Summary:
Swim-4
Bike-5
Run-4
Monday
Bike- Weather cleared up (mildly)- Cold, but clear.
29 miles, 1hr 33min.
Swim- Late night punching the clock workout. Mainset- 3x300 on 30 sec rest. 4.45-4.50; Z2/3 blend.
Tuesday
Run- 30min lunch time jog
Bike- Intervals 3x5min hight Z4 260-270watts 5min rest between each. 5min rest; high Z3 2min, 2min, 2min, 2min, 2min. 230-240w; alternating higher rpm (95-100rpm) w/lower rpm (85-90)
Wed
Run- Moderate paced run, 62 minutes on good, old Burke-Gilliman. Legs were a bit flat from last nights effort.
Swim- Mainset- 5x200 on 30se rest. Suppossed to feel "easy"- for the most part they did: 3.02-3.05's
Thurs
Really had planned on riding in the late afternoon/early eve today, but felt completely warmed over, just slept friggin' awful. Worked from home in the afternoon, took an early evening nap, felt better.
Swim- late eve swim; no real mainset. Super long warmup. Then 500 w/the fancy Speedo paddles that make paddle work more challenging, 500 w/out paddles, easy pace (7.50)...
If I'm getting to the point where I can now do an "easy" 500 in 7.50 and do that 3-4x something must be clicking w/the form changes and fitness. I've relaxed a chunk of the stroke so I'm not always mauling the water like a cougar thrown into a lake, plus the "put in" when/how the hand enters has tipped my front quadrant a bit further fwd so I'm swimming "from the hips" better than I have in the past.
I'm actually most interested in throwing on my wetsuit and trying to replicate the pool stuff.
Friday
Bike- IM Pace test ride: 37 miles on Sauvie, 194w avg. Set out to ride at exactly 75% of FTP. So my window was 190-200.. In places where I had a headwind, false flat, I only ran up to 230w for moments before settling back in. All went well, it was not hard, and mostly took alot of concentration to not wander off goal watts.. Avg. speed of 20.5mph; most of the time sitting above that; had three quick stops to adjust rear der.. (I need to go back to Triumph Multisport, this was a bad bike build)
Run- Got into McMinn. unpacked, jogged up to the community track w/the kids.. 32min at a brisk pace.. Felt great, and weather was spot-on.
Saturday
Swim- Shock of shocks, had a good swim at the Mcminn aquatic center, lack of swimmers meant it wasn't pure chop again.
Mainset-(done Easy, Moderate, Fast- like the opening 100 of a race fighting for position)- 300,200,100 (2.45, 3.05, 1.28)50kick, 100 paddles, 300,200,100(2.50, 3.05, 1.28)
Bike- Afternoon bike. 42miles, 2hr 30min. 168w avg. This was a takin' 'er ride.
Rode to Deer Creek County park and past it waaay out in the coastal foothills in Yamhill county past Coleman winery; roads were totally vacant, weather was perfect, and I was just turning it over easy to moderate w/a nice light perdal stroke.
Sunday
Bike- Miid morning. Steady one hour ride to the Glacial Erratic and back. Mode on the flats, pushed the hills. Focus on seated power. About an hour, 180w avg.
Run- Late afternoon run, a touch over 30min
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Is core work worthwhile for endurance athletes?
I say "no".
These are my assertions:
1. Research (for the most part) doesn't support it. Run a quick search through PubMed and read the synopsis of a few of the most recent studies on whether core work leads to higher VO2 values, or higher watts at LT, or any meaningful value for an endurance athlete.
2. Untrained, moderately trained and semi-seasoned endurance athletes are still better off maximizing their time "imprinting" sport-specific functional strength by actively engaging in the sport.
The best example of this is swimming. Sure, you can do dry-land drills all day long, but you're best in the pool swimming and working on drills to improve neural connectivity between the brain and muscles.
3. Let's say you do "core work" once a week for an hour x48 weeks (assuming some time off in a year)... Your close competitors use that hour over the same period of time to focus on turning a weakness into a strength. I am curious to know how those core sessions will allow you to out kick, out bike or swim faster than your closest competitors..
4. Personal experience. I tried serious plyo drills in college along with a weight program, for a year. I was faster simply running more volume and running harder in the year following college sans the plyos and weights.
Sure it's opinion, and fortunately for me, it's a blog. I don't actually have to spend much time providing the facts, but, again if you are interested, shoot me a note and I will provide the peer-reviewed research.
Oh, and I found this highly entertaining too, it's core work related and hillarious:
http://www.drtri.com/
These are my assertions:
1. Research (for the most part) doesn't support it. Run a quick search through PubMed and read the synopsis of a few of the most recent studies on whether core work leads to higher VO2 values, or higher watts at LT, or any meaningful value for an endurance athlete.
2. Untrained, moderately trained and semi-seasoned endurance athletes are still better off maximizing their time "imprinting" sport-specific functional strength by actively engaging in the sport.
The best example of this is swimming. Sure, you can do dry-land drills all day long, but you're best in the pool swimming and working on drills to improve neural connectivity between the brain and muscles.
3. Let's say you do "core work" once a week for an hour x48 weeks (assuming some time off in a year)... Your close competitors use that hour over the same period of time to focus on turning a weakness into a strength. I am curious to know how those core sessions will allow you to out kick, out bike or swim faster than your closest competitors..
4. Personal experience. I tried serious plyo drills in college along with a weight program, for a year. I was faster simply running more volume and running harder in the year following college sans the plyos and weights.
Sure it's opinion, and fortunately for me, it's a blog. I don't actually have to spend much time providing the facts, but, again if you are interested, shoot me a note and I will provide the peer-reviewed research.
Oh, and I found this highly entertaining too, it's core work related and hillarious:
http://www.drtri.com/
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Boise 70.3 - I'm in...
Registered today... I'm excited and ready... About 6 weeks out and plenty of fun prep to do.
Plenty of folks racing in my age group at Boise will also be at Canada.
Either way, I'm going to take a slot to Clearwater 70.3 worlds if I can swing one, I will need to be firing on all cylinders to do that.
Word is the Boise course is very fast, and the water is going to be very, very cold, like low 50F.
Brrr. :)
Plenty of folks racing in my age group at Boise will also be at Canada.
Either way, I'm going to take a slot to Clearwater 70.3 worlds if I can swing one, I will need to be firing on all cylinders to do that.
Word is the Boise course is very fast, and the water is going to be very, very cold, like low 50F.
Brrr. :)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Week of 4/20
Week of 4/20
Summary:
Some rough weather up in Seattle kept me off the bike, plenty of run/swim instead.
Swim-4
Bike-3
Run-5
Monday
Run- 30min run on treadmill.. (Weather went from great to awful in a day)... 7.30-6.30 pace
Swim- Easy Swim; Legs a bit heavy from long rides over weekend; but nothing terrible. Mainset- 300,200,100. Form feeling good at the Half Iron swim pace
Tues
Bike- 65 min of Z3 & Z4 intervals
Mainset-5min @ 230-240w, directly into 10min @ 230w, directly into 5min @ 200w, 4x1min hard
Wed
Run- 61min Late afternoon steady run. Legs feeling from last weeks longer rides, never the less, plugged away.
Swim- Mainset- 5x200- 3.01-3.03 on 45sec rest; Z2/3
Thurs
Run- 47min steady on BG
Swim- Mainset= 300,200,100, 300,200,100 on 30sec rest. Easy, Medium, Fast. (4.45, 3.03, 1.27), (5.00, 3.08, 1.29).. Slowed down a bit second set, sharing a lane sometimes slows things up.
Fri
Bike- Z2 Intervals. Goal wattage of 75% of Functional Threshold Wattage; FTP 266. 75%= 199. Sitting on 190-205w, 4x5min 10x2min, short rest
Swim- Drill set, working low elbow recovery. Main set- 5x200 on 30sec rest; Z2/3- 3.02-3.05
Sat
Bike-55min Big Gear Strength intervals
Run- easy transition run, 56min
Sun
Run- Long Run 1hr 30min, slightly slower than Half Marathon pace. 7min pace ? :)
Summary:
Some rough weather up in Seattle kept me off the bike, plenty of run/swim instead.
Swim-4
Bike-3
Run-5
Monday
Run- 30min run on treadmill.. (Weather went from great to awful in a day)... 7.30-6.30 pace
Swim- Easy Swim; Legs a bit heavy from long rides over weekend; but nothing terrible. Mainset- 300,200,100. Form feeling good at the Half Iron swim pace
Tues
Bike- 65 min of Z3 & Z4 intervals
Mainset-5min @ 230-240w, directly into 10min @ 230w, directly into 5min @ 200w, 4x1min hard
Wed
Run- 61min Late afternoon steady run. Legs feeling from last weeks longer rides, never the less, plugged away.
Swim- Mainset- 5x200- 3.01-3.03 on 45sec rest; Z2/3
Thurs
Run- 47min steady on BG
Swim- Mainset= 300,200,100, 300,200,100 on 30sec rest. Easy, Medium, Fast. (4.45, 3.03, 1.27), (5.00, 3.08, 1.29).. Slowed down a bit second set, sharing a lane sometimes slows things up.
Fri
Bike- Z2 Intervals. Goal wattage of 75% of Functional Threshold Wattage; FTP 266. 75%= 199. Sitting on 190-205w, 4x5min 10x2min, short rest
Swim- Drill set, working low elbow recovery. Main set- 5x200 on 30sec rest; Z2/3- 3.02-3.05
Sat
Bike-55min Big Gear Strength intervals
Run- easy transition run, 56min
Sun
Run- Long Run 1hr 30min, slightly slower than Half Marathon pace. 7min pace ? :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Local Bike Shop, or LBS....Anytown, USA
Oh man, it's definitely a rant.
Since I've taken up cycling five years ago most of what I've run into at the "LBS" as cyclists call their bike shops in where ever, USA is conflicting advice, strange attitudes, and not frequently enough, good service and great attitudes.
I have no idea why this is, the LBS charges labor rates that are pretty close to what an MBA charges Microsoft, or a high-end automobile shop charges to repair your Audi, BMW, or Benz.
I guess I figure there should be some proportionate quality of work/service/labor rate ratio that squares with the fact that we are paying alot for a pretty simple wrench job, even if we don't know how to fix the "simple" issue on our own.
Some things that I think lots of folks run into:
-LBS repair dude looks at a bike when you bring it in for service and proclaims that it's the wrong size for you. Hilarious. Did dude even consider it might not be your bike that you brought in, maybe it is the S.O.'s?
-LBS dude second guesses an equipment choice with your setup. It'd be all good if I hadn't been riding for a number of years, and pour over every detail of every equipment decision I make. I realize not everyone is like this, so LBS might be helping some folks out.
-LBS doodes like to justify their decision making with a remark about how fast they are. They will either casually drop that they are "Cat 1" cyclists or something. Shock of shock, but some of the results I've seen indicate otherwise.
-Bike service- You bring a bike for a service, simple or complex and the bike is "randomized" meaning weird shite happened. They left a part off, forgot to put it back on, didn't properly adjust something. Left cables hanging loose. Padded the bill much higher than the original promised price. All that's happened to me btw.
Ok, so rants don't usually include the good reviews.. Because I'm pretty cool, for the most part, I'll list some shops with excellent service:
-Rivercity Bikes in Portland: Have had lots of work done their on a variety of bikes. They fixed a pretty screwed up Cannondale Mtb for alot less than it could have cost, which is impressive because the parts are so proprietary and unique that it presents a massive pain for shops. Always really, really nice. Never any 'tude. And, duh, the people who work there love bikes and some of them probably race. I'd sort of expect that if you work in a bike shop you might be inclined to race a bike here and here, however casually or not.
-Citybikes in Portland- The best bike co-op west of Boulder. There is one in Boulder that's great too, I just can't remember the name. All sorts of strange older parts in there, nice people. They wanna help get you and your bike on the road and will do little repairs on the spot without an appt.
-Bike Gallery- Downtown Portland & 57th & Sandy- A couple of the original locations with long time employees who are, here we go again, really nice and helpful. Nobody clobbers you with 'tude about their athletic palmares. Sure they sell Trek and Orbea, but who cares? The nice thing about the shop is they publish their labor rates, so you always know what everything costs ahead of time.
Seattle-area bike shops...
Oooh, mix bag of experiences here...
I've been to three: Triumph Multisport, Sammamish Valley Cycle and Performance Bike in Redmond.
On balance the experiences in each have half good, half not so good.
It's a service excellence issue. Sometimes I've been really impressed, other times shocked at bizarre statements or confused analysis of mechanical issues.
I'd love to recommend a shop. I want to, but honestly, it's a "go in with your eyes wide open" scenario.
Net, really what we want as athletes is a place with zero 'tude, good service, people who are super passionate about the sport and put us first as customers.
Since I've taken up cycling five years ago most of what I've run into at the "LBS" as cyclists call their bike shops in where ever, USA is conflicting advice, strange attitudes, and not frequently enough, good service and great attitudes.
I have no idea why this is, the LBS charges labor rates that are pretty close to what an MBA charges Microsoft, or a high-end automobile shop charges to repair your Audi, BMW, or Benz.
I guess I figure there should be some proportionate quality of work/service/labor rate ratio that squares with the fact that we are paying alot for a pretty simple wrench job, even if we don't know how to fix the "simple" issue on our own.
Some things that I think lots of folks run into:
-LBS repair dude looks at a bike when you bring it in for service and proclaims that it's the wrong size for you. Hilarious. Did dude even consider it might not be your bike that you brought in, maybe it is the S.O.'s?
-LBS dude second guesses an equipment choice with your setup. It'd be all good if I hadn't been riding for a number of years, and pour over every detail of every equipment decision I make. I realize not everyone is like this, so LBS might be helping some folks out.
-LBS doodes like to justify their decision making with a remark about how fast they are. They will either casually drop that they are "Cat 1" cyclists or something. Shock of shock, but some of the results I've seen indicate otherwise.
-Bike service- You bring a bike for a service, simple or complex and the bike is "randomized" meaning weird shite happened. They left a part off, forgot to put it back on, didn't properly adjust something. Left cables hanging loose. Padded the bill much higher than the original promised price. All that's happened to me btw.
Ok, so rants don't usually include the good reviews.. Because I'm pretty cool, for the most part, I'll list some shops with excellent service:
-Rivercity Bikes in Portland: Have had lots of work done their on a variety of bikes. They fixed a pretty screwed up Cannondale Mtb for alot less than it could have cost, which is impressive because the parts are so proprietary and unique that it presents a massive pain for shops. Always really, really nice. Never any 'tude. And, duh, the people who work there love bikes and some of them probably race. I'd sort of expect that if you work in a bike shop you might be inclined to race a bike here and here, however casually or not.
-Citybikes in Portland- The best bike co-op west of Boulder. There is one in Boulder that's great too, I just can't remember the name. All sorts of strange older parts in there, nice people. They wanna help get you and your bike on the road and will do little repairs on the spot without an appt.
-Bike Gallery- Downtown Portland & 57th & Sandy- A couple of the original locations with long time employees who are, here we go again, really nice and helpful. Nobody clobbers you with 'tude about their athletic palmares. Sure they sell Trek and Orbea, but who cares? The nice thing about the shop is they publish their labor rates, so you always know what everything costs ahead of time.
Seattle-area bike shops...
Oooh, mix bag of experiences here...
I've been to three: Triumph Multisport, Sammamish Valley Cycle and Performance Bike in Redmond.
On balance the experiences in each have half good, half not so good.
It's a service excellence issue. Sometimes I've been really impressed, other times shocked at bizarre statements or confused analysis of mechanical issues.
I'd love to recommend a shop. I want to, but honestly, it's a "go in with your eyes wide open" scenario.
Net, really what we want as athletes is a place with zero 'tude, good service, people who are super passionate about the sport and put us first as customers.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Mid April Weather, bizarre..
It actually snowed today in the Seattle-area.
After spending last winter here I should be used to this but I'm not. It never ceases to amaze me, and the forecast is calling for snow again Saturday and Sunday.
I'm tempted to go XC skate if it's awful, I've only been once this winter and the gear is new. We'll see, otherwise I'm trapped riding my bike indoors.
I'm down in Oregon next weekend to visit my kids and hoping the weather clears here soon.
After spending last winter here I should be used to this but I'm not. It never ceases to amaze me, and the forecast is calling for snow again Saturday and Sunday.
I'm tempted to go XC skate if it's awful, I've only been once this winter and the gear is new. We'll see, otherwise I'm trapped riding my bike indoors.
I'm down in Oregon next weekend to visit my kids and hoping the weather clears here soon.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Crowie Motorpacing Video clip
Unfortunately I can't embed this one.
The wattage figures mentioned in the clip are probably standard fare for someone at Mr. Alexander's level.
(I also really like the music. Ah, not really.)
Anyhoo, with regard to Lactate Threshold work, it's interesting that Carmichel says doing that much (3hrs) LT work on your is nearly impossible.
I guess I've never tried to do more than a couple hours of it, and the truth is that the I wound up below my LT wattage values for a good chunk.
What's the running equivalent?
Hitting Leif Ericson for a long, hard 20 miler a tad bit slower than marathon race pace, of course!
http://www.trainright.com/cctv.asp?url=/uploads/craigalexandermotorpacing.flv
The wattage figures mentioned in the clip are probably standard fare for someone at Mr. Alexander's level.
(I also really like the music. Ah, not really.)
Anyhoo, with regard to Lactate Threshold work, it's interesting that Carmichel says doing that much (3hrs) LT work on your is nearly impossible.
I guess I've never tried to do more than a couple hours of it, and the truth is that the I wound up below my LT wattage values for a good chunk.
What's the running equivalent?
Hitting Leif Ericson for a long, hard 20 miler a tad bit slower than marathon race pace, of course!
http://www.trainright.com/cctv.asp?url=/uploads/craigalexandermotorpacing.flv
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Season Planning- Update
Aside from IMC here's what is on the schedule:
May-
Kirkland Half Marathon- moderately hilly half marathon 5 minutes from Redmond.
June-
Boise 70.3 (a half iron distance triathlon)- allegedly fast. It's the biggest race in early June I can find.
PineHollow Tri-maybe
Pac Crest Olympic- maybe
July-
Hagg Lake Sprint/Olympic-maybe
Lake Stevens 70.3- sorta of a maybe. It's not far from Seattle, but it's also not a great course for me.
Federal Escape Olympic Distance- flat, fast, crit like course. -maybe
August-
Mountain Man Olympic (McCall, ID)- maybe
Troika Half Ironman (Spokane/Couer d'Alene)- maybe
MidSummer Tri at Blue Lake- maybe
Beaver Lake Tri (Sammamish)-maybe
Hulaman- It's two weeks from Canada, so it is a huge maybe. Next year?
Ironman Canada
September-
USAT Aquathlon Nationals- Would be potentially easier on me in recovery mode, also a maybe
October-
Xterra Nats- might do the Xterra trail run on a visit
Ironman Hawaii- Dependent on whether I can swing a slot
November-
70.3 World Championships- Dependent on whether I can secure a slot
December-
Las Vegas Half Marathon- maybe
May-
Kirkland Half Marathon- moderately hilly half marathon 5 minutes from Redmond.
June-
Boise 70.3 (a half iron distance triathlon)- allegedly fast. It's the biggest race in early June I can find.
PineHollow Tri-maybe
Pac Crest Olympic- maybe
July-
Hagg Lake Sprint/Olympic-maybe
Lake Stevens 70.3- sorta of a maybe. It's not far from Seattle, but it's also not a great course for me.
Federal Escape Olympic Distance- flat, fast, crit like course. -maybe
August-
Mountain Man Olympic (McCall, ID)- maybe
Troika Half Ironman (Spokane/Couer d'Alene)- maybe
MidSummer Tri at Blue Lake- maybe
Beaver Lake Tri (Sammamish)-maybe
Hulaman- It's two weeks from Canada, so it is a huge maybe. Next year?
Ironman Canada
September-
USAT Aquathlon Nationals- Would be potentially easier on me in recovery mode, also a maybe
October-
Xterra Nats- might do the Xterra trail run on a visit
Ironman Hawaii- Dependent on whether I can swing a slot
November-
70.3 World Championships- Dependent on whether I can secure a slot
December-
Las Vegas Half Marathon- maybe
Monday, April 14, 2008
Week of 4/13
Summary
Big bike/run week
Swim-3
Bike-5
Run-5
Monday-
Tired from a solid weekend of training. Monday is becoming the defacto active recovery day
Run- 40min steady run on the BG; prolly cooking along at a touch over Half Iron race pace
Tuesday-
Swim- Mid-day break from work. Decided after my pretty effortless 500 on Saturday that I'd start doing the 500 as the bread and butter of my long repeats
Mainset- 3x500.. Using the pool timing so times are a bit muddled, but 8.05-ish, 8.10-ish and 8.10-ish... Rolled through the 200 in 3.10 so I may have been off a bit on final times.
Bike- Zone 2/3 intervals, 55 min 5min & 2min repeats holding 190-200w. Still a bit tired either from the swim or past weekends riding.
Wednesday-
Run- Evening run.. Very easy jog 53min, recovery pace 8.45s at best
Swim- Arms feeling sloggy, but punching the clock.. Mainset- 5x200 on short rest. 3.07-3.08... Last week the pace was easily an L4/L5 effort workout, I felt like lost the ease to go fast in the water with little effort, and it came back over the weekend.. I felt like I could just keeping going and going on that effort, so suffice it to say, encouraging.
Thurs-
Bike- 26 miles easy on BG, just turning it over 174w avg.
Run- 30 min. Short break then transition run on treadmill; 7.20-8min pace
Fri
Run- Run to pick up car from oil change: 25min easy pace
Bike- 27 miles very easy on the BG, 1hr 41min
Saturday
Long Day:
Swim- Morning swim. Mainset- 300,200,100,300.. Not bad just plugging away. As per the usual, lower back is tight and speed is way off compared with evening sessions
Bike- Carnation. Hilly.. 38.5 miles, 174watts. Felt good but very warm for this time of year 70+F
Run- Immediately into transition run 30 min run.
Sunday
Bike- 62.5 miles- 3h 45min.
Location: Orting, Eatonville, Buckley. Towns in the shadows of Mt. Rainier.
Terrain: Rolling, road surface was heavy chip-seal, e.g. slow.
Long ride went as follows: First 2hr45min easy w/group, 40miles. Solo'd last 20miles, focus on holding HIM watts (200-250) 180w avg; 19mph avg. Last twenty were just as hilly as the first 40miles, so not fun holding that power.
Big bike/run week
Swim-3
Bike-5
Run-5
Monday-
Tired from a solid weekend of training. Monday is becoming the defacto active recovery day
Run- 40min steady run on the BG; prolly cooking along at a touch over Half Iron race pace
Tuesday-
Swim- Mid-day break from work. Decided after my pretty effortless 500 on Saturday that I'd start doing the 500 as the bread and butter of my long repeats
Mainset- 3x500.. Using the pool timing so times are a bit muddled, but 8.05-ish, 8.10-ish and 8.10-ish... Rolled through the 200 in 3.10 so I may have been off a bit on final times.
Bike- Zone 2/3 intervals, 55 min 5min & 2min repeats holding 190-200w. Still a bit tired either from the swim or past weekends riding.
Wednesday-
Run- Evening run.. Very easy jog 53min, recovery pace 8.45s at best
Swim- Arms feeling sloggy, but punching the clock.. Mainset- 5x200 on short rest. 3.07-3.08... Last week the pace was easily an L4/L5 effort workout, I felt like lost the ease to go fast in the water with little effort, and it came back over the weekend.. I felt like I could just keeping going and going on that effort, so suffice it to say, encouraging.
Thurs-
Bike- 26 miles easy on BG, just turning it over 174w avg.
Run- 30 min. Short break then transition run on treadmill; 7.20-8min pace
Fri
Run- Run to pick up car from oil change: 25min easy pace
Bike- 27 miles very easy on the BG, 1hr 41min
Saturday
Long Day:
Swim- Morning swim. Mainset- 300,200,100,300.. Not bad just plugging away. As per the usual, lower back is tight and speed is way off compared with evening sessions
Bike- Carnation. Hilly.. 38.5 miles, 174watts. Felt good but very warm for this time of year 70+F
Run- Immediately into transition run 30 min run.
Sunday
Bike- 62.5 miles- 3h 45min.
Location: Orting, Eatonville, Buckley. Towns in the shadows of Mt. Rainier.
Terrain: Rolling, road surface was heavy chip-seal, e.g. slow.
Long ride went as follows: First 2hr45min easy w/group, 40miles. Solo'd last 20miles, focus on holding HIM watts (200-250) 180w avg; 19mph avg. Last twenty were just as hilly as the first 40miles, so not fun holding that power.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Punching the clock & Over-thinking the sport
I've always advised folks who ask about programs, regardless of the actual details (because those vary from athlete to athlete) that they should follow a program that allows them to tick the boxes so to speak week in, week out.
Basically you need maintenance mileage, yards, time in the saddle; some higher intensity pace work and over-distance sessions.
Those are non-negotiable for anyone, in any program. I really don't understand why folks over think it.
Of course the key is to figure out the right balance of volume and intensity to keep an athlete punching the clock, and have them respond to the work load/type of work with some desired result.
And then people get confused about "periodizing" .. Oh boy.. You mean, reducing the training load before a big race while still keeping the muscles sync'd w/the feel for the activity?
Anyway, Coach Paulo tells it like it is:
http://thetriathlonbook.blogspot.com/
Basically you need maintenance mileage, yards, time in the saddle; some higher intensity pace work and over-distance sessions.
Those are non-negotiable for anyone, in any program. I really don't understand why folks over think it.
Of course the key is to figure out the right balance of volume and intensity to keep an athlete punching the clock, and have them respond to the work load/type of work with some desired result.
And then people get confused about "periodizing" .. Oh boy.. You mean, reducing the training load before a big race while still keeping the muscles sync'd w/the feel for the activity?
Anyway, Coach Paulo tells it like it is:
http://thetriathlonbook.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 7, 2008
Week of 4/6
Summary
Swim- 4
Bike- 5
Run- 4
Monday
Bike- 60min even on trainer. Zone 2/3 steady ride, holding 190-210w. Working on lower cadence bigger gear work. Back is nearly completely back to normal and I'm finally riding "my position" again
Tuesday
Swim- Morning swim. Did I mention I hate swimming in the morning? I have to sacrifice a ton of quality. It feels like my legs drop as my lower back is just not loose yet and I don't float as well.
Main set- 200 paddle, 300,200,100 on 30 seconds rest. Easy, Mod, Hard.
Bike- 60min of intervals, emphasis on Big Gear Strength work.
Run- Easy Transition jog, 20min
Wednesday
Run- Afternoon steady/mod run on BG.. 60min.. Working on running strong over last couple of miles; legs pretty wonky from last nights bike work
Swim- Evening swim session. Pressed for time -Main set= 4x200. 3min to 3.08.. Feeling tired, unbalanced and not strong
Thursday
Bike- 1hr 15min steady, continuous on BG (flats) 178w avg
Run- Transition run. Done at mod to mod-hard effort. Legs felt ok, heartrate low...
Friday
Run- 30min Tready run w/HRM.. 7.40pace, sat on 130bpm, always a good thing
Swim- Mainset- 200 paddles & pull, 300, 200, 100 (2.45, 3.04, 1.27) done easy, mod, quik
-Think my stroke disappeared for a week, and it reappeared.
Saturday
Bike- Hilly ride in the cold, 38 miles, (45 F) 2hr 15min, 173w avg; second half of ride trends down, so it kills the avg w/would up around 180 if there wasn't so much descending toward the end. Powertap does not "normalize" the data (or least I haven't figured that out!).
Finally adapted to the bike/position, no tightness in the aero position.
Swim- Late afternoon steady/mod mainset: Mix of 500y etc. done at easy/mod pace (8min/500y)
Sunday
Bike- 2hrs steady- 37 miles, Mix of rolling hills, flats. 185w avg... Ride was very blustery: Started off rainy, water on road (got wet), got muddy from road grime.
Swim- 4
Bike- 5
Run- 4
Monday
Bike- 60min even on trainer. Zone 2/3 steady ride, holding 190-210w. Working on lower cadence bigger gear work. Back is nearly completely back to normal and I'm finally riding "my position" again
Tuesday
Swim- Morning swim. Did I mention I hate swimming in the morning? I have to sacrifice a ton of quality. It feels like my legs drop as my lower back is just not loose yet and I don't float as well.
Main set- 200 paddle, 300,200,100 on 30 seconds rest. Easy, Mod, Hard.
Bike- 60min of intervals, emphasis on Big Gear Strength work.
Run- Easy Transition jog, 20min
Wednesday
Run- Afternoon steady/mod run on BG.. 60min.. Working on running strong over last couple of miles; legs pretty wonky from last nights bike work
Swim- Evening swim session. Pressed for time -Main set= 4x200. 3min to 3.08.. Feeling tired, unbalanced and not strong
Thursday
Bike- 1hr 15min steady, continuous on BG (flats) 178w avg
Run- Transition run. Done at mod to mod-hard effort. Legs felt ok, heartrate low...
Friday
Run- 30min Tready run w/HRM.. 7.40pace, sat on 130bpm, always a good thing
Swim- Mainset- 200 paddles & pull, 300, 200, 100 (2.45, 3.04, 1.27) done easy, mod, quik
-Think my stroke disappeared for a week, and it reappeared.
Saturday
Bike- Hilly ride in the cold, 38 miles, (45 F) 2hr 15min, 173w avg; second half of ride trends down, so it kills the avg w/would up around 180 if there wasn't so much descending toward the end. Powertap does not "normalize" the data (or least I haven't figured that out!).
Finally adapted to the bike/position, no tightness in the aero position.
Swim- Late afternoon steady/mod mainset: Mix of 500y etc. done at easy/mod pace (8min/500y)
Sunday
Bike- 2hrs steady- 37 miles, Mix of rolling hills, flats. 185w avg... Ride was very blustery: Started off rainy, water on road (got wet), got muddy from road grime.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Waldo retires...
On some internet forums I have a joke picture I use to identify myself.
It's a picture of a crazy looking dude w/a superman outfit on and cape.
When I first put it up, the quote I had under it was, "Don't I look like Craig Walton in my new trisuit?"- alluding to the one-piece suit "Waldo", as he's known, used to race short-course events in.
All kidding aside, Waldo was a bit of an enigma in the professional ranks, he was big, was the strongest swimmer as a rule and could out bike anyone, and his running wasn't all that bad as he won many events playing his swim/bike strengths.
Anyhow, the qualities I liked best about Waldo were his determination and toughness. I knew he was from Tasmania but didn't know he'd had such a tough early existence.
Great article, and if you're ever feeling wimpy your workouts, it's nice motivation. :)
http://www.insidetriathlon.com/article/70878/craig-walton-triathlon%26rsquo%3Bs-greatest-swimmer-biker-hangs
It's a picture of a crazy looking dude w/a superman outfit on and cape.
When I first put it up, the quote I had under it was, "Don't I look like Craig Walton in my new trisuit?"- alluding to the one-piece suit "Waldo", as he's known, used to race short-course events in.
All kidding aside, Waldo was a bit of an enigma in the professional ranks, he was big, was the strongest swimmer as a rule and could out bike anyone, and his running wasn't all that bad as he won many events playing his swim/bike strengths.
Anyhow, the qualities I liked best about Waldo were his determination and toughness. I knew he was from Tasmania but didn't know he'd had such a tough early existence.
Great article, and if you're ever feeling wimpy your workouts, it's nice motivation. :)
http://www.insidetriathlon.com/article/70878/craig-walton-triathlon%26rsquo%3Bs-greatest-swimmer-biker-hangs
Friday, April 4, 2008
Giro d'Italia
Ever see that famous poster of Andy Hampsten in the 7/11 jersey at the top of the Gavia pass wearing Oakley Factory sunglasses, snow on the road (and falling), with the team car behind him?
Maybe this will inspire a few. :)
Maybe this will inspire a few. :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Running- Forefoot, Mid or Heel strike, what's the most efficient?
This is an interesting question that I sort of wondered about as a kid when I first started running. I asked my father, (who was guiding my training for a 10k at age 9!),
"Where should my foot touch first when I run?"
Growing up in Eugene I'd been to lots of road races, track meets and seen the American stars of the 80's working out at Hayward field, so I had a confusing context for what running looked like because I'd seen both gazelles and joggers and didn't differentiate.
His answer:
"Your heels are fine."
And so, I was happy because I was already doing that unconsciously and had been examining the wear on my shoe prior to asking him the question to confirm I wasn't running strangely.
Yes, at age nine I was studying my shoe, I am Rainman.
I noticed of course, there was wear all the way through the shoe, all the way through the toe, so I knew we must gain propulsion from more that just the heel.
Over the years I studied my shoe wear pattern but forgot about landing on my heels.
I just ran.
Through my twenties a huge chunk of the time I was in either track spikes or racing flats, at least 1/3 of the mileage I ran was on the track. I sometimes wonder if this altered my footstrike, but even then, I felt it wasn't drastically different then high-school.
I am still to this day unsure of where I strike, I do know under some circumstances it feels less advantageous to strike at the mid foot or forward, and so I will alter that if I can to get more "power down to the track" -I think in very fast reps (which I almost never do anymore) a person who strikes mid or forward of mid will float a bit more than they would like.
I'd love to offer an opinion but always felt folks should run in the way that is most natural for their bio mechanics without altering things drastically w/regard to foot strike.
I have been utterly skeptical of the Pose method since it rolled out several years ago and currently, the new running shoes by Newton.
I feel as if runners and more specifically, triathletes who really want to run faster are being sold snake oil as a short-cut to running faster vis a vis a form correction that shaves minutes from a run spilt when proper attention to form and a well-managed program will get them all of the results they desire.
At anyrate, Science of Sport has an objectively written post up that I encourage folks to read:
http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/
"Where should my foot touch first when I run?"
Growing up in Eugene I'd been to lots of road races, track meets and seen the American stars of the 80's working out at Hayward field, so I had a confusing context for what running looked like because I'd seen both gazelles and joggers and didn't differentiate.
His answer:
"Your heels are fine."
And so, I was happy because I was already doing that unconsciously and had been examining the wear on my shoe prior to asking him the question to confirm I wasn't running strangely.
Yes, at age nine I was studying my shoe, I am Rainman.
I noticed of course, there was wear all the way through the shoe, all the way through the toe, so I knew we must gain propulsion from more that just the heel.
Over the years I studied my shoe wear pattern but forgot about landing on my heels.
I just ran.
Through my twenties a huge chunk of the time I was in either track spikes or racing flats, at least 1/3 of the mileage I ran was on the track. I sometimes wonder if this altered my footstrike, but even then, I felt it wasn't drastically different then high-school.
I am still to this day unsure of where I strike, I do know under some circumstances it feels less advantageous to strike at the mid foot or forward, and so I will alter that if I can to get more "power down to the track" -I think in very fast reps (which I almost never do anymore) a person who strikes mid or forward of mid will float a bit more than they would like.
I'd love to offer an opinion but always felt folks should run in the way that is most natural for their bio mechanics without altering things drastically w/regard to foot strike.
I have been utterly skeptical of the Pose method since it rolled out several years ago and currently, the new running shoes by Newton.
I feel as if runners and more specifically, triathletes who really want to run faster are being sold snake oil as a short-cut to running faster vis a vis a form correction that shaves minutes from a run spilt when proper attention to form and a well-managed program will get them all of the results they desire.
At anyrate, Science of Sport has an objectively written post up that I encourage folks to read:
http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/
April Fools spoofs
Yesterday was April Fools.. Every year Velonews runs some hilarious stories..
This year there were two that drew some uproar, because, predictably, people forgot that the stories were a joke.
Those were:
1. Olympic Medalists and cycling luminaries Connie Carpenter and Davis Phinney (who have a child who is very, very talented) started a business where you could purchase eggs and sperm.
http://www.velonews.com/article/73998/carpenter-and-phinney-start-new-venture
2. The other was post to both the OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Assoc) *and* to Velonews about how pro cyclist Chris Horner and his team Astana would be banned from OBRA events based on the precedent set by the ASO in banning Astana from the TdF.
The reactions to these stories (and some others!) are priceless:
http://www.velonews.com/article/74061/the-april-fool-s-letters-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
This year there were two that drew some uproar, because, predictably, people forgot that the stories were a joke.
Those were:
1. Olympic Medalists and cycling luminaries Connie Carpenter and Davis Phinney (who have a child who is very, very talented) started a business where you could purchase eggs and sperm.
http://www.velonews.com/article/73998/carpenter-and-phinney-start-new-venture
2. The other was post to both the OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Assoc) *and* to Velonews about how pro cyclist Chris Horner and his team Astana would be banned from OBRA events based on the precedent set by the ASO in banning Astana from the TdF.
The reactions to these stories (and some others!) are priceless:
http://www.velonews.com/article/74061/the-april-fool-s-letters-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
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