7SYSTEMS Endurance Sports Supplement

Overview of Supplement Manufacturing

Where do those little pills come from, anyway?

Written by: Jonathan Toker, Ph.D., developer of SaltStick product

Consumers generally take for granted that the contents inside a bottle of supplement X matches exactly the label on the outside. Fortunately and for the most part, thanks to the rules currently in place, this is true. However, there are multiple opportunities during production where the contents of the bottle may no longer be represented correctly by the label. Somewhat analogous to bicycle frame builders, most brands of nutritional supplements are manufactured in a limited number of facilities, or contract labs. It’s not economically feasible for a small company with a product line of nutritional supplements to have its own production facility.

Contract labs specialize in production of supplements, analytical testing, and packaging. These labs can be either cGMP or non-cGMP compliant at this time, and the resulting product could be affected by the way the company treats each batch of product being produced. Until 2010, supplements can be legally produced in non-cGMP facilities. The actual contract lab used by any given supplement company is usually a guarded secret as part of one’s competitive advantage. Therefore, rather than looking to the name on the bottle, one must look at the actual contract lab as the source of the product, and the inherent production risks.

From start to finish at a contract lab

a) Starting Materials

Most contract labs source their raw materials from a wide range of outside suppliers, many of whom specialize in certain classes of materials, such as amino acids, protein powders, minerals, etc. Each supplier provides to the contract lab a certificate of analysis (COA) that is issued for each and every lot (batch) of raw material. Suppliers can be located overseas or domestically with the actual starting material produced anywhere around the world.

When raw materials are received by a contract lab, they should be positively identified. This is usually done easily and quickly by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. By matching a characteristic fingerprint spectrum of the raw material with a reference spectrum for the material, identity can be confirmed. Purity (the percent active content of the material) is not usually assayed at this time, depending on the COA of the material for this and any other details. This is the first intersection where impurities that originated in the starting material factory or packaging would enter the contract lab undetected. Note that the NIR identity confirmation is not sensitive to pick up foreign matter in the raw material and is a bulk test only. 

An entirely different set of concerns arises with herbal ingredients. Many materials such as St. John’s wort, royal jelly, ginkgo biloba, yucca root, grape seed extract, and many others originate from plant extracts. Currently, there are few standards in place to qualify these raw materials for potency or purity. This means that a bottle containing 100 percent St. John’s wort may actually have 5 percent active while another labeled the same way may have double or triple that amount. The FDA final rule guidance on these materials is still 100 percent identification testing, which is problematic due to current analytical testing limitations of some of these materials. At this time, manufacturers can apply for an exemption to this testing. It is hoped within the herbal industry that further clarity on this situation will arise before the FDA final rule takes effect.

As a result of these regulations, products containing herbal ingredients are generally non-standardized and consumers need to be especially aware of potential issues with these products. As a visual rule-of-thumb, if the “Supplement Facts” panel indicates “Daily value not established” for a given ingredient, it is likely that less than adequate information is known about that particular ingredient. Not only are herbal ingredients of often unreliable content, but their toxicity and benefits have generally not been tested in clinical settings, which further prompts the warning: buyer beware.

b) Processing of ingredients

Once the raw materials are identified upon receipt, the contract lab prepares the formulation according to specifications required by the supplement company. This can include dry mixing, wet mixing, granulation, and other physical handling steps. Containers used for these processes are part of machines that can be manually or automatically operated. Often made of stainless steel parts, these complex mixing bowls are used for a given batch and then cleaned and readied for the next product, one that may be totally distinct from the batch before and after it. cGMP contract labs will follow a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that dictate how the machine is to be cleaned, rinsed, and dried. Some facilities conduct a “cleaning verification” whereby some of the rinse wash is tested for the active ingredient from the previous batch. Possible source of contamination #2 arises if a machine is incompletely or incorrectly cleaned leading to carryover from one product to another. In this way, for example, a steroid material from one product batch could be carried over to a protein supplement in the next batch of processed product.

c) Encapsulation/bottling/packaging of the product

The final step within the contract lab takes the mixed product into its final form for the consumer. This can include bulk powder in plastic tubs, pressing powder into pills, or filling capsules with powder. Once again, industry-specific machines are used for this step. Careful cleaning between batches of different product is critical to ensuring no cross-contamination between products. Once the product is in its final packaging, a quality control (QC) unit serves to qualify and inspect the final product. Once again following SOPs, the QC analyst inspects the product against specifications that can include fill weight, color, particle size and other physical characteristics.

Testing of the final product for quantitative content of active material is currently not required, but is coming into place with the new regulations by 2010. What this means is that upon QC approval and issuance of a batch-specific certificate of analysis (COA), the product is ready to be released to consumers. What is not positively known at that time is: Was production and mixing even and complete across the batch? Are there any foreign contaminants in the mixture? And most importantly, do the contents of that bottle match the writing on the label? Fortunately, the FDA final rule of June 22, 2007, requires manufacturers to address these questions. For contract labs already following cGMPs, implementation of these rules should be fairly straightforward, although costs to producers are likely to increase due to additional analytical work required. Expect non-cGMP contract labs to get in gear with the rules or face the prospect of shutting down in the coming years.

WADA and the difference between illegal and prohibited substances

At this juncture, it is worth defining the difference between an illegal substance and a prohibited substance. We are all familiar with materials that are regulated by the government that can include cocaine and other opiates, prescription products such as antibiotics, anti-seizure, antidepressants, etc., that are regulated as suitable for certain applications only, under the administration or prescription of a physician. Some of these materials are illegal under any circumstances while others can be used as needed by those to whom permission is granted (usually by a doctor’s prescription).

WADA has defined a list of substances for which their consumption has deemed to be “against the rules” of sport. Athletes who fall within a sport governed by WADA rules are responsible for observing the WADA prohibited substance list. To be clear: WADA-prohibited substances are not necessarily illegal from a regulated standpoint, but are listed because they can provide an athlete with an unfair advantage in sport. The consequence is that some WADA-prohibited substances can legally be produced in the same contract lab as other nutritional supplements. Looking back to the production discussed earlier, one can quickly determine how cross contamination between products can present an otherwise compliant athlete with a tainted product.

Does natural equal safe?

 Health food companies and pundits for healthy living often cite that something is “natural”, implying that this automatically equates to “good” or “safe.” It is worth noting here that the most toxic substances in the world are natural (botulism toxin, and other plant and animal toxins such as from the puffer fish and poison dart frog). In the context of nutritional supplements, your body does not know the difference between purified calcium carbonate from the White Cliffs of Dover and purified chalk produced in a laboratory. While allowing for certain unique natural preparations available only in nature, at a chemical level, there is no difference between a substance in “nature” vs. the “lab.” CaCO3 is CaCO3 wherever you find it. With the above under consideration, it is worth keeping an open mind on both synthetic and natural ingredients, and selecting one over the other as needed and on a scientific basis alone.

Who cares?

With the vast majority of athletes competing at the amateur level, one must ask if it matters if a little bit of X gets in my supplement? Focusing specifically on triathlon, age group athletes are not tested currently at any race except the annual ITU World Championship. Therefore the vast majority of triathletes will never see a drug test. Are they willing to pay a little bit more for a supplement that had been prepared in a cGMP contract lab and tested for WADA prohibited substances? The professionals are tested much more frequently and races worldwide. National governing bodies (NGB) such as USA Triathlon inform their athletes that they must comply with the WADA prohibited substance list, informing athletes that it is their own responsibility to do so. However, other than conducting their own testing or avoiding all nutritional supplements altogether, there is no way that a dedicated professional athlete can ensure that neither the food that they eat nor the supplements they consume are clean. Until now…

7 Injury Prevention Strategies

Sleep

Sleep is often the most overlooked factor when considering injury prevention.  Sleep is without question the number one strategy for staying healthy in all respects and these days we get less and less of it.  Consider the average Ironman athlete who is juggling full time work with a family and 20+ hours of training per week.  No wonder we have become a nation addicted to caffeine!

Among other things sleeps primary function is to allow recovery on all levels.  Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.  So if you’re not getting enough sleep this is the first place to start if you want to avoid injury or illness.

Nutrition

People don’t often make the connection between nutrition and injury prevention but it might be one of the most crucial factors to consider.  Training involves a systematic breakdown of the body both physically and mentally.  Endurance sports (stress) triggers the release of cortisol, a catabolic hormone (meaning it breaks down molecules into smaller units).  We need cortisol to help metabolize sugars fats and proteins but it also suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation.  Cortisol has the opposite effect of sleep by creating a catabolic (opposite of anabolic) state in the body.

If we don’t replace what we have lost after a training session it can be a recipe for injury.  What we ingest provides the building blocks for restoration.  This includes everything from water to solid food and of course supplementation.  We need to provide a steady flow of macro and micronutrients to allow for this recovery and effectively prevent injury.

Get a Coach

If you are considering tackling any kind of sport one of the best things you can do is employ the expertise of a good coach.  Endurance athletes in particular have a tendency to overdo it on a regular basis.  The “more is better” philosophy seems to be ingrained in our psyche not matter how flawed it actually is.  A good coach will offer two things.  First and foremost, smart planning.  A good coach will structure a program to allow for periods of work and periods of recovery and if it’s done properly your body will adapt and get stronger after each load.  Secondly, a good coach offers an objective look at how you are actually doing.  Sometimes it’s tough to make smart calls on your own.  A good coach can see what’s happening from outside of your “box” and help you make the right call when your body is breaking down.

Great Technique

Sports by nature are very repetitive.  Endurance sports in particular lend themselves mainly to overuse injuries.  Overuse injuries can be caused by too much of a good thing or simply poor technique.  Proper biomechanics and technique are critical when you are repeating movements over and over again.  It’s important to consider technique all the way up the chain from your feet to your upper body.  Take cycling for example.  Not only is it important to learn how to pedal properly but it’s also crucial to be set up on your bike and in your shoes in such a way to allow you to pedal properly.  How your feet interact with the shoe and pedal is as important as the actual training.  Technical practice is as important as energy system practice.

Be Cross Fit- Be Athletic

Endurance sports have a nasty habit of getting people moving in one plane and in very fixed positions.  Sports such as running and biking require a more or less fixed position whereby the legs and arms move linearly with very little variation.  Counter balancing these movements with alternate exercises is very important when considering injury prevention.  It’s important to work opposing muscle groups on a regular basis.  In the off-season one strategy is to become cross fit.  Try different activities that challenge you muscularly.  When you are in-season make sure you pay some attention to opposing muscle groups so you don’t overdevelop your prime movers.

Good Pain vs. Bad Pain

The expression “listen to your body” is used regularly but what does it actually mean?  When considering injury prevention it means everything.  It means acquiring the ability to know the difference between good pain and bad pain.

Discomfort is necessary in sport in order to move to higher levels of performance,  we need good pain.  Good pain occurs with normal physical exertion and includes things like increased breathing rate, lactic acid build up and muscle fatigue.

Bad pain is anything that doesn’t feel “right” and can often be pinpointed directly as in “it hurts here”.  Bad pain is anything that causes us to move out of our normal range of motion or biomechanical pattern in order to compensate for the pain.

The best athletes know when to push through good pain and when to recognize and heed the signs of bad pain.

Use an injury prevention specialist

Believe it or not there are professions that specialize in recovery and injury prevention.  Massage therapists, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Yoga instructors are all examples of professionals in the recovery and injury prevention business.  Massage therapy for example increases blood flow to muscle groups, which provide oxygen and nutrients that help repair damaged tissues.  Chiropractors focus on the spine and nerve pathways to make sure you are firing properly.  Physiotherapy focuses on maintaining proper movement and function  throughout the body.  Yoga is a form of physical and meditative practice that has been used for its restorative properties for thousands of years.  So when considering injury prevention, remember that you can and should seek the advice of a professional.

Preventing Osteoporosis Through Exercise

About ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass (osteopenia). A disease without symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 percent of women.

Because the bones gradually become weaker, they will probably break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.  The most common fracture sites include the hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in the body can be affected.

A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis could be scary, leading some people to quit exercise due to fear it will cause fractures. 

The reality is that those with low bone mass should make sure to exercise often. Being active may not simply aid the prevention of osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.  Before beginning a training program, it is important to talk with a medical expert for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines exactly what workout is best.  Physicians can assess bone mineral density and fracture risk by scanning the body by using a special kind of X-ray machine.

As well as exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.  The more you know concerning this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.

To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training exercises are ideal.

Weight-bearing workouts are those that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity.  Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine.  Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.  Weight-bearing activities such as walking as little as 3 x per week will benefit the bones.

Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which in turn increases bone mineral density.  Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance when you become stronger.

It is usually highly recommended that individuals with osteoporosis avoid the following kinds of activity:

• Step aerobics and high-impact activities including running, jumping, tennis.
• Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting on the spine.
• Moving the legs sideways or across the body, particularly when performed against resistance.
• Rowing machines, trampolines.
• Any kind of movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.

Exercise Tips:

• Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you should seek advice from your health care provider prior to starting a fitness program.
• Remember to warm-up before starting and cool down at the conclusion of each exercise session.
• To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
• When you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
• Remember to drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
• Vary the types of exercise that you try every week.
• Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help increase your overall health.
• Bring your friend along to help you continue or better yet, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
• Add more physical activity in your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office instead of emailing.

Put LIVE into action!

L – Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference to your bones

I – Intensity builds stronger bones.

V – Vary the kinds of exercise and your routine to keep interested.

E – Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in to the future!

Specific factors boost the probability of developing osteoporosis.  While a few of these risk factors are controllable, others are not.  Risk factors that could be controlled are: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium, caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.  Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that cannot be controlled.  Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, which makes them more vunerable to osteoporosis. 

It is never too soon to start considering bone density. 

• About 85-90 % of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys. 
• Nutrition and Exercise are critical for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence
• Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.
• Women may be more susceptible to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.
• Sufficient calcium intake,a balanced diet with a lot of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise will be the recommendations for solid bone growth when you’re young.

Even if you do each of the right things while maturing and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics- your genes -can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.

Writer’s note: The info provided on this article are designed to support, not substitute, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.

Michelle Aultman writes for the elliptical machine blog, her personal hobby blog dedicated to guidelines to prevent osteoporosis trough fitness at home.  She has no professional intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical firms, doctors or clinics and websites. All content provided by her is based on her editorial judgment and is not driven by an advertising purpose.

Dental Health for the Endurance Athlete- Derek Hopkins

Most people involved in endurance sport do so to maintain or improve their overall health.  Endurance sport stresses the body in certain ways causing physiologic change leading to these health benefits. These same stresses may have implications for dental health.

A main area of consideration for dental health for endurance athletes is tooth structure health.  This area of health relates to tooth decay and erosion.  Both involve loss of tooth structure.  Decay is loss of tooth structure from bacterial acid production.  Erosion is loss of tooth structure from dietary acid or gastric (stomach) acid.

Long periods of training or racing cause metabolic events that can reduce salivary flow.  Saliva has a cleansing and buffering function for both acid and bacteria.  As salivary flow is reduced, the oral environment may become more acidic.  Dentists now believe that decay can happen because of many (possibly more than 300 different types of bacteria).  The process is due to the biofilm on teeth.  The pH of the mouth can select for bacteria.  The more acidic the oral environment the greater the selection pressure for bacteria who produce and live in an acidic environment.  This can lead to increased risk of decay.

Sport drinks are often low pH.  Some energy drinks  have a pH of battery acid.  In addition, they may contain citric acid which binds calcium.  This is a serious problem as the acid dissolves calcium from teeth and the citric acid binds it and takes it away.

To ensure that endurance sport activity does not have a deleterious effect on tooth structure, it is best to consult your dentist.  There are tests available to determine the decay risk of an individual’s bacterial biofilm.  There are management protocols to break up the biofilm, increase the pH and put selection pressure for healthier bacteria in the oral environment.  This can reduce the risk of decay.  Your dentist can also advise you related to use of sport drink and maintaining dental health.  The goal should be to enjoy the health benefits of endurance sport and not compromise dental health.

Dr. Derek Hopkins (DMD, MS, RDT, FRCD(C)) is a restorative dental specialist practising in Victoria, British Columbia.

Adam Campbells Five Uphill Running Tips

1. Cadence, cadence, cadence…on off road trails, it is all about moving your feet as fast as they can go
2. Use your arms to set the tempo for your legs
3. Try to stay as “tall” as possible. Think of staying upright
4. To improve your uphills, you have to train your uphill running. Do intervals on a hill of 6-8%, my favourite is 8*3 min with 1 minute rest.
5. Sometimes it is just faster to power hike than run—so practice power hiking in training

Adam Campbell’s Chuckanut 50km Race Report

So I raced my first Ultra, the Chuckanut 50km in Bellingham WA. It is one of the most competitive ultra races around and I wanted to test myself to see how I would stack up. I finished 3rd, having a solid battle between the 3 podium finishers. It was a super fun and hard race and I’ll definitely try more ultra events.

What I (think I) did well:

• I trained relatively well for the event. Jon Brown set me up very well with his emphasis on strength and endurance. When a runner/coach of his caliber gives you advice, you listen. Our long tempo outings and hill reps are not fun, but they build character. There is no focus on one big workout, or key day, rather it is the consistency over a season and years that really count. I also find that with my schedule of school and being a husband that I have to be okay with allowing some flexibility into my program (although Lauren is incredibly understanding of my NEED to run).
• After talking to Hal Koerner (aka the Man), I understand that a lot of the bigger ultras will have some “running sections”, so being fast will definitely be an advantage here. I think that keeping up some sort of efforts, mile reps, tempo work etc… will make a huge difference.
  I realized that I have become a decent single-track and downhill runner. All my work on it last summer paid off. So yes, it can be trained. Still, I needed a few more long downhill efforts, but those will come over the summer. This is a big advantage, sort of free speed, so hopefully I can work these parts of the course, taking people out of their comfort zones during the race.
• For the most part, I managed to stay emotionally neutral. Never getting too up or down on myself. The few times I did, it cost me. I think these emotions can be related to and managed with nutrition (yes, I am an emotional eater).
• I was glad that I was aggressive. I like to be at the front of races (who doesn’t). I feel that you have to take some “calculated” risks. It is a race after all, so treat the event as a race! You do need to be realistic about what your abilities are though, so aggressive is a very subjective term. Unrealistic aggressiveness=a whole bunch of suffering.
• No blisters/chaffing! I have wicked gear!
• I made sure to enjoy the experience. As cheesy as it sounds, I know that I am fortunate to be able to run a hilly 50km and also that I am confident enough in my abilities to be able to “race” my first ultra. Not everyone can. Also, I really enjoy running along trails, so I don’t want to get too worked up about it.

What I could/need to improve:

• What I think I was lacking was training on long sustained climbs at effort and working long downhills. I also probably should have done 1-2 longer runs. Most of my long runs were in the 2.5 hour range, but I was getting in good total weekly volume.
• I needed to get in a massage or two. I definitely need to make sure that my hips and back stay loose, especially after long runs. I spend a lot of time sitting now, so I need to be more diligent about moving around and getting up to stretch out my hips while in class/working. I also need to be more diligent with core work.
• I think that I need to get back on the bike. For some reason, biking (not just easy spins, but actual steady rides with some climbs) helps my uphill running. It strengthens my back and allows me to practice getting in calories during long sustained efforts. If I lived right at a trailhead this might be different, but for now, I don’t, so I have to figure out how simulate it. Running is, and will always be, the best training for running!
• I remember reading a quote once, either by Peter Reid, or Mark Allen about nutrition during ultra events. That is when you feel good, eat, when you feel bad eat! I skipped a few gels and that was a mistake. When racing, I need to make sure I get at least a gel down every 40 minutes or so. I should also always have a “Just In Case” (JIC) gel on me and I need to keep eating through the last miles.
• I also need to make sure that I practice getting gels in at effort. I also think I drank a bit too much fluid early on, or was a tad short on electrolytes.
  Remember that in long races, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. A lot can happen in the last few miles. I was passed with about a mile to go. I don’t think that I expected to be in that much of a race at the end.
• Obviously, I need to do a few more races. I had never run that long at a hard effort, so not surprisingly, when it came to the unknown part of the race, the last few miles, I was unprepared to deal with what came up. Although I had an idea of what it would feel like, you have to actually experience it a few times before you can develop coping mechanisms, or develop a plan to manage the pain/emotions of the rough patches.

My Nutrition:

Dinner
•Woodfire Pizza-ham/cheese/onions
•“schooner” of Porter
•M&Ms

What I ate that AM (8am start):
•2 pieces of raisin toast-almond butter+honey (6:20am)
•shot of oil (6:20am)
•Starbucks Americano (7 am)
•3 sharkies about 30 min. before the start
•some sips of Vega electrolyte drink, maybe a 1/4 bottle

During the race:
•started with a capful of CarboPro+Nuun (not a great xombo)
•5 gels—too much caffeine in my gels (70min, 2hrs, 2:30, 3:00 , 3:20).
o 1 Power Bar, 4 Cliff shots.
•second bottle with Nuun (Mile 20)
•top up of Nuun at Mile 24

Stretching: The Long and Short of It- Josh Hewett

It is generally well accepted dogma in the health and fitness industry (as in athletic conditioning) that stretching is an important part of a regular training program. We’ve been told that passive stretching will help prevent injury, improve performance, reduce DOMS, and should be part of a warm-up and cool-down. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and in fact there is mounting scientific research to show otherwise. Despite this, there seems to be a lot of conflicting advice about how and when to stretch. I’ve seen too many trainees unable to perform optimally or suffer from recurring injuries, in part due to improper stretching habits. It’s time to take a closer look at stretching and flexibility training.

According to the ACSM, flexibility is the measure of the range of motion at a joint or group of joints and the ability to move a joint through its complete range of motion.

There are 2 main categories of stretching: passive and active.

Passive stretching is when you use an outside force other than your own muscle to move a joint or limb beyond its active range of motion, to put your body into a position that you couldn’t do by yourself (such as when you lean into a wall, or have a partner push you into a deeper stretch). Unfortunately, this is the most common form of stretching used.

Active stretching eliminates outside force and it’s adverse effects from stretching procedures. It involves actively using your own muscles to achieve range of motion; as the antagonist (opposite) muscle contracts, the agonist (target) muscle groups lengthen and relax. This is a safe, effective, and recommended method of stretching.

Stop Being So Passive!

Although most people are more familiar with traditional passive stretching (where you push into a deep stretch, without muscular effort), it can actually hurt your performance and can potentially cause injury! Research from the American Journal of Applied Physiology and reports brought to us by the American College of Sports Medicine show that passive stretching can decrease strength and muscular power output by up to 20 %.
Passive stretching can also tear your soft tissue thus creating less available muscle for you to create power. This is especially significant if you consider that many athletes are still doing passive stretching prior to training or competition!

Static passive stretching will dampen the nervous system activation of the involved muscles, essentially making them looser, weaker, and less stable for at least an hour afterwards (Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantar flexors, 2000, Fowles). This reduces strength and joint stability and can negatively affect your athletic performance as well as increase risk of injury. Stacy Ingraham, an exercise physiologist at the University of Minnesota, concluded that passive stretching not only has no effect on preventing injuries, but it can actually make you even more likely to get hurt.

A study consisting of 1543 serious runners linking stretching to muscle problems was carried out by David Lally, PhD, (University of Hawaii). The important finding in Lally’s survey was that 47% of all male runners who stretched regularly were injured during a one-year period, while just 33% of male runners who didn’t stretch were hurt; a statistically significant difference (9).

Another study indicates that athletes in the highest 20% of the flexibility continuum are actually the ones with the highest rates of injury (15)!

Some people might argue that they can achieve a greater range of motion using passive stretching. However, this increased range of motion in static positions does not carry-over to the dynamic range of movement associated with sport. Even worse, achieving excessive range of motion is not necessarily beneficial to an athlete, and could even be injurious.

Although this type of stretching may temporarily relieve joint, muscle and back pain in some cases, it can ultimately aggravate the underlying condition, and increases weakness and instability. This may be hard for many trainers, coaches, and athletes to accept, but it is evidently very hard to justify including passive stretching anywhere in a training program. It is generally a less desirable way to improve flexibility and range of motion. If you are going to use passive stretches, at least do them only at the end of a workout or practice (never before) and follow each stretch with an active hold of that position.

Get Active!

So what is the alternative for improving flexibility? Active stretching is a safe effective method of maintaining a healthy range of motion, while increasing joint stability and strength. Because muscle ‘tightness’ is often due to compensation for joint instability or weakness in another muscle, developing strong, stable joints allows a greater range of motion. It is recommended to perform active range of motion (AROM) exercises following a workout, game, or practice session. The “stretch” positions can be very similar to passive stretches, but they are being held using muscular effort, not outside force. Actively hold each position for 10 to 15 seconds. Active stretching can also be incorporating into effective flexibility techniques such as ProprioNeuromuscular Facilitiation (PNF).

Examples of some basic AROM static stretches include:

· Lats- reaching your arms straight overhead
· Chest- extend your arms out to the sides, and retract your shoulder blades
· Quadriceps- flex your heal toward your butt, contracting the hamstrings
· Hamstrings- extend your leg straight in front of you, and contract the quads

Warming Up To A Dynamic Approach

Dynamic stretching is another form of active range of motion that is recommended before training, practice or competition, and has been shown to reduce muscle tightness while increasing nervous system activation. Dynamic warmup exercises involve moving parts of your body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. Do not confuse dynamic stretching with ballistic stretching (which is not recommended)! Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that gently and progressively move you within the limits of your range of motion. Conversely, ballistic stretches involve bouncing or “jerky” movements, trying to force a part of the body beyondavoids bouncing motions and tends to incorporate more sport-specific movements, such as arm circles, torso rotations, butt kicks, high knee lifts and walking lunges (without weights). its range of motion. Dynamic stretching

Recent scientific studies indicate that dynamic stretches before physical activity are preferable to static passive stretches (4,20,21). This may be particularly true for strength and power athletes.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIGjwZ25YA

Conclusion:

Athletes, coaches, trainers, and others need to use the combination of strength training, conditioning, and warming up that’s best for a given sport or activity. In general, it is recommended to perform a dynamic warm up before training and incorporate some active range stretches afterwards. Also consider that stretching naturally occurs when you exercise. In order to contract a muscle, the opposite muscle groups have to be relaxed and lengthening.
I understand that this may be new information for many readers. However, to quote Emma Wilkinson from the British Medical Journal on the subject of this new scientific research:

“These findings are contrary to what many athletes and coaches believe and what is common practice. Yet much of sport and exercise medicine and the management of musculoskeletal injury have developed empirically with very little research evidence. The culture is changing, and this study makes a valuable contribution to the debate on stretching.”

I encourage you to research this information more yourself and make an educated decision. It may be time to re-evaluate your approach to flexibility training. That’s the long and short of it.

References

(1) ‘Should Static Stretching Be Used During a Warm-Up for Strength and Power Activities?’ Strength and Conditioning Journal, Vol. 24(6), pp. 33-37, 2002

(2) ‘A Randomised Trial of Pre-exercise Stretching for Prevention of Lower-Limb Injury’, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 32(2), pp. 271-277, 2000

(3) ‘Injuries in Australian Army Recruits, Part III: The Accuracy of a Pretraining Orthopedic Screen in Predicting Ultimate Injury Outcome’, Military Medicine, Vol.162, pp.481-483, 1997

(4) ‘Effects of Static Stretching on the Maximal Length and Resistance to Passive Stretch of Short Hamstring Muscles’, Journal of Orthopaedic Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 14, pp. 250-255, 1991

(5) ‘Viscoelastic Response to Repeated Static Stretching in the Human Hamstring Muscle’, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol. 5, pp. 342-347, 1995

(6) Shrier, I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clinical J. Sports Med. 9: 221-7. 1999
(7) ‘Predicting Lower-Extremity Injuries among Habitual Runners’, Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 149, pp. 2565-2568, 1989

(8) ‘The Ontario Cohort Study of Running-Related Injuries’, Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 149, pp. 2561-2564, 1989

(9) ‘New Study Links Stretching with Higher Injury Rates’, Running Research News, Vol. 10(3), pp. 5-6, 1994

(10) ‘Muscle Damage Induced by Eccentric Contractions of 25% Strain’, Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 70, pp. 2498-2507, 1991

(11) ‘Acute Muscle Stretching Inhibits Maximal Strength Performance’, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Vol. 69, pp. 411-415, 1998

(12) ‘Identification of a Threshold for Skeletal Muscle Injury’, American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 22, pp. 257-261, 1994

(13) ‘Influences of Strength, Stretching and Circulatory Exercises on Flexibility Parameters of the Human Hamstrings’, International Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 18, pp.340-346, 1997

(14) ‘Physiology of Range of Motion in Human Joints: A Critical Review’, Critical Reviews in Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Vol. 6, pp. 131-160, 1994

(15) ‘Strength, Flexibility, and Athletic Injuries’, Sports Medicine, Vol. 14, pp. 277-288, 1992

(16) ‘Flexibility and Its Effects on Sports Injury and Performance’, Sports Medicine, Vol. 24(5), pp. 289-299, 1997

(17) ‘Investigation into the Effect of Static Stretching on the Active Stiffness and Damping Characteristics of the Ankle Joint Plantar Flexors’, Physical Ther. Sport, Vol.2, pp.15-22,2001

(18) ‘Passive Properties of Human Skeletal Muscle during Stretch Maneuvers’, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Vol. 8, pp. 65-77, 1998

(19) ‘Stretching during Warm-Up: Do We Have Enough Evidence?’, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Vol. 70(7), pp. 24-27, 1999

(20) ‘Dynamic Warm-Ups’, Sports Coach, Vol. 24(1), pp. 20-22, 2001
(21) Yamaguchi, T., Ishii, K. Effects of static stretching for 30 seconds and dynamic stretching on leg extension power. J. Strength Cond. Res. Aug;19(3):677-83. 2005

Josh Hewett is a personal trainer and strength & conditioning specialist with Top Form Fitness. He also coaches and competes with Team Barbarian Strength Athletics.

Josh holds a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, as well as personal training qualifications from several agencies including CanFitPro. He is a qualified personal training specialist and competitive strength athlete with over 14 years of involvement in the health and fitness industry including employment, academic, competitive, and volunteer experience. Whether your goal is to improve your health and fitness, excel at your sport or hobby, or to recover from an injury, Josh is prepared to motivate and guide you toward reaching your objective.

Josh would like to hear your questions or comments. Feel free to contact him at josh@top-form-fitness.com or visit his training website at http://www.teambarbarian.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Hewett

7 Stories From Vancouver 2010- Martin Rydlo

You won’t hear much about these stories unless you were at the Winter Olympics in 2010…

I experienced the village of Whistler, saw skiing competitions live, talked to volunteers and witnessed the excitement the Olympics brought to kids’ faces. I also had the chance to walk the streets of Vancouver to experience probably the biggest party of 2010, heard languages from all over the world, haggled for tickets and felt the beat of a city standing prouder than it ever has.

So for those that only had a chance to experience the Olympics through TV, web and newspaper coverage, here’s a look at the top 7 stories that you won’t hear about.

1- Spectators make the events- TV show the athletes but rarely promotes the spectators that come from different countries, bearing their flags costumes and traditions that go with each sport. For cross-country skiing, the Norwegians and Austrians bring 16 foot flagpoles covered in the flags of their favourite countries, while dressed in their traditional costumes. For speed skating, the Dutch come in yellow riding hundreds of bikes imported from Holland just for the Games.

2- Athletes are Anynomous- With the exception of a few hockey, snowboard and downhill skiing stars, you could walk by a medalist and not even know it. I’m sure I saw two women downhillers walking around Whistler Village unrecognized while the day before they had been idolized on TV. Without their helmets and ski suits, they were like any other spectator on the scene.

3- The various ‘Houses’ are Incredible- Nations and organizations find bars, building or other large venues where their athletes and entourage can go gather. They celebrate the best that country has to offer and create a bit of a home away from home for them. These are the places to try to get into and really get an understanding of the incredible effort it takes to send athletes to compete at the Olympics. Just make sure you know how to say hello and thank. These Houses are committed to speaking their languages and celebrating their traditions.

4- We were made for this- It’s a slogan that really hits home when you see the coordination, logistics and innovation that goes into pulling off what many are calling the Biggest Gathering of Humankind. To witness the busses, volunteers, athletes, spectators and media moving about, eating, working and playing with barely a glitch is amazing. As a spectator, I experienced nothing negative. Certainly there were events with their issues, but definitely no more that water other Olympics have experienced. Keep in mind that the events are the toughest to organize as VANOC is not solely responsible for them…rather it is a collaboration of various sporting, judging and building organizations that are ultimately responsible for each events success. It saddens me when I hear people refer to Vancouver 2010 as the Glitch Games…it’s such a typical Canadian perspective. Instead of focusing on an event that has helped Canada define what is at it’s core, the media lets itself fall victim to focusing on the inevitable fallout that comes with putting on any major event.

5- Walk through the streets- After a busy day, it’s easy for spectators and media to retire to their room to watch the recaps. The real action and energy takes place in the evening as the events close and people head out to celebrate and see the city. You get to see the city at its best and have the ability to talk to strangers and celebrities like you’ll never experience otherwise.

6- Try to get into restricted parties and venues- It’s the unwritten challenge that everyone is trying to score. Why? Simple human nature of wanting what you don’t have. Except at the Olympics you end up meeting some really interesting people and experiencing events hard to see anywhere else. It’s a thrill when you get into special venues like Austria House, Canada Hockey House and sold-out concerts.

7- Volunteers are the real heroes- Most athletes have fame, fortune or four more years of inspiration they get out of the Olympics. Volunteers have nothing to gain but the personal satisfaction of knowing they played a small part in creating the Olympics. Most have to be at their work-site by 6am and work until they get called-off by the crew chief. Yes they get nice swag and free tickets to events, but standing around on a ski hill for 6 hours freezing with your only mission being to respond to a radio request like “I need some tape” takes special dedication to the spirit of the Olympics. They are the one’s that really are the link between the organizers and the athletes. They are the one’s that are the biggest heroes in my mind.

What We Can Learn From the Winter Olympics- Jasper Blake

Probably the biggest lesson we can take from the winter Olympics is that there are literally dozens of great sports that can keep us fit during the winter months. Triathletes often get stuck in a rut during the winter months and forget that there are other great ways to stay fit in the snow.

I was fortunate enough to enjoy a day of skiing in Whistler during the Olympic games and I can tell you I am incredibly sore from one outing. I was amazed with how vigorously my core and back muscles were worked during a day on the downhill slopes, not to mention my quads!

Other great sports that are perhaps more relevant to the aerobic athlete are cross country skiing and if you are fortunate to live in an area with an oval; speed skating. The cross over from cross country skiing and skating to cycling and running is remarkable. Take Clara Hughes for example, Olympic medalist in both cycling and speed skating. Many sports compliment each other and as Canadians I truly believe we should take advantage of and embrace the opportunity to participate.

Classic cross country skiing is said to transfer very well to running and skate skiing and skating compliments cycling very well. Many national level cyclists play in recreational hockey leagues during the winter. It works similar muscle groups, is a great interval type workout and is incredibly fun.

So use the Olympic inspiration from the last two weeks and get outside into the Canadian winter, you won’t be sorry!

My Take on the 2010 Olympics

Hour of Power

If you only have one hour to workout…….

Here are three workouts designed to have you finished in 1 hour or less with a focus on quality, efficiency and the most bang for your buck

Swim- 30*100- 60 minutes or less- Mixed Aerobic/Threshold

5*100 free/back on 2 minutes

5*100 drill/swim by 50 on 2 minutes

10*100 on 1:30 (or a pace time that gives you 10-15 seconds rest at 85% effort)

4*100 kick/swim on 2 minutes

3*100 pull on 1:45

2*100 IM on 2 minutes

1*100 free back cool down

Bike- Trainer- 60 minutes- Threshold

Warm up

10 minutes easy spinning

Activate

7 minutes of 30 seconds at threshold effort (85%), 30 seconds easy spin

3 minutes easy spinning

Main Set

10*(2 minutes at 85% effort, 1 minute easy spin)

Cool Down

5 minutes spinning at 100+rpm

5 minutes easy spin

Run- Outside- 60 minutes- Steady State/Threshold

Warm up

15 minutes easy jog

Activate

8 minutes of 30 seconds at 85%, 30 seconds easy

2 minutes easy jog

Main Set

5 minutes at 75% effort- 1 minute easy

4 minutes at 80% effort- 1 minute easy

3 minutes at 85% effort- 1 minute easy

2 minutes at 90% effort- 1 minute easy

1 mintue at 95% effort- 1 minute easy

Cool Down

15 minutes easy jog

Indoor Bike Training & Coaching

As the weather gets colder, people ask “what can I do to keep my riding up and not get completely bored?”

One of the best services we have seen to help with this comes from Indoor Rider, created by one of our 7SYSTEMS athletes Richard Pady.  Indoor Rider is a series of cycling video workouts for you to download from Indoorrider.com once a week. The program builds you slowly, safely, and in the most time efficient way towards success. 

When you join, you are provided with a new video every week, each approximately one hour in length. You will increase your fitness and power while staying excited about your training and not getting bored this winter.

By following the program, you will train smart and avoid overtraining or
burn out this season.   The sessions also allow you to work at your own level and progress at your own pace. 

On top of the weekly videos you get the opportunity to workout with another 7SYSTEMS athlete Olympic Gold and Silver medalist Simon Whitfield.   Simon’s videos will be available to members with an annual subscription only.

Check it this video for more!

Running Injuries- How to Prevent, Recognize and Treat the Most Common

What It Takes To Make A Comeback- Megan Brown

I think what attracts me to distance running is how similar it is to life. I once heard a quote that said, “Running is like life – 10% of it is exciting and 90% is grimy and tough”. There is a lot of truth to this quote! When you think about it, a very minimal part of both distance running and life is effortless. The majority of it requires passion, toughness, tenacity and a will to endure its unending physical, mental and emotional demands. However like life, no matter how hard the 90% gets, something inside tells you to keep on running because that 10% – the victory, the achievement, the sense of satisfaction and peace – just feels so good!

In the last year and a half, I have faced a tremendous amount of adversity, which at times had me questioning my future in this sport. It all began in January of 2008 as I prepared for my first professional indoor track circuit. After six months of strenuous base work, I was in the shape of my life and prepared for the breakout season that every runner dreams about. It was perfect timing as the Olympic Trials were only six months away. This was going to be my year – I knew it – or so I thought. What began as a terrible flu, progressed into an illness that was later diagnosed as Lymes Disease. Within weeks of the diagnosis, it was evident that my goal of competing at the Olympic Trials and vying of a sport on the Olympic team were not going to be realized. Instead, I would have to come face to face with the illness’ effect on my body and spend the next few months resting and recovering.

As with any setback, whether an injury or illness, there is always an initial stage of denial. We have a tendency to convince ourselves that ‘It’s not that bad’ – that the best scenario is the most probable – when in fact most signs are indicating otherwise. We don’t want to face the reality that we won’t be able to train or race. However, after spending time in a state of denial, there comes an acknowledgment of the present setback. Of course, with this realization comes a whole array of emotions – disappointment, frustration, anger, sadness, and fear. On a conscious and subconscious level, we are processing these emotions and dealing with the fact that we are unable to do what we love and in some cases, unable to achieve our planned goals.

In my case, I had to deal with the disappointment of missing one of the biggest seasons of my career thus far. I also had a great deal of frustration and grief regarding my highly fatigued physical state. I spend a lot of time suffering from the ‘why me’ syndrome that continued for days on end. But what I realized through my illness is that the most important part of any setback, whether in sport or life, is ACCEPTANCE. The sooner you process the emotions associated with the let down, the sooner you can move to acceptance of your present state. This allows you to direct your energy towards doing all the proper things (cross training, rest, rehab, nutrition, and different therapies) to get your body back on track. Also with this acceptance comes a restructuring of goals and therefore a new avenue to direct your energy.

No matter who you are or what level of sport you are involved in – there will be setbacks. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an eight week lay off with a stress fracture, a three month lay-off with an Achilles tear or in my case, a four month lay off with illness, the same process usually occur. In all cases, acceptance of your circumstance, an analysis of the injuries causes, restructuring of goals and a positive attitude towards rehabilitation are required for proper healing and psychological health throughout the setback.

After the chunk of rehabilitation is done comes the progressive return to specific training and racing. In some cases, the transition back to training is easy – the injury is healed, the progression goes smoothly and before you know it you are back at full tilt. But for many athletes, the comeback is filled with its own challenges. In some cases, the injury isn’t fully healed, so there is the battle of doing just enough, but not so much that you are back at square one. There are also the compensatory injuries that begin to flare up; in favoring the site of injury, other parts of the body begin to hurt. Similarly, there are also the physical symptoms associated with load – after much time off the body struggles to return to previous workloads. You are sore, tired, and lethargic and wondering when your body will begin to feel like its old self. This is a draining process. You want to train hard, push the body and reclaim the fitness you lost, but have to listen to your body’s limitations, which in itself can be a challenge for any motivating athlete.

For me, my comeback to high level training and racing was a drawn out process, with many challenges along the way. Unfortunately, my healing wasn’t presented in absolute terms and instead was something that would continue for many more months after my return to training. My body was still healing and reclaiming energy while at the same time, I was eager to train and race at a high level again. I felt as if I was in a constant battle with my body. My mind wanted to push, but my body wasn’t ready to handle my previous levels of intensity and load. I know of many athletes who have dealt with this same battle when coming back from injuries. The mind is ready to be aggressive and the motivation is there, but our body limits us. And this is one of the most frustrating and helpless situations that you will face as athlete. All you want to do is train and compete, but the body just won’t let you.

I unfortunately learned my lesson the hard way, which was that “The body always wins!” As endurance athletes, we know pain; we know perseverance; we know tenacity. But we have trouble with patience. At times, honoring the body’s limitation can seem like an impossible task, but one that is required for a healthy return from any setback.

Therefore, If ACCEPTANCE is the key for dealing with an injury, PATIENCE is the virtue needed for the comeback. We need to be patient and kind to our bodies and work within its limits, knowing all the while that we will return to a completely healthy state, and if we progress properly, there will be a time when we let loose again! Along with being patient, we have to stay positive. Even on the lowest days, when you feel like you will never be back to 100%, it’s important to keep the faith. You will be back! This is the best time to lean on your support system. Let those supporters who love and believe in you, bring you hope and reassurance during the difficult times!

I am happy to report that after another intensive, restful break, my body is feeling as good as new and I am ready to begin a new chapter in my career; one which is based on principle that I will ‘train smarter and not harder’. I have learned through my setback and comeback that the key to success in endurance sport is CONSISTENCY. And the best way to achieve consistency is through smart training – which involves listening to your body, honoring its needs, and recovering as hard as you train. Success isn’t made in a day – it’s made in many weeks and months and years, which demands a continually healthy body. I believe that the mind has the capability of taking the body to new levels and defying past limitations, but I also know now that this is only possible if we work with our body rather than against it.

Despite a year and a half of adversity, I am as motivated as ever and excited to get out there, train smart, push my body and achieve things on the track and roads that I never thought possible. Throughout this whole process, I have learned that being an elite endurance athlete is all about riding the peaks and the valleys that inevitably come with our sport. And like I said in the introduction of this article, that’s what I love most about the sport – It’s challenging and its tough, but the gratification you get from overcoming adversity and achieving your goals, most definitely outweighs the challenges.

Simon’s Specific Workout Favourites

Bike

Warm up- 30 minutes spinning to base of Observatory
Main Set- 6* Observatory Descending 1-3
Building from threshold effort to bleed from ears and eyes
Cool Down- 30 minutes

Run

Warm up- 15-20 minutes around Beaver Lake
Main Set- Steady State Effort Elk Lake
Cool Down- 15 minutes

Swim

Warm up- 5*200 SKIPS (Swim, Kick, IM, Pull, Swim)
Main Set- 20*100@ 1:20 best average long course
Pull- 800 Steady
Cool Down- 200m back/free

Bike-Run-Swim

1) on stationary bike:

25mins warm-up
20mins solid at 90-95 cad.
5mins easy
3×3mins with 2mins rest very solid.
5mins easy
10mins moderately solid
2) straight onto the treadmill:
1min jog (to get woody up to speed)
4×5mins at race pace with 2mins rest
3×3mins at faster then race pace with 90sec rest.
wd.

3) 4.5km recovery swim

Treadmill Running- Stefan Timms

Treadmill Running

Considering the winter we are having I thought it appropriate to post an article I previously wrote on treadmill running.  In case Jasper’s “Crap its Cold” article doesn’t inspire maybe this will.
There has been an overabundance of “amazing and astounding” pieces of exercise equipment promoted to consumers in recent years that sell dreams of an easy way to turn your body into a toned, athletic machine. Many of these breakthrough inventions have sold millions of copies to people desperate for a quick fix and then disappeared. However, there is one piece of exercise equipment that has stood the test of time, and continues to be a fixture at gyms and in homes around the world…the treadmill.
Today’s treadmills may have a lot more bells and whistles than past versions, but their premise remains the same: indoor running on the spot. Treadmills have been so successful because they work. Running is the best exercise you can do in terms of calorie burning and building fitness, and no other piece of cardio equipment is as efficient at calorie burning, because no other piece requires full weight bearing like the treadmill.
The same basic training principles apply to all workouts, whether they are done outdoors on the road/trails or inside on equipment, and the treadmill can be quite useful in specific instances. Treadmills allow you to jog, run, sprint, climb hills, or even resistance train by easily and accurately varying grade and speed. Many top triathletes and runners use treadmills as a regular part of their training as they have several advantages traditional methods of cardiovascular exercise.
Treadmill Advantages

The main advantage of treadmills is of course that they are used indoors in a controlled environment. This means they are not affected by weather, traffic lights, or safety concerns. When you get on a treadmill you know the temperature, you don’t have to stop for anything, and you don’t have to worry about where you are going. Obviously this aspect of treadmills will appeal to people who live in places with extreme climates (cold or hot), big cities, or unsafe neighbourhoods. This is also important though when travelling, as a treadmill provides you with the ability to get your workout done without worrying about these factors in an unknown place.
A second advantage of treadmills is that they are more forgiving then the road as they absorb shock better and are less likely to cause impact injuries then running on the road. This will help you to run as efficiently as possible, and can be a great help to someone coming back from any injury.
A third benefit of running on a treadmill is being able to program an exact speed that you want to maintain. This is ideal for training at a certain pace for intervals or the entire workout to ensure you are achieving your desired result. This can also be very useful if you are preparing for a specific event, as many treadmills allow you to program an exact course. For example, top triathletes such as Greg Bennett and Simon Whitfield regularly use a treadmill to simulate specific courses they will compete on later in the season. Often they even take this to another step by doing these workouts surrounded by portable heaters-if the race they are training for is held in a hot climate. This is a great motivator as well as a very specific training adaptation to prepare their bodies as best as possible for race day.
Another benefit of treadmill running is the ability it allows you to work on correcting your running form. Most gyms usually have mirrors around in which you can see yourself on the treadmill, so taking note of what you do, and trying to improve on one aspect of your technique each session is a great way to help pass the time during your easier runs.
A final benefit to using a treadmill is that you can build a lot of mental toughness since there are not many distractions like there are on the road or trail. You have to focus on your workout, your pace, and your technique. Although it may be boring to some, for others this is just what they need to get that hard session done.
However, treadmill running is not for everyone. Like any training technique the treadmill also has its negative aspects.
Treadmill Disadvantages

There are four main problems associated with treadmill running: biomechanical changes, inaccurate readings, heat, and boredom.
Treadmill running is great when you cannot run outdoors, but you should not use it as your sole venue for running as you may find the transition to road running somewhat uncomfortable. This occurs because of several biomechanical differences that occur when you run on a treadmill vs. the road:
When you run on the road, you must exert more energy in your running to overcome the braking forces than on a treadmill.

You have to face air resistance outside which forces you to work harder to run the same speed.

Your stride length is shorter outside because the ground doesn’t move under your feet the way the tread does.

Your feet are always on a smooth, flat surface on a treadmill so that your neuromuscular system does not get any work on proprioception the way it would on a road or trail.
All of these factors mean that you will fatigue sooner and be more susceptible to injury if you mainly run on a treadmill and then try to transition to outside.
A second problem with treadmills is that they are notoriously inaccurate. Treadmills are usually calibrated when they are first built up but then as they are used, wear and tear knocks off the calibration. As a result, it can be hard to determine how far you actually have run, or the exact speed you are running at. This can be a big detriment if you are using the treadmill for a specific workout.
Thirdly, many treadmill users complain that they get extremely hot when working out. This occurs because of the lack of air resistance that helps in cooling you off when outside. The easiest way to combat this problem is with a properly placed fan, but if that is not possible you may find yourself sweating more than normal. Ensure that you are staying hydrated if this is the case, as you will quickly lose electrolytes in your sweat, causing fatigue and dehydration.
The most common criticism about treadmills is that runners find them boring. Running in one spot with no change in scenery is not particularly stimulating. Although it may help build mental fortitude, it can also cause people to shorten sessions or avoid treadmills altogether. If you do get bored on treadmills, but you want to continue using them as a fitness tool, then you need to spice up your workouts a bit. There are now several great books on the market that have a variety of treadmill specific workouts that will keep things fresh and interesting, or you can use the guidelines below to design your own.
Treadmill Workouts

The best way to combat boredom and maximize the benefits on the treadmill are to only use them for specific workouts. I do not recommend that athletes use the treadmill for regular easy runs of 20-40 minutes, unless they have to because of certain circumstances (injury, weather, they are away at a race, etc). I prefer they use the treadmill for one of the following sessions:
· Fartlek is a great idea for indoor workouts as it really helps break up the monotony and helps get the person’s mind off the fact that they aren’t actually moving anywhere. I use a couple versions of the indoor fartlek: “commercial” and “song” that has the athlete go hard during a song or commercial (after a proper warm-up), and then easy during the next song or during the show. “Commercial” is used for long workouts that are mainly aerobic with the small number of short intervals included to work their other system. The “song” version, which is used most often, involves increasing speed and/or grade during the harder parts.

· Tempo runs, which simulate a specific course, are usually what my athletes use the treadmill for. After a 15 minute warm-up, you would then run 20-30 minutes at your race pace over the pre set course, and finally finish with 10 minutes easy cool-down.

· Hill workouts are especially great for people who don’t live in a hilly area and want the benefits of hill running. Treadhills are a series of short, hard efforts up a 5-10% grade. After the warm-up, you would do a set of 3-10 x 1-3 minutes up the hill at a challenging pace, with 1-2 minutes rest between each hill repeat. This can be done by presetting the treadmill or by manually adjusting it at the start of each hill.

· Interval sessions normally done on the track can also be run on a treadmill. After warming up, a set of a specific distance or time, such as 2:30 (an 800), is done at a fast pace, with adequate rest between intervals. They only problem with this is that the rest is still running unless you choose to hop off the treadmill between intervals. Also remember that most treadmills max out at 10-12 mph, so short, fast repeats are hard to simulate, and should be left to a track.
Treadmills are great when you cannot run outdoors or when you have a specific workout that it is best suited for, but you should not become dependant on them. Use them for the advantages they provide, but try to limit your use of treadmills to when they are necessary, and get outside the rest of the time. The outdoor environment provides not only a more pleasant and invigorating atmosphere, but it will keep you more biomechanically correct. So enjoy those treadmill runs, but don’t forget about that park around the corner from your house.

Treadmill Tips

· Run on a grade. Treadmill running is slightly easier than outdoor running due to the lack of wind resistance. This enables you to be more efficient in your running on the treadmill, so to accommodate for the lack of resistance set the treadmill at a 1% grade for all of your workouts.
· Use a heart rate monitor. By using one you can eliminate “junk training” and get fitter faster. The monitor allows you to maximize your efforts at the gym by guiding your intensity so that you work out in the zone that you want to be in, helping you get results faster. A heart rate monitor also allows you to work out in zones that are safe for you and helps reduce your risk of injury or overtraining, as well as preventing boredom from doing the same thing every day.
· Bring a waterbottle. Be sure to hydrate lots while working out on a treadmill. You can lose even more water running on a treadmill then you would if you were running outside. This is because of the lack of air resistance to help to keep you cool. Just a 1% loss in water can lead to a noticeable decline in performance.
· Use the mirrors. If you have a mirror nearby try to check your form during several parts of the workout. Do you start to hunch over or tighten up, as you get tired? A mirror can help to point out to you how to improve your training.

Tips for Running in Winter- Jasper Blake

“Crap it’s cold”

We are a tough breed up here in Canada!  We spend almost half the year dealing with the wrath of winter.  Icy roads, fierce winds and abominable snowmen are a few of the challenges we face.

Running poses an interesting dilemma; stay inside or venture out.  This decision is quite obvious with the other two sports.  Swim in a heated indoor pool, not a lake.  Bike on a turbo-trainer or a set of rollers and get your head around some hours pedaling hard and not actually going anywhere.  When it comes to running you can spend time on the treadmill, but after having gone nowhere on your bike it is great to get a change of scenery.
So, as my dear mom would say, out the door you go young lad and jolly well enjoy the day that is provided for you.  Good advice, but keep these simple guidelines in mind.
DO:
Dress for the weather conditions.  You need to keep your muscles warm – particularly if you are on the flip side of being a kid which is probably most of you.  Consider wearing tights under track pants or the combination of short tights and compression socks to keep warm.
DO:
Warm up properly.  In the winter make sure that you warm up and cool down more slowly than in the summer.  Cold muscles equal tight muscles and tight muscles can lead to minor pulls or tears.  Ease into runs, especially harder workouts.
DO NOT:
Run if it drops below minus twenty; consider the treadmill or an indoor running track.  Winter can stress your immune system.  Suddenly exposing your lungs to forced inhalations of crystallized, frosty air is like throwing gas onto a tire fire.
DO:
Wear three socks if you are of the male variety.  I am quite serious about this, there is nothing worse than running 30 minutes with a tail wind, getting all warm and sweaty only to turn around and face the wrath of the winter gods on your nether regions.  Many a time have I been caught out on runs where a headwind greeted me on the way back and a third sock was all I needed to maintain sanity.
DO:
Get inside immediately after runs so you don’t get chilled.  If it is particularly cold, consider starting and finishing your runs inside.  If you are running with a group that stretches or does some core exercises after the run, find a gymnasium or a living room so you don’t get chilled.
DO:
Remember to keep drinking.  Cold weather can be deceiving.  It may seem as if you’re not losing fluids during a workout but trust me, you are.  Remember to stay hydrated; it’s just as important in the winter as it is in the summer.
DO:
Invest in proper footwear.  Obviously stick to the shoes that are best for your foot and running gait but look into something with additional tread or grip particularly for snowy and icy roads.  I often run in a cross country shoe through the winter months as it offers more traction than a normal shoe.
DO NOT:
Run on busy roads.  Road shoulders become smaller in the winter and visibility can be extremely bad at times.  Pick routes that have cleared sidewalks so you can avoid the road all together.  Remember that roads are icy and cars can be less predictable.  If you have to run on a busy shoulder I strongly recommend running towards oncoming traffic so you can pay attention to what the cars are doing and do a navy-seal dive into the snow bank if required.
DO:
Invest in some reflective running gear.  Winter days are short and darkness comes on quickly.  If you want to be safe, be seen.
DO:
Wear layers.  Yes, you’ve heard this before but tail winds can feel warm and headwinds can feel very cold especially when you start sweating.  Layers allow you to adjust your clothing choices if need be.
DO:
Experiment with alternative forms of winter activities.  Winter is one of the best aspects of Canada if you take advantage of it.  There are dozens of aerobic sports that take place in the winter months and many will translate fitness very well to running and biking.  Skate skiing is said to compliment cycling very well.  Cross country skiing (the classic version), and snowshoeing can compliment running.  Both of these activities present the opportunity to get out into the woods.  Keep in mind that where aerobic fitness is concerned, your heart and lungs don’t know the difference between activities so the cross over between sports can be very effective.  Not to mention the mental break from the other sports.  It is also another chance for you spandex lovers to wear some tight clothing in the off season.

Power Crankin- Jasper Blake

“Power Crankin”

There are many inventions that have hit the triathlon world over the years.  To be quite blunt, we are a sport of gadgets and gismos; to the point where you might call it a culture of “geekiness”.  I’ve seen a great deal of crap in the past ten years, things that honestly make me wonder if people really want to work hard for what they get or simply think buying the latest thing will make them go faster but perhaps that is the purest in me.

Occasionally there is a product that comes along that catches on for the right reasons.  PowerCranks are one such product.  Founded and developed by an engineering wiz Frank Day, PowerCranks offer a great way to develop your pedaling stroke.

The basic premise of a PowerCrank is that each crank arm operates independently on a one way clutch.  As a result, you can quite literally pedal with the crank arms at any opposing angle from 180 to 0 degrees of separation.  The result is that your legs cannot support each other and must work independently.

Single leg drills have been around for years as a way to develop leg strength and coordination equally on both legs.  I can remember some crazy single leg sets that one of my coaches used to prescribe.  It was a set of 6*12 minutes per leg on the trainer in the winter.  Those were some long trainer sessions but certainly improved my pedal stroke.  The only catch was the state of discomfort this caused.  Riding on a trainer can be bad enough on the mid section but doing it single legged is another level of awfulness.  PowerCranks allow you to achieve the same benefit if not better because you can sit properly on your saddle and pedal normally.

PowerCranks are a tool that can make an hour trainer session more productive.  I am fortunate to work, on occasion, with one of Canada’s top cycling coaches in Victoria and he believes PowerCranks are one of the best tools for learning a proper pedaling technique.  If you use them properly different parts of the pedaling circle will be emphasized.

Like every great training tool, there are some things you should keep in mind if you decide to integrate PowerCranks into your training.  The first is to integrate PowerCranks slowly.  Overdoing any new exercise can lead to injuries.  I would suggest consulting with a coach who is familiar with PowerCranks to help you implement them into your program properly.  I would also keep in mind that cadence, not necessarily power, is what you might struggle with initially.  PowerCranks are easier at lower cadences so make a point of starting low and building up to normal cadence as you get better.  Finally, PowerCranks will help you understand and develop a good pedal stroke with appropriate pressure in each quadrant.  Contrary to popular belief, a perfect circle with equal pressure at every degree is not ideal.  If you try to do this with PowerCranks you won’t last long because the smaller muscles in your hips and legs will have a difficult time keeping pace with your larger muscles that operate the push phase.

Integrating a new tool can be both challenging and stimulating, especially in the winter months when trainer rides might require some spicing up.  PowerCranks are a great way to add some spice.

Mental Preparation- Stefan Timms

Mentally Preparing for the Early Season Races

By Stefan Timms

Some call it the winter coma.  Others call it hibernation.  Whatever term you choose to use, clearing the mental cobwebs that are associated with training through the winter can be difficult.  Early season races allow us the opportunity to do a mental spring-cleaning of sorts.  They allow us the chance to regain our technical race skills (i.e. transitions), to build up some fitness at race intensity, and to set up a successful triathlon season.  It is important be realistic in your approach to the early season and use it for what it is – a tune-up.

Many people emerge from winter having completed a solid aerobic training block.  The base miles they have done have them feeling fit and wanting to test themselves.  This is a great mindset to have, and physically these people are in a great place as well.  Others used the winter for feasting and hanging with the family, and the early season races mean something entirely different for them.  However, no matter where your fitness is at, there are some basic strategies you can use to mentally prepare for the early season races.

* Don’t leave anything to chance on race day.  Make sure that you aware what is required for the race and have it ready the night before the race, if not a few days before (i.e. race gear, registration, race kit pick up).  Reduce the race to just racing.  Remove any unneeded stress from race day so that you are able to focus all your energy on the task at hand.

* Rehearse your race day plan before the race so that when you arrive you are able to go through the motions with little thought.  Eat the same breakfast that you eat, get to the race site the same amount of time before the race, follow the same routine.  This all should have been practiced in the weeks and months leading up to the race so that you feel comfortable going through the whole process.

* Be positive about yourself and your upcoming race.  The words you choose to use and think should be positive so that you are energized about racing.  Take some time in the months and weeks leading into the race to visualize you completing the race the way you want it to occur. Knowing the course is a huge advantage so that you can see it as you race it in your mind.  On race day you will feel as though you have done this before and you will achieve the result you know can achieve.

* Do whatever you need to do put yourself in the mental state you need to be in for the race.  If you require loud music, then wear a Walkman.  If you require solitude, then seek it out prior to the race.  It is your race and you need to do what is best for you to create your own positive race environment.  On race day it is ok to be selfish.  You know what you need, to do what is necessary to get you ready to race.

* Be aware that the unexpected always occurs on race day and be prepared for it.  Have three extras tubes for your bike instead of one.  Have extra food in case you get caught in a line up.  Have water accessible. Think about the possibilities of the uncontrollable, and try to prepare for them.  If something you hadn’t considered occurs, then deal with it, but don’t let it affect your mental state. You control your mindset.

The first race of the year can be a little hectic as we all try to remember the things that made us successful last season.  The most important thing to realize is that we are all rusty.  Nobody comes back from a not racing for a few months and is perfect.  And rarely does the person who wins the first race of the year also win the most important race of the year later that summer.  Early season races need to be approached differently than those that hold more importance.  The success of the race should not be determined by the outcome of the results, but rather based on the achievement of predetermined goals for the race.  Tune up your mental skills, as well your physical ones, and learn about racing.  This will set you up for a successful season.

Improvising in Winter Weather- Stefan Timms

Improvising in the Winter

By Stefan Timms
As the alarm goes off and you are pulling yourself out of your warm, inviting bed you give yourself a self high-five!  You are really doing it!  No more talking about it, you are going to the early morning swim workout and you are proud of yourself.  You slip on your warm clothes, grab a small breakfast, and head out the door.  You take your first two steps towards a faster swim time and realize that you are already knee deep in frozen water – also known as snow!  It has snowed two feet overnight and there is no way that you car is going to make it to the pool, let alone the end of your driveway!  Welcome to winter!

So how do you cope when the weather disrupts your training plans?  You have two choices, sulk and do nothing, or keep that positive attitude and adapt.  If you would like to choose the first option, then there is no need to continue with this article.  However, if you are one of those who see “problems” as “opportunities”, then read on!

Winter can be a frustrating time for a triathlete.  Not only is there a lack of competitive triathlon opportunities, but also the weather can often throw monkey wrenches into your training.  The key is to be flexible and roll with the punches.  First off, you need to establish a mental focus for training throughout the winter, one, which does not focus on specific workouts, but rather has more holistic vision of what you want to accomplish throughout the winter months.  Secondly, a small amount of home equipment can salvage a missed workout and help keep your motivation levels topped up.

For a number of triathletes, the winter is the off-season, but for an increasingly larger group of people the winter is becoming a time in which to build strength and endurance so that come warmer weather they will be fitter and faster.  IF you have chosen to use the winter to train, then it is important that you have written out your short and long-term goals for winter training.  As the weather can often play havoc with anything that has to do with the outdoors, it is important that you keep a level head about training.  If you can’t get outside for your 45-minute tempo run because there is two of snow everywhere, then just go and run in the snow and enjoy yourself.  One, two, or even three winter workouts do not make or break a season, so don’t allow yourself to stress over the weather.  The fact that you are following a training routine throughout the winter is the most important aspect of winter training.  OF course, as you increase your skill level, and compete at increasingly higher levels, your training should be a reflection of where you would like to be competing.  It is for that reason that many of my elite athletes travel to Australia for winter training camps, thus avoiding the pratfalls that come along with winter.  However, for the average triathlete, swimming and running throughout the winter will provide you with a great base on which to build your summer fitness.

However, for those days that leaving the house aren’t an option, then a small amount of home equipment can allow you to have a solid two or three workout day!  Starting with the inexpensive; stretch cords, a Swiss ball, some free weights, a mirror, and a little ingenuity.  Stretch cords (which look like surgical tubing) can be used quite effectively to help enhance your swim strength and technique.  There are many small exercises that can be completed to increase the strength of the small muscles that often get overworked in swimming.  By strengthening these muscles you will help to prevent any overuse injuries associated with your swim stroke.  The stretch cords can also be used to provide a degree of resistance while you practice your swim stroke.  By looping the cords around a stationary object you can use a mirror and practice different aspects of your stroke, watching yourself to make sure that you are doing it perfectly.  This practice will translate well when you are back into the pool.  A swiss ball can also be used to help stretch and strengthen your body.  By performing a number of well-known exercises on the Swiss ball, you will be able to strengthen your core muscles (the ones around your tummy), which are an integral part for maintaining proper technique in all three of triathlon’s disciplines.  And with free weights, you will be able to perform any number of strengthening exercises to help increase your power on the bike and run.

For a little bit more money, you can invest in a wind/mad/CompuTrainer for your bike and a treadmill for your feet.  With either of these, you will not have an excuse to miss any important workouts.  And for fun, throw on a video of the Tour de France or the Olympic Triathlon and race Lance or Simon to the finish line, increasing your speed when they increase theirs and trying to out-sprint them to the line!

There are a number of ways to keep training when the weather says you shouldn’t.  If you are looking for an excuse, you will find one, but if you are looking for a solution, then you will always succeed!  Good luck and enjoy the winter!

Goal Setting Part Two- Stefan Timms

The Power to Choose Your Goals

By Stefan Timms
In today’s highly competitive athletic world, professional triathletes are seeking performance advantages in the fields of aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, physiology, nutrition and sports medicine.  Each of these areas offers only one piece of the performance puzzle.  The next piece of the puzzle involves mental training for increased performance.  The underlying principle behind a sound mental training plan is the belief that your mental attitude will determine your physical achievements or failures.  You’ve probably been introduced to this concept before, but most people don’t fully understand the real power of the mind/body relationship.  Take for example, commitment — if you don’t strongly commit to do what is necessary to be successful in your training, then chances are you won’t follow through with your training program.
Everyone handles the stresses of intense competition in their own fashion, but the one aspect shared by all competitors is a dedication and passion to improve performance.  You too can achieve your full athletic potential and realize your training goals.  Practicing good mental habits, identifying areas for improvement, and coming up with strategies to cope with the day-to-day stresses of the demands of training for three sports means developing a stronger mental athlete come competition time.  Using your workouts to rehearse and reinforce your mental strength and skills greatly enhances your opportunity for success.
Most people have the desire to do their best, to excel, to attain the highest standards of performance.  I have seen first-hand the desire top athletes have for athletic excellence and how it has led to a high level of success in their chosen field.  These are worthy human ambitions.  This desire to excel leads to increasingly higher standards of personal achievement and enhanced self worth.  A lack of concern for quality, creativity, or success would turn our society into a bleak, gray and spiritless world.  Achievement, success and the pursuit of excellence in athletics or any profession does not come without a strong commitment to do everything necessary.  The road is rocky and perilous, with numerous pitfalls to overcome.  Achieving excellence in triathlon or any profession requires a great commitment to doing whatever is necessary to be successful.  Many times this demands lifestyle changes or sacrifices that can be difficult for everyone involved.  Often the most difficult barriers you face in achieving success are those you impose upon yourself, sometimes unknowingly.  Psychological barriers can become our toughest opponents to achieving success. Success starts with a belief – a dream – that you can achieve. This dream gives birth to reality.
Perhaps the best example of how success starts with belief in yourself is the Lance Armstrong story.  Diagnosed with cancer, Armstrong battled for his life.  Throughout long and difficult bouts of chemotherapy Armstrong kept one goal in mind: racing successfully again at the international level.  Without his strong commitment to reaching his desired goals he never would have come close to racing again.  Athletic performance is not a science.  There is no cookbook for success.  If steps A, B, and C are completed, they do not automatically lead to a World Championship title!  We are all individuals and are governed by different rules that shape our bodies and motivate our minds.  There is no single way to do something.  You help forge the rules about the right way or wrong way to get to where you want to go.
Every person on the start line of a triathlon, whether it is a local sprint event or a world cup, has a goal that they are looking to achieve.  For some it may just be to finish the race and have fun, others may want to finish feeling strong or in a certain time, and still others will be looking for a top placing.  Before you can chase your dreams, you must know exactly what they are and where you are in relation to them.  You must also have the courage to make your own rules and not allow yourself to be governed by perceived or imposed limitations.  Training is what we do to get ourselves ready to reach our personal athletic goals.  Achieving a goal, whether it be winning the Gold Medal or finishing a sprint triathlon, makes us successful.

Goals Require Commitment
Commitment to improving your performance is something you must establish for yourself.  No one can tell you what is important in your life – that is your decision.  It is clear that successful athletes are highly committed to excellence.  There is no way to achieve a high level of excellence in your training without a high level of commitment.
However, sometimes the commitment you want to make and the commitment that is realistic are not the same.  Many of the daily duties of life limit us from having enough time to devote a majority of our time to only training.  There is only so much time in a day and it must be shared between work, family or relationship obligations, training, and rest.  The key to successful is to commit to excellence in everything that you do; if you strive for excellence in everything you do, your training will be successful as well.  Excellence is not a part time commitment.

Goal Setting—Putting it all Together
In triathlon, outstanding performances involve the whole person: mind and body.  Establishing goals is the first step in mental preparation.  The next step in mental preparation is to develop a strong strategy as to how you will achieve the goals.

Be Specific
The more specific your goals, the better they are at your directing training positively.  Broad, general goals are not reliable in directing training.  Many times long-term, far-off goals or dream goals do not focus enough energy on the present.  My coaching experience indicates that an athlete should use dream-term goals to motivate and stretch personal limits, but mid-term and micro-goals to reach the desired larger goal.
Reassess your goals often as you work towards them.  If you have set a goal too easy, then make it harder, or vice versa.  A goal is supposed to challenge, so review it as necessary.
Give yourself a realistic timeline to achieve that goal.  A sense of completion will be pressed upon you as the time you had set out approaches.  Also, a greater sense of pride will be felt if you achieve your goal ahead of schedule.

Stay in Control
There are many aspects to competition that are out of your control, including mechanical failures, competitors and climate conditions.  You will increase your opportunity for success when your energy is focused on the performance aspects of triathlon that are within your control.  I like to emphasize training goals, or process goals, rather than race results for short-term goals to measure progress.  Race success is greatly increased if an athlete is in good condition and ready to race, so stay focused on what you can control – your training, conditioning and workouts.  At times athletes become embattled with outside factors and lose commitment to the very core aspects that will create success.  Stay in control and maintain focus.
You should establish process goals to ensure that your training is focused on developing your energy systems correctly.  You will need to ask yourself what you expect to achieve from your training program. Do you expect to improve your efficiency, your speed, your power, your endurance, or all of these things?  Establishing process goals ensures that you have a training program that leads you to these goals.  You will find that your process goals help motivate you while training alone, creating a sense of personal satisfaction from the workouts

Dream Goals
At the top end of the goal spectrum are dream goals, or ultimate goals that push the limits of possibility.  These are the goals that you work toward for most of your racing career.  Dream goals go hand in hand with the physical process of peaking for your season’s most important competition.  They are a great motivating factor as your body is beginning to enter peak conditioning to achieve new heights of excellence.  They can help you through tough times and also serve as food for fantasy on long rides and runs.  Dream, but be realistic with those dreams.  Reaching goals that are realistic gives you a great sense of achievement and a renewed sense of inspiration.

Confidence Building Goals
Mid-term goals will often be the end-points of a training cycle.  Before tackling these goals, you should have sufficiently developed important physical qualities that will make you competitive in races.  A mid-term goal focuses your efforts on achieving something realistic but ambitious.  For instance, someone whose dream goal is to complete an Ironman event may have the successful completion of a marathon as one of his or her mid-term goals.  Reaching this goal would give that person a confidence boost that allows them to push through difficult periods coming later in their training.

Action/Process Goals
On a daily or weekly basis, it’s important to have micro goals, which create focus for each workout or week of training.  These micro goals create a common thread that ties together daily workouts and mid-term goals.  They provide a daily link to your dream goals.  It is the constant effort of trying to reach these action goals that builds the foundation for achieving your dream goal.  It is the details of your daily training that become your micro goals.
Many athletes are very good at establishing dream goals, but they get sidetracked and never reach these goals because they have turned goal setting into a static process.  Daily evaluation of your action goals should be integrated into your training program.  Many factors make it necessary to change daily workouts.  Planning is always an ongoing, fluid endeavor.  Things change on a daily basis: races get canceled, weather affects training, or you could get sick or injured.  The only way to stay on top of the variables is to change along with them.
Although you are probably not chasing an Olympic medal, having an idea of what you want to get out of a specific workout will keep you motivated and interested in the process rather than just the outcome.

Implementing your new goals into training
Now that you have chosen your dream goals, decided what the mid-term goals are that you want to achieve, and come up with the daily micro-goals, it is now necessary to begin the implementation phase of goal setting.  This is the part in which you put all this thinking in practice.
First off, write down your goals.  At the beginning of the season, or even better – during your off season, sit down and spend 15 minutes writing out your goals.  I recommend writing out your dream goal, your race goals this season (rank the importance of each race), and the steps you need to take in each sport in order to achieve your goals.
Make sure you refer back to these written words to maintain your focus and commitment.  Simon Whitfield began writing a separate training log for his goals in his lead up to Sydney.  In the very front he listed his dream goals, then his confidence building goals, and each week he updated it with his action goals for the week and for specific workouts within that week.  Reading through his log you would see that most of his action goals are small things such remembering to drink lots of fluids on the bike, or keeping his head down while he swims.  It is the repetition of these small details that lead to good habits, and as he is often quoted, victory is in the details.
Secondly, you should share your goals.  Don’t be afraid to tell the people close to you what you want to achieve.  A social support system can help you stay on track when times get tough.  Many times when an athlete is struggling with their training or racing, a coach, friend or parent can help them remain calm and maintain their training commitment.
Finally, visualize your goals.  See yourself achieving everything you have written down.  You want to visualize every detail of your racing performance being perfect.  Small technical details such as start position in the water, proper transitions, pedal cadence on the bike, and relaxed arms while running, should appear vividly.  These details will help translate visualization into reality.  This imagery engages your thoughts, emotions and feelings and more importantly, blends your daily workouts into your goals.
Blending visualization and mental preparation into physical training helps encompass all aspects that affect triathlon performance and molds a holistic approach for managing the real-life training and racing scenarios faced by every athlete.

Goal Setting

Core Muscle Activation- Stefan Timms

Core Muscle Activation Exercises

Do these exercises for 2-3 weeks before starting into strength program

* First week do 1×12 reps each day
* Second week do 2×10 reps each day
* Third week do 3×10 reps each day

Pelvic Tilt

Lie on back your back with your knees bent up and heels near your buttocks, arms at sides.  Contract your lower abdominal muscles while you exhale, and push your spine towards the ground, flattening it out.  Hold, then release the contraction as you inhale.

Hip Shrug

Lie on your back, legs straight, and arms at your sides.  Exhale and slowly pull one hip up towards the armpit on the same side by contracting the muscle deep in your back above your belt line.  Hold, then release the contraction, inhale, and repeat with other hip.

Toe Out Leg Raise

Lie on your back, legs straight, and arms at your side.  Roll one leg outward, exhale, and slowly lift it up towards the ceiling.  Pause and hold it for a moment before lowering it slowly to the ground.  Repeat with other leg

Side Leg Raise

Lie on your side with your legs straight, and on top of each other.  Keep your hips stacked on top of each other by rolling slightly forward.  Slowly raise the upward leg to 45 degrees as you exhale, pause and then lower it slowly back down. After a full set do other leg.

Mule Kick

Start on your hands and knee with a flat, stable back.  Slowly raise one heel and push it back as you straighten your leg.  Pause, then bring it back down and lift and straighten the other leg.

* Do exercises lying on the floor.
* Do slowly with good control.
* Breathing should be slow and deep, inhaling when muscles are relaxing and exhaling when muscles are contracting.

Winter Training Part 2- Stefan Timms

Beat Old Man Winter

Unless you are lucky enough to live somewhere that is warm all year round, chances are you will have to deal with cold at some point in your training and racing this season.  Besides the dangers associated with cold exposure, frigid temperatures can affect athletic performance as well.
The human body has a built in thermostat that functions similar to the one in your home.  The hypothalamus gland, located in the brain, is this thermostat and it strives to maintain a stable core body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit based on feedback received from the skin, the nervous system, blood vessels, and other physiological receptors.  When the hypothalamus senses an environment that threatens to change the core temperature of the body, it initiates processes that influence heat loss or preservation by the body.
Extreme cold temperatures may cause the body to sacrifice blood flow to peripheral tissues to maintain a stable core temperature and sustain life. The risks of exercising in the cold include bronchial irritations from increased ventilation of cold dry air and in extreme cases, frostbite to the hands, face, or other exposed skin.
While exercise produces metabolic heat that helps to maintain stable body temperatures and increases circulation to the periphery, prolonged exercise in the cold provides some challenges.  The first problem is that faster movement though the air, especially while cycling, increases wind chill and therefore heat loss.  This can be overcome by wearing an outer layer of clothing that blocks wind such as Gore-Tex®.  Covering skin, especially the extremities will help to reduce heat loss to the wind and cold as well.
Another obstacle to overcome when exercising in cold temperatures is avoiding an increased heat loss to conduction from sweat soaked and cold clothes next to the skin.  Avoid wearing cotton that will trap moisture.  Instead choose layers that will wick moisture away from the skin such as special polyester blends like CoolMax®.  While wearing wicking layers is important, the outer wind resistant layer should be breathable to allow wicked moisture to escape and evaporate, keeping you dry.
Fluid and carbohydrate needs are increased during cold weather racing and training as well.  You may not notice fluid loss due to the colder and drier air so a conscious effort must be made to consume extra liquids.  While fluid loss from sweating may be decreased in the cold, more moisture is lost through exhalation than in normal conditions.  In addition, working muscles utilize glycogen at a higher rate in the cold due to increased adrenaline produced by the body in response to cold stress.  This increased glycogen utilization leads to a higher risk of hypoglycemia without adequate carbohydrate ingestion.  Liberal intake of a carbohydrate containing sports drink will serve the increased need of both fluids and carbohydrates.
Failing to dress properly for the cold or address fluid and carbohydrate needs will negatively affect your athletic performance.  The body will shunt blood flow away from the periphery and working muscles toward the center of the body to keep internal, more crucial, organs warm.  As noted, carbohydrates usage will increase as well.  The cold will affect the nervous system and fine motor control.
When training or racing in cold weather, be on the lookout for signs of hypothermia that include shivering, confusion, drowsiness and weakness.  In extreme cases, the athlete may even stop shivering and go unconscious.  When training in the cold, utilize training routes that keep you close to home in case you need to head back earlier than expected.
Another challenge that cold weather creates is dangerous or unusual terrain due to snow and ice.  Running routes can become hazardous due to uneven frozen surfaces.  Try to find and use special running “spikes” that strap onto your running shoes for more stable footing.  If running or cycling outdoors is simply not an option due to surface conditions, embrace Old Man Winter by cross-training with a different winter sport such as snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.  If all else fails, indoor training on a treadmill or stationary bike trainer may be required.
Finally, do not think that just because you live where there is no snow on the ground that you are not susceptible to the dangers and performance decreases of cold.  Wind-chills or wet clothing can cause hypothermia at what may seem to be warm ambient temperatures as high as 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  This wind-chill on a “warm” day is especially common if you live and train on hilly terrain where you may be descending while wet with sweat from climbing the previous hill.
With good planning, and by following the tips above, it should be possible to maximize your training opportunities despite living in a colder climate.

Cold Therapy- Stefan Timms

Cold Therapy

Cryotherapy is defined as the use of cold temperature as a form of treatment for an injury. Although cryotherapy dates back to the ancient Greeks (Hippocrates), it is only recently (1940’s) that cold has been used extensively for the treatment of acute and subacute injuries, and rehabilitation.

Temperature alterations have four main effects on surface body tissues, including pain relief (analgesia), muscle relaxation, blood vessel alterations, and connective tissue effects. By reducing the speed of impulses conducted by nerve fibers, pain sensations are inhibited by cold. Target temperatures of 10-15 degrees C are recommended. Similarly, decreases in muscle spasm are seen with cold therapy, although the exact mechanisms for this are unclear. It is thought that this result may be mediated through reflex reduction in motor nerve activity secondary to response to increased activity in cold receptors.

With regard to the circulatory system, cold causes constriction of small arteries and veins, by direct stimulation of the smooth muscle lining these vessels. However, a curious reverse relaxing effect occurs with very low temperatures or prolonged cooling. The benefits of vasoconstriction include decreased hemorrhage and swelling within injured tissues.

The usual therapeutic techniques include direct application of ice or snow, the use of special cold packs or compression devices (using ice water or cooled water; 10-25 degrees C), cold water baths (hydrotherapy) or cooling topical sprays. These techniques utilize conduction and convection as means of cooling affected areas. General guidelines include the need to protect the skin from cold injury via a layer of intervening material, and limiting exposures to twenty minutes. A convenient schedule is alternating twenty minute periods of application and removal.

Skin and superficial fat is readily cooled by surface cryotherapy, but the effects on deep tissues like muscle and tendon, are somewhat debatable. There is agreement that cooling of underlying muscle requires prolonged exposure exceeding twenty minutes when using direct application of ice or cold packs, therefore cold water baths are the best way to ensure deep tissue results.

Typically, with application of ice, one will experience initial intense cold, then burning sensation, followed by aching and finally, pain relief or anaesthesia (loss of sensation).  Specific techniques useful to runners include direct application of ice to the elevated, injured part, often in combination with elastic wraps or compression devices. Ice massage is a very useful modality: paper or Styrofoam cups containing ice provide a convenient tool, making small overlapping circles of four to six inches for twenty minutes.

Problems with cryotherapy include hypersensitivity and allergic reactions (noted if cold and burning sensations last longer than several minutes), and cold injury, i.e.- frostnip and frostbite. Cryotherapy must be avoided in people with rheumatoid arthritic variants with cold sensitivity, those with skin sensation problems, Raynaud’s phenomenon, cryoglobulinemia, Buerger’s disease, and prior history of frostbite, etc. Caution is necessary when applying cold on or near superficial nerves, or when vigorous activity is expected soon after treatment, especially with prolonged treatment aimed at deeper tissues, such as muscle.

Time to chill.

Choosing a Coach- Part Two- Stefan Timms

Choosing a Coach

By Stefan Timms

The 2007 race season is behind us and now, after a bit of well deserved rest, it is time to start thinking about next season.  Although this may be a bit pre-mature for some people, those with specific goals for 2008, such as doing their first Olympic distance race or qualifying for Ironman, need to start thinking about what they need to do to achieve these goals.  A great way to start this process is by choosing a coach (if you don’t already have one).  For example, I have set myself a fairly difficult goal for next season – I want to win the age-group sprint race at the ITU World Championships being held in Vancouver in June.  At the moment my training mainly consists of swimming or running randomly when I have time with no real plan to it all, and I only get away with it because I have twenty years of triathlon training and racing under my belt. However, this won’t work at the international level, so I need to find a coach…and that led me to think about the factors I should consider when choosing who I want to help guide me through this process for the next 8 months.  The results of my pondering on this topic, the key points to think about when choosing a coach, are outlined below.
Price
First and foremost people think about price.  Most coaching programs range from $50 per month to $400 per month, though you can find some coaches who charge closer to $1500 per month! This may seem like a huge range in price but often there are many reasons for the range.  Your basic, generic program with no room for communication with the coach, or changes to the program is usually at the lower end of the price range.  Here you get a ‘one size fits all’ approach.  Typically the more feedback, changes, input, and personal service you want, the higher the fee.  Also, coaches with more experience, well-known successes, and higher levels of education and coaching certification tend to charge more.  Although you often get what you pay for, it is not always the case so make sure you ask around and find out what current and former clients thought about a particular coach’s value.  The best programs, if you can afford it, are those that are customized to the client’s unique goals, abilities, and time availability, and should be adaptable to accommodate work/academic life, personal life, and athletic life, as well as changes to the client’s personal situation that come up along the way.  In my case I have to consider budget, but I need to be able to have input to the program and changes made as a result of my feedback when work, injuries, and family life get in the way.
Experience
There are lots of experienced coaches available for hire who have worked with high profile athletes.  There are also lots of former top athletes who have moved into coaching after they have stopped competing.  However, there is more to consider than simply what elite athlete the coach has worked with, or what the coach’s own results were.  Someone who coaches many top pros or was a top pro him/herself is not necessarily going to be able to relate to an age-grouper and adapt a program accordingly.  A common problem with coaches is that they have a set opinion of what is the best way to train, and while their theory might be true in an ideal world (or worked for them personally), if the client’s individual circumstances do not allow him or her to follow such a program then it doesn’t matter how good the theory is.  So to start, you need to look for a coach that has had success helping a variety of individuals meet their personal goals at events that are similar to your goal event.  You can do this by asking for references, or again just by talking to some of the coach’s current and former clients.  This part is easier for me knowing the industry pretty well so I already have a short list of those that I think can help me reach my goal.
Approach and Philosophy
One of the fascinating aspects of training for multi-sports is that there is not only one ‘right’ way to train. There are many successful approaches to training volumes, intensities, structuring the season, etc. Some coaches emphasize long slow aerobic training, others incorporate a lot of strength work, and still others might focus on some other aspect of training. There is no one coach that has a monopoly on training knowledge and information, and there is not one right coach for all athletes.  In addition to training philosophy you should consider the coach’s ability to interact with his or her clients.  There is little point in pursuing your goal if you don’t enjoy it, so choose a coach you are able to communicate effectively with and think that you might get along well with.  Don’t be afraid to ask coaches what their coaching philosophy is before you sign up.  Personally, I will be looking for a coach who I can communicate with openly and clearly, someone who understands my experience and needs as an athlete, as well as someone who recognizes all the other demands I have on my time, and still wants this to be an enjoyable experience.
Level of Service
The level of service offered by coaches for their monthly fee varies greatly.  Some of the differences are in the regularity of the program (is it sent to you by email once a week or once every 4 months), whether there are actual workouts you can go to, how much feedback you get, whether you can ask for changes to the program, whether you will be able to meet the coach in person at any point, what level of communication the coach offers, etc.  Some coaches even offer additional services such as one on one workouts, video analysis, or blood lactate testing.  You need to decide what level of service is important to you (and affordable) as part of your training plan and choose a coach that offers that level of service.  I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, just a bi-weekly program with regular feedback that keeps me on track.

Hopefully after reading my thoughts above you at least have an idea of some of the things you should consider when choosing a coach.  Don’t be afraid to talk to various potential coaches before you choose one as it is an important investment you are making in yourself.  Personally I have decided to try something different in my quest to find the right person to help me realize my goal.  I have narrowed my choices to a select few coaches and I have put together an RFP that I will send to them and then choose who to hire based on the answers I get….hey, I might as well make them do some of the work!
Stefan is a former elite triathlete and coach who is now a lawyer, as well as a principal in the company that just launched 7systems endurance sport supplement.  Follow Stefan’s search for a coach and his progress towards his goal of winning the sprint age-group title in Vancouver in future editions of this magazine and on his blog: www.stefantimms.blogspot.com.

Winter Training Ideas- Stefan Timms

Winter Ideas

By Stefan Timms

The winter is a great time to work on your weakness.  By this I mean that you should take into account if you are particularly strong or weak in one of the sports when you are designing your macro cycles for the winter.  You can address this problem by incorporating a single sport focus to improve your ability in that specific sport.
A single sport focus can last from 4 to 10 weeks and you should end it with a time trial or race in that sport (i.e. a 10 km road race, a 1500m time trial in the pool, etc).  During a single sport focus you will increase the frequency, volume, and intensity in that sport while decreasing the frequency, volume, and intensity of the workouts in the other two sports.  For example, an elite level triathlete doing a run focus, might decrease the number times they swim to 3-4 times a week, and bike to 2-3 times a week, while increasing their running up to 6-8 times a week for the duration of the focus period.  The workouts in the non-focus sports should be kept aerobic, so that you are adequately recovered for your important focus sport sessions.
The focus sport workouts should encompass all the energy systems, and be done at various heart rates, depending on the purpose of each specific workout.  You should begin the focus with specific workouts aimed at improving technique and then as you progress through it add in sessions that increase in distance and intensity while maintaining proper technique.  This will ensure that you build a strong aerobic base, while also raising lactate threshold, all the while being as efficient as possible.
A single sport focus can sometimes seem somewhat tedious or difficult but it should pay off with big gains in that sport, and prepare you to race at a new level in the coming year.

Winter Running- Stefan Timms

Winter Running

By: Stefan Timms

Running is an activity that comes naturally to us.  As children we run around barefoot and free.  Smiles as big as the sky splashed across our face, we chase butterflies and balls around the park, not thinking about anything except catching that which we seek.  We are too young to know that we are tired, and if we do run too hard for too long, we just sit down and rest.  But as we gain age and supposed wisdom, running falls by the wayside.  So when we begin running again it is not with a smile as big as the sky, but usually with a pained expression of anguish as we pull our body up a hill. No longer are we chasing the items of our desire, but rather we are seeking a better body image or a faster time. This is the time to return to the sheer joy of running.  No longer do we want to think about the burn and the discomfort, but rather feeling of flight as we glide along the running trails.
At this point you might be wondering how to focus on running light and fast while you are feeling like an overstuffed turkey from all the holiday gatherings.  Well, not to worry, it is the objective of this article to give you some new ideas on how to maximize your winter run training.  Although you might be dealing with a few extra pounds, cold and snowy conditions, and short daylight hours there are ways to regain that child like running form.
Technique and Strength Drills
Improving or changing your running technique can be an extremely difficult task since its repetitive nature ingrains in our neuropathways.  However, there are some ways of improving technique, efficiency and strength.  As I have discussed ways to improve technique in other articles, I am not going to focus on that here.  Instead I am just going to give you some other ideas on developing efficiency.  Efficiency for our purposes will be defined as the ability to go further, faster, with less energy.  This is accomplished through the elimination of extraneous body movements during the full running gait.  It is also done through by the fine tuning of the aerobic system, which through a series of specific workouts will enhance its ability to carry oxygen to muscles throughout your body.  Over the winter I often ask my athletes to do one run session every other week that gets them to do a light warm up followed by a workout that consists of running A’s, B’s, C’s, lunges, leap frog, karaoke (grapevine), running backwards and sidesteps.  I will assume that you know what the first four drills are since they are very common and I’ve written about them before.  However, the rest of these drills need to be explained.  Leap frog is a game commonly played by children.  For this drill you will need a partner.  Have your partner crouch down into a ball on the ground.  Now, you are to run toward them, put your hands on their back, and jump over them by lifting both legs out to the side and propelling yourself over with your jump and by pushing off their back with your hands.  Once you have cleared your partner, it is your turn to duck down in front of them.  The idea is to keep going for several jumps.  Karaoke is also known as grapevine.  This drill requires you to move sideways by crossing right over left foot then right behind left foot and then back to right in front.  After fifty meters or so it is a good idea to go the other way…left in front of right.  This drill can be challenging so it is a good idea to put your arms out for balance.  When you run backwards it is a good idea to take survey the area first so that there are no unexpected holes, rocks, or any other obstruction.  I also advise taking small steps and looking over your shoulder frequently.  The final drill, sidestep is kind of like doing jumping jacks while moving either left or right.  You swing your arms out and up and back down as you take big jumps to the side.  Make sure you switch and go in the other direction. The idea here is to keep the heart rate in an aerobic zone for the 20-30 minutes of the workout.  Each drill should be around 50-100m in length.  You can do sets of one drill before moving on to the next, or just do one of each drill continuously, and then repeat the whole thing.  The drills will help to stimulate the muscles as well as build strength.  The added benefit is that it feels like you are just playing!
Treadmill/Water Run/Elliptical Trainer
There are lots of great reasons to stay inside for your training over the winter.  As I alluded to earlier, dealing with harsh weather as well as short days can make running outside difficult.  Why not hit the gym?  Aside from being in a controlled environment and being a great place to meet people, the gym can provide some great training benefits.  The treadmill is a great tool to help to get you running faster.  Even if you live in a perfect climate I still recommend that athletes do some running on a treadmill.  First of all, running on a treadmill will help to increase your turnover or cadence.  This will in turn carry over on the road and help you to go faster.  Additionally, a treadmill can be set to specific speeds that you want to do intervals or pace workouts at.  Finally, continuing on the earlier theme of technique, if you find one that has a mirror in front or beside it you can really get a good look at your form and watch to make sure that you are doing everything right.  Water running is another great climate controlled activity.  It can be used to supplement your outdoor training for easy recovery runs, or it can be done when coming back from injury, or simply as a preventative measure.  The beauty of water running is that you maintain the same stride and muscular benefit as well as some of the aerobic benefit of running without the impact.  I also encourage some of my athletes who are especially injury-prone to use the elliptical trainer for some of their run sessions.  Similar to what I mentioned with the water running, the elliptical machine can replicate the running motion without the impact.  This makes it great for anyone coming back from or with a history of stress fractures, joint problems, or even muscle problems such as chronically inflamed calves.  Furthermore, all of these ideas provide alternatives to the same old routine or running route.

Run Focus
While you may have read an article of mine that said the fall is the ideal for a run focus, the winter can also be a great time for one.  By doing a run focus in the winter, you can really build up the mileage to point that you would not be able to maintain during a full triathlon program or race season.  This is because a significant amount of run volume does not allow you to ride well, just as a lot of mileage on the bike does not allow you to run to your potential.  By focusing on lots of base miles and strength now, you will be able to carry that over into your triathlon season down the road and can take the benefit of all that volume into a balanced program when the time comes.  Make sure to schedule a race into your run focus as I find that many athletes need a race as a motivator.  Whether it is a 5k tune up, or a marathon, there are lots of racing opportunities at this time.  So check your local community for road races.  You might be surprised to discover that many areas have great race seasons that run from January through May.  The best way to do a run focus is to set it up as a macro cycle the way you would for your larger, yearly periodization.  This means incorporating a base or foundation phase where you add frequency, then volume, and finally intensity.  If you have not been running much I recommend increasing the number of days you run first, but keeping the runs fairly short.  Once you are running comfortably for 4-5 days a week you can start to increase the volume.  The key workouts to try to get in, after the initial adjustment to training are: a long run, a steady state or tempo run, and an interval, fartlek, or hill repeat run.  As you progress into more speed you can maintain this framework but simply adjust the intensity and volume.  If you are unsure of how to do this or what distance or time you should aim for in the various sessions try consulting a respected athlete in your area, a local triathlon club, or a triathlon coach.  A final point to consider:   a run focus is just that.  Do not try to maintain or increase your swimming or cycling at this time and instead only swim and bike 1-2 times per week.
Explore
The winter is a great time to get out and explore new routes and training venues.  If you are not using the winter as a run focus now is the time to just get out and go running somewhere that you normally don’t.  This is the best time for this since it doesn’t matter if the route is too short or long…you will not be sacrificing the objective of the workout.  Trail running, beaches, or scenic drives are great places to start, but the possibilities really are endless.  In addition routes that include sections on trails, hills, and beaches can challenge your body in a different way then the routes that your body is accustomed to thereby giving you an even better workout.  This is because running on hills or sand require different muscles then running on a flat road.
So take these winter months to relearn how to run with joy and happiness and efficiency.  Learn what you look like while you are running – see the beauty in motion.  While treadmills and running drills will help improve your form, be sure to maintain your fitness with a structured running schedule throughout the winter.  You don’t need structured workouts every time you go out for a run, but you should have a structured schedule of running so that you stay true to yourself.  And commit to change; your competitors won’t recognize your as effortlessly glide by them next summer!

Transition Tips- Stefan Timms

Transition Tricks

By Stefan Timms
1000 competitors.
$600 wet suit.
$30 goggles.
15 kicks to your head.
10 punches to your ribs.
1 personal best swim.
4-minute transition.
Seeing the people 3 minutes behind you leave transition before you do.  Painful.
Transition is one of the most glamorous spots in a triathlon.  It is the place that the fans always watch because it is exciting, fast, and they actually get to see you.  It is with this in mind that you want transition to be graceful and elegant.  No one wants to see someone wildly trying to get out of a wetsuit or searching around frantically for where their bike goes.  Transition should be smooth and quick, a pleasure for the fans to watch.  There are many tips and tricks that people all over the world use, but these are some that have worked for many of my athletes.

Sunglasses on water bottle
Many athletes wear sunglasses while completing the bike and run portion.  This makes sense both from a style and safety perspective.  Hey, you gotta look good!  And the lens provides valuable protection from both the UV rays of the sun and any debris that may launch up from the road.  Most of the people that wear glasses put them on just before they put on their helmet, but if you place an elastic band around your water bottle and place on of the arms of the sunglasses through the hoop.  This will allow you to put your glasses on once you are riding, saving some more time in transition.
Race belt
Using a race belt is a comfortable and practical way of wearing your race number.  In most races you do not need to wear your number until the commencement of the run.  In these cases you can just leave the belt and your race hat on the ground together, and grab them both at the same time as you leave transition and start your run.  After you put on your hat, either slide the fastened belt over your head, or if you want to fasten the belt on the run, do so in front of you and then twist the belt around so that the number is facing forward.

Racking your bike
If at all possible try to rack your bike as close as possible to the bike exit.  You find it much easier to run without your bike than with it in tow.  By being close to the exit, you are able to minimize the distance you are running with a bike in hand. Also, if possible, you should pick a spot on the end of a rack for your transition as that will make it easier to find your bike, and you won’t have to deal with people on both sides of you fighting for space.

Lubrication for your wetsuit
There are many lubricants that you can purchase to help you with removing a wetsuit quickly and easily.  Vaseline is popular, but the petroleum base can sometimes cause early wear in wetsuits.  Pam Non-Stick Spray is an inexpensive and popular choice among the pros, but ChafeEz and Bodyglide are also favorites.  Apply the lubricant to your arms, legs, and neck to help with the slick removal of your wetsuit.

Tucking in the singlet during the swim
If it happens to be non-wetsuit race, then man can tuck their bike/run singlet around their wait, inside their swimsuit.  You will often see the pro men exiting the water at Mach 10, reaching into their swimsuit and pulling their singlet out, sliding their arms through the holes and be finished by the time they reach their bike.  This is something that you should practice during training, but it is a skill that will save you valuable seconds in transition.
Note: You can attach your race number to your singlet so that you don’t have to put on a race belt later.
Transition is about being smooth and relaxed.  To be able to complete efficient transitions you need to practice.  Practice putting on your helmet during commercial breaks.  Every time you go for a ride, practice putting your shoes while you are on your bike.  As you become more comfortable with the procedures of transition, you will begin to put time between you and your competitors.  There is no single thing that will make you 30 seconds faster in transition, but when you do all the little things well, they add up, and make you fast!
Triathlon’s unwritten law is that no matter how fast you go – look good doing it!  Hey, it can be all pain out there on the bike, but when you come in, it’s show time!  Big smile, smooth transition, and a little wave for those adoring fans as you head back out – they always appreciate being noticed!
1000 competitors.
$600 wet suit.
$30 goggles.
15 kicks to your head.
10 punches to your ribs.
1 personal best swim.
4-minute transition.
Seeing the people 3 minutes ahead of you leave transition after you do.  Priceless.

Training Tips- General Overview- Stefan Timms

Training Tips- General

“Recovery is an around the clock process.  You may be one of the hardest trainers in the world, but if you don’t let your body recover you will never reap the rewards of your hard work.   It is crucial that the proper nutrients in the correct proportions are ingested before, during, and following a workout or race.  It is also important to ensure that you are getting enough rest, and to look after all those aches and pains through adequate stretching, icing, and massage.   It is in the interval between workouts that your adaptations for increased muscle strength and endurance occur and make that all training pay off.”

“In order to evaluate your fitness periodically, you should come up with some standard test workouts that you repeat every couple of months.  These workouts should be performed in similar conditions so that they only variable they test is your fitness.  Record your results, and use that information to determine whether or not your training is on track.”

“Speedwork is a great way to work your anaerobic energy system, recruit fast twitch muscle fibers, and simulate race conditions, but you should carefully monitor the amount you include in your training programs.  Training at your lactate threshold or above (i.e. hard repeats or extended efforts at race pace or above) is very hard on your body, and can take anywhere from 24 to 36 hours to fully recover from. This type of workout should not be attempted until you have done several months of training, and have a good base of strength and endurance.  Once you do start to incorporate speed work in your training, remember that it follows the law of diminishing returns, so use it sparingly.”

“Swimming, cycling and running are key elements of any triathlon training program, but there are several other important component that are often overlooked by athletes.  One of these overlooked components is flexibility training. You may not think of flexibility as important as the rest of the training associated with triathlon, but it can play a big role in your performance.  Not only will tight muscles limit your range of motion, but they can also lead to injuries that will stop your training altogether.  You should try to include a flexibility training session into every day.  The best time is immediately after a workout, while your muscles are still warm. You may not see immediate visible results such as increased range of motion, but you will feel it in the pool, on the bike, and on the run, plus you will avoid the visits to the doctor.”

“Remember that you probably didn’t get here alone. There are most likely several other people who made sacrifices to help you in your training and racing.  You must consider the impact of training on others in your life and work to ensure their long-term support of your goals.  Towards this end it is important to thank your support team and let them know how much you appreciate them; whether it be mum/dad, coach, teacher, partner, friend. They are all vital to you performing your best on race day.”

“Every athlete should keep a daily training log, as it can help you learn about yourself as an athlete.  Spending the 10-15 minutes a day on your log will allow you to evaluate your training over specific time periods and make adjustments if needed, evaluate your health to watch for signs of overtraining, compare results of similar workouts over time, and to analyze race results. The log should include details for the day’s workouts and information on your personal well-being.  The session details to record are: distance, time, intensity, heart rates, route/environment, etc.   Health information to be recorded is resting heart rate, weight, sickness, injury, fatigue level, stress level, and hours of sleep.  These can be ranked on a scale of 1-10, or be a yes/no answer.
Note: There are some good logs on the market, but it is easy to make your own on a spreadsheet program; then if you are really keen you can take all the information and graph it out (which will show certain trends).”

“The exit of the swim is one point where a lot of time can be made on those athletes around you.  Many people are tired from the swim and they relax and start to think about the upcoming cycle portion.  There are a few tricks you can use to leapfrog past them and into transition.  As soon as you reach a point in the swim that your hand can touch the bottom you should stand up.  It is probably too deep to run here, but you can do a few dolphin dives until it is shallow enough to run.  Once out of the water, start running and then either remove your goggles and cap (for a non-wetsuit swim), or just move your goggles up on your forehead and start to take off your wetsuit as you head towards transition.”

“Swimming is the triathlon discipline that requires the most effort technically.  A swimmer with good technique uses much less energy than a swimmer with poorer technique who swims with more strength.  The goal of a swimmer is to maximize the propulsion force generated by their limbs, while minimizing the resistance created by their body as it passes through the water.  There are five distinct parts to the mechanics of front crawl (otherwise known as freestyle) that must be mastered in order to be become a technically efficient swimmer: body position, head position, leg action, arm action, and breathing.  Each one of these can be broken into smaller components, and taking the time in the early season to work on them individually with specific drills will pay off with big dividends later on.”

“In any triathlon where the swim is in open water you will have to deal with swimming in a pack.  Unfortunately pack swimming doesn’t enjoy the same level of organization as cycling in a pack.  There can be people everywhere around you, and it can get messy.  The key is to remain calm, find a fast pair of feet to follow, and limit the amount of contact you have with others.  Swimming directly behind, or on the hip of another swimmer can decrease your work output by as much as 20%.  Stay as close as possible to the swimmer in front to maximize the benefit.  Contact of any type will slow you down and tire you out though, so if the action is getting too rough it may be better to get to the outside and swim in clear water even if it means going without a draft.”

Perhaps no training tool has been as revolutionary as the heart rate monitor.  Since their introduction over 15 years ago, heart rate monitors have given athletes huge advantages by providing an efficient tool for gauging the use of metabolic energy.   I recommend buying a heart rate monitor, and using it regularly.  With the influx of manufacturers into this market in recent years, it is easy to pick up a high quality monitor at a reasonable price. Whether you are training alone or with a big group of people a heart rate monitor can be an effective training tool.  Simon Whitfield uses his heart rate monitor to give him instant, and accurate feedback on his intensity during his workouts to ensure he is working at his prescribed intensity.  He also uses it as a way to monitor fatigue levels every morning, and to review training data he has downloaded into his computer from past workouts.  A monitor can also be particularly useful in a group setting where your competitive nature urges you to keep up with the others, as it will help you train at the intended intensity of the workout instead of your group’s pace.  A heart rate monitor could very well be the most valuable piece of training equipment you ever purchase.

You can get plenty of tips from coaches and training partners about technique, but it is sometime hard to understand what they are saying until you actually see yourself.  This is why I recommend getting some video analysis done if you are serious about improving your technique in any of the three sports of triathlon.  Your coach, an outside professional, a family member, or even yourself and a tripod can tape you while swimming in a pool, cycling on a trainer, or running on a treadmill/track.  Make sure to get footage from different angles (front, side, back) and optimally some underwater footage for swimming, so that there is lots of information to work with.  Go over the footage with a coach, as they will be able to point out any problems, and use the pictures to form a visual of your self.  This will help you see understand the comments better, and give you some ideas about what you need to work on.

Everyone responds differently to similar forms of training.  One athlete may need to focus on training speed and power, while another may need more endurance training.  Yet, on race day, the two may perform equally.  Your training must be specific to your physical needs and not to your training partners.  For example, Greg Bennett responds better to long workouts just below his threshold, while his training partner, Simon Whitfield, excels in short, speed sessions done above threshold.  Avoid comparing your training program and workouts to others, as your training progress is based on your individual requirements.  A group-training program that tries to train everyone in the same fashion will not give positive results to everyone, but on the other hand doing all your training alone may make it hard to push yourself.  Instead try to include a mixture of group and individual workouts in your program that will maximize the benefits and avoid the problems associated with each type of training.

So you are a triathlete and you think of yourself as a fit person.  When invited to play a game of squash/soccer/basketball/etc. you accept assuming it will be a breeze and you’ll run circles around everyone.  You may outlast them all in the game, but the next day you will pay for it.  This seemingly strange occurrence is the result of a principle called the specificity of training.  The specific training of endurance athletes is such that muscle fibers adapt to performing the same repetitive task and do not like to deviate from the normal patterns.  As a triathlete, your muscles work constantly at moving yourself forward at fairly even intensities.  Any intense activity that includes vertical, lateral, quick movements are going to tax your muscles in new ways, and soreness, or strains are inevitable.  Don’t forego alternate activities, but participate with moderate intensity or be prepared for some sore aching muscles.

If you are an avid multisport athlete, chances are that that you will be traveling by plane, train or automobile to at least one race per season.  As any experienced traveling triathlete will tell you, there are a number of obstacles that you may confront that could prevent a smooth trip.  Things like broken or lost bicycles, small rental cars, strange food, or unexpected weather are just some of the joys of travel.  These things can cause extra stress that you would rather not deal with on coming up to a big race, so be prepared for anything.  Make a checklist of all the equipment you can’t do without and consult an athlete with travel experience for travel tips and items to bring in case of emergencies.  If flying, bring everything you need to race in your carry-on, except your bike of course, that way if your luggage is lost or delayed, you will at least be able to swim and run.  If something does go wrong on your trip, stay positive by focusing on all of the training you have done. You will not lose or gain fitness in the few days leading up to a race, and almost nothing that happens can take away from the work you have done.  With a little preparation and a positive outlook you will be able to tackle anything thrown your way.

A triathlete must also deal with the challenge of swimming in the open water for most of their events.  This environment requires a whole new set of skills that should be developed for you to perform at your best.  We will be focusing on several skills in the tips over the next few weeks.
* Rounding Buoys:  Going around the buoys can be the roughest part of the swim and the best place to be is either on the far inside (shortest distance to the buoy) or the far outside (longer distance around the buoy but much less fighting.  Swim as close as possible to the buoy, and then as you come up next to it, use your outside arm to push out from the midline of your body as you stroke.  Kick hard and keep your head to keep a level body position, but curve your body while you’re on your side and your back is to the buoy to ensure a tight corner.  Take a few short sprint strokes, and continue to kick hard heading out of the turn and you will put some time on your competitors.

* Swim Starts:  In short course racing the first 30 seconds of the swim really make a difference.  It is very important to train your body to start quickly in a race so as to get ahead of the crowd, and hopefully onto some faster feet.  A slower swimmer can gain an advantage with a good start, by getting in the draft of group of faster swimmer or even find some calm water out front while everyone else is slugging it out behind you slowing each other down.  Practice the start you will be using coming up to your race.  Run-ins at a wave pool or beach, dive starts, waist level starts, deep-water starts, etc.

* Pack Swimming:  You could be a great swimmer but if you don’t master open water swimming skills, you’re swimming expertise could be sapped.  Practice swimming in groups in open water.  Do hard repeats in tight packs and learn to relax and stay composed.  Practice swimming on someone else’s hip or feet without slowing them down or pissing them off.  The more natural you can feel in these situations the more time you will save.  Get good at them and you could find yourself running to your bike with swimmers who are much faster than you in the pool.

* Exits: The exit of the swim is one point where a lot of time can be made on those athletes around you.  Many people are tired from the swim, and they relax and start to think about the upcoming cycle portion, and you can use a few tricks to leapfrog past them and into transition.  As soon as you reach a point in the swim that your hand can touch the bottom you should stand up.  It is probably too deep to run here, but you can do a few dolphin dives until it is shallow enough to run.  Run out of the water, and then either remove your goggles and cap (for a non-wetsuit swim), or just move your goggles up on your forehead and start to take off your wetsuit as you continue to run to transition.
Lactic acid tolerance training is particularly demanding and taxing on the human body. At the cellular level it can damage the muscle cell wall causing leakage of certain enzymes into the blood. The micro-trauma to the muscle cell walls can if insufficiently healed cause larger more serious injuries.  When it is used appropriately it can push the anaerobic threshold higher enabling a greater intensity of exercise to be maintained longer. It can also enhance the body’s tolerance to working hard with high levels of lactic acid present. Since this is something that is likely to happen in race situations it is a worthwhile pursuit.  On the other hand, when it is used inappropriately the risk of injury, illness, and training based apathy as a result of fatigue, rises greatly.  Many athletes will often do this type of training too frequently, but you should focus on the quality, not quantity in these sessions.

Transitions.
* When exiting the swim portion of the triathlon, have a list in your head for what you need to do for a fast transition.  Once you are on dry land, first put your goggles on your forehead.  Don’t take them off or you’ll have restricted use of one hand.  As you’re running, get your arms out of your wetsuit and pull it down to your waist.  Once you’ve reached your bike, pull your wetsuit past your knees and then stand with one leg while pulling the other leg off and vise versa.  Have your helmet on your handlebars, put it on, ATTATCH THE CHINSTRAP, grab your bike, and go.  If you need shades have them attached to your handlebars or water bottle and put them on once have started riding.  Keep transition as simple as possible because after a crazy gut-wrenching swim your body and mind may not be working at full capacity.  You should practice your transitions during any open water swim workout, so that on race day you will leave your disheartened competitors behind.

* Mounting the bike is probably the trickiest part of transition.  It is also the part where practice can make the most difference.  Learn how to mount barefoot with your shoes clipped in.  The Hi-Ho Silver is the fastest way to mount and I would encourage you to master it.  Some triathletes will have elastics attached from their pedal to their frame so that the pedals will stay stationary until they begin to pedal.  The Hi-Ho silver is performed by running along side your bike with your hands on the handlebars.  After crossing the mount line, lunge off of your outside leg, and swing the inside one over the saddle and land in riding position.  Place your feet on the pedals and hammer.  Don’t put your feet in your shoes until you have enough speed, or until you’ve established a good position.  When putting your feet in slide your foot in place, then reach down and pull on the heel tab of the shoe until your heel is in, then do the strap.  Pedal hard some more, then do the other foot.  You can practice this anytime, and may want to try it first on grass.  It may only save you 10 seconds, but why not go 10 sec faster without any increased effort?  Plus, it looks cool and you feel like a real pro when you ace it.

* The second transition is usually much less complicated than the first, but there are a few tips that will make it go even smoother.  Dismount coming into the line and run your bike to your spot.  Hook the handlebars, grab your run shoes, and pull them on.  Make sure you have glued down the insoles of your racing flats, so that you can put your bare, sweaty feet into them without pushing the insoles into the toe.  Also put elastic laces into your flats and leave them tied up.  Play with the tension to find the perfect fit that allows you to just grab them and pull them on, without being too tight or too loose.  Once your shoes are on, you should take off your helmet, grab your belt/hat, and hightail it out of transition; leaving everyone else in your dust.