Once Inspired

Archive for the ‘Training/Racing’ Category

Now that my off season strength training has made its way into the archives I open up a new file and in it lies “Pre-Season”. Here’s how my off-season training went.

As always, with training anytime of the season core was, still is and always will be a vital part of my training regime. More specific strength training went as follows:

Maximal Power

Maximal Power refers to nothing more than power development.  Gradually making things heavier and making sets smaller and reps slower this is the real gym junkies training methods. Only difference is triathletes need only do this during the off season which is around 2 to maybe 3 months.

The %1RM refers to the maximum weight I can lift only once and the numbers alongside refer to the percentage thereof. Some of the exercises I was forced to avoid due to a mystery foot injury which is VERY slowly getting better.

Week	1	2	3	4
Appro. Load (% 1RM)	70	80	90	100
Bench Press	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Bicep	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Tricep	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Lat Pull	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Pull Back	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Shoulder Press	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Dead Lift	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Quad	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Hamstring Curl	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Calf	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Weighted Squat	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Weighted Lunge	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Adductor	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2
Abbductor	3 x 8	3 x 6	3 x 4	3 x 2

Power Endurance

Significantly more aerobic than the maximal power, power endurance uses fast reps and big sets to life lighter weights. By combing maximal power and power endurance over a 3 month period which sees maximal power occupy 2 sessions per week and power endurance 1 session per week for the first half of off season training and then visa versa for the second half, strength is slowly and methodically introduced into your training base. Power Endurance went as follows:

Week	1	2	3	4
Appro. Load (% 1RM)	40	50	60	70
Dead lift	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Raised Pull Back	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Bench Press	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Shoulder Press	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Quad	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Hamstring	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Calf	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Weighted Lunge	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15
Weighted Squat	5×20	4×20	5×15	4×15

As I did already mention, core was a big part of this and so is cross training. For me, my swimming is my strength so I will not be swimming until September. Running is priority number one with bicycle strength priority number 2. It’s easier to develop endurance than it is speed. Speed comes from power, so basically off season was power-up, pre season is refining technique whilst harnessing and further developing that power all whilst infusing perfect balance and harmony.

Swimming technique, balance, body position and hip rotation are important elements of the freestyle swim stroke. A coach might critique your balance in the water but praise your hip rotation; or he / she might try to tweak your body position and ignore your balance. It is important to understand what each term means so you can make improvements.

First is balance. Your upper body and your legs should share the effort of moving you through the water. Specifically, your arms should make a 50 percent to 70 percent contribution to your forward propulsion while your legs should account for the remaining 50 percent to 30 percent. Swimmers who drag their legs behind their body, with almost no visible kick, are missing out on the potential core power that is derived from the hips. On the other hand, if your legs are tiring long before your upper body, consider lessening your kick to conserve energy. By swimming with a two- or four-beat beat kick (meaning you complete two or four individual kicks per complete arm stroke cycle), athletes can benefit from the power in their legs without tiring too quickly.

Balance in the water also means having the movement of the stroke come easily and naturally. A swimmer with good balance is not fighting the water; she is efficiently working with the water, gravity and her own body. Both sides of her body are making similar movements. And yes, balanced swimming requires bilateral breathing.

In terms of body position, try to maintain a constant position during the entire stroke cycle. Strive for a horizontal position in the water with your face pointing toward the bottom of the pool and your hips near the surface of the water. You can practice floating with a snorkel or streamline kicking to become comfortable in this position. Your position is good if your feet break the surface of the water with each kick.

Next, try to keep your body position in a straight line. Think about being “skewered” from the top of your head, through your neck and down your spine. You can rotate on this skewer but you cannot move any part of your body laterally. Drag and resistance are minimized with a streamlined position.

Finally, there is the fine art of hip rotation, which actually refers to shoulder, torso and hip rotation. To understand rotation correctly, you must first recognize “disconnect.” Rotation occurs from the middle of the neck to the middle of the thigh. The head and legs are disconnected from the rotation. When the hips, torso and shoulders are maximally rotated 45 degrees to the left or right in the water, your head and legs should maintain a horizontal position. This allows your kick to keep a steady beat at the surface of the water and it keeps your head still at the front of the stroke.

Your breathing is also disconnected from hip rotation. Breathe by rotating your neck just enough to get one goggle and your mouth out of the water. While taking a breath, don’t forget that you have been “skewered.” Head movement should be minimal and should not affect your balance, body position or hip rotation.

There are as many different types of runners as there are people who run. But one misconception that many runners hold in common is a work ethic that too often precludes rest.

Some runners have to be held down in order to get the rest the body requires. Sooner or later that will come by way of injury or overtraining syndrome. For those runners, understanding that rest and recovery doesn’t mean doing nothing, can break through the mile-aholic’s misconceptions and change training habits for the better.

For starters, we need to differentiate between rest and recovery days and light workout days. They’re two different things.

Rest and recovery days

Rest and recovery days are just that. They are days primarily designed to rest and recover. Healthy runners need rest maybe once per week, or even just once or twice a month. Obviously injuries, illness, aging, staleness, increases in distance or intensity and overtraining can create demands for more rest.

Although rest is needed, it’s still important to remain active on those days. The body, just like the mind, needs stimulation every day. Even after a grueling marathon, many people find it’s a good idea to move around, maybe take a walk, as early as the day after to avoid stiffening up.

Even people who suffer heart attacks are encouraged to get out of bed and move around as soon as possible. On rest and recovery days it’s important to avoid doing the worst thing you can do for your body … nothing.

Examples of rest and recovery activities are walking, static stretch exercises (after a warm-up and loosening-up period), swimming, water running and riding a bike.

Keep in mind that increasing respiration and heart rate to a level just slightly above normal and challenging your range of motion are generally good things to do almost any time. Rest is a variable to apply in response to the feedback your body gives — more or less, but always some.

Light workout days

Light workout days are days in which you’re actually working out. The difference is that your activities are lighter, less demanding and generally performed at a lower level of intensity. Or the activities are executed at a high level of intensity for a much shorter period of time.

Light workout days are just as important as heavy workout days. They allow development to take place without breaking yourself down and acquiring overuse injuries, experiencing training plateaus and developing a generally stale, flat, bored attitude that can come from doing the same thing day after day. In short, the light days make the heavy days possible.

They should enhance and complement your more intense workouts. They can and should be equally enjoyable. If your workouts include heavy days and light days in proper sequence, you shouldn’t need as many rest and recovery days.

An important guideline for light workout days is variety. Providing a change in the workloads to shock the system is what’s important. When changing the emphasis on workouts from heavy to light workout days, there are a number of things that can be accomplished. Some training objectives that are good to consider on light workout days are flexibility, developing range of motion, improving running form, strength training, hill running and speed interval training.

Strength training

If you can, schedule the same amount of time to train on light days as heavy days. A good idea is to spend less time on the track on light days and spend the balance of your training time with strength training. Strength training can improve running times right away.

Of course there are many other benefits from strength training, such as injury prevention, improved bone density and increased range of motion that research has shown to help people well into their nineties.

Even a little strength training can convey major improvements. There’s a plethora of strength training activities and exercises that can be done with no equipment at all. Weights and exercise equipment can be helpful but aren’t necessary.

Running form

Light days can also provide the opportunity to work on running form. Training to improve running form is very important for two reasons. It can help you to move more efficiently and therefore improve your times right away. Even the most advanced runner can improve his form.

While improving your running times may not be important to you, improving running form still has important benefits. If your form is more linear and more stable, it can help prevent injuries.

Start out by jogging for a short distance or complete some other activity that will thoroughly warm your body up. Then continue for short distances, concentrating on one element of running form that will improve your efficiency.

You may need to consult a trainer or strength and conditioning coach for an analysis of your form and constructive criticism for means to improve it.

Hill runs

A similar procedure can be followed while executing hill runs. Hill runs are great for developing strength, as well as adding variety to cardiovascular training. Bleachers or stadium steps can be used if there are no hills where you live. However, it’s important to remember to concentrate on running form when running hills and stairs.

Many runners will sacrifice form for what they think is speed when they’re making an all-out effort. An all-out effort isn’t necessary when executing hill runs. Run as slowly as necessary to maintain good running form. Increased strength and, as a result, speed will come naturally.

Intervals

Sprint build-ups or interval work can be incorporated into your light-day running workout in a similar way. Start out with a light jog. After you warm up, gradually build up speed until you don’t feel like running fast any more. Then slow down to a comfortable pace until fully recovered.

Repeat this build-up-and-recovery procedure until you have completed the amount of running or the amount of time you have planned for running that day. You can get a lot of conditioning done in a short period of time.

Overall, training must be approached intelligently. One of the best favors you can do for your body and your running performance is to respect the need for rest and recovery.

However, that doesn’t mean becoming a sloth. It’s that misconception that leads some runners to avoid rest and recovery and just train-hard, harder and hardest.

That won’t work in the long run. A better approach is to understand recovery as a training tool and use it well. Remain active on rest days and use light days to address training objectives directly. This is a winning way to train.

Post courtesy of American Running Association (and Stew Rew)

As athletes our training schedules, competitions, opponents, coaches and other related events and people form a very significant part of our lives. For this reason dealing with an injury is, on a smaller scale, similar to dealing with a significant loss.

An injury can be a traumatic time for an athlete when returning to full fitness becomes a waiting game. The lack of control and the uncertainty can get the athlete feeling depressed and anxious.

There can be 5 stages involved in the injury process:

• Denial and Isolation – Refusal to recognise the injury
• Anger
• Bargaining – I will do anything (Willing to risk further injury just to compete)
• Depression
• Acceptance

This process can vary in several ways depending on the seriousness of the injury and the personality of the athlete.

Although not competing in the physical aspect of the sport relative to the specific injury, the athlete can use that time to focus on other aspects of the sport.

One of the biggest things in injury recovery is goal setting. These goals need to involve objective measures. Graded sport specific movements can be replicated in several ways which will contribute to rehabilitation. These activities mean that the athlete starts by performing basic sport specific drills with no contact and slowly progresses towards to full fitness.

On the other hand is the mental side of recovery. Visualisation should be employed in ensuring that the athlete is not only physically ready to return to competing, but also mentally. Fear of re-injury can range from mild concern to maladaptive psychological disorders and outcomes. Visualisation involves three processes.

Emotional Visualisation creates internal states of positivity. By using past success and/or ideal future outcomes these states can be achieved. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Become completely relaxed.  Allow your mind to drift back to one of your best sporting performances.  Rather than being in that race, become a spectator witnessing your amazing performance. Pay attention to every visual detail of the experience. Be wowed by your very own performance.

Physical Visualisation allows you to recreate the sport specific movements without moving a muscle. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Become relaxed and notice the physical sensations of your mechanic as if you were competing, paying attention to how each of your technical actions physically feels whilst adding sight, sound and taste elements.

Fast Healing Visualisation allows you to catalyse the healing process. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Become completely relaxed. Drift towards the injured part of your body and shine a bright magical light on that body part. Feel it healing you. Feel that part becoming stronger. Notice how the pain subsides.

Do all of this with a smile on your face!

In one of the greatest races of all time (in my opinion) Chris Lieto gave everything he could, but could not hold off one of the most perfectly run Ironman marathons ever. Craig Alexander ran the perfect race. Here’s an interview with Chris Lieto, 2009 runner up.

“Chris Lieto’s Score to Settle” – TriEurope

“Craig Alexander’s pass on Chris Lieto at the 2009 Ironman World Championships produced one of the great triathlon photos. It said it all. While Alexander was picking people off on the run, Lieto was wearing his heart on his sleeve giving it everything he had. In 2009, he only just came up short. Can he do it in 2010? Susan Grant chatted to one of the most popular triathletes in the world about Kona, running and that score to settle.

You were inspired to compete in triathlon after reading an article in Outside magazine about Mark Allen. He went on to become your first triathlon coach. What did you learn from him?

I was inspired to do triathlon originally after watching the Ironman on television. Also, Wendy Ingraham lived in my area and so I met her at school and watched her do the Ironman on television. During this same period of time I saw the magazine article with Mark, and there was a sample 16-week plan on training for your first triathlon, so I followed that plan. That’s how I got started. After that, Wendy helped me in my training and Mark came along and coached me for a year after that. I learned a lot from him. Professional athletes who become coaches bring their own experiences as athletes to the table, including their own trials and errors. But everyone is different, so you have to figure out what works best for you, especially as you get older.

During the last decade you’ve had three top-10 finishes at the Hawaii Ironman. You’ve said in the past that one of your goals as a pro was to become one of the top Americans in the sport. With your top-American finish in 2009, do you feel like you have achieved your goal?

There’s definitely more left out there for me to do. One of the goals I set for myself when I got involved in the sport in 1999 was to be in the top one percentage in the world as far as ranking. I’ve accomplished that, as well as winning several other races that I set out to win. The last thing on my list is really to win Kona. I’ve come closer every year, so it’s still out there for me to finish first. This year I will be out there to win.

How does your goal of winning Kona affect the rest of your 2010 season?

For the last couple years, my focus has really been winning Ironman Hawaii above all else. Every race I go to I have the goal in mind that I want to win, but ultimately my goal for the whole year is winning Hawaii. There are sacrifices I make throughout the year in terms of the races I choose to do and in my training so that I can be as fit as possible come October.

That said, even if I’m not as fit because of where I am in my yearly training plan, no matter what race I line up for, I shoot for winning and for giving my all and racing all out and challenging myself.

It’s always exciting to see what I have in me at any given moment in a race. It’s also beneficial to race closely against somebody else because it teaches you about yourself both physically and emotionally. I will take all the things I learn in every race that I do this year and try to adapt them to how I approach my race in Kona.

You are currently coached by Matt Dixon, founder of Purple Patch Fitness based in the San Francisco Bay area. Dixon is a proponent of rest and recovery rather than logging huge miles all the time. You’ve always been vocal about the importance of rest, but even you have admitted that it’s easier for someone to make time for recovery when training is their only full-time job. What advice do you have for age-group athletes on recovery?

To be honest, 99 percent of age-groupers train too much. I’ve learned a lot more of that from Matt Dixon. In the past, some coaches really overloaded me, and they just had a philosophy that training that hard is what you have to do, although it is more of a philosophy people believed 15 years ago.

Matt incorporates a lot of rest and recovery into my training program and it works really well for me, especially as I get older. I believe you really need to take at least one day off weekly. It’s hard to do mentally sometimes, but people would be amazed at the relatively small amount of training you can do and still have an incredible race.

You spent six weeks leading up to Kona in 2009 training at altitude—roughly 8,000 feet—in Mammoth with marathoners Ryan Hall and Josh Cox, among others. What was the most profound change in your running during your time there, and how did it help you in Kona?

The time I spent up there was a great time, and being up that high works really well for me. It doesn’t always work well for people, so I was glad I enjoyed it and it helped me. I will be going back this year, although I will have to monitor when and how long I’m up there because what works once may not work the next time.

It was a chance to focus on my training for Hawaii, although usually I do training camps on Maui before the Ironman. This past year, I wanted to stay closer to home. It was more about a destination to get clarity and focus and to find balance in my training and myself.

Also, the surroundings were so beautiful and the people were so great to run with and learn from. Running with my friends Ryan Hall and Josh Cox and getting to know Deena Kastor and her husband and Meb [Keflezighi] was really a great experience.

It was good to be able to run with people at a high level.They are elite athletes at the top of their sport and we have mutual respect for each other and what it takes to be an athlete.

But there wasn’t any of that cloudiness of the sport of triathlon crowding my mind up there.

I’ve never really spent time at training camps in the traditional triathlon environment, for instance, going up to Boulder or wherever else other triathletes go. I’d rather train either with elite athletes I can learn from or just by myself. It was a time for me to challenge myself. There were times when I was more nervous about a track session with Ryan Hall and Josh Cox and all the Mammoth track team than lining up for a race. The running was great, I got a lot of good quality runs in while staying injury free, and it was just a great time overall.

In 1998 a friend accidentally ran over your foot, breaking it in more than 50 places. You were told you would never run again. Did you place a call after your Kona finish to the doctor who gave you your diagnosis and rub it in?

It’s funny you mentioned that. I did a talk with a triathlon club at a fitness club in my area and at the end of my talk it turns out the doctor who had worked on me after my injury was in the audience. He came up and talked to me after I finished my presentation and congratulated me. He was really impressed, and we’ve actually talked a few times since.

Doctors always give you the worst-case scenario with injuries like that based on the data that they have available to them. However, I am still dealing with the injury even today. I notice it in how my foot reacts to my run training, the soreness and the inflexibility in my ankle. I have some scar tissue in my foot even still. You just deal with it.

Thinking back to when you were healing from that injury, do you think it made you an even more driven athlete than you would have been otherwise?

In the beginning for sure it did. That first year, it was very much a driving force for me to rehab and get healed up. I was doing more on a rehab basis than they would have liked because I was so motivated. I would show up at the rehab place and they would tell me to warm up on the bike and I would have to explain to them that I just got done riding for two hours on the trainer. They basically kicked me out of physical therapy because I was doing enough on my own.

I was very proactive. As soon as I could get out of bed I did, as soon as I could ride a bike I did. Even with the cast on I would do activity. I pushed for a cast that would allow me to get in the water and I did a lot of aqua jogging. I never gave it time to rest and that was the key to my recovery.

A lot of times when people have surgery or injury issues they sit and let the recovery happen without being active, and that is when the scar tissue builds up. I really kept my foot and ankle moving and although I have some scar tissue it is so much less than I would have had otherwise.

You are one of the strongest cyclists in the sport, if not the strongest. Chris McCormack said that he thought you would be able to out-split Lance Armstrong if you had the chance. Do you think that you could?

I have no idea! I doubt it. Lance is a phenomenal athlete and he has the ability to excel at anything he puts his mind to. He is a mentor for me—someone I look up to. If he races in Kona this year or whenever and I’m out there racing too, I’ll do my best to keep up with him and hopefully I won’t let him go anywhere. I have no doubt that in the end he would probably smoke me though.

Prior to the 2009 Ironman World Championship, it was rumored that you were considering retiring from the sport. Was this true, and if so why?

I’ve gone through different stages in regards to retirement. In 2004, I thought about retiring and then I was able to have a good race at Ironman Canada and at that time I was thinking that it might be my last race. It goes to show how important your mindset is going into a race. At Ironman Canada I had no pressure on me; I just went out there and tried to have the best race I could have. I also held strongly to the belief that I had it in me to win the race, and so believing that I was able to win.

I learned from that experience that you always have to have that type of mindset where you are positive and you have big goals, but at the same time you don’t put pressure on yourself in an unhealthy way. You have to show up to your events, or whatever else you have to do in your life, with a relaxed, confident attitude, and that is how I really have approached the rest of my career since then.

Did I think about retiring last year? Well, no, but I’m always thinking about my exit and how I will handle that. I will be turning 38 this year so I’m not a young pup anymore, but every year I feel like I’m still getting better. Last year at Kona my fitness was really there and I think that this year it will be even more. I will continue to race as long as I feel like my fitness is improving or until something else comes along that really inspires me to put everything into it.”

A new line of Ironman-branded premium sports drinks developed by the sports nutrition experts at PowerBar® is being launched today. Ironman® PERFORM™ sports drink features PowerBar’s state-of-the-art C2MAX carbohydrate blend, found to deliver 20 to 50 percent more energy to muscles and improve endurance performance by eight percent.

Designed for athletes who take part in intense workouts, or who exercise in the heat or humidity and experience significant fluid and electrolyte loss, the new Ironman PERFORM sports drink also enhances performance by delivering essential electrolytes, including 190 mg of sodium per serving, to replenish what athletes lose in sweat and to help avoid skeletal muscle cramps and dehydration. The convenient ready-to-drink beverage is also made with natural flavors and without the use of high fructose corn syrup.

“I have been testing out the new Ironman PERFORM sports drink in training and it has a light taste and was easy on my stomach,” said Ironman champion Samantha McGlone. “Ironman PERFORM is the most convenient way to meet all my hydration and nutrition needs during hard racing and training. It will be key for me to now have its performance-enhancing formula on course when it counts this season.”

Nestlé Performance Nutrition and its PowerBar® brand, along with the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), are working together on the new line of Ironman-branded sports drinks, an extension of PowerBar’s longstanding global partnership with Ironman and its role as the official global energy bar and energy gel supplier of all Ironman and 70.3 events.

“We have a fundamental goal and shared mission with Ironman, which is to help athletes perform at their best,” said Phil Annett, Global Business Head at Nestlé Performance Nutrition. “Applying the latest sports science to get the right balance of performance benefits, taste and stomach comfort in the new Ironman PERFORM sports drink was a long yet essential development process designed to help athletes achieve optimum performance.”
Groundbreaking Research

C2MAX, the unique, high-octane carbohydrate formulation found in new Ironman PERFORM sports drink, was developed based on groundbreaking research published in the February 2008 issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. The study showed that consuming an optimized blend of glucose and fructose carbohydrates allowed athletes to perform better, increase fluid delivery and experience less perceived exertion following exercise. PowerBar, through the Nestlé Research Center, continues to support a series of follow-up carbohydrate performance field trials with lead research author Dr. Asker Jeukendrup and his team at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham. The aim of these trials is to apply this breakthrough science to the development of new sports nutrition tools, such as new Ironman PERFORM sports drink, for endurance athletes.

“Ironman is the pinnacle of endurance sports and we believe in having the latest tools available for our athletes,” says Ben Fertic, President and CEO of Ironman. “As Ironman celebrates its 32nd anniversary, we are excited to offer the world’s top athletes a new product that is designed to enhance their training and race day experience.”

Through the new agreement, Ironman PERFORM will be the official sports drink for the following events in 2010: Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island, Ironman 70.3 Racine, Rohto Ironman 70.3 Miami, Ford Ironman Lake Placid, Ford Ironman Louisville, Ford Ironman Wisconsin, Ford Ironman Florida and Ford Ironman Arizona. Additionally, both the 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship and Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 events will include Ironman PERFORM on-course, and the product will be on course at upcoming Aflac Iron Girl events throughout the 2010 season.

PowerBar’s heritage with the sport of triathlon traces back to the company’s beginning, and triathletes worldwide have come to rely on PowerBar’s sports nutrition products for top-level training and competition. Through the company’s Team Elite™ ambassador program, Ironman and 70.3 athletes have contributed to PowerBar’s product development programs for elite athletes, and this new sponsorship and licensing agreement is a natural extension of the long-standing relationship.

The Ironman brand has become a sports icon around the globe as more and more athletes continue to take on Ironman and 70.3 events each year. Additionally, while Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-marathon, it symbolizes passion, performance and the aspiration to challenge yourself to the fullest.

Understanding anaerobic threshold and applying it to your training will make you a better athlete.

Simply put:

VO2 max (aerobic threshold) is the level at which your body cannot increase its intake of oxygen no matter how much the exercise intensity increases. If your VO2 max is your aerobic potential then you anaerobic threshold determines how much of that you can tap. Exercise beyond this point is known as anaerobic (without oxygen). This results in high levels of blood lactate. At this stage blood lactate cannot be removed at the level at which it is produced which causes an excess of blood lactate. For most, blood lactate starts to accumulate at a level much lower than VO2 max. The point at which blood lactate build up occurs is known as your anaerobic threshold.

Anaerobic Threshold occurs at different exercise intensities for different people. It is expressed as a percentage of your VO2 max.

With the help of the “hypothetical” graph below allow me to explain in greater detail.

After testing an athlete’s Vo2 max is 55.0 mL.kg.min at a speed of 16.48 km/h. That means that he/she will not be able to run at 16.48 km/h for very long, 10min at the most. This athlete’s blood lactate begins to accumulate at 33.75 mL.kg.min or 65% of his/her VO2 max. At 12.5km/h he/she can run for a prolonged period. This is because there is no lactate build up at that speed.

By applying specific endurance training to your training regime you can improve your anaerobic threshold. This won’t slow the rate at which lactate accumulates; it will simply delay its onset, allowing you to tap more of your VO2 Max.

There are a number of ways to determine your anaerobic threshold. 1 way is to get it tested at a sports science facility and the other 2 you can do on your own.

The first of which requires you to run or cycle for at least 20min. Gradually increase your speed until you reach the point at which you feel you can’t go on much longer. Jelly-legs are a common symptom. Note your heart rate at this point. This is your anaerobic threshold.

Another DIY method is to run or cycle at the highest intensity which you can maintain for 1 hour. Your average heart rate for this will also be an indicator of your anaerobic threshold.

If you feel compelled to try both of these tests, they may differ by a few BPM but that’s okay. These 2 methods are surprisingly quite accurate and are enough to help you (or your coach) plan your anaerobic training sessions.

Anaerobic Threshold training is fairly uncomplicated once you’ve determine your target heart rate zone. These training sessions should be performed at or just below your anaerobic threshold and can be performed as intervals or as continuous training.

Interval training should consist of 3-5, 6-12min intervals with a 2-3min rest period in between each interval. Ideally you should reach your target heart rate within 1 min.

A continuous anaerobic threshold session is more demanding and should last 20-45min. This should be performed twice per week, but not more.

Open water swimming is a big concern for many beginner and even some seasoned triathletes. They never really get comfortable in open water and therefore never train in open water… and therefore never get comfortable in open water. I’m sure you can see the problem here.

It is important that you get out of the pool and into some open water. There’s a lot to learn about open water swimming and most of which you can only learn though experience. Yes I can tell you what to do and how to do it, but you really need to do it yourself to get it right. It’s not swimming as you have been taught or as you have read. It’s swimming that needs to be tweaked on the day depending on the conditions and the best way to learn this is by getting into the water in all kinds of conditions and finding what works best for you. Being a fair weather open water swimmer is of no use, as pleasant and wonderful as it may be. Get someone who is experienced in open water to go with you and ask them questions as you go. Get them to help you. Their experience is worth more than what you can read.

Different conditions call for different variations in your stroke. In choppy water, shortening the front end and back end of your stroke will accommodate for the chop. Rolling over more in order to get your face slightly higher out of the water when you breathe ensures that you get less water in your mouth. Swimming using unilateral breathing away from the chop makes you more streamline. If you breathe into the chop you will be opening your chest and face up for a slap and gulp of water. If you’re swimming directly into the chop your stroke length will vary with almost every stroke you take. Mastering this take s a lot of time, take every opportunity you get. It also makes you hellish strong.

Open water is full of all kinds of things that can get in your way; weed, plastic packets, stinging creatures and biting animals. In the event of an encounter with weed and plastic packets you need to learn to keep swimming rather than start treading water in frantic fear of your life. Before a race always get into the water or know what you’re dealing with. If the water is occupied by stinging creatures smear Vaseline (Petroleum jelly) over all exposed skin. This forms a layer between stinging tentacles and your skin. It also helps for cold. Once again, try not to stop. More often than not you would have slapped the jellyfish on its head anyway.

Understanding currents and location specifics also plays a part is making your swimming journey as fast and as pleasurable as possible. If you’re swimming somewhere for the first time, consult with a local no matter how tranquil it may seem. One submerged rock or branch is all it takes.

When it comes to dealing with the violence of flailing arms and kicking legs remember that if you stop swimming it’s more than likely that you will get swum over. If you feel you need some space, get your head up and get a little pushy. Swimming in crowded waters requires a fairly high level of assertiveness. There should be no “after you” tactics, rather “back of the line buddy!”

Jono’s weekly contribution:

Understanding your running gait and your body’s biomechanics is confusing at the best of times. It can however help you understand why you get some of the little niggles you may experience during any one year of training and racing.

So where do we start? Let’s start off by understanding what your running gait is. This is the way in which we run coupled with the movement pattern of our feet from the moment we make contact with the floor to the moment we leave it. It is determined by numerous factors such as

• Age
• Weight
• Cultural Background
• Muscle Flexibility
• Joint Mobility
• Previous Injury History
• Last but not least, Foot Strike

It is unique to the individual and can be influenced by prescribed insoles (orthotics) and poorly fitted running shoes. It can also explain why some injuries occur and keep reoccurring. It can change (better or worse) but these changes take place over a long period of time as the 7 points mentioned above change.

To determine your own running gait is pretty difficult if you’re not sure of what you’re looking for but there are a few simple tests you can do by looking at yourself in the mirror. This will at least point you in the right direction.

Place your feet about 20cm apart. While in this position close your eyes, stand tall and get yourself into a position where you feel that your body weight is evenly distributed between left and right, toes and heels. Open your eyes stand still and note the following.

Shoulder Heights

This is not too much of a problem unless you can see that there is significant difference of more than 3-5cm. If this is the case consult either an Osteopath or a Chiropractor for expert advice. It can however explain lower back or hip pain after a heavy phase of training.

Toe Orientation

This will show you how flexible the muscles surrounding your hips are. The accepted norm here is toes pointing at a 7-12 degree angle outwards. If your toes turn in, your groin is the problem. Toes out and your glutes/ITB/piraformis are the problem. Too much toe out angle and you will pronate (ankles roll inwards) by default.

Ankle Position

This is the position of your ankles relative to the centre of your foot (e.g. inwards, central or outwards). Outwards and your foot is likely to have a high arch and be very rigid. Inwards and you have a greater chance of you pronating, sometimes severely.

Knee Orientation

This relates to the direction your knee caps point (e.g. inwards, straight or outwards) relative to your toe orientation. You may not necessarily find that your knees point outwards if your toes do though. Most often than not you will find your knees face in the direction of movement while the toes point outwards. This is another sign of pronation.

Arch Functionality

Do this by keeping your weight even but trying to lift just your toes off the floor as high as possible.

• How high could you lift your toes?
• How much difference was there in your arch height?
• How much movement was there in your ankles?

The accepted angle of your toes to the ground when you pick them up is 60 degrees. More than this and your foot is hyper mobile leading to a greater chance of twisted/ sprained ankles. Less than this then you seriously need to work on your flexibility. If your arch height increases and the ankles move to a more central position then this is a good sign. It shows that the muscles in your foot are functioning correctly despite their natural orientation. If the arches don’t move this is not a good sign.

Knee Dip Test

Without thinking about it flex your ankles, bend your legs at the knees and see in which direction your knees go (e.g. inwards, straight or outwards). Your knees should travel along a line towards your 2^nd toes. If not, then look at your flexibility, muscle strength and balance.

Okay, so you’ve done all the tests and you’re still confused. I’ve mentioned the word “PRONATION” quite a bit. Statistically 85% of runners pronate, 10% neutral and 5 % supinate (ankles roll outwards) so chances are that you fall into the 85% category.

Muscle flexibility and functionality determine all of the above results so yes as you become stronger and more supple, the results will change. One thing you must remember though is that if you get injured then it was your time.

David M. Brody, in his work “Running Injuries: Prevention and Management (Clinical Sym­posia)” published in 1987, states, “Up to 70% of runners will at some time sustain a running-related injury.” He goes on to say, “The injuries are usually the result of faulty training techniques, biomechanical abnor­malities, congenital or acquired conditions, or a combination of these factors.”

Having a full biomechanical gait analysis is a great way to start the year off. This will help your coach design a great strength workout plan for you and hopefully you have an injury free year.

(Post courtesy of Jono Rumbelow, certified Ironuides coach)