Thinking about symmetry and muscle imbalances in triathlon

Muscular imbalances can slow you down and might even cause injury. They can hurt your technique which leads to being slower and less efficient, making you tired more quickly.

I want to write about identifying causes of muscular imbalance and how prevent or fix them.

First, let's look at Rob in the video below (I don't know Rob; I found this on youtube and thought it was a good example of what I'm talking about). Notice is right shoulder muscle during the contraction phase. Freaky! Aside from the discussion about machine v free weights, think about how long he has been doing the exercise that way to get that kind of imbalance.



And here's a video about running with a muscular imbalance. Again, this was from a quick youtube search. The good stuff starts at 1:36, but the beginning is a nice summary and educational portion.



So what do I think some common symmetry problems are in triathletes?

The core has to be the most imbalanced muscle group we read about, and it's a bit more complicated than just side to side. In fact, most common is probably a weak core that leads to lower back pain.  Stronger core equals stronger lower back, and that will help you maintain an aero position on the bike and definitely help you on longer runs.

Swimming Imbalances: With so many of us having trouble getting a good streamline, there are many areas that lead to imbalances.

1. Breathing: this one is pretty obvious, and I'm probably the lead problem-child because I simply decided not to worry about bi-lateral breathing. Anytime you are doing something to the same side repeatedly, you are asking for trouble. I know this causes a somewhat major imbalance in my stroke technique and I think it leads to differences in my abs. The solution is obviously to breathe bi-laterally, which most people say will also greatly improve your overall technique and certainly streamline you better.

2. "Strong-arm" pull associated with a strong side of the core: Again, we are going back to the core. A good swim technique involves using the core muscles as a platform to push against in the water. If you are pushing stronger with one arm, you are leading yourself to an imbalance in your core as the associated side gets stronger, too.

Bike Imbalances: These are a little harder to think about. With a bike leg that drastically lags behind my swim and run in terms of where relative times in races, I figure I must have a few imbalances.

1. Quads and Hams: Most people will tell you to pedal in circles in effort to ensure you are not "mashing." Well, that mashing will certainly lead to an imbalance between quadriceps and hamstrings. There must be a perfect ratio of "quads to hams," but I don't know it. The point being that bicyclists should consider if that ratio might be out of whack and creating an imbalance of quads-to-hams effort.

2. Core and Lower Back: Well, here is that pesky core showing up again. Staying in an aero position is not something everyone is immediately comfortable doing. It takes a bit of getting used to. And part of that transition is building an equally strong core and lower back that facilitates that position. I think you'll also find that as you cycle more in the areo position, your abs become significantly stronger.

3. Right versus Left: Everyone has a dominant arm, hand, and leg. It could be showing up in your bicycling. Catch it early in the season to prevent other problems. I personally think (without any review of studies) that a muscular imbalance between right and left can create knee problems because one leg ends up "mashing," which leads to the knee problem.

Run Imbalances: This isn't as simple as you would think. How hard can running be, right? Weeeellll, it can get more complicated than just putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as you can.

1. Posture: Go back to the second video today. In the first few slides, you can see different yellow lines and how they line up (they should be symmetrical on both vertical and horizontal axis). When you get tired and start slouching, you are showing your musclular imbalances. Which way do you lean when you slouch? Concentrate on good posture when you run, and that will help immensely with any imblances.

One of the main triathlon magazines had an article about running posture and it directly affected the outcome of the race. Lines were drown on the men racers, with the question something like "based on the running posture, which of the eight racers won the race?" Well, the guy that was at the back of the pack won the race because he had perfectly vertical posture. It's really a shame that I can't find that article now (and spent 30 minutes looking!).

2. Heel strike: Without getting too far into this issue, suffice to say that different angles of foot strike will create different muscles being used. Ensure each foot is striking the ground in a similar fashion.


Weight lifting:  Refer back to Rob at the beginning of the video. You don't want to be like Rob.  Here are some thoughts I have about weight-lifting for triathlon and some specific items to consider while you are lifting weights.

1. ALWAYS think about each and every action of each rep. You should know the general "lines of movement" that the exercise should follow in order to properly isolate the muscle group you are exercising. If you feel your whole body working to complete a rep, you are probably doing it wrong, and you'll end up like Rob (read the note of the video for more insight).  Isolate the muscle on each side properly to ensure you are lifting the same amount of weight on each side.


2. "Lines of movement" should be the same for both sides. The "lines of movement" are the actually paths in the air that your body makes. For example, given a bench press with individual dumbbells, are your arms following the same path through the air relative to your body? If not, you will eventually end up with a muscle  imbalance.

3. Angles: Similar to "lines of movement," the angles at which you are working need to be the same. For example, on the leg press, both feet should be in the same position relative to your body in the seat. Be picky about this! A little three-degree angle difference could lead to some significant imbalances. And are the angles close to what you are actually doing on the bike?

That's my attempt at a quick note about symmetry in your training. Obviously, there is much more to be said about this. But my point is that everyone should be thinking about it during their training sessions. Sometimes,     there is a pre-existing imbalance that is hurting your technique which then hurts speed and endurance. Or, because you are new to the sport or just not thinking about it, poor form will lead to an imbalance, which can be terribly difficult to train out of.

More on big breakfasts

As Matt says in the video linked below, "Go ahead and chow down."

I've posted before about big breakfasts, and this is a little two  minute clip with more to say about that. My breakfasts run in the 800-1000 calorie range (based on how many cups of cereal fit in my standard size breakfast bowl), so when he talks about 610-calorie breakfasts, it really isn't that much.

Take a peak and start eating big in the morning:
Racing Weight: The Benefits Of Eating A Big Breakfast - Triathlete.com

1st Day of Christmas: One Philosophy of Consistency

Christmas is tomorrow! Wow!

Everything up to now has focused on gear. But gear is not the most important thing in triathlon training and racing.

1st Day of Christmas: Consistency!

All the best gear in the world is not going to get you to the finish line of your big training days or big races. Only training can get you there. A smart training plan that builds upon weekly successes to create monthly successes that then create annual successes. And the foundation of all that training is CONSISTENCY.

It's really that simple. For 90% of the triathlete population, consistent training at a moderate pace will bring consistent improvement at a moderate pace.  And then it's just a matter of time until you break into the upper echelon in which gear and equipment provides specific advantages.

But even the philosophy of consistency has it's own foundation. To be consistent, you have to be dedicated to get up every morning and hit that scheduled workout of 3-4 sessions for each sport per week. You have to have a schedule that let's you get in consistent workouts. Most importantly to me, you have to coordinate your family time such that they remain the priority in life.

Consistency will indeed pay off, usually fairly quickly for people just starting.

A key element to how quickly it pays off is if you are hitting the right intensity level. It certainly shouldn't be high intensity in the very early stages like the first three weeks, when you should be simply setting a groove for yourself and letting your body adapt to new stresses. The second three weeks, you can turn up the intensity a bit, and then you'll start noticing the changes towards the end of the third week.  Each week, you either maintain an intensity and volume level or increase ONE of them (don't increase both because then you'll certainly lose consistency from lack of recovery or injury).

Of course, if you workout consistently at too low of an intensity level, you'll never see a difference. I like to keep things around 80% of max heart rate to ensure I maintain consistency. Anything harder than that, and I have to start worrying about appropriate recovery towards the end of the week (and I certainly do do the harder workouts! they are scheduled appropriately for recovery).  I always here about people who go to the   gym or walk EVERY DAY but can't lose weight...well, short and simple....their intensity level is too low or they haven't adjusted calorie intake.

If you want to improve in triathlon, CONSISTENCY is the key.

2nd Day of Christmas: Two things you DON'T NEED

All of the mentors I've had in life had at least one thing in common; they knew that wisdom is counter-intuitive. It's counter-intuitive to think about thing you don't need to succeed.   And then there are the definitions of "need" and "want."....and only you can define "want" versus "need" in your case.

So, let's get started....

2nd Day of Christmas....Two Things You DON'T NEED.

You DON'T NEED a really nice bike. In fact, you DON'T NEED a time-trial (TT) bike with aero-bars. What you do need to do is figure out your goals for triathlon and then get gear that helps you meet those goals. If winning the Ironman World Championships is one of your goals, well...ok...then you probably need a really sweet $10,000 bike.  If you want to enjoy the effects of triathlon training...better mood, better physique, lower cholesterol, and all those things....a bike can't help with those things.  Take a year or two beforel you go big-spender on the bike, and you'll be much smarter about what you want and what you should get.  I didn't wait, and I now have a bike I'm not completely happy with (although it fits exactly what I wanted...basic TT bike).

If you already have a mountain bike, then look for Xterra races in your area. If you already have a road bike, then spend your money on better things like  a wetsuit, pool membership, and such. For most people, time and money spent on taking ten minutes off our time should be spent on the swim.


You DON'T NEED all the supplements that the marketing guys and gals throw at you. Yes, I just did a post about Hammer Nutrition and all the great things that will do for you, but re-read it and you'll see several mentions about how I minimize their intake. Like the bike, they are really expensive and might not directly help you meet your goals. My annual budget for supplements is about $70-$100 (a bag of protein mix, a bag of Recoverite, a couple bottles of gel, and a few individual servings of HEED), and I think that is almost excessive.  I save alot of the individual serving items from races and use those during breakthrough training sessions. This is all for what I consider a fairly competitive season.  You can get all the nutrition you need (and get from supplements) from stuff likely already in your kitchen.

3rd Day of Christmas: Three Visions of Sugarplums and Really Sweet Gear!

The third day of Christmas, and now I'm dreaming. Here is some of my dream gear. Remember, I have two little kids now, so I doubt I'll see these dreams come true for a while.

1. Power meter: I want a real, no-kidding power meter that works in all places and at all times. Right now, I use the "meter" that comes in the Kurt Kinetic wireless bike computer, and it calculates the power rather than measures the power. It works good enough for what I bought it for. But I want something that is always truly measuring the power and will give me the downloads of data for analyzing it like some freak scientist.

2. Computrainer: These look sooooooo AWESOME! I honestly have never had the opportunity to ride on one, but how could the theory go wrong. All reviews are that it is quite realistic. The premise is that the computer changes the difficulty of your trainer compared to the elevation and other factors of the course you are riding. You can make up courses with topo maps (ie the course you've ridden three times weekly for the past five years), or you can buy courses that also come with live video as if you were riding down the road.

3 Endless Pool: I have the place already picked out where this will be put in our yard and attached to the house. Now I just have to win the lottery! Wouldn't it be great to have this at home for a 30 minute swim every morning without the pain of dealing with a packed pool and the denizens of the local pool? I can only dream of this sort of thing!

4th Day of Christmas = Running Shoes

Running Shoes. This is one of those topics that is impossible to please everyone because there are so many opinions and scientific studies. I'm not going to get into the specifics about this other than to say I think you need four pairs of shoes.

Thus, Four Pairs of Shoes on the Fourth Day of Christmas.

1. Trainers: these are your every day, volume and tempo running shoes. They should be sturdy with padding to prevent injury.  I like the Nike Structure Triax 14 that I bought last year. They solved my calf muscle problem that I could never really pinpoint a cause of. When choosing your trainer, this is where you get into the types of shoes for pronating and such. Below is a good video on the subject (found on Triathlete.com today!).

2. Race Shoes / Sprint workouts:  First off, let me tell you that I don't have a pair of race shoes like this, simply because I haven't moved them up the financial priority list (ie I don't have the money!). These are the shoes that are specially made for racing; they are light, easy to slip on in transition, and provide minimal padding. Not only are they race shoes, but you should probably run in them occassionally during the year, probably during sprint workouts or 2-3 race distance tempo runs each month so you know that your body "likes" them and they don't cause injury. Some of them look pretty cool, too.

3. Trail Shoes: I like trail running, and trail shoes can make a bit of a difference. If you think you'll be doing a fair amount of trail running in your training year, go ahead and get a pair of trail shoes instead of wearing your road shoes on the trails. I find that the biggest problem with the road shoes on the trail is that the tread gets eaten up pretty quickly. Stability and such is a long-second to simply getting my road shoes beat up too much.

4. Miscellaneous Shoes: All my used shoes turn into miscellaneous shoes. These are the beat-up shoes that are too worn down to run in but can provide basic shoe functions during other activities. The first option is gym shoes, like during a quick weight lifting routine. Or, they can be the shoes I throw on to ride bike with the kids. Some shoes turn into lawn-mowing shoes and get the green-grass-stain treatment. They could also be your first wet-wading shoes for fly-fishing or a pair of very light hikers, but I recommend some real water-shoes or hiking boots for those tasks. Don't forget that charities take shoes, too!

5th Day of Christmas = Headphones (that work for triathlon!)

I've had a lot of trouble finding useful headphones that work for triathlon workouts. I'm talking about big-sweat-fests on the trainer and long runs where I need some mental stimulation.  I prefer bluetooth simply to get rid of the cords.

Here are five headphones for you to check-out, in order of usefullness.

I currently am using a pair of Jayfree Freedom headphones. I like them the best of all the bluetooth headphones I've tried, but they still aren't perfect. I haven't run with them because I'm not doing long nine-milers right now and I only recently got them a couple months ago. They fit snugly in my ear during long bike rides and require minimal fidgeting.  If you're going to get a pair of bluetooth headphones, I recommend these, if only for the sweat-proof guarantee.  I also like the wire that connects the earbuds because it is fairly flexible. Someday they'll come up with headphones that don't need to be attached to each other, and then I'll finally be happy. Finally, the box these come in and the carrying case are a bit over the top for me.....cut the price by $15 and skip the packaging bling for happier customers.

Second in line are the Backbeats. I like these for driving and listening to movies at home on the computer, but I don't recommend them for triathlon (although if you must, they would probably work). Like the Freedoms, the wire between them makes them much more comfortable and flexible than the S-9's.

Third is the Motorola S-10s, theoretically an upgrade from the S-9's. I had three pair of S-9's, all of which shorted out.  These are ok for driving or office-work but I can't recommend them for anything related to triathlon.

Here are some swimming MP3 players. I haven't tried them.  I talked to one person at the pool who had them (the Finis) on, and she was happy with them. I can't see them staying on after a hard push from the wall. I suppose if you are doing only kicks, they would work ok.  I think you should focus on your swim technique instead of music during swim workouts. But here are two options for you....

$79.95 for Fitness Technologies @ Swim Outlet

    

$134.90 for Finis SwiMP3 at Amazon.com  

6th Day of Christmas: Hammer Nutrition

I haven't tried all of the different brands of nutrition and energy, mostly because the first time I was tired and then had a shot of Hammer gel, I was AMAZED at the near-immediate shot of energy. I thought it was truly incredible. Thus, I haven't gone anywhere else since then.

On a different note about the company, I have to say that it's refreshing to see their print catalog with all the employees in it. It just seems like the people at this company are my kind of people, into fitness and love of the outdoors.  That leads to AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE....give them a call to see what I mean.

So, on your sixth day of Christmas, get six products from Hammer at http://www.hammernutrition.com/.

*** I don't make any money off the products linked below. This is stuff I have and use and like enough to recommend it to you.***

If you've never used Hammer Nutrition before, I recommend you go with the starter course, which is a way of saying "sampler." But it's all good stuff. And DEFINITELY READ THE BOOK that comes with it; sure, it's part propaganda (ie "sales pitch,") but it's an excellent starter for information on the physiology and all the things happening in your body during an event and how good nutrition plays a part. There is also long-course starter kit.

Go with six different flavors of gel. Get the individual serving packets if you're just trying it out, and then move to the bottles when you know which ones you like (I heard that Santa likes Huckleberry and Raspberry!). 

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Go with six different flavors of HEED for on the fluid replacement. I find Gatorade and many others to be too thick and sugary. I water-down the HEED a bit, too, but not much.

Personally, I'm a fan of the straweberry flavor, but there wasn't a picture of that! HEED comes in strawberry, lemon-lime (too much flavor for me!), mandarin orange (ok by me), melon (never had it) and unflavored (and untried by me). 

If you are doing distances beyond Olympic (or significantly beyond two hours), you'll need some Perpetuem.  Yes, there really is difference on the athlete's side when it comes to using different products for different race lengths. When I did the Pocatello 50 race-leg a few years ago, it took four hours of running and I could feel the difference when I had some Perpetuem. I don't use this for anything beyond 2.5 hours. There really is a cut-off point or wall or whatever you want to call it right past the two-hour mark. You can push through that if you aren't going much past the two hours, but if you plan more than 2.5 hours, then plan for some Perpetuem.

Recovery is such a critical component of the training cycle, and wouldn't you know it....Hammer has a product just for that! Recoverite (get it? Recover...Right?..as in "correctly?"  ha ha, it only two me a couple years to finally figure it out!).  Anyway, this is good stuff but a bit on the expensive side. I use it maybe three times a week during the build phase, after the really hard workouts.  I also take three servings right after a race because it simply helps the recovery process. 

Endurolytes are great for those really hot summer days. I don't use them alot because it doesn't really get scorching hot here in southeast Idaho. But I know when I'll need them, and when I do use them they definitely can prevent bonking.  

7th Day of Christmas: Bike Tools sets from Park Tools

Bikes need maintenance. Good maintenance requires tools.

Get the tools you need to start at home in this tool set from Park.

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Park Tool Home Mechanic Starter Kit - SK-1

by Park Tool

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List Price: $123.38 Price: $75.00 & eligible for FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime. Complete your free trial sign up at checkout. You Save: $48.38 (39%)

8th Day of Christmas: Technical T-shirts

I love the Champion technical t-shirts available at Target. They are good quality (not great, but will last several years of big sweating). You can usually find them for $12-$15 regular price, sometimes down to $7 each if you get a good coupon.  Long-sleeves go for a couple more bucks..... get a couple of those, too, for the cool/cold days wherever you live.

Quick Information

Sale Price$12.99 
C9 by Champion® Men's Short-Sleeve Pieced Tech Tee -buy one, get one 50% offSpend $50, get free shipping

9th Day of Christmas: All the Sufferfest! Videos

The Sufferfest! They are great videos with great tunes that will take you to great workouts! All digital downloads; no discs to worry about and take up space, and they are easy to transfer to your phone or other device to view (instead of firing up your computer for every workout).

Get all nine for $84.99!

Not sure which one? Buy the SUFFERFEST NINE PACK

All nine of our videos for $84.99 USD instead of $102! Videos included in the Sufferfest Nine-Pack Bundle: Downward Spiral, Revolver, Fight Club, Angels, The Hunted, Local Hero, A Very Dark Place, Hell Hath No Fury and Extra Shot. Group edition includes all videos (except for Extra Shot) for $179.99 (save $20!).

Nine videos for individual use - $84.99 (Save $18!)	Eight videos for Group & Class use - $179.99 (Save $20!) (HHNF not available yet)

10th Day of Christmas: Running Gloves

In February or March, cruise the glove aisle in the local discount store like Shopko for great deals on gloves. Find pairs suitable for different temperatures in the fall, winter, and spring. A couple years ago, I picked up ten pairs for an average price of $2.50 (no kidding!). Now I have gloves stashed in several different places and never have an excuse for not running because my hands might get cold. Same goes for hats, of course!

11th Day of Christmas - Swedish Goggles

 I love the simplicity of these goggles, and you can't beat the price! Never worry about losing a pair of goggles again....because it's not a huge monetary loss if it's these. I usually buy 4-6 every couple of years, in whatever color fancies me but usually a couple clear sets for indoor pools.  If you haven't worn them before and are wondering if you could ever wear a pair of goggles with no padding, have no fear. These will indeed work with absolutely no leaks; it will take a few workouts to get used to them, no doubt, but in the end you will prefer them. Also, these don't cause black-n-blue eyes like padded goggles sometimes do.

12th Day of Christmas = 12 sets of earplugs (20 for $16)

I’m going to go the “Twelve Days of Christmas” here, showing some of the gear I use and why I use it.

Please note that I don’t have any affiliate links to the supplies and equipment I’m listing. In other words, I’m not making any money off these links.




Twelve sets of ear plugs

3M Tri-Flange re-usable earplugs.

A lot of people will tell you that you should wear earplugs on the swim to prevent dizziness coming out of the water. That’s absolutely true when swimming in the open water. Another reason I like to wear earplugs is to keep the noise level down while swimming laps. Seriously, if you have never worn earplugs in the pool, go ahead and try it because it will be a night and day experience as far as the noise level goes. And once you swim laps with earplugs and the peace and quiet they bring you, you will always want the earplugs.
There is a difference between these and the foamies that are really cheap. These just go right into the ear with no rolling and such. They are quick and easy and effective. Don’t get the version with cords because the cords get in the way and they also conduct sound. These are a very flexible plastic that you won’t even know are there once they are in. They come in different sizes, so if you’ve never worn them before, start with a medium and large to see which fit the best and then order in bulk to accommodate several sets in different lockers/bags for swimming and also in the garage for lawn-mowing, sawing, and all the other power-tools.
The link above takes you to a five-pack for about $10. I like to order one pack of twenty from Grainger for $16.00 every two years or so because I tend to misplace them.



*Please note that I don’t have any affiliate links to the supplies and equipment I’m listing. In other words, I’m not making any money off these links.

Non-Standard Cross-Training Opportunities for triathletes in winter...

Winter is definitely here, although you wouldn’t know by the amount of snow on the ground here in town. But it’s cold! And there is snow in the mountains. I could actually ride my bike on the snow/ice-free streets!
But I like to mix it up a bit. Here a few of the different opportunities presenting themselves lately.

Johnny Jump-Up! We need an adult version of this. It wears out Noah after 20-30 minutes. Paul and Noah both absolutely loved this thing!

Annual Christmas Tree hike! 30 minute walk up a trail, cut the tree, back to the parking lot for recovery drinks. The weather was so AWESOME on Saturday when we did this. No Wind. 100% bluebird skies. About 15 degrees. One kid on your back + pulling one in the sled = SWEAT!

Starting out....BEAUTIFUL day!

Heading up the trail...

Tera found a good tree.

Back at the parking lot, enjoying hot chocolate and the sun.

And the last one for today……getting Kiddo #1 geared up!

Coming Soon!..... AmphibOps Triathlon

As the new year creeps up on us and I'm getting back into a good training mode, I'm finding new motivation for my triathlon writing.

One of my primary goals for 2012 is to get the "AmphibOps Triathlon" brand moving along. I've been posting to 20-60-40 Triathlon for a few years now, and I think it has run its course. I previously wrote that I wanted to be running the AmphibOps Triathlon website by October 1, coinciding with the beginning of my winter training season. Well, my winter training season is really just now getting started, and so is the motivation to get moving with AmphibOps Triathlon.

Soooo.....I sat down tonight and wrote out a plan of at least 30 post subjects for the months of January, February, and March that will lead a newbie or intermediate triathlete through a detailed planning process that will hopefully lead them to a successful execution of their goals at summer races.

The plan is to introduce very specific and detailed subjects for you to read and think about, and then add into a developing triathlon plan, with the growing template available for copy/paste via google docs. At the end of the two or three months, you'll have a good plan based on principles and processes I've learned in the Marine Corps.

The first post will go out this weekend some time, with the follow-ups in the series coming out every two or three days.

I hope I can help at least one newbie or intermediate triathlete learn something new and meet their goals in 2012!

The kinks are almost out....moving into a full-on training schedule

I've been stuck in a rut of definitely not enough training since August or so, each month declining further and further into the abyss. I gained 20 pounds. I lost the ability to run six miles every day for five days in  a row. I doubt I could swim 1,000 yards straight through right now. And I can't be on the bike trainer for more than hour, compared to high-intensity two hour rides last winter.

But now I have a couple of weeks under my belt of training. I finally cut down the wine drinking to about two glasses per week. I am watching what I eat again, although not necessarily stopping anything but more aware of what I'm doing.  My body clock is nearly completely changed to early morning wake-ups.  I've worked out all the kinks in my new gear and my routines early in the morning.  

I'm ready to start hitting it hard!

Here are a few quick tips for the first phase of training and those first 2-3 weeks of training when you're just starting out or getting back into it.

1. Consistency is the key! Consider cutting your workout in half for volume and intensity before you think you just can't even start a workout.

2. If you are really tired, start the workout with an absolute minimum effort in mind. You'll find after a few minutes that you get into a groove and pick it up a bit. Before you know, you have a good workout completed.

3. Don't start a new "diet" the same time you start a new training schedule. You'll probably find that you are absolutely starving many times during the day in the first couple of weeks. That's because your body is adapting to the new demands and needs energy. Feed the beast! The massive hunger "moments" should subside by week four or five back into something more natural for you.

4. Adjust your alcohol, tobacco, and soda intake right now (yes..in direct conflict with #3!). I'm not talking about drastic cuts or stopping cold-turkey. Adjust to 50% or so to keep the empty calories to a minimum, which will help you see initial results more quickly, which feeds the motivation monster just when you're starting to wonder if it's worth it.

5. Don't get discouraged when you have a hard time getting a workout started. This three weeks is about getting your body, schedule/routine, and gear ready for easy start-ups down the road. This is an investment period when you put things into place to make everything easy to maintain consistency and simply get workouts started in the next phase.

6. Write down some data points every three or four days. Include your weight, time for a standard run or bike route, and a 500 yard swim. Don't worry about improving your times right now. You are getting data points now to compare three or four months from now. It's incredibly motivating to see how much weight you lose and how much faster you get!

Xterra wetsuit sale.. GREAT DEAL!

https://www.xterrawetsuits.com/index.php/2011-ironman-arizona

Awesome deal....60% off.

Consistency in the early phase of a training program

I really think consistency is the NUMBER ONE priority in the first six weeks of a training program. Joe Friel in his "Training Bible" book talks about how the muscles and tendons have to adapt in the beginning phases, and he is absolutely right based on my recent experiences.

Here are some of my thoughts on how to maintain consistency in the first phase of a new training program:


1. Consistency trumps everything, especially intensity. It is more important to just get on the bike or run for twenty minutes then to worry or think that that 20 minutes won't do anything. It will do wonders simply because of the consistency.

2. As I increase my number of consistent workouts, I can see my capacity improve. For instance, my first workout on the bike trainer in six months, I kept a steady state of about 15mph for 20 minutes before getting tired. Two weeks later, I'm already up to 17.5 mph steady state for 20 minutes before getting tired.  The percentage of improvement is good for morale and motivation.

3. Scheduling is the most important thing. I'm in a period right now when I go for several months with minimal interruptions on a macro-scheduling level, and three weeks when I can look at every meeting and schedule around them to maintain consistency.

4. It's those pop-up events that stop a workout that kill consistency, and those are the things you have to be prepared to adapt to. Find a way!  That's when you have to say 20 minutes of anything is better than a skipped workout...this helps you find the time in your day.

5. Keep the goals very simple, with very little beyond the consistency aspect. I have very simple goals in this first six weeks phase: 1) maintain consistency. 2) get 150 "points" per week in that 100 yards swim = 1 point, 1/4 mile of running = 1 point, and 1 mile biking = 1 point. This keeps me keyed on consistency over volume or intensity (although the only metric is volume, it works that way for me personally).


When I first started triathlon training a few years ago, I noticed that there were significantly different muscles involved and paid attention to the adaption time and processes. I considered it quite normal and just something I had to deal with. Having been a runner and swimmer all my life and hiking alot in the previous ten years, I was in pretty good physical condition, but nothing compared to where I was headed for triathlon. My body needed to adapt to the bike stresses and then the overall changes in form and function of my body.

So now....after gaining 18-20 pounds and getting a bit out of shape, I'm back into the training. And I have to remember that after six months of no consistent training, my body needs to adapt again. That is difficult to deal with physically and mentally. Physically because there is some pain involved in getting back into running more and biking (consistent swimming comes in January!). Mentally, I am having trouble adapting to only being able to run four miles every day instead of six miles.

I figure after six weeks, I'll be back to my normal (new normal, anyway) self or pretty close to it, and then the physical and mental problems will go away, and I can focus on intensity and then move into race-specific workouts.

Tri helmets deal...50% off

Triathlon Bike Helmets PowerTri Triathlon Shop

Good deals at the link.

Triathlon swim sets and a Pocatello Master's team

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone!  I had a really good training week last week, the first good, full, complete week of training in about three months. I even got in three bike trainer workouts!

Link below to great training advice that is TRIATHLON specific.

Feel For The Water! Advice & Tips to Improve Your Swimming.: The Two Classic Swim Training Mistakes

Great article here about triathlon swim training sets versus swim team and standard masters sets.

I like to do 16x100 at near race pace with a 10-15 second rest, which is also what Swim Smooth is recommending in this.

And it looks like Pocatello is going to get a masters swim program! Wooohooo!  Solves two problems for me:
1. I get some coaching on my technique.

2. Timing is great. Sessions to start at 4:45am, so now I don't have to wait til 6am to swim. This makes scheduling much easier.

and I'll now have peer pressure to get me out of bed in the morning!

Gear: Kurt Kinetic Wireless Powercomputer

  I've had the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer since about May, and then I bought the Kurt Kinetic Wireless Powercomputer a couple months ago. But I haven't used either of them until last week. When I first got it, I screwed around with it a bit just to see how it works and to see what to expect. Now that I've had five or six rides with it, and I think I'm ready to write a review. So here it goes.

BLUF: The only reason I'm keeping it is because it gives me a consistent power reading, although that reading might be off a bit it is consistent. Other than that power reading, the thing works as advertised, but it's not very user friendly. It is advertised as WIRELESS, but it requires a wire for cadence.....so not exactly as advertised concerning that. I can only recommend this to someone who wants a computer that provides consistent power readings without worrying that it is a computed data point rather than measured.

Setup: Setup was easy for some parts and hard for other things. First, I got to use the magnets from my previous bike computer, which was obviously nice. There's a lot of extra wire available, which is good or bad depending on your own needs. I'm tempted to cut and splice a foot out, but I haven't made that decision yet. The biggest issue with setup is that you have to change the orientation of the mount ninety degrees...a huge annoyance but easy enough to do...what kind of company doesn't fix that in production?

Feel:  The bike computer feels light and cheap plastic. I'm nervous about clicking through the buttons because it seems like they're going to break. We'll see if this durability issue is warranted down the road.

Use: The display reads out ok, but the information available sucks.  All the reviews I read about this before buying the gear talked about this issue....believe all the negative comments you read about the lack of thought put into how information and stats are displayed.  I can see the speed nice and big, but quite small right below/beside it is the heart rate. When I'm hitting a hard Sufferfest! interval and trying to keep up a high heart rate, I need that heart rate to be BIG and READABLE...not the case here. The overall time of the ride is shown all the time, which I personally don't really need and consider it a waste of space.

I have to cycle through the bottom portion of the screen to see in quite small text the watts, avg speed, cadence, temperature (who cares what the exact temperature is?!), and a few other things. What I want is to see in big type the speed, cadence, and heart rate. Everything else, like average cadence, average heart, and such, can be cycled through in small text after the ride. So, I'm not a big of how information is displayed.

Wireless Interference:  When I first tried the computer, the readings were wildly erratic, from 2mph to 75mph or something crazy like that. Every data point was acting crazy. I checked the magnets, and they were all good. Then I read the manual (gasp! I know...crazy!), and it said that there can be interference from  magnetic forces. My laptop computer is magnetic. I moved it a couple feet away from the bike computer, and presto! all the problems were solved. Lesson: keep your laptop at least a couple feet away from the bike computer monitor.   So how do I watch the awesome Sufferfest! videos? I watch them on my Droid X phone only about two feet away from the bike computer, and all is good.

Power Reading: Other reviews talked about the power reading being quite realistic and close to power meters that measure the power rather than compute the power. If you don't know, the Kurt Kinetic power computer computes the wattage via math formulas that are calibrated with the fluid trainer.  I simply like knowing that I have another objective, consistent data point to measure and compare.  This is truly the poor man's power meter.

Heart Rate Strap: This strap feels much bulkier than my Timex Ironman strap, but once I get going it makes no difference, and I basically forget that it's there. I don't necessarily like the strap, but I don't dislike it either. If I noticed it during the ride, then I would dislike it, but that is not the case here.

Please understand that I don't think my issues with this bike computer in any way relate to the fluid trainer from Kurt Kinetic. That thing is SWEEETT! I think the problem is that a trainer company tried to make a bike computer, resulting in a usable product but definitely not an awesome product.

Mix It Up: Swim After Lifting Weights

Starting a new category this morning called "Mix It Up," which is about different ways to increase variety in your workouts to break up the mental monotony and prevent plateaus (wow, the words flow quite nicely right after a workout!).

This morning I swam after lifting weights. I only did 2x100 + 1x50 for a total of 250 yards, which is the only 250 yards I've swam since mid-June except for the July 1500m I did at the Pocatello Triathlon. Anyway, I knew it was going to be difficult, but it was much harder than I expected. All of last year I was thinking that just 500 yards after any workout would greatly increase my swimming volume during the winter and set me up for a better spring and summer swims.

This 250 yards this morning really worked me. My last 50 yards on 40 seconds, but I highly doubt I could do that even ten times in a row, compared to 15x100 coming in on 1:20 and leaving at 1:40 during normal summer workouts. I didn't time the 2x100s because I just wanted to feel what the water felt like and where my form was at. I could definitely feel the weight lifting session in my strength, and I managed to have some decent form, but it didn't last long because I was so tired.

Anyway.. consider swimming directly after a weights session to mix up your workouts.  You'll be surprised. Another option is to lift weights, specifically leg curls and leg presses, before a bike workout...or do the bike and then lift weights.

Clear Priorities allow Clear Focus

No doubt that any athlete with a family and a job has trouble finding the opportunities to make the most of consistent training. Kids, spouse, housework, yardwork, cars, maintenance, burned out light bulbs, dirty diapers, throwing the balls around, time at the park, etc etc etc.....they all add up to missed workouts because we all put our families first (as it should be).

So how to solve that problem? Set clear priorities of effort for spouses based on time of the day or whatever will work for you and allows you to focus on what you want during a specific period of time. My personal example is below.

The last two months have been hard for me because Noah is still waking up at night and early morning. That means I never know if I'll be able to get in a morning workout session. Last year worked great because Paul almost always slept til 7:30, and so I would get 100% priority from 4:30am - 6:40am for my workouts....if Paul needed anything between those hours, Tera would take care of it. And then from 6:40 until he left for school, I would take care of Paul. Tera and I had a deal that clearly defined the priorities of each of us for a set period of time, and that allowed us both to succeed in our goals.

So tonight we made the deal again, a bit different, but the deal has been made. I will get up and give Noah a bottle anytime after we go to bed, and then I get to not worry about it from 4:30am - 6:40 again, just like last year. This allows us to both KNOW EASILY what is supposed to happen in the fog of the night. No questions. No arguing. We both understand what is supposed to be happening.  I get to KNOW that I'm going to workout in the morning, and the added pressure of that being my only "window of opportunity" will get me out of bed. Tera gets to know that she'll be able to workout in the morning, too. And, most importantly, our kids will be taken care of appropriately. The juggling act is solved, at least for now. If Noah starts sleeping all night, then I'll be that much happier.

Other examples could be a specific time right after the work day, like 5:30pm - 6:30pm where you get to do a workout after work, but then take the kids the rest of the night. Even if that is the deal for just one night per week, it is one night per week that you get to focus. Choose a night that doesn't have many interruptions that can break the deal....the maturity level comes with how you handle it if you get home later than expected and realize you only have 30 minutes instead of an hour....then what? You shutup and do 30 minutes because that was the deal.  Trying to muster more out of the deal because of circumstances neither of you can control doesn't help anyone. Roll with it, and go for something for the 30 minutes in the name of consistency and keeping the deal.

Or it could be a three hour period on Saturday or Sunday morning. Again, the deal is the deal. If the weather sucks or you drank the night before and can't get the whole workout in, that's just the way it is. You get your allotted time period -- no more and no less -- so that the other person can have their time. They've surely planned it out to maximize the time, and screwing with the timeline could break the whole deal.  Obviously, there is some give and take on this, but if you are giving more than you are taking, then you need to realize the deal is probably in jeapordy.

Birthday Cake, Veteran's Day, and "Breaking Trail" trailer

A double post this morning, as I watch Mr. Wide-awake at 0600 instead of going to the gym.

The US Marine Corps had its 236th birthday yesterday! Happy Birthday Marines! In the excitement of the day, I forgot to post a note about it!  I only had three pieces of cake last night!  I was full from a good meal, so I had to bring home about five pounds of it (having to clean up has its privileges).  I have a bad sweettooth, and Marine Corps birthday cake is the one thing that I don't care about how much I eat....................

.......except like at the Birthday Ball I went to on Saturday for my drill when I got NO BIRTHDAY CAKE. Yes, that was an atrocious thing! But I survived. I went hunting it down, too, but couldn't find it. Still don't know what happened. However, in its place was an incredible tiramisu that is indeed  a top five dessert of my entire lifetime!.

And it's Veteran's Day. Thanks to all you veterans out there....World War II Marines hold a special place in my heart because of the incredible Pacific campaign.

.....and now abruptly changing gears and directions....................

It's getting to be that time of the year!  This will get you thinking....

See more on Trailspace at http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/11/09/backcountry-film-festival.html

That video is a trailer for a backcountry film festival, opening in Boise today. Dang! I think that would be pretty cool to see....too bad I'm not on that side of the state this weekend.

If you don't know why I'm tying skiing to triathlon, it's because of the great aerobic benefit from backcountry exploration.  Climbing 2,000ft a couple of times through powder will wear you out like nothing else. And the change of scenery and fresh air is great motivation.

BTW, yurt sign-ups at Idaho State University are next week, Nov 18th beginning at 0900. I'm told there is a new yurt...hopefully it's at the bottom of Bonneville Peak proper, right at the bottom of the really sweet skiing. I'm hoping for two good yurt nights this year.

Also hoping for a good snow year again. I think I'll end up on cross country skis alot of the time this year again, as I want Paul to learn something on his own, and I think cross-country will facilitate that the best. We can ski a while, then he can get in the cruiser with his brother. Meanwhile, Mommy gets to stay home in a nice and quiet house and get some MUCH NEEDED personal quiet time. Win Win Win on that one.