Tip of the Week
Cycling and Triathlon
•Training "Time-Management" - When comparing all the sports in triathlon cycling is the one in which you have the opportunity to make up the most time. This may not be true based on your background but it is typically the case. If you are going to invest extra training time, try to put a good percentage into this area. You will see the greatest time returns. Cycling is also extremely low impact and larger training volume is easily tolerated. Yes, I know you swimming state champ back in high school but you are not going to take 10 min off your 1500
•Swim to Bike - Don't start too hard!!! Period. This is the most common mistake people make. Get out of transition, get on the bike, slam it in a huge gear, and roll it up to 30 mph...for 2 min and then back down to 14, then coasting, then barfing. This is not a efficient approach and will cost you huge time. Let your body and legs come up to speed naturally. Use light gears to get the legs going, get settled in over the first couple minutes, and progress from there. Keeping an eye on cadence will help you a great deal
•Bike to Run - In the closing mile or even two of a triathlon it is good to select slightly easier gears, a slightly higher cadence, and start to open up your legs and breathing for the run. Sit up out of the aero bars, stretch out the upper body and chest/arms, and get yourself loose and relaxed. Roll into transition loose, relaxed, and ready to run. Bombing in at 35, dismounting from the aero bars, flipping over landing in a heap will not help your hematocrit as you bleed out on the ground, ultimately losing precious run time...
Scott Blanchard-President
Pyramid Coaching Intl., LLC
www.pyramidcoaching.com
520-629-0777 office
520-603-4874 cell
Bricks and Transitions
When performing a brick workout (bike / run), use the opportunity to practice your transitions.
If possible, set up an actual transition area in your driveway.
Transition between bike and run as fast and efficiently as possible.
Not only is this a great way to fine tune your transitions, you are also getting your body used to going from one sport to another quickly.
Jennifer Lynn
USA Triathlon Certified Coach
www.desert-endurance.com
Speed Skills Workouts
Speed skills workouts should be done frequently in early season training, such as Base 1 and 2 periods. Speed Skills should also be completed weekly in Base 3,and Build periods which are the race specific periods of training. Almost any workout that isn't focused on aerobic endurance or muscular force can be devoted to speed skills. These workouts typically involve drills that exaggerate some aspect of technique. For example, on the bike this could be one-leg pedaling or high-cadence spin-ups. A runner might do grass strides with recovery skips. Swimmers can use balance drills, sculling drills, etc. in the warm-up set. Choose drills that emphasize the aspect of your skills that need improvement, and be sure not to forget to drill, even when close to your key races. This is all explained in Triathletes’ Training Bible, by Joe Friel.
Tom Manzi
Regional Manager
Joe Friel's Training Bible Coaching
www.trainingbible.com
tmanzi@trainingbible.com
C-732-948-3572
"You bring the passion, we apply the science"
Consistency
Triathlon is a practice in being aware of ourselves - in our choices and actions. Making yourself get out of bed at the crack of dawn, holding your focus and technique throughout your workouts, balancing work and play, or not just slipping up too much at the dinner table are only a few examples of how triathlon can help us become aware of the little choices we make all through out the day, season, and year. Triathlon rewards consistency! Consistency in training and diet and lifestyle pays huge dividends in the sport and all throughout life! Happy Trainings!
Coach Jeremy Breach,
Great Waves Coaching
520-351-2285
Avoid Burnout!
Plan periods of rest! Be aware of your body and be sure to take at least 1 day per week completely off or, at the very least, active recovery such as light stretching or walking. This is important not only physically but for mental rehab as well. Remember mental fatigue/stress is at least as, or even more dramatic than, physical stress. Also, plan forced periods of rest into your overall training cycles. This may include a week of decreased intensity (per cycle whatever that means for you. It could be every 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th week) and/or volume or a switch of focus on to a particular discipline.
Desire training not dread it! If you wake up dreading working out it might be time for an unplanned break. No one single workout is worth risking injury or illness. Fitness is a long-term process and it should include health! Too often with athletes there is a huge gap between health and fitness. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. For the most part you should want to train...if you don't, perhaps there is a larger problem to address. Overreaching can be managed, overtraining is devastating.
Mix it up! For quality output be sure to alter input frequently. Location, terrain, time of day, partners, skills, routes, and workout parameters. Boredom is a clear path to burnout.
More is not better. Harder is not better. There are 3 elements of training stress you can manipulate: Frequency, Duration, and Intensity. You cannot increase 2 or 3 at the same time. You can't do all 3 all the time. You will not get better simply by training hard, long, or often. If you could; everyone would be fast. If you are not recovering, you are not making gains. Period.
Scott Blanchard-President Pyramid Coaching Intl., LLC
www.pyramidcoaching.com
520-603-4874
