Once Inspired

Archive for the ‘Training/Racing’ Category

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)

Muscle memory is simply described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar with over time. Through repetition of a certain movement you are gradually building neural pathways. Without thinking, you are able to perform certain movements which you had to think about doing before.

When practicing a new movement there is a high level of brain function. After a while of practicing and through trial and error the movement becomes second nature. When doing something for the first time your brain needs to coordinate all the various perceptual, cognitive and physical signals needed to perform the movement. This is a little beyond what the brain is used to and that’s why it feels awkward at first.

When you repeatedly perform the activity, neurotransmitter chemicals stimulate the related brain cells to grow dendrites, which connect with the other related brain cells involved. With enough repetition, these brain cells connect to form a circuit know as a “neural pathway.”

The growth and establishment of the neural pathway takes time and a lot of repetition. Once that’s done though, the brain no longer has to work hard to make it happen.

The best thing about it though is that the neural pathway is a physical part of your brain, so it will never go away. This means that you can’t forget the skill. You don’t have to relearn it and that’s why it’s called muscle memory.

“Your due for a new pair of shoes “But where do I start?” you may ask yourself. This is the problem faced by millions of people the world over on a weekly basis. Well let’s start of with this

The Big Myth

The most expensive pair of running shoes is not necessary the best pair of running shoes for you!!!

That’s right. In 2002 a study showed that 65% of all the people that run or play a sport that involves rapid movement were using the wrong shoe. Of that total 85% have an injury as a direct result of the shoes. Pretty scary stats when you think about it.

Running had a surge in numbers in the late 70’s early 80’s. Ever since then we as consumers have pushed running shoe manufactures to create a shoes that is lighter, more cushioned yet not lose it’s comfort and support. Well that’s not the case and they don’t last as long. The “guidelines” for how long a pair of shoes should last is anything between 350 and 500 miles. Yes this is influenced by you (weight, running style terrain ect) but for the average person that’s about 10 to 12 months. Each Manufacture has had their fair share of ups and down’s over the past 25 years….more some than others and some are still on the downward curve. Let me explain.

Each year the manufactures launch their shoes for the coming year. While some of the features on individual models have improved, some have gone backwards. The shoe that you use now may be great this year but chances are it may not be as great next year. Running shoes are not like cars. Buy the most expensive and you think you are getting the best. Not so. Each shoe is designed with a specific Gait in mind, a specific foot type and a specific foot shape. For example an Asics 2150 is narrower through the arch section of the shoe than a Saucony Omni. A few years ago these shoes where compared as equals in terms of the support they gave. That is sadly no longer the case. So what do you do?

There is only one way to get the right shoe and that is to consult a retailer that does video gait analysis BUT……..one that understands anatomy along with biomechanics. A shoe needs to be chosen for you based on foot motion, shape, size, body weight, terrain ect. This info can be obtained from a video analysis if they know what to look for. Yes this is where you let the expert tell you which shoe you should be using rather than you tell the expert but be sure to let them know if it is way too uncomfortable of course.

Just because your friend, a shoe review or a Pro is using a particular shoe, doesn’t mean that it will work for you. Choosing the wrong shoe is expensive mistake. It means INJURIES which means Physio fees, new shoes, missed races with no refund opportunities on the entry fee and possibly even flights and hotel bookings.

So if your not sure if your shoe is right for you, get to your local specialist who has an awesome reputation and start getting your 2010 season off to a great start.”

Post courtesy of Jono Rumbelow, certified Ironguides coach.

Thanks for this Jono.

I have been toying with the idea of using plyometrics for some time now and have just introduced it into my training regime for the first time. It sure is a whole lot of fun.

Plyometrics is best described as “explosive-reactive” power training. The basis of plyometric training is the stretch reflex, or the myotatic reflex.

The Myotatic Reflex is a pre-programmed response by the body to a stretch stimulus in the muscle. When a muscle spindle is stretched an impulse is immediately sent to the spinal cord and a response to contract the muscle is received.

For example, when a doctor taps under your kneecap it causes a sudden stretch of the tendon that connects to all of the quadriceps (i.e. the muscle involved in extending the knee). Small receptors within the quadriceps create a stretch reflex, which makes the quadriceps respond by contracting explosively.

Plyometrics helps develop power and explosive responsiveness. Over time it helps increase the amount of force released during the reaction in the shortest possible time.

The powerful contractions which occur during plyometric training are not a pure muscular event; they have a high degree of central nervous system involvement. The event is a therefore neuromuscular in nature. It is a combination of an involuntary reflex (i.e. a neural event), which is then followed by a fast muscular contraction (i.e. voluntary muscular event).

So what are the benefits of Plytometrics?

• Improves muscle response time
• Increases muscle performance
• Tones muscles
• Improved balance and posture
• Increases flexibility, reducing capability for injury

• Improves leaping ability
• Improves response to stimulus
• Improves coordination
• Builds endurance

And as a result of all of this, your technique will be improved aiding efficiency.

There are however a few prerequisites for plyometric training. You need to have a good strength base in order to support the increased force production that results from the myotatic reflex; because this force is far greater than that which is attainable through a voluntary contraction. Also, a higher degree of satiability and balance is required for the quick loading phase.

Be sure that all plyometric sessions are conducted on a soft surface such as grass or wrestling mats. Start out small and slowly build up your sessions.

As mentioned below, the media has suggested that salt is bad. Salt is actally vital. Certified Ironguides Coach, Jono Rumbelow explains:

“Last week I wrote about the importance of water in the diet. (http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/are-you-drinking-enough/) Well lets look at one of the most controversial subjects out there today SALT. Much of what you’ve been told by mainstream media suggests that salt is an evil villain and should be avoided at all costs.

Well yes this is true if you’re talking about commercial salt. It’s been boiled at really high temperatures, bleached to make it look sparkly white, had stabilizers added to it (like most highly processed food) and even had a chemical added (in some cases I might add) to prevent it from absorbing water.

I mean it’s been well documented that the normal table salt that you and I know has had 82 of its 84 minerals extracted from it. I mean how toxic must the stuff be now. Well of course you would stay away from the stuff if you had a choice. That means the body won’t absorb it properly let alone possibly at all.

Okay so now I may have scared you senseless! Having said all this, salt is actually an imperative requirement as the human body needs a constant concentration in the blood. On top of that it is critical for digestion and brain development.  So let’s look at the benefits of the real stuff.

• It is a natural antihistamine.
• It is vital for extracting excess acidity from inside the cells.
• It is essential in the treatment of emotional and affective disorders (Lithium is a salt substitute which is used to treat depression).
• It is vital for preserving serotonin (your ‘happy hormone’) and melatonin (your sleep hormone) levels in the brain.
• It is important for maintaining muscle tone and strength (Bingo).

Each of us has ‘2 oceans’ inside our bodies. The first is located inside the cells, which is held there by potassium (the stuff that is found in vegetables and fruits so please eat them!) The second is outside the cell held there by salt. Yes you are reading this right. Each molecule ‘picks up’ a certain number of water molecules and so it is the only way to get water into the body to hydrate it effectively.

Osmotic pressure (I know really complicated word but check out the definition) exists between these two oceans and so it’s pretty important that a good balance between potassium and salt is found. If the pressure is disturbed, let’s say by you not having enough salt in your diet, the salty ocean will diminish and cause a ‘leaking’ of water from within the cells. When cells are chronically dehydrated, they become shrivelled and prune-like to a point that serious irreparable damage can occur.

When the brain is just 1% dehydrated, the alarm bells start ringing and then water is taken from ‘non-essential’ processes (which sounds a bit weird to be honest. I thought all bodily processes were essential) to ensure that vital areas are adequately supplied.

Finally if you’re concerned that you may have’ done some long-term damage, you may be in luck! It appears the damage is reversible, assuming the dehydration hasn’t gone on for too long…. (ha ha me and endurance athlete, never) then go back to my article on Hydration and start drinking but add salt to your diet.”

Thanks Jono

Shortly after what was a busy triathlon season, it was time for Duathlon to take over. Being a lover of the water duathlon is not ideal for me but I gave it a bash anyway.

The first race of the season was Western Province Duathlon Trials, held on Sunday 11 April at 15:00.  Killarney Race Track was the venue of choice and it was a nice venue but personally I’d prefer not to race 6 laps on the bike, especially on a course with so many corners. From a sponsors’ point of view, there is almost zero opportunity of catching the eye of passersby. The only spectators were friends and family. From a safety perspective however, there’s nothing better.

The run started off in the parking and preparation area just behind the pit lane. We had to race a small loop here before heading out onto the back end of the pit lane and out onto the track. A great run down the back straight into a moderate cool South Easter was quite welcome since it was fairly warm. We then made a right turn around what is known as BP Bend before heading down the main straight and diving into the pit lane for some refuelling (Water) under the New Balance gazebo. At this point we turned back into the parking and preparation area for another loop. That’s lap 1 of 4. On lap two I was forced to sit the rest out due to a foot injury which felt perfectly fine until the likes of Gilbert Lucas and Rohan Kennedy set a furious pace off the grid. No time to settle into something comfortable.

Transition was set on the starting grid three quarters of the way down the main straight.  6 laps on the bike, with a 180 degree turn either side of the transition meant that it was a slow bike with all those corners.

A 2 lap run finished off the day with Henry Wolstenholme taking top spot. Nardus Matthsyn and Rohan Kennedy occupied the remainder of the podium positions.

Thanks to the organisers, officials and New Balance.