once you pannick and start to fight its a downhill slide-the only way to develop this confidence is to do it again and again
There are little tricks you can employ to get through key sessions on hot days- some ideas
-Make sure you are cool before you start- if you head out after spending all day in the sun on your feet chances are you’ll blow up
-Make it a R/S/R – eg run one hour stick a short swim in the middle and then run another hour
-Split your sessions
-Adjust your pace early on- once you blow the redline on a hot day its very hard to get the engine restarted- not dissimilar to motor cars
-Pick your clothing well- tried and tested stuff that you can be soaking wet in and not chaffe or burn in
-Know your water stops well or carry a heap of it
-Try to pick somewhere with a breeze to run- eg change your route to the coast
-If you have to walk a bit to adjust the intensity or get extra water down then dont worry about doing so
-remind yourself its uncomfortable for everyone-including your competitors- those who do more of it get more comfortable with it
-Finish at a pool or somewhere with an ice cold drink waiting as a “reward” for finishing
-Think about hot races you did well in or want to do well in
Temperature is just a number right?
Just so we cover off you should be familiar with the genuine signs of heat stroke, these can include:
Be smart about it and have a good reality check whether these symptoms are there or whether you “are looking for them to be there”, but be careful at the same time
Posted in All Articles by .
You’ve just knocked out 1hrs 45 mins run and you are half an hour from home, starting to feel a bit ragged but otherwise HR,stomach, hydration etc etc are ok
Do you :
a. Wind it down a bit and nurse yourself home OR
b. Crank it up and make it uncomfortable for the last half hour?
The decision on whether to punch through the back half of a session is critical to the adaption/training effect.
If you always switch off when things get a bit uncomfortable or get in the habit of dialling pace down “so that you feel ok” then there is no doubt you will still benefit…but what are you missing out on
Fluro will have plenty to say on this topic but there’s a lot of new research in this area. When you force yourself to go somewhere you dont want to a whole lot of physiological and neurological adaptions take place. Really interesting is you can start to recruit different muscle fibre types. If you always dish out the same 5hr ride or 2hr run you often miss this opportunity
When you get to the point of fatigue using your “business as usual” muscles your body will go looking for other ways to get by. We’ve all heard the expression “used muscles I thought I never had”. This is very true….whats also happening is you are using nervous system connections and mental connections you havent used either. In old school this might get loosely labelled as HTFU development
Yes we have to balance the recovery issues and not “overdoing it”. But in this politically correct ,science obsessed world, the majority of age groupers will look for a reason to turn the dial down at the end of a workout not turn it up.
We are all familiar with the footy coach rhetoric of giving 110% at the end of the game- the mental toughness bla bla. This ignores the real benefit of punching hard at the end of the round- its here that often the biggest training effect can be had. Particularly for an experienced athlete/someone who has plateued it may take 3.5hrs of riding to get to that point where going harder for another 2 hrs will make all the difference. If all you ever add is more of the same steady training load then you’ll miss the opportunity
So next time you get close to the end of the round- think about punching through even harder- you’ll be surprised what happens on the other side.
Posted in All Articles Psychology by .
“I have riders doing longer TTs and long training rides with a ceiling power output, in teaching them to TT well I want them to not exeed a certain figure based on their FTP”
I absolutely cringe when I read comments like this, as it goes against basic exercise training principles.
I’m all for putting caps on athletes, BUT you should never put a cap on what every single athlete is aiming to do in basically every single training session = improve aerobic capacity.
Improved aerobic capacity is evidence based through speed, pace and or power, therefore these metrics SHOULD in ALL cases remain variables to allow the athlete to demonstrate improved aerobic capacity on consistent basis, PLUS it will also continue to calibrated an athletes RPE.
The quote above is a classic example of training to power and not with power and training this way will only deny athletes opportunities to display continued and ongoing adaptations to their training.
If your going to cap anything cap their efforts (RPE), that way they still have the opportunity to improve their speed, pace and or power at various threshold and sub threshold athletes. No-body of earth can possibly predict in advance what an athlete is capable of doing in a given training session, other than the athlete themselves. Therefore, putting caps on their potential for aerobic capacity developments is sub optimal and will only hold the athlete back.
People constantly, cap the distances they should be training, the lengths of intervals, volume of training, etc….. then add caps to speed, pace and power………no wonder people have trouble improving from season to season.
For example, the next time you go for a ride, make sure you do 2hrs, with 2 x 40min @ 70% of FTP and cap your uphill efforts at 80% of FTP.
There is so much wrong with this advice;
• They are restricted to 2hr of riding
o What if the athlete had time to ride for 2.5-3hrs?
• They are restricted to 1hr of effort
o What if the athlete was well rested and could manage and extra 40-60min of intervals?
• There efforts are capped.
o What if the athletes FTP was 5% higher, due to being rested as result of sleeping more, having a massage, missing a couple of earlier sessions due to bad weather etc….
o What if the athlete was able to hold 80-90% of FTP and still execute the session without decoupling?
How can sessions like this possibly maximize an athletes POTENTIAL to adapt? These are sorts of sessions that are written by coaches AND are handed out 4 weeks in advance……..food for thought! This is what we call a “closed activity” as opposed to an “open ended activity” in teaching. It’s a bit like asking a question that warrants a yes/no answer as opposed to asking a question that warrants an explanation. As much as possible coaches should be prescribing “open ended” training sessions to give athletes every opportunity to improve and maximize their adaptations.
The take home message or question is this….
If you place a cap on speed, power, or pace, then HOW can you possibly know if the athlete HAS adapted to the training you have given them, if you are unable to measure the changes in aerobic capacity, BECAUSE you capped what should be measured as a variable (improved aerobic capacity)?
If you looking for a really good read, that basically goes into great detail what I’m trying to explain then pick up a copy of Braining Training for Runners, By Matt Fitzgerald…
In summary, I’m not at all against training with powermeter, I’m just amazed at how often people fail to use a powermeter effectively. So if you going to drop a couple of thousand on a powermeter then make sure you are training WITH power as opposed to training TO power.
Hope it helps.
fluro
Posted in Cycling Power Training Psychology by .
Feb 11
13
The right technique for your body
This is a subject that has occupied my mind a lot of late. Triathletes spend a LOT of time trying to analyse the techniques of the best, the equipment of the best, the training of the best. Why?
Its one of the things that sometimes bothers me most about some of the coaching faternity as well
Lets take the sport of running- we can play a beautiful video of Bekele, Gebrselassie, El Guerrouj, Kipketer,Dibaba,Radcliffe etc doing their thing. You’ll see massively long stride lengths and insanely quick stride rates, fantastic rebound off the ground, superhuman power coming from the spine and incredible timing and balance.
So lets just take the video of these people and overlay it on our happless age grouper – he needs more push off his toes, he needs to land further down his foot, he needs his hips higher, he needs more inclination forward, he needs more elasticity in his ankles- then he’ll run his next ironman just perfectly right? Wrong- whilst good running is good running Alex Age Grouper probably weighs 20kg more than the Kenyan pure runner and is carrying twice the upper body muscle. He’s also lucky if he is running at even half the speed. He sits at a desk all day and doesnt get a daily massage or a team of sports scientists looking after his body- which is often 20-30 years older. You don’t drive a F250 into a corner like a Porsche do you?
So why is it we see these books and videos describing drills and “the technique” that age groupers must emulate if they want the path to enlightenment?
I always find it puzzling when I hear a coach say “look at athlete x-(50kg girl wringing wet with no upper body)-now thats how you want to run (whilst talking to Tanky Ted who is 80kg and built like a brick shit house)”
Those two body types are going to balance on the ground completely differently for a starter. Even if Ted spent 10 years trying to run more on his toes his big arse calves and lack of flexibility from sitting at a desk all day is going to see minimal progress
Lets say instead we just tell him to run balanced and upright, use a comfortable length stride and just turn his legs over at a steady rate
I see plenty of Tank Teds eating up the field in Ironman. Many of the “beautiful” runners have shot their load by 20k and lack the strength to run with their “textbook” technique for 42.2. Our girl above gets off the bike smashed and cant deal with the fact she cant move gazelle like any more- she’s never practiced running with limited mobility- Tanky Ted blows by with his shuffle-5m/k=3.30 marathon =respectable by a lot of peoples standards
Would I be better spending time in building the muscular endurance of Ted with his steady technique or would I strip back some of his training to try and make him toe off more and be lighter off the ground? The answer is you would do both -but you wouldnt have Ted obsessing about this or convince him that his technique is “wrong”
Lets hop in the pool for a moment…..
The majority of triathletes get told they are
-Too stiff in the shoulders (duh- ever ride a bike for 12hrs a week Mr Swim coach?)
-Have their head held too high
-Don’t kick enough
-Need more glide per stroke
-Need a higher elbow
Now all of these things can be true …but I ask you is a guy who is 40 and spend a lifetime swinging shovels ever going to have the flexibility of a lifetime swimmer? Maybe
I think we all need to take a good look in the mirror………..(no not like that!)
If you see hard muscle , heavy set legs and something a bit stocky then you might have to adapt your technique a bit….sorry you ain’t ever going to swim with a technique that remotely resembles M.Thorpe,E.Sullivan or S.Rice
You are unlikely to have the flexibility ever to swim with the recovery phase of 12 year old full time swimmer-you’ll need to swing your arms a bit wider
You aren’t going to get nearly as early catch either- but you are stronger and you can turn them over faster
You might have to kick a bit harder than that skinny guy next to you in the lane to keep your body horizontal in the water
Your mate is built like a stick- no upper body to speak of, wonderfully flexible- He can probably do pretty well with a minimal kick for distance swimming, take much longer strokes and he’ll glide through the water like a spear, by further refining his beautiful catchHe can stroke even longer and slower- lucky guy- but also swimming to his body type. The coach of this guy cant see the point in paddle work- you dont need to be strong to swim well do you? No not in the case of the 12 year old with a tiny body mass to move through the water
I have seen those two guys at IM many times- and funny enough the stocky guy who trained true to his body type often smoked the stick insect….why? Despite the genius telling him he didnt need paddle work- when you put on heavy rubber around your shoulders and get in a open water race a few things happen- you cant alway swim with perfect glide- there’s a lot of stop start and smashing into people, the wetsuit neeeds strength to swim in well because it tugs on your shoulders, the guy built like a tank is smashing into you and smashing you out off draft of the pack
So our tanky guy could have spent his 20 week build trying to perfect drills of the textbook swimmer all the time or he could start the race trying for ‘perfect light feel for the water/light recovery etc etc. Instead against all advice he adapted to his body type- and smashed out some solid paddle and band work using his natural stroke- in fact plenty of it. Come race day he then smashed out exactly the same
My point is someone laboured but what I am trying to point out is thinking about the advice you are being given. Think about comparing yourself too much with others. We are all built differently. Yes there is always time/should always be time dedicated to technique -but dont dominate your training or let it be a reason for lack of confidence. You have to adapt to what you have to work with- choose the right technique for your body. The objective of changes in technique should always be the stopwatch. If you can reduce the time taken for the required distance then thats should be a positive sign
In the interview with Brett Sutton we summarised last week he spoke about many distance swimmers swimming with a choppy straight arm stroke, one side breathing, head a bit too high for a textbook- but setting world records. So if less than the “right” technique works for a world beater you can do pretty well for yourself with a technique that suits your body
Think about this when it comes to choosing your running shoes or setting up your TT bike- the textbook position or emulating the postion of CJ Macca or Chrissie Wellington wont always work. You can go damn fast with pretty ordinary technique too-despite what many $15 a session swim coaches will tell you- most well meaning-but sometimes like all professionals aimed at making you feel like you are missing the secret unless you keep coming back for the perfect technique!
Just food for thought-comments welcomed
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
One of the better interviews I have listened to for a long time was an series of interviews with the old dog coach Brett Sutton
Here’s the link to the two podcasts on IMTalk (if you can handle the raspy kiwi voice of Bevan James Eyles)
http://www.imtalk.me/home/2010/12/13/imtalk-episode-240-brett-sutton-part-1.html
http://www.imtalk.me/home/2010/12/20/imtalk-episode-241-brett-sutton-part-2.html
Our key take outs/draft notes as follows:
-Training around the world is very similar amongst people who are dedicated
-What varies greatly is how sessions are put together
-Each thing needs to be trained as a triathlon-not as separate sports
-Doesn’t work in rigid 7 day cycles…usually more like 10
-Only works off loose outline -no set day for x workout
-Everyone very different- some athletes more like workhorses-need volume- some others more like thoroughbreds-do better with lower volume/more intensity. eg some people need to/can run mara distances every few weeks, others better on lower volume. Everyone needs to work on different things
-Is not a big fan of overly pronounced periodisation of training…”Tudor Bompa’s theory of periodisation is bullshit….It’ s an aerobic sport- typical pattern is people periodise go great during the aerobic base miles and try and introduce speed work towards a race then end up going slower”
-Not a fan of crazy levels of training at start of year- prefer to start with a decent volume and hold it all the way into a race
-Some athletes are much more fickle/sensitive to training- so they need to be managed/manage their training more carefully
-Low cadence riding- it suits some people but not everyone- trains people to ride according to their natural abilities. Same thing with steep v shallow bike setup. Look at their physiology and do some testing.
-Experiments on slower athletes-uses them for research- because they aren’t going to go any slower
-Many triathletes get their ideas from single sport programs/literature and then put them together
-Technique- you cannot emulate the technique of the world best on age groupers/less talented. Usually don’t have flexibility,strength or body type to do it. e.g Some of his group swimming straight arm, one sided, head up -but bloody fast-because they have done the work
-Hates generic coaching- people copying each other. Everyone should be true to their instincts and treat athletes as individuals.
-People look for the perfect answer/perfect technique/perfect training- it doesn’t happen like that- you have to be able to adapt to when things go wrong/ alter technique to cope with when you are doing it tough.
-You have to choose a technique that suits your body type
-Forefoot running- even Gabre Sailesse reckons you are landing more on your mid foot at longer distances (and he runs at double the speed of most of the triathlon pros)- Good IM running is just keeping things level- stand up, nice cadence, don’t worry about landing on your forefoot and practice the right number of repetitions- this applies to swimming as well- stop worrying about the perfect pretty stroke- you’ve got to be able to do the repetitions. Lots of BS programs with pretty drills and kick sets and complicated stuff- focus should be on getting plenty of distance done not stopping and kidding yourself all the time- over distance sets and regular endurance sets eg 20×200’s- simple stuff that triathletes avoid
-Weight training- not a big fan- cant really see a lot of relevance doing 100’s reps of something to prepare for an event where you make thousands of reps
-Running likes to do lots of timed intervals at a moderate pace- focus on efficiency
-Mentality is key- some people don’t have the right mentality for long course- a lot of people try to do IM that are not suited
-Body type- same thing- some people just don’t have long course bodies- yet they try to force the issue.
-Not a fan of stopwatches- people should learn to feel their bodies- guage their effort to how they perceive on day- same in training
-Thinks the obsession with pilates/yoga is a waste of time- ROM required is not big in triathlon
-People spend so much time on the fluff and not on the meat and potatoes eg swim 4x per week every week and adding weights, yoga etc- living in denial with what they really need to get done
-Different people need different things at different times- that is the part that many people miss about triathlon.
-Triathletes get stuck in all the gadgets and data
-Has no time for people who get sucked into the “triathlon lifestyle”-Those who read all the magazines and buy all the toys- and avoid the hard work-they are kidding themselves
-IM talk are going to try and do some follow up interviews/more details…
Worth a listen to one of the most experienced living triathlon coaches on the planet.
Posted in All Articles Cycling Nutrition Power Training Psychology Running by .
How often does your state of mind alter according to the weather outside, who is going to turn up, how well you slept the night before etc…..? I wonder how many people take this into consideration when they decide to execute a pre-planned training session written over a week earlier?
Very rarely if ever is this discussed or taken into consideration as a key component of executing a training session according to a current level of fitness (ie level of fitness being both mental and physical health). I read a study recently that focused on improving cyclists Functional Threshold Power (FTP) with an 8 week cycling specific program designed to raise an athlete’s FTP. At FTP an athlete will produce 4mmol of lactic acid, and yes it hurts. After 8 weeks of training each cyclist had improved their FTP but they were still producing 4mmol of lactic acid, however, each athlete recorded a significant drop in their RPE, in others words, it felt easier. Emotionally they found it easier to ride at FTP for the same length of time even though there was no change in the amount of lactic acid they produced (I’m aware there are other factors). Not a bad little finding, but as coaches, do we do enough to educate our athletes and their ability to control their emotions so they do continually raise the bar in training and they do continually improve?? What I mean by this is how often do athlete ride their local climb or their favourite stretch of road the same way, using the same gear, same intensity, for the same length of time week in week out………what would happen if you told this athlete to ride their local climb in the big chain ring all seated, or to sprint out of the saddle to the base of the climb……alot WTF start dropping when you encourage this, but to me this is about breaking down emotional training boundaries we all place on ourselves. In Perth I sent one of my local guys out for a 100km hammer fest on the bike the day before an OLY race……….his OLY race was a big success and a big PB for him and it immediately changed his way of thinking, once again breaking down emotional boundaries.
Over the years I’ve focused alot on writing plans that focus on achieving perfect execution right through to the end of a session, in particular, an athlete’s key sessions. However, putting myself through a different approach over the last 6months I’ve discovered there are other ways of improving, in particular, achieving bigger gains in fitness and much more consistent rates. It’s not an easy protocol to follow and will often involve getting your head around the idea, because the body 9 out of 10 times will always step up to the plate. Physically it is pretty damn hard to overdo it, because emotionally we will back off, keep ourselves within our preconceived boundaries of safe keeping and avoid at all costs being a risk taker to see what might actually happen…..
You’ve just got to look at any power profile, HR profile, speed graph, etc to see how often our emotions actually take over and run the session for us. I can remember doing a interval session with a guy in Perth and when he caught and passed me doing a FTeffort on the bike, the 1min of time spent while passing me was at FTeffort +10bpm. What causes that change in how he was executing the interval?……his emotions. Why was he able to lift so high for a brief of time, because I was there and I was his carrot on a stick he was chasing down. Would the same result have occurred in my absence? Probably not. So even though this athlete had a clearly defined objective to achieve on the day he still broke protocol because his emotions got the better of him according to his training environment? Is this such a bad thing and will it lead to overtraining, overstating training goals and objectives, NO, because if we are emotional tuned in then the boundaries will be limitless.
I’ve just completed a 20-22 week bike focus block with no recovery weeks other than a few recovery days here and there when needed. Reflecting on this experience, my biggest improvements didn’t come from how I structured the sessions, who I trained with or how I executed the sessions, the biggest improvements came from putting my head in a place that was absent of limits and boundaries. I basically decided to become a risk taker on the bike. So instead of building on a previous workout by adding a little more here and there (progressive overload) I basically decided, this is what FTP should feel like and whatever happens on the day happens. This to me opened the doors and in some weeks I was improving in leaps and bounds…….the boys from Perth and the Point Walter sessions will hopefully back me up here LOL. What I decided to do was that I was longer going to put limits on how much I felt I could suffer and hurt, how fast of should be riding, and or how long I should ride for. The training sessions basically were open guidelines and I let my emotional state of mind on the day determine how much I was willing to suffer and if your head is in the right place, you quickly learn to suffer alot…………. 20 weeks ago it started with 6 x 4min @ FTeffort on a 2min RI, fast forward and it’s now 2 x 20min @ FTeffort, with 1 x 10min @ 105% of FTeffort and repeat this same overload 4 times a week. The next 16 week block will now move that up to 3 x 30min @ FTeffort. IT WORKS, but the hardest part of this is getting your head around it all. Once your there you really can open the doors, keep them open and improve in leaps and bounds.
In summary, at the end of the day fitness will always be in the muscle, it doesn’t matter what power you can hold, what pace you can hold, what speed you can hold, if your hitting your targets and emotionally you are READY for it, all those other metrics will and should remain unknown variables, forever changing improving and if they are, you’re getting fitter, faster and stronger. The next time you’re on the bike and you come across one of your regular sections of road where you can wind it up, dial into your head first and wind it up and watch what happens, the bar will quickly rise to new heights.
Hope it helps
fluro
P.S I’m keen to start up a 2 x 20min @ FT challenge this year, anyone want to join in ???
Posted in All Articles Cycling Power Training Psychology by .
Jan 11
20
Help your fellow athlete in need
Some of the triathlon community have lost their home and all/part of their possessions in the QLD floods.
If you have sporting goods or clothing you are not using please post them up here and we will then try and match you with someone in need
Likewise if you know someone who is in need then let us know how they could be helped
We will make checks to make sure that it is a genuine flood address/victim
Kieron Smith has volunteered to do the co-ordination- we will aim to line up donors and receivers directly so you can arrange transport/shipping
Kieron can be contacted on kieronsmith75 AT gmail.com
It does not have to be triathlon it could be any sporting goods- running shoes, tennis racquet’s, golf clubs etc
i think a few people will be in need of basic workout clothes and even day clothes
I would like this to be aimed at athletes as a triathlon/sporting community initiative
I’ve set up a board for this here- let clubs know its available
http://3jc.com.au/forum/index.php/board,4.0.html
Posted in All Articles by .
Jan 11
6
Team LEOPARD TREK launched
(Waterloo, WI) – Trek Bicycle announced today, along with Luxembourg-based Leopard True Racing, its co-title sponsorship of the formerly unnamed Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project, creating the LEOPARD TREK cycling team. Featuring podium regulars Frank and Andy Schleck, as well as classics king Fabian Cancellara, LEOPARD TREK will race team-issued Trek Madone and Speed Concept bicycles throughout 2011 and beyond.
After dominating 13 Grand Tours in the past 12 years, Trek’s intimate relationship with professional cycling programs has persistently propelled riders to the pinnacle of their sport. Trek’s Race Department will play an integral role in the foundation of the new team, supplying all LEOPARD TREK team cycling equipment and serving as day-to-day technical advisors.
“Ultimately we’re driven by the idea that we can make riders go faster,” said Trek’s Race Department Manager, Scott Daubert. “We’ve developed a solid knowledge base that we have continued to build upon and expanded for more than a decade. It’s amazing when you see that work pay off and know that you helped be a catalyst for real, tangible results. It’s why I get up in the morning. It’s what we do best.”
A real sense of confidence surrounds Team LEOPARD TREK riders and staff, as they have already begun preparations for the 2011 race calendar, dialing in measurements, making adjustments and getting acclimated to their new equipment.
“Trek is more than just a bike sponsor,” said LEOPARD TREK team leader Fränk Schleck, “they are our partner, our teammate, as important as any rider on the team. They will make us faster.”
Learn more about Team LEOPARD TREK athttp://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/story/leopardtrek.
Posted in All Articles Cycling by .
Jan 11
5
Clean Carve Shoe Laces
I was recently sent a pair of these things to try out- they are a pretty straightforward lace/lock system. Seem simple enough and they do a good job- they are elastic laces with a speed lock- not too much more I can go into- they do the job well for $5 a set!
Cleancarve have a special offer for 3jc visitors. 50% off each additional pair they buy. ie 2 for 1. ($10 for 2 pr is the best deal going)
Link is here for anyone interested.
Posted in All Articles Running by .
Dec 10
20
Training Days-What do I Eat?
There’s a lot of discussion about this to the point of obsession. First and foremost individual circumstances have to be taken into account.
from what i have observed many triathletes get this part of the sport upside down ie they………..
-dont eat much before workouts
-dont eat much during workouts
-hit the food hard after the workouts
-continue to hit the food hard because they feel “tired” and seek “recovery” products
A critical skill of endurance racing is to teach your stomach how to process food while moving at a good clip
I would rather train harder with good fuel on board than practice starvation in training- which is largely irrelevant
Recovery- there is a general brainwash by nutrition suppliers that you “must” smash down all manner of recovery products straight after workout
the best time to burn off extra fat is during the two hours after you finish
Eat a small amount after a big workout- say a piece of fruit -then wait till you hit the food- you’ll probably feel better eat less and end up skinnier
Many triathletes finish a session dehydrated and confuse this with a need to stuff their face immediately. If you are starving drink lots ,drink coffee (that will help continue to burn calories) and just wait for a bit
your body will digest food a lot better when not exhausted and hot and sweaty often leads to poor food choices
So in summary I believe most people should turn what they do upside down. Avoid “sports” recovery stuff- stick to real food/fruit/chocolate milk. The packaged stuff is often just benefiting the nutrition suppliers to make money pushing down your throat-you dont need it
Above all else most people who think they are “athletes” dont need any more food than a normal person . Training for triathlon is a waste of time if you end up eating more and stay at the same size.
The food industry/including sports food can be incredibly deceptive?( ok lets call it marketing not deception) people making everyone think they need to consume a heap of cheap carbs or low quality protein- its all about whats cheap for them to make-not whats best for you body. most people need far less food than what they are told to believe
So try eating a small amount pre workout, small amouts during and small amounts after- but wait a few hours before smashing that recovery meal
Having said that I see no problem with doing shorter sessions during the week on a coffee eg get up coffee, 2 bites of a bar or nothing, ride for an hour and half then eat brekky before work. I dont think this is a good idea/good practice for key sessions/longer workouts
Here are some general pitfalls to consider:
a. Failure to train digestion whatsoever- If you are going to race an endurance event then you’ll need to be accustomed to ingesting and digesting sufficient calories to complete the race- this is obvious- yet so few people practice it. The bike in particular is the foundation of good race day nutrition(you spend the most time on that leg). If you havent practiced eating your 2 or 3 gels per hour then dont expect your stomach to be able to handle it come race day.
b. Failure to train digestion at sufficient intensity- I think this one is pretty common. There are a lot of training groups rolling around on 5-7hr rides practicing their eating along the way like good little triathletes (and visiting every bakery along the way). All the way along their E1/LSD ride they can down their food no problem. Then come race day when the heart rate is at 150bpm they cant face the sight of food- this is because it takes practice putting the calories down while at race pace. For endurance events race pace is still aerobic but there are very different demands on your stomach and blood supply to your digestion at the higher intensity….this leads me to my next point…………………
c. Failure to consistently practice good nutrition. I’ve seen a lot of triathletes who follow the text book on their long rides yet the rest of the time they dont bother to think about their fueling. Somehow they think eating during the 12 week IM build with say 5-6 key long sessions they will magically learn how to process their nutrition- some will , many won’t and wonder why they throw up on race day
d. Failure to eat the same stuff in training they plan to use in a race- this one is so obvious I dont need to elaborate but its by far the most common mistake-even amongst experienced athletes
e. Choosing nutrition based on stated product benefits instead of what your body likes- i see so many people trying to race on product X because their mates do or because their coach sells it. We are all very different- experiment- find what your body has an affinity for. I know some guys who do the whole IM on one flavour of gels and others who eat chicken sandwiches or salt and vinegar chips etc. Many Aussies use vegemite sandwiches- its all individual. The only place you’ll work this out is by trying it during race pace intensity sessions.
So be smart about what you eat in training and work out what works for you- don’t worry about what the “triathlon bible” says you should do or your mates- keep it simple and err toward cost effective and widely available products. Happy training
Posted in All Articles by .
There are many similarities between growing trees and training to improve your long term perfomance.
Lets talk trees for a minute………..
When you first plant a tree you need soil thats in good condition- something thats got enough nutritients and moisture in it
You’ll need to water it regularly (but not too much or all the nutrients will be washed away)
If you really want it to grow quickly you need to fertilize frequently (but not too much or you’ll burn the roots and kill it
That tree will need an environment where it has sunshine and fresh air- rest and away from pollutants-pour grease on it or chemicals and it kills the roots
You’ll also have to watch for traumas that occur on the tree from time to time- and deal with them straight away-tangled roots, mold, stuff growing on the leaves, bugs eating away the trunk etc
Now how is that different to an athlete
Everyone understands the need to train regularly (thats water) and fertilize (thats intensive training). Those two are easy
Now back to gardening- have a look down your street. There will be one shrewd fellow who gives his garden a regular soaking, but not too much. He’ll weed around the trunk and make sure the soil doesnt gather too high. He’ll cut off dead branches. He’ll fertilize when the plant needs it on the change of season-but sparingly.
Then there’s the guy two doors down- leaves the watering system on every day. the soil is all washed of nutrients and the leaves dark from pests. During the holidays he’ll dump fertilizer on ,it will shoot green stuff for a few weeks and then soon after the plant dies. Then he’ll rip that one out and start all over again.
Many triathletes treat their training the same way as their gardens- constantly overcorrecting, constantly looking for a shortcut or avoiding the hard jobs like weeding and pruning. Consistency- apply good soakings of aerobic work, moderate amounts of intenisty(fertilizer) and correct injuries/mechanical problems(pests) before they flare up
So what sort of gardener are you?
I once went to one of those motivational seminars where they talked about a type of Bamboo plant called the Moso. It grows roots for 5-6 years with no grow above ground and then shoots 15 feet in the seventh year. A lot of the stuff we need to do is behind the scenes are fairly grubby in the ground-before all the pretty flowers and shoots come out- worth thinking about
Posted in All Articles Nutrition Psychology by .
Endurance sport is an extensive aerobic pace workout right ? Speed doesn’t really come into to it right? Speed work means going “lactic” right? Speed work means going to a track or veledrome donning spikes and smashing yourself right?
There will always be a debate about nomenclature and frankly I’ve got better things to waste my time on than arguing what “speed” work is in a defenitional sense
For some the term means work performed using anaerobic/lactic energy systems eg All out sprints where the interval is typically less than a couple of minutes- the focus is on the physiology and what energy pathway is recruited
Then there’s a whole other side to it- co-ordination, brain training (neuromuscular co-ordination if we want to get fancy), being able to relax (central nervous system conditioning).
In practical terms we will risk not being scientificially correct and say that anything that challenges your currently ability to hold a particular pace we’ll call “speedwork”
In our experience with endurance athletes it is often the non-physiological things that limits speed. We are not talking top end 400m “sprinting” speed. We agree that is an energy system you dont use in endurance sport. (although this type of speed work does have long term benefits to endurance athletes- we wont go into that here)
Many athletes just never get around to practicing running faster or fail to see the benefit of focusing on training anywhere near their anaerobic threshold pace….because thats for sprinters right?
The key reasons given include:
-They are still building their aerobic “base”-they are not ready for it
-Speed work is too hard for the bodies of older/inexperienced athletes
-Its never going to be relevant to someone racing well below threshold
-It compromises the following sessions and recovery
All of these reasons are valid. However does “speed” work have to be done in a way that these impacts are so debilitating?
Consider the following sessions:
Treadmill run
Joe Bloggs Threshold is pace 3.45mins/k
1mins @4mins/kilometre (15kmh) then 1mins @3.32mins/kilometre (17kmh). 10 Repeats
Windtrainer
Joe Bloggs Threshold Watts 360W
1mins@320W then 1mins@ 370W. 10 Repeats
Both of these sessions are relatively short. Both take the athlete slightly above their threshold pace but very sparingly. The recoveries are back below threshold pace but still require that a solid aerobic pace is held. (Compare this to a “sprinter” doing 200m efforts- often resting for long periods before doing the next effort/walking back)
Consider also this session
Joe Bloggs- IM run pace (lets say 60% of threshold) = 5mins/k
Joe target long run pace- 4.45mins/k (he figures he’ll loose 15-20sec/kmh off a bike) with a 1k block of 4.20/kmh every 15mins
Joe Blogs-HIM run pace (lets say 80% of threshold pace)=4.30m/k
Tempo run 6×2kmh repeats @4.15m/km
In both of these sessions Joe is focusing on his “speed”. Sure its not “speed” work to the likes of Ato Bolton or Maurice Green but both of these situations put the athlete in a situation where they have to run a pace that is slightly above what they are accustomed to. Long run pace is very pertitent to good age groupers. You’ll find a lot of people who focus on heart race at try and keep their LR aerobic- so every Sunday for 4 years they run about 5m-6m/k keeping the HR at 135-155 and make modest improvements but frequently stagnating…sound like you? The focus on HR and avoiding “speed” work ignores the work the brain and nervous system need to do to be able to run a higher pace. This needs to be ingrained by modest amounts of training at a speed that HR would sometime indicate is not “aerobic”
So when you decide whether speed work is appropriate for you or someone tells you its a waste of time……..have a think again……….done the right way speedwork could be very time efficient and effective way to train. Speed work doesn’t have to mean blowing yourself to pieces on a running track. There are too many one pace aerobic plodders in this world-dont be one of them.
Just a thought to open debate…..comment is always welcome…….JC
BTW Gebre likes a bit of speed work—-endurance athlete last time I checked—uses a treadmill a LOT
Posted in All Articles Psychology Running by .
We all deal with time restraints. We all have to deal with boredom in our training at times. Many of us travel for work or live in “sub optimal” training environments.
I often get asked what are the “bang for buck” sessions, the ones I would do if I only had 30 mins to an hour
Interestingly enough many of Australias top age groupers are limited to training 1hr or less most of the time due to their jobs, children or other interests
So here goes- and pleased to hear other contributions
Bike - Ride 20-40mins at slightly under FTP intensity (90%of FTP will do). You can divide these into shorter intervals say 4×5mins or 2×10mins on limited rest. 2 blocks of this is (40mins) is as much as most people can handle and will greatly improve your fitness if done consistently (note slightly under FTP so you dont blow yourself to pieces. The science says you get almost as much at 90% of FTP as going full blaster yet the recovery is much better
Run- 20-40 mins blocks at about 90% of your 8k best pace. Again I like to use about 5mins (its long enough to get rythm and short enough to focus on quality) with short breaks. For example tonight I ran 4×5mins with 1mins easy. My preference is to do this on a treadmill- easy when travelling-takes out the guesswork and injury risk is low
Swim-100m repeats just as hard as you can swim them. There really isn’t such a thing as going too hard in swimming- its much easier to recover from than running and riding. If I was travelling for work -20×100m can be done in less than half an hour and you’ve had a great workout. Stopping every 100 for 10-15secs keeps you focused on the clock and your form good without loosing aerobic focus (or wasting time). The top age grouper at IMOZ did a big chunk of his swimming this way. Adding sets of 4-6x 1oom with paddles within this workout are an excellent time efficient way to strengthen your shoulders enough to deal with swimming in a wetsuit. If your legs a stuffed from riding/running you can always throw in a pool buoy- then there’s no excuse not to belt out 30mins-1hr this way
I am yet to meet a guy who couldnt improve his fitness with these type of sessions. Obviously for the longer events in particular we need some longer duration sessions and we cannot understate the benefit of the appropriate “base” miles at the right point in the program. However next time you are in a lift with a guy complaining about having no time to train remember you could always hit the “bang for buck” type sessions and see how you fare
My guess is pretty well. There are many triathletes that avoid just getting down and training hard. You dont need quantity all the time. Good quality often is a superior substitute. So go out there and bang my man!
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
We all remember that classic scene of Rocky Balboa on the come back trail…repeated multiple times. But the most memorable was the first transformation from the guy down on his luck and using frozen beef to punch his way back to sporting glory. Rocky symbolises the resurrection of the down trodden and frail former alpha personality; from self doubt and pain to strong,dominant and victorious
What on earth are you banging on about Rocky for JC?
I’ve taken on quite a few athletes recently who are on the comeback trail. All share similar characteristics:
-Very successful in their professional career
-Good sporting success at some stage
-Injury or illness that has gradually diminished what they can do sporting wise
-All would fit into the “A” type personality- they like to control, plan, need structure and process, goal driven etc
-All struggle with the fact that injury/illness was unplanned did not fit with their need for personal achievement at all levels
So how do we approach comeback? Anyone who is over 40 feels like they are on a come back each morning they get out of bed I see so many people when they get to this point (early 30’s actually) who cant see a way to continue with sport successfully so they give it away all together. In particular the alpha types with their ingrained “goal setting” behaviour if they cant plot their “improvement” in a linear fashion then this is difficult for them to process. In their corporate lives if the sales go down you restructure, fire the sales manager or close the product line. This is great for product line 5672 but you cant close out the product life cycle of your own existence and introduce a new one can you? (Buddhist jokes aside)
Depending on your sex and genetics there is a point where your body’s natural production of growth hormone and other regenerative hormones starts depleting. This slows recovery considerably. The vast majority of people have had to committ to 8hr plus of daily seated activity by this stage. This poses a significant challenge to attempting to retain the ability to move at speed
Furthermore the skeletal system has some parts that have finite lifespans (in particular some of the anti friction and cushioning components (save using all the complex latin which invariably the next orthopod that reads this piece will laugh at). Most of us have had some kind of trauma – collision, breakage, wear and tear or the most common one- carrying too much weight. This leaves permanent damage to some parts
The two most common problems I see as athletes attempt to come back is that they are carrying some kind of long term injury and the fact that it just plain “hurts”- muscles and bones
So whats the plan of attack? Lets acknowledge a few essential things and stuff that people get wrong
-Excessive focus on how one “used to” train
Most of us inherit our training philosophies from our high school or university coaches or our peers when we were last “on fire”. Often how you trained as a 20 year old footballer or a 28 year old Olympic distance athlete and being able to smash yourself every day is just not practical. But we see so many males in particular unable to update their approach to the age of their body -result lack of consistency and frequently injury
Excessive Focus on Results Rather Than Participation
Part of becoming a mature age athlete is recognising that you are driving a vehicle with more km on it. A 1950 Ferrari will go friggen fast but only if it has a lot of maintenance -there are not too many mechanics around who know how to do it-and you cannot expect to go it that hard every day. For that you buy a new M3 and thrash away all you like. The good news is triathlon is not a race every day. You only have to get the Ferrari going 5-6 times a year a top speed- so there is plenty of opportunity to still get results but one has to be a lot more selective. An older athlete needs to learn how to enjoy just being out there. Invariably this will mean getting overtaken frequently in training or beaten in races by younger people. I see so many guys who just cant let it go and have to win the Wednesday pissing contest- but are constantly injured or tired, fighting it, taking every session with gnashing teeth like they would unpleasant medicine- they never last.
Finding a balance between being too soft and too hard
Most of us have been exposed to the HTFU/harden up style coach..ie If it hurts just push through it approach. The converse to this is those who believe that you should never train through pain or discomfort. Modern health professionals must dispense this advice and it is very good advice for 98% of the population and for them (they’ll get sued otherwise). Its also an epidemic in modern life that people just cant face physical discomfort and need a pill, a personal trainer or an excuse to take it away……..where do we find the balance?
I think you have to look at both hemispheres. Lets take arthritic conditions for instance, osteoporosis is extremely common in adult population. It happens because of wear and tear, accidents, sporting age or just being unhealthy (weight, diet etc) . The outcome of this is that peoples bones have lumps and bits missing which makes movement painfull. So what do you do if you have arthritic pain (I do)? Do you stop moving if it hurts or do you push through a bit. What I have experienced and read is that if you keep working the mobility and against a bit of pain you can actually slow down the onset of these limiters. You can stop those nodules of bone forming and fibrous scar tissue remaining. We have to be sensible and tune into what are Docs are telling us but I think its good to recognise the opportunity to be different from 98% of the population who will give up
They will not attempt “a comeback” or attempt stretching their sore hammy each morning “because it hurts too much for them” . Their training mates dont seem to do it (even though they need to) and they think they look alright/run alright “for their age”. The dont want to face accepting they have a structural defect that needs to be fixed long term. This is the price of a comeback that they wont pay. If it were a crack in a beam in their house they would be freaking out- but because its hidden under skin and the latest Assos kit they stretch it over their belly and ride off in denial.
On the other end of the spectrum you have those that just want to charge back into everything. They go from no running to 5x a week for 10 weeks trying to tick off an Ironman program because their ankle has been “fixed” by the surgeon and only a softc^&@ would give up. These same people tend to specialise in racing about once in 5 years and each time they “come back” its with another 5kg on board. Each time they come back they continue to smash away attempting to regain the former “hardness” of their 20’s or early 30’s. These guys sometimes squeeze out a couple of months of good results before disappearing back to the retirement bench and kitchen again. Not a good long term health model.
Part of a successful comeback is recognizing whether you are too hard or too soft by nature. Adjust to find the middle ground
Rehabilitation outside of straight repetition?
Riding is the best thing to improve your riding correct? Want to swim better just swim more? Want to get back to running …just run right? Yes the principal of specificity applies- these are the most relevant activities. But now of this reflects the quality of how we perform these activities
Sit back on your local park bench and observe people running buy-you’ll get the usual cross spectrum of people- A teenager running loose and free, a young footballer smashing fast repeats looking strong, now here comes Fred…
Fred is wearing two knee braces and a footy jumper (he played at a high level in the 1960’s) Fred shuffles through 25 k every Sunday morning. Every step hurts- he barely lifts his feet off the ground-you know the type. Just smashing it out and suffering. Now here comes Suzy the middle age mother – she has no glute strength and no hammie flexibility- she runs bent over in the middle and looks terrible. She once ran well at school and damned if she needs coaching or help in the gym- she knows running and her body-she just needs to do more of it and stay away from the Tim Tams (thats her story)
Now here comes another “type” the middle age triathlete- his technique is better than these two but his back hurts, his stride is short and he cant run any quicker than 6mins a km. Ned,lets call him runs 6x a week but never faster than 6m/k. Ned survives 40km running weeks training for his “smash my mates” week at Noosa but never improves his time. Why?
Ned,Fred and Suzy just keep running- as older athletes they haven’t recognised the need to do rehabilitation or something different. They cant run naturally like the teenager any more. If you had a car that old you would do an overhaul right?
The best thing for Ned might actually spending some time doing running drills. Maybe not running every day/resting more. Maybe doing some shorter runs at difference paces. Spend some time in a yoga class or the gym. Not more of the same just hoping that something will come good- praying for the magic comeback.
So before you attempt a comeback use your head- approach it with some structure and science. Find a balance between being hard and soft. Be open minded to training differently.
Posted in All Articles Psychology Running by .
Are you the guy who goes to the supermarket and stocks up with a weeks food or are you someone that does a little trip to the grocer every night on the way home? Do you like to read 10 chapters of a book in a sitting or the whole lot?
Do you try to run 6 days most week or only 3? Do you run off every bike?
Lets discuss some different approaches
A. Neddy Nibbles likes to commute every day on his bike to work. It a short way. He loves a run swim run at lunch. Then he rides long with his mates on Sunday. He runs off this bike too. Tim is a frequency junky. Come Saturday his rest day Tim is tired
B. Carlos Chew only has 10 hrs a week, but he goes to bed on time, goes to work the same time. He is very focused when he trains. When Carlos trains he doesnt do anything lightly. Its solid or HARD never soft. Carlos doesnt get soft people. His preparation for IM is to ride the windtrainer solid for 3 hrs on a sat and run hard for 2 hrs sunday. week in week out. When Carlos has his day off he is tired- but it make sense to him
C. Barry Binge is a corporate jock with hardly any time to train during the week. He crams in two swim squads, some quick windtrainer workouts, one long run at night. He often misses days during the week. But as a single bloke on the weekend he trains the house down- often riding 6 hours on a Saturday and running 2.5 Sunday plus two long swims. He recovers behind his trading desk during the week planning the next all out weekend assault
D. Freddy Feast- has all the time in the world. he clocks up 25 hrs every week. Ernie often rides to go start a ride with other people. He runs long a couple times a week at least. Ernie seldom goes that hard but when the rest day comes(he seldom has one) his training log is in 4 digits
You can see personalities of people in the way they train cant you? Which approach is right….the guy who “nibbles”, the guy who “chews”, the guy who “binges” or the guy who “feasts” ?
All 4 guys will achieve “overload” (they’ll all feel tired and have to recover) All 3 methods have their merit. All 4 will suit certain athletes and certain lifestyles. A good coach will tailor this to the athlete
It is interesting to study the different methods being employed in the pro ranks. I personally know of a few professionals who would shock people if they found out how few hours they train. When they do train its hard (close to race pace) but they have lots of days off. Then there are other pros who feel to get their best they need to ride 1000k weeks and 120k run weeks. Often these guys will work their way down from a massive volume as a race approaches
We need to constantly question where someone is in their training. ………….
For instance if a rookie tried to copy Binge Barry they would probably get injured and blow up in no time
If a corporate guy working 60 hrs tried to copy Freddy Feast he’d probably end up having a meltdown.
For someone who is values social aspects of training over race results then Carlos Chew’s approach will make them unhappy (Carlos has shit to do he dont wait for nobody)
So work out if you are Neddy, Carlos,Barry or Freddy first. Then apply the overload philosophy thats right for you and the time of year. Don’t compare individual sessions- you need to look at the whole of their program to see whats going on – you are all on different roads for different reasons.. For example if Carlos rides with Freddy mid week- he might think-geez this guy never rides hard how is it he hands me my arse in a race? Or Neddy never sees Barry training (they work in the same building) but somehow Barry hands him his arse ?
You need to look at individual sessions like you would a diet – you cant make a prediction based on one meal
Good luck out there whichever one of these guys you are
Posted in All Articles Cycling Psychology Running by .
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