Gearing Up for the Triathlon Season

Gearing Up for the Triathlon Season:

A Primer for the Novice Triathlete

www.Team-Magic.com

This is an exciting time of year as we are right in the middle of Pre-Season Training. Everyone is excited because they are starting to get into great shape and they have big goals for this year. The purpose of this article is to discuss some training and racing strategies for the upcoming season.

Set a Challenging and Appropriate Schedule

I recommend to many triathletes—especially beginners up to triathletes with 1-3 years of racing—that you focus on a competitive short course triathlon racing. Don’t just train for one triathlon, commit to a season of racing. You can race sprints and Olympic distance triathlons all summer long and enjoy the best the sport has to offer. Racing about once per month challenges you without overdoing it.

There is definitely a trend in this day and age to move up to the 70.3 and iron distances as fast as possible. Before you make this your focus, consider honing your speed at shorter distance races first. You will get invaluable experience and conditioning that will make your subsequent long course races much more successful. Realize that long course racing not only puts a tremendous stress on your body, but it is also much more time intensive. It is almost guaranteed to detract from other responsibilities such as work and family. On the other hand short course racing is much more realistic to balance with a busy, full life.

Plan Your Training Accordingly

Pre Season:

Before your first race of the year you will want to have several months of training under your belt. The most widely accepted approach to training early season training is referred to as “base training.” The focus in base training is to build up your total weekly training time, but keep the majority of your training in the easy-medium intensity level. This is the strategy of the pros and is especially important for beginners. Your fitness and even your speed will improve by doing more minutes of training each week.

You can still do 1-3 intensity workouts during this period, but remember intensity workouts can detract from your base training. Don’t run the risk of getting burned out early in the year by doing too much speed. Many athletes do a VO2 test so they have accurate HR information to discipline their pacing. If you are new to endurance training, you will be surprised that base training is much easier than you expected.

Final 6-8 Weeks Before Your First Race:

This is the period that traditionally known as the “build period,” which basically means to scale back some of your volume (overall training minutes) and start to include more intensity. This kind of training gets you ready for the mental and physical challenges of race day. It is simple reality that the average recreational athlete has only limited time to train. By doing more intensity training—ranging from a little below to even faster than race pace—you can get great results from your workouts. Spin class, intervals and fartleks, time trial sets, masters swims, shorter races, and hammerfests with friends all push your intensity up. Try to structure your intensity so it closely fits with your race goals.

It is somewhat of a fad right now to say that age group athletes simply don’t have time for base training, so they should skip directly to more intensity. This is a short-sighted view. The best predictor of sports performance is total lifetime hours of training in that activity. If you want to reach your potential, then commit to getting enough hours of training in. Be patient and build your base up first. Don’t fall victim to the “expert of the moment” and skip base training.

Racing Season:

Now is when the fun begins! Once you have entered the racing season, your main goal is to RACE RACE RACE! But seriously, try to put together a schedule that averages about once per month. This will give you time to race your hardest at each race, and still get enough rest and hard training between each race. Here are some tips on how to do this:

If you are going to do a race, then you need to go into that race with the best chances for success. Before each race take a mini-taper recovery consisting of 1-3 easy days before. Don’t take these days off, just do 20-45 minutes of light training on those days. After you race your hardest, take another 1-3 days similarly easy after the race. You will notice quite a bit of rest is required if you are going to give your max effort for a race. Race too often, and you can actually “race your way out of shape.”

Now you have a few weeks until your next race. Once you are recovered get back into serious training mode because this is what will make you faster. Your training should be a mix of long slow base training and also plenty of intensity. Your specific plan should address whatever are your specific limiters. If you have more than 3 weeks, include a “recovery week” consisting of 3-5 days into the training block. Leading into the next race, get your taper in and you will be ready to drop the hammer….even faster than before.

Self-Care and Recovery

If you are going to live the triathlon lifestyle and race frequently, you need to take good care of yourself. This involves dealing with normal sore spots and soft tissue inflammation. A large part of become great involves keeping injuries at bay, so you can train and race. Frequent stretching, strength training, adequate sleep, good nutrition….every single choice you make can help or hurt your training.

If you follow this system you ought to have an awesome season of triathlon. You may even find yourself addicted, wanting to train for a marathon, half ironman, or ironman. The end of one season means you can start training for the next goal, right? Wrong. You cannot train all year round, indefinitely. Your fitness will eventually peak and you will start to experience burnout. The way to avoid this frustration is to take an “off season.” This is not to say don’t exercise at all, but the good athletes take 1-2 months a year of drastically reduced training. This is also the perfect time to emphasize rebuilding your muscular strength and flexibility by hitting the gym in the fall/winter.

Conclusion

In this article I have outlined a system to be able to train hard and race frequently all season long. This involves getting enough recovery before, after, and sometimes between races. Following this system you can expect to experience improvement all season long. If longer distance races are your goal, this will be the way to progress to be truly ready for those races. It is my wish for you that you achieve every endurance fitness goal in your dreams.

Getting Ready for COLD Open Water Swims

If you have an early season race, accept the reality of oppressively cold water. It is not that bad if you know what to do. First, get a long sleeve wetsuit. Make sure that sucker fits snugly so minimal water seeps in. Yes it is called a wet-suit, but the tighter it is the less water seeps in.



Secondly, get a neoprene swim cap from DeSoto Sport [link here.] You will only use this item a few times per year, but you will be glad you have it when you do. Put a swim cap on over your ears, then the neoprene cap, then another swim cap over the neoprene cap. This will keep water away from your head. I'm not normally a fan of ear plugs but they help keep the cold water out of your ears.




Finally, get your boo-tay in and swim. Your face is going to feel like an ice cream headache at first. It will sting. You will want to get out. Stay in and in a few minutes you will get used to it. In a few more minutes you will get comfortable and be able to swim fine. If your race is in cold water, or if you travel to a warmer climate, getting the open water practice will be a big help. It is great mental toughness.

TRANSITION VIDEOS







Transition Clinic and Open Water Swim
Sunday March 15 12-2pm
Hamilton Creek Recreation Area

Getting these ambitious triathletes ready for early season races, I am holding a combination Transition Clinic and Open Water Swim. Yes it will be cold but you need to practice these skills before your first race. This is included for all STtrainer and Vanderbilt Triathlon participants and $25 dollars for a 1-day participation.

Open Water Swimming with Sarah Mclarty

Sarah Mclarty is a professional triathlete specializing in draft-legal Olympic-style triathlon. I had the opportunity to listen to her webinar on the topic of open water swimming and I am going to share some of her insights with you. But first a little about Mclarty herself....


Photo: Women's race at World Triathlon Championships, Vancouver B.C., June 2008.

First of all Sarah has never been beaten in a triathlon swim. This is astonishing because there are some very good swimmers in the sport. She has gone to the Olympics or been very close in pool swimming. She is nationally recognized as a swim coach and is active in USA Swimming.


Photo: Intense swim in COLD water.

I am going to share a few of her swim tips for the next few weeks. The first advice she gives is that before you do open water swimming, you should get as good as possible in the pool. If you are not working with a swim coach this is a mistake. One of my biggest regrets of my triathlon career is that I went so many years without having a coach really tear apart my swim stroke.

DRAFT SETS

One way that you can prepare for open water swimming during pool swims is to do draft sets. To do this you need someone who is close to your speed for swimming. It works best with either 2 or 3 swimmers. You swim a long steady set (e.g., 800-2000+) and you alternate leading and drafting.

When you are drafting, work on staying as close as possible behind the swimmer in front of you. You should even widen your hand entry so as to avoid touching the feet of the swimmer in front of you. You want them swimming as fast as possible, not distracted by you. Remember, stay as close as possible, use a circle-swim configuration, and be sure to have quick turns at the wall and surge to stay closely behind them.


Photo: Pros have to exit and re-enter in an ITU race.

Alternate drafting with your 1-2 partners. Take turns leading for 200 yards, then pull off to the side at the wall and let your buddy "pull through." This long, steady set will actually be more like a tempo/fartlek session, because when you are in the front you are breaking through still water. When you are drafting behind you get a huge energy savings of around 30%. But the key is to benefit you must learn to RELAX. The continuous swimming also makes you get used to not stopping at the wall and forces you to concentrate.

When I was a green-behind-the-ears 24 year old triathlete I noticed all the bubbles and turblence when I swam behind another triathlete in a race. Little did I realize that swimming in those bubbles is exactly where you want to be. I have done this draft set for years since then. Not only is it a great way to become comfortable with drafting, it is also a great way to bang out a ton of yards quickly.


Photo: Mclarty on the run at Worlds.

Sarah Mclarty's website [link here.]

Stretches Everyone Should Do

If you want to be healthy you should stretch. If you want to be an endurance athlete you must stretch. Here are some easy stretches that everyone should do.


Photo: Pec stretch--keeps you from getting the "stooped shoulders" look.



Photo: Cobra stretch, gentle version. Do this if you have a bad back.



Photo: Cobra stretch full intensity. Notice the whole body from the head to the toes is engaged in the stretch. Especially focus on your neck and shoulder posture in this stretch.



Photo: Allah stretch. Follow the cobra with this stretch. Focus on the hips, thighs, shoulders, back, and arms. Really, a full body stretch.



Photo: Hamstring stretch. I like to flip a strap over the foot for this one.



Photo: Pretzel twist stretch. It's money.



Photo: Foam roller self-massage. Not a stretch per se, but this will really get the IT band to cooperate with whatever you are trying to get it to do.

Stephen Taylor, Nashville Triathlon Coach

Take Care of Your Taint

You do not have to cycling for very long before you will experience the dreaded pain in the taint.

This article is going to discuss some of the causes of taint pain, and how to make it better. The 'taint' is a general term to refer to the area of the body that sits on the bicycle seat. Two issues here: 1) Point tenderness pain while riding due to components and set-up, and 2) Keeping the taint happy with certain products.

When riding on your bike there are 3 places in contact with the bike: your feet, your hands, and your taint. The interface between the saddle, bike shorts, and taint determine whether you ride comfortably or in suffering agony.

First off make sure your saddle is positioned correctly. If you feel a lot of pressure on the tender parts in all likelihood you need to adjust your saddle nose-down. Just a small adjustment will make a big difference. If you feel like you are sliding forward or have a lot of pressure on the hands, then the saddle nose is too far down. Usually a level saddle is about right but most people need to adjust it nose-down or nose-up for it to be perfect.

Another trick is to angle the saddle 1-2 degrees to one side. This corresponds with the strategy to sit ever so slightly off-center on the saddle. Keeping the pressure off the tender parts makes all the difference in the world.

While we are talking about saddles, make sure you are happy with yours. Try various adjustments to the saddle position, but if you can get comfortable on it consider an upgrade. Some saddles have stitching right down the middle of the nose or other uncomfortable designs. If you ride a tri bike consider using a tri-specific saddle as these are intended for a more forward riding position.

When it comes to riding, it should go without saying that you should wear padded chamois cycling shorts, and nothing underneath. Would you expect to see a football player wearing a tutu? Or a surgeon wearing doc martens and a flannel shirt? Cycling shorts are the appropriate apparel for fitness riding and you risk some serious taint pain if you wear gym shorts. And go commando under those cycling shorts; Team Magic's Therese Bynum will tell you the horror story of her friend who can no longer bicycle because she used to wear underpants under her bike shorts.


Photo: This pair of bike shorts has 3 layers of padding. Prepare to drop some coin on a great pair of bike shorts...your taint will thank you.

By far the best pair of bike shorts I have ever worn are DeSoto Sport's 400 mile Bike Short. They are made out of a compression lycra which supports your quads against road vibration, and the pad feels great. Check them out [link here.]

Put a thin layer of friction-reducer on your taint or on your chamois (the pad in the bike shorts) before you start riding. Sport Slick, Chamois Butt'r, Bag Balm, or some other lubricant will eliminate the friction that occurs between your skin and the bike seat. It may feel like taint pain comes primarily from pressure, but friction is a big part of the problem. Bike shorts will provide the smoothest interface possible between your body and the bike seat, but a lubricant will add extra comfort.

If you deal with chronic taint pain hopefully some of these adjustments help. But how should you actually take care of your taint? It is all about the hygiene habits. You need to have very high standards when it comes to taint care.


Photo: Don't re-wear bike shorts, wash them after every use.

First and foremost this means NEVER, EVER wear a pair of bike shorts more than once. Even if you had them on for 20 minutes, they go directly into the washing machine. After a ride don't stand around, drive home, or do chores in your bike shorts. Get out of them so that your taint can air out.

The next step is to get into the shower as quickly as possible. The crux is your choice of soap: I recommend Dial Two-In-One liquid soap. The antibacterial ingredients kill the bacteria that irritate skin and create saddle sores. The moisturizer ingredients keep your skin soft and supple. Harsh soaps will irritate the tender taint skin, and non-antibacterial soaps don't kill enough germs. Also make sure you use Dial Two-In-One after you swim as the chlorine in the pool can irritate taint issues you may have.


Photo: I keep a big stash of Dial. On right is my favorite friction-reducer, SportSlick.

I have had saddle sores so bad that I wasn't sure if I could race. And I have suffered through many long miles of cycling after being careless with my taint care habits. Most of us participate in cycling because we want to be healthy people, with fulfilling lives. Pain in the nether-regions can be a big detractor from that goal, so follow the tips in this article.

See you out there on the road riding, hopefully with a happy taint!
Stephen Taylor, Nashville Triathlon and Cycling Coach

Fergus Taylor

This piece was included way back in the old school version of Friday Fitness Fax when it was just an e-mail. But it remains to this day one of my favorite articles I have ever written. Dad is coming down to do the Country Music Half Marathon on April 25 [race home page here.]

It is not easy for a 65 year old man to train for a half marathon, let alone the fact that he lives in Iowa where it is covered in ice all winter long. If Fergus can do it you can do it. Sign up for this event and participate. If you want to do this event contact me and I can help you get ready for it even if you think it is impossible.

The Story of Fergus Taylor (Reprinted from 10/13/06)

Okay I will get directly to the point of this issue. If my dad can exercise, anyone can. I've attached a photo at the end of this e-mail message so you can see who I am talking about.

For the first 30 years of my life, until two years ago, I had never known my father to have any inclination or desire to exercise. To say that Dad had a sedentary lifestyle is an understatement.


Photo: Dad and I at his first 5K, the Beaver Dash.

His disinterest in exercise was only matched by his love for candy bars, chocolate chip cookies, prime rib, and onion rings. Despite the fact that I participated in all forms of running and triathlon--and that my dad would travel hundreds of miles to see my races--he never took any participatory interest.

All this began to change a couple years ago. Around this time Dad was showing the first signs of adult onset diabetes. Many people essentially give themselves this disease through poor eating habits and physical neglect.


Photo: Dad strains the definition of running. The police made him run on the sidewalk because he was near the end.

Dad is in no way a mean or lazy person. In fact, I don't believe I have ever met as friendly, generous, or caring person. It's just that exercise was not on the radar for him. Too busy working or spending time with mom.



Photo: I was used to my dad being a champion eater. Now he runs half marathons.

Dad started easily at first, with mostly jogging and just a little walking. I coached him from afar explaining the principles of Fun Run to him: begin with 1 minute chunks of running with plenty of walking; be sure to drink water and wear good running shoes; don't focus on speed just stay in your own "zone." Before long he was getting pretty consistent with the fun runs, going out 2-4 times per week on a nearby jogging path. He frequently called me up with exciting reports of seeing deer on the trail, or a new distance record, or improved walk-run ratios.



Photo: Fergus and my sister Lisa at Grandma's Marathon.


By the time he ran his first 5K (the "Beaver Dash") he was hooked. Never mind that the police made him run on the sidewalk because he was so far in the back of the race that they were removing the course cones. He returned to the same course the following week and ran it again trying to better his time of 45 minutes for 3.1 miles. Inevitably, he set his sights on Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. Using the same techniques he had been using along, he alternated jogging 4 minutes/walking 2. Over six hours later he crossed the marathon finish line, just before they began tearing things down at the finish corral.



Photo: If you could read the finish clock you would notice it reads "6:33." Speed doesn't matter, getting out there and participating does.

Now if this is where the story ended it would still be amazing. Fergus Dale Taylor, at age 63, ran his first marathon and lost 50 pounds in the process. He had traded in a large number of unhealthy sedentary habits for a lifestyle that included regular exercise and enjoyment of the outdoors. But it doesn't stop there.

Photo: He doesn't want to show it, but Dad is darn proud of finishing his first marathon. You deserve to experience this feeling.

After finishing the June marathon he was soon setting his sights on the Des Moines Marathon, his home course. My advice was that two marathons were too many in one year, but I certainly didn't want to talk him out of his goal. He trained even more avidly than for his first one and had his sights set on a personal best.

Everything was going pretty well on race day and he was right on track until mile 18, when his hip began to bother him. By this time he had developed so much mental toughness and perseverance that he kept plugging away. Despite ever increasing pain in his hip and upper leg, he finished his second marathon.

Barely able to walk after finishing, he had to improvise chairs to use as crutches just to get to the car. Next he spent literally 3 days lying on the couch trying to recover from the pain in his hip. Three weeks and several doctor visits later, an MRI revealed what had happened. There it was on the image: a fracture right through the top of the humerus bone (the ball in the ball-and-socket). Dad had broken his hip at mile 18 of the marathon, and he had finished anyway!

I am not going to belabor the difficulty he faced in rebounding from this injury, but it included surgery to install screws in the bone (but not a replacement), wheelchair/walker/crutches, 3 months off of missed work, and lots of challenges just completing daily life. When the orthopedic doctor casually stated, "I guess your marathon running days are over," Dad's heart sank with sadness. My counseling skills were put to good use during those months trying to keep him optimistic about the future.

Fast forward to this coming Sunday October 15th. The Des Moines Marathon is again taking place and Fergus Taylor will be on the starting line for the Half Marathon. He has had to limit the amount of running that he can do because of the hip, but he just replaces the jogging with more walking. He is going to finish this race no matter what.

I want to speak directly now to those of you who neglect your exercise program. I had basically written off the idea that Dad would ever do any kind of exercise program...I had accepted the fact that obesity-related illness would eventually lead to his demise. What I now know is that ANYONE can turn around their lifestyle and make positive health changes. Dad did it not only once, but then rebounded and worked his way back from the broken hip.

For the hardcore athletes among you, take a moment and pause to reflect on the profound achievements of those who exist in the back of the pack. Whether it is recovering from an injury or taking one's A-game to the next level, yes, it can be done. So send some positive mojo towards my dad this Sunday as he returns for unfinished business.

Swim Tips: Clean Up Your "Front End"

Photo: The workout...at 5:30am.



Photo: Swim training. Train with others 1-3 times per week to see added improvement. Other swimmers can push your pace and also you can pick up technique tips from watching them. Don't be afraid to jostle with other swimmers because that is going to happen in a triathlon race. Also having a coach on deck can really keep you on task and motivated. Your coach will tell you if you start to swim sloppy.



Video: 2 Drills taking place so watch this multiple times. Mindy (in the far lane) is doing 1-arm Drill with Focus on Extended Arm. The thing to look at in this video is her outstretched arm. In this drill your outstretched arm should stay straight and not move around during the stroke. If you have to shimmy it to stay afloat, that probably means your balance in the water needs some work.

El Gato (near lane) is doing Kick on the Side, Face Up. This goal of this drill is to stay as high in the water as possible while simulating the position when you take a breath. He is doing this drill well with his face up, streamlined position, and arm extended near the surface of the water. To improve he needs to push his armpit down slightly into the water (so less of his face is out of the water.) This will lift his hips and legs even higher in the water.




Video: Jamie is doing Kick on the Side, Face Up also fairly well. His body is right against the surface and he looks smooth. But notice his arm is angled down in the water more which will leave room for the water to drag against the shoulder (close up.) He needs to wedge his shoulder up against the back of his head




Video: Stephen presents Kick on the Side, Face Up from a different angle. Notice how his arm crosses the black line on the bottom of the pool. He needs to angle his arm further back behind his head so that it extends straight out. This change requires a lot of flexibility to sustain this position.




Video: David here is one of the fastest swimmers in his age group at any race. He is awesome. But this clip shows a little bad habit. When he breathes to the right he "drops" his left arm. Notice when he breathes to the right, his left arm takes a stroke just a little too early. He can clean up his "front end" by keeping his left arm extended just a longer. This would add a little more "catch up"--and hence glide--to his stroke.