Things I’m working on for my swim technique this year

Short version of what I’m focusing on for swim technique this year:

- Touch my toes and knees together during the kick to streamline my body.

- Proper body rotation that streamlines my body and creates a propulsion platform in my core.

- Not crossing the centerline with my arms.

- Pulling back with my arms instead of pushing down.

- More swim volume than last year to minimize the impact of a hard swim on my bike and run.

- Lastly, “rolling over the barrel” during the pull phase.

- Someday, I’ll work on bilateral breathing!

I’ve been swimming laps for at least 30 years now (wow! It feels weird to say that!). Starting just last year, I decided I need to take a look at my form to see where I can improve. Until last year, I just plugged away at 1:30 – 1:40 per 100 yards freestyle, pulling through the water with brute force and a fair amount of endurance. Then my shoulder started hurting. Thus, my desire to make some changes. I’m surprised it took that long for the pain to show up.

So, two years ago, I took a video of me swimming 750 yards in the pool during a spring sprint triathlon here in Pocatello. Two things popped out immediately: I “snake” terribly and I have a nasty crossover in both arms. And, my left foot swings really far out when I breathe. A picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth ten thousand words.

Then I found Mr Swim Smooth and started reading the articles there. I signed up for the weekly e-mails, most of which are informative. The one thing that stood out was a tip to keep your toes and knees nearly touching each other during the kick; this should help keep you streamlined.

The swim smooth tip for keeping the legs together was the item that brought it all together. When I concentrate on that, I’m much more streamlined, which then takes away most of the snake and the crossover. Concentrating on not crossing over the center line might be preventing the snaking, too.

In just the third week of training this year, I think I’m successfully instilling new technique habits that streamline my body much better. This requires retraining my muscle memory, and also training new muscles to some extent. It isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, but it does require some patience and focus during each workout. I can feel significant improvements in streamlining, and it shows up in my times. This year, I’m starting at an average of 1:30/100yds, versus normally starting at 1:40-1:45. I think I can realistically get myself down to 1:10/100yds this year, which puts me right around 20 minutes for a 1500m swim in good conditions with a wet suit. Last year I was at about 1:15-1:20 per 100 yards average during my swim workouts in the pool.

Sufferfest “Local Hero” review

I got the Sufferfest “Local Hero” video the second day it was available. Since then, I’ve watched it twice while just doing a steady state ride and kind of following along with the instructions, so that was more like listening to it than watching it. But today at lunch, I actually did the video and followed the instructions.

http://www.thesufferfest.com/



Bottom Line: Buy it and do it. It hurts when done correctly, and it hurts in a way that should help you improve your 40k TT for triathlons. The pain is fairly consistent throughout the 75 minutes of actual work (plus five minutes warm up and five minutes cool-down). Also, I think the creator should get a “smart ass of the year award” for his continuing story and character development. You’ll find the story line of Local Hero quite interesting and down-right fun(!).

The way I look at it, the workout consists of three main sections: the pyramid, the 3-minute laps, and the sprints.

The pyramids are my favorite because I can understand on a molecular level (if that is even possible) how it is improving my functional threshold. Make no mistake, it hurts! But then if it didn’t hurt, it wouldn’t be the Sufferfest now, would it? My only advice is to take a few tries to set your expected levels of effort appropriately for these pyramids so that it takes max effort to complete them but not so hard that you can’t keep going.

The 3-minute laps are good, too. I like this because it hits a type of effort level that I haven’t been doing but know I need to do. Three minutes at a level above TT-race-pace is needed to push you to that next level, and I just haven’t been doing it. This video now gets me doing it. Again, set an appropriate level so you can actually finish. I wish the breaks were only one minute long because two minutes feels too long, but then I have never been able to actually rest long enough between sets like you’re supposed to to make the next set absolutely as hard as it could be.

The sprints are….well, they are what they are (ha ha!). You get out of them what you put into them. What other clichés can I come up with? Not my favorite thing to do, but when I am mentally prepared, I can crush this section and feel good about it. Somehow, the video gets me to really put out on these even though I don’t like them.

The soundtrack throughout the video is good. There isn’t any Iron Maiden or Judas Priest or AC/DC on it, so it’s not my normal style, but it keeps me interested, for sure. Personally, I wish there wasn’t a political or social message in the “Let’s Go Shopping” song because it kind of ruins the mood, but oh well…I quickly get over it once it’s done.

The Sufferfest videos keep getting better with each new release, and “Local Hero” is no different. And seriously, for $12 it’s a no-brainer to become your own local hero.

Chariot Child Carrier and Cross Country Ski Attachment review

A review of the Chariot Cross-Country Hiking attachment.....and the Chariot in general.

Last Saturday I went for a rather long (2.5 hours) cross country ski pulling my Chariot with not one but TWO thirty-pound kids in it. I had a wonderful day. Sure, the weather was good and hearing the kids yell “Wheee, this is fun…faster!” will certainly make for a great day. I’ve since realized that a lot of the “great day attitude” came from having a piece of gear that works really well and better than expected.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking at buying the Chariot and/or the XC Ski kit for it, get it if you think you’ll use it. It’s worth the money and will perform beyond expectations while cross-country skiing. It’s not made for downhill turns, so don’t expect to be doing that.

Pros: Works even on “single-track” XC trails. As long as there is a track to follow, you’ll be able to pull it. You’ll think the skinny skis won’t provide enough float, but they do. Also, it’s incredibly easy to put together….. I have prep time down to ten minutes on a slow day.

Cons: Feels a bit jerky to me, but the kids still sleep really well in it so it much not be a big problem. Gets hard to pull when there is no established track.


Back just before Thanksgiving, I finally bought the Chariot XC Ski attachment. $250! Wow, that was expensive. Of course, I wondered if I would get my money’s worth and if it would even be something that worked well enough to use regularly. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Chariot Cougar 2 that we have: it is incredibly smooth and straight when running, and I don’t even know it’s there behind my bike, and it holds A LOT of gear if you want it to!

Cruising on a single track XC ski trail with the Chariot. 

I’ve taken it out a couple of times this year with two year old, thirty-pounder Paul in it. Prior to Saturday, I stuck to a basic snow-bound road with packed snow on the surface kind of close to the car so in case there is a problem or Paul has a meltdown, it’s no big deal. And we always had fun. He sleeps the first hour of going up hill and then enjoys cruising back downhill to the car. Ninety minutes in the “cruiser” (as I call it) works well for him, it gets me outside to ski, and it gives his Mom some peace and quite at home….win, win, win!

This past weekend, I took a leap of faith and got out of that comfort zone. The plan was to follow a snow-bound road for an hour or so and then turn around. We were cruising along nicely on the road in snow-machine tracks, and then decided to follow a “through-the-trees-single-track” trail to get back to the car. I was skeptical about how the chariot would handle. It was AWESOME! It really felt the same as it did on the road, even though the ski track was a foot deep or more in places. The chariot chassis just rode up higher on the snow, and the skis provided sufficient float for the 60 pounds of kids, 10 pounds of gear (baby bags are heavy!), and 25 pound chassis. The suspension system is really the key to this success. Only on a very steep spot did I have to get some help from the guy behind me; had I been able to open up my stance for a good herringbone, I wouldn’t have needed that help (but the track was deep at that point).

The cross country ski kit comes with a waist belt attachment. I had heard from friends who have made their own conversion kit by putting skis on bike trailers, and they all said that they found a chest harness or backpack attachment to be the most comfortable. So, I was wondering how this waist belt attachment was going to work out. It don't mind it at all. It is not uncomfortable for me, and it doesn't cause any back pain. The only problem I have with it, and this is minor, is that the waist belt tends to work its way down from my waist to around my hips to the point where I lose some efficiency. If that happens, I just put it back up high on my waist and crank it down tighter...not a big problem at all.  I wish there was a way to get the hiking harness with the skis without purchasing both the hiking and skiing setups...I think that would make alot of people really happy, certainly lest skeptical when thinking about purchasing. Let's face it, the waist belt looks wimpy (and it sort of is, really....but it works). At the same time, the hiking harness will probably prevent you from wearing a backpack with water or other gear you want in easy reach.  How about this? Make something that can be flexible, or at least just provide the option. I just put all my stuff in the chariot storage bin and don't wear a backpack when pulling it, anyway, so I would much rather have the hiking harness with the skis.

Long story short...... the 60 minutes through the trees on a single-track trail (packed ski tracks in an ungroomed area) proved that the Chariot XC ski attachment is a great piece of gear. It works better than you think it would. Seriously, if you plan to use this thing once you purchase it, you’ll get your money’s worth. I have probably two more seasons with it because we have another boy due in March. If you buy it and then it sits in your garage, then that is your fault because it will perform if you give it a chance.

Here's the map of last week's route.......click on it to open it up and then make it a topo for details.





Conversion kits (http://www.chariotcarriers.com/english/html/conversion_kits.php)
On another note, the Chariot Cougar is great for running and biking, also. I ran a 10k course three times a week for three months with it when Paul was 6-9 months old. It runs very smooth and straight with the big jogging wheel. I can’t talk to the stroller wheels other than to say “if you have the jogging wheel, why would you need the stroller wheels?”

The Chariot is great when attached to the bike, too. I don’t use it for bike training because I can’t rationalize how it could possibly be safe enough, especially if I’m concentrating on going fast rather than what Paul is doing. For family outings attached to a mountain bike or city cruiser, it can’t be beat. Again, it rides really smooth, and you might forget it’s there! You can pack a lot of picnic gear in it, too.

Accessories http://www.chariotcarriers.com/english/html/accessories.php
There are several available accessories, many of them fairly expensive (that's a common trait with Chariots, but they are worthy of the price). The baby sling, bivy, and head support work well (I'm told) and are probably worth a purchase. The bunting bag looks like it would work for camping anyway, so I'm thinking of getting it. The XC cargo rack and handlebar console seem to be a bit much, considering the already quite-roomy cargo areas. The ezHitch will make life easy if you want to attach it to two different bikes, although only you can decide if it's worth nearly $30(!). The jogging brakes would be nice on hilly terrain. I also recommend you buy a a spare tube, tire pump, and lock/cable to put in the storage area

Other uses to justify a purchase
So, all this is adding up to over $1,000. How do you justify that? Well, getting your kid(s) outside is important, especially if that means you get to get in your runs and/or cross training in the snow. Think about this: when the kids get a bit older, you can use the XC ski kit as a sled for your gear when you go out snow camping. Or, you can pull it behind your bike to go to the grocery store when gas is $10 per gallon. Or you can haul a small deer out of the woods if you are so inclined and a good shot.

This weekend, I’m planning a longer trip in that same area, mostly on the road. The weather is supposed to be nice, and today we’re getting six inches of fluff in the valleys, so there will be more than that up in the mountains where we’re heading. My goal is to get some other dads together, head out into the hills, and then have a picnic and some sledding fun at the halfway point on what is forecasted to be a sunny and warm day………..all of it made possible by a great piece of gear, the Chariot and its XC Ski attachment!
Look for pics of that trip next week!

Photo books really are that easy.....

Click here to view this photo book larger

Another XC Ski today

Went for another ski today. This time pulled Paul up the standard Scout Mountain route. It was quite warm today yet, and very windy in town. But up on the hill it was cloudy and still in the trees. The last storm dumped rain up to probably 7,000 feet, maybe 7500 feet looking at where the snow melted. Crazy stuff for mid-January.

I know XC Skiing is supposed to be a great workout, but I think I was just kind of slogging along today. I definitely broke a sweat, though. But after the effort coming back from the yurt, most everything will feel easy.

I slept in this morning, so no bike trainer workout.

I put the "Local Hero" video from Sufferfest on my phone. Looking forward to working it tomorrow.

Measuring skiing and other cross-training

Idaho State University Yurt System

So this weekend was a yurt weekend, which is always a favorite weekend. We take the lift up to the top of the mountain and then traverse two miles over to yurt. Or, we could climb about four miles and 2300 feet, but I think at $15 one-time lift ticket is worth it. I'll give you a trip report later, but first I want to put this trip in terms of training.

I track my training volume using a points system I got off slowtwitch.com:

- run 1/4 mile = 1 point
- bike 1 mile = 1 point
- swim 100 yards = 1 point.

This point system isn't perfect, but it gives a better idea than just time alone can do. It doesn't provide a measure of intensity, which is what I'm really looking for. And it doesn't allow for someone to be good at sport and not-so-good at anther. For me specifically, the effort level and time needed for 100 yards swimming is much less than running 1/4 mile but about the same as biking one mile (although the swim is 90 seconds and the bike would be 2 mins 30 seconds).

A friend climbs up the hill on a nice day......last year! Weather this weekend was near-zero visibility.

So, the question becomes: How many points do I count for this weekend's ski effort? This isn't walk-in-the-park skiing, either. It is a significant effort to get to the yurt, and very difficult to get back (climbing alot in the snow!). It took 90 minutes to get over to the yurt, most of it downhill except some traversing and a 15 minute climb. Overall, I think it felt like a four mile run, so that's what I'm calling it (16 points). Then, because the snow was so crappy with a quarter-inch ice crust on it, we decided we didn't want to ski for turns. Instead, we would do a little cross-country tour down in the valley. I figure that was 4 miles each way.....but downhill was significantly easier than uphill, which wasn't that bad either. Anyway, although it was 8 miles and four hours round trip, I'm calling it equivalent to an eight mile run (32 points), giving me 48 points for the day.

Now, coming home this morning was a bit different. It is two miles from the yurt to the saddle where the downhill starts, but there is significant climbing. It takes just under 90 minutes or so. I'm calling this equivalent to a very hard 12 mile run, though, because that's how I feel afterwards. It really whoops me!. So, 48 points going home. Although my legs burn alot on the downhill coming home, I'm not going to count the downhill today.

There you go..... how I score backcountry skiing and cross country skiing. Very subjective. Tomorrow, when I go cross country skiing with Paul and use actual cross-country skis (much lighter than backcountry skis!), I'm count each mile as one point, even though I'm pulling Paul. If I wasn't pulling Paul, each mile would be a half-point. This is because of the glide involved and the near-zero-effort for going downhill. Overall, I think that's how the points should work for me to maintain some consistency of what a point "feels" like.

How was the skiing? The downhill skiing sucked because of a think ice crust. Not sure how that got there because it was at all elevations, even up high on the ridgeline. So we didn't look for turns. The cross country tour was a great alternative because it was something we normally wouldn't do but was scenic, and the weather was much nicer  and visibility significantly better down low. 

Oh yeah, the weather: heavy wet snow at the yurt this morning while we ate a Jimmy Dean maple sausage (yum!) and coffee. Then wind blown hell up to the ridgeline and over to the saddle with short calm periods in the trees, and then basically rain on the lift-served side of Pebble as we came down. My outer layers were soaked from rain when we got to the bottom, but they held the rain off my fleece layer underneath.

The yurt was awesome as always. I don't know why, but I love spending a night in the yurt. It's a great way to get out and going camping in the winter without freezing to death.



Here's a map of where we were: Click on "full map" to get  a topo version:

Another new Sufferfest!

Woohoo! Gotta love when you sign up for e-mails and they are actually nice to get!  Read and enjoy!

The New Sufferfest video - LOCAL HERO IS OUT!   BUY IT NOW - USD $11.99 for 85 minutes (!) of World Championship action! Can you stay with Philippe Gilbert? Dear Sufferlandrian, It is with great pleasure that we write you. For some time, we've been following you as you showed great promise from a young age. We observed your rapid rise through the junior ranks in your village. We were there when you progressed and began winning in the U-23 races. Yes, it was us - behind the scenes - who 'encouraged' the French to hire you into their amateur squad. And we were there when you took that dramatic stage win in the Tour of Switzerland. (We were also there negotiating with the police in the station after that arrest involving Ms. Sufferlandria, the Porsche, the night club and the box of hamsters. But let's not go into that right now. Let's just say that we're glad you got yo ur life back together.) And now - based on that victory in Switzerland - here we are. On the cusp of greatness. It's hard to believe, really, as we are a small nation. We are a poor nation. It has been a tough year for all Sufferlandrians. Hell, it's been tough since the cabbage famine of 1100 AD.  But we have a courageous heart and this heart beats in you. And you use that heart to beat the hell out of other people on bikes. Now, today - today, we look toward glory as we inform you that you have qualified for the UCI Road World Championships in Geelong, Australia. You will put this country on the map - you will make the world stand up and take notice! You are the first Sufferlandrian ever to qualify for these Cycling World Championships. Come to think of it, you're the first Sufferlandrian to qualify for anything other than parole - so that's really quite good. Now, you have no teammates. You will be there alone, against the greatest cyclists on the planet. You will crush them. The King has deemed it so, so it must be so. I'm sure you understand that it MUST be so. You can rest assured that The Federation - and the entire government - is behind you*. We will be sending our civil servants into the villages to spread word of your inevitable victory to the peasants. They will be most pleased to hear of your success and they will feel proud to be a Sufferlandrian.** Before you leave, we've arranged for a small tribute cyclocross race in your honour. And we've also managed to register you for a small criterium before the main events. Although we can't supply you with a time trial bike, a group of villagers had a bake sale and managed to secure some gear for you. They will send it later. By the way, a village madman said something about a time machine. He's crazy. We wish you the best of luck. We especially hope you teach those Norwegians a lesson as we're really sick of them. They owe us, you know! They owe us! Anyway. We digress - let's not let the past get in the way of our glorious future. As we say in Sufferlandria "IWBMATTKYT." Sincerely, The Sufferlandrian Cycling Federation Sufferlandrian Government Office Sufferlandria 00001 * If you do not crush them, you do realise that we're not behind you. We could never get behind someone who didn't crush them. In that case, we'll be busy so don't bother calling. You will be visited by some gentlemen whom we suggest you cooperate with and do not resist. ** Unless you don't win. In which case you'll be lynched. LOCAL HERO IS OUT! BUY IT NOW - USD $11.99 for 85 minutes (!) of World Championship action! Workout Details Local Hero was designed for sustained, high-power output with a minimum of rest. It'll work your strength, leg speed and recovery - and even your top end speed with a few big, world-championship style sprints. About halfway through, you'll wish it was over, but with a 85 minute video, halfway is still a long, long way to go.....Here's what you'll get: 5:00 warm-up, with cyclo-cross footage from Team Globalbike.org 3:00 of criterium racing (with accelerations)in Australia - featuring a couple of well known pros! 3 x 6:00 pyramids - with 2:00 rest between each pyramid 1:00 following Richie Porte at 7/10 effort 1:00 following David Millar at 7.5/10 2:00 following Fabian Cancellara at 8/10 1:00 following David Millar at 7.5/10 1:00 following Richie Porte at 7/10 5 x 3:00 road race laps with 2:00 rest between each lap. Now each lap has its own personality, with some flatland  racing, climbing, jumps or breakaways. You'll have your chance to chase with Cadel Evans, attack with Philippe Gilbert and Vincenzo Nibali and sprint for the win against Thor Hushovd. Just so you know: unlike Fight Club, which also has 5 laps and features World Championship racing, Local Hero doesn't have attack after attack. There are some surges, but it's nothing you can't handle. As long as you can handle hanging on to the end of a pro peloton until the final sprint, that is! Each lap is done between 7.5 - 8/10, with cadences between 75 and 100. 1 x 2:00 SPRINT! Building up over 2:00, you're going to increase the speed as you come into the final straight in Geelong. After 75 minutes of racing, can you beat Hushovd? How does 10/10 sound to you? Um....I'm not going to tell you what's next. You know how we are. There's always a twist. Let's just say that if you ever wished you could sprint against some of the biggest names in the sport for the Rainbow jersey, you're going to get your chance. 5:00 warm down featuring the oddly interesting Cycleball. Soundtrack Our soundtracks have earned a reputation as the best in the world when it comes to cycling workout videos. We're not going to let you down this time, either. This one's got it all: from folk rock to techno to rock to punk to soul. And it's all fast (except for the slow bits) and it's all handpicked by the resident Sufferfest Studios DJ. If you like a track, do support the artists - they work as hard as you do. Never be Famous - The Mixed Signals Don't Come Cryin' - The Pale Brood Blow by Blow - Little World Break for It - Jon Lawson Traitors of the Lost Ark - Easton Legacy Caroline - Falik Let's Go Shopping - Twisterbait CorpDiplomatique - Boubbov Bombs - Twisterbait Monetary Love - A Mon Avis I Can Feel It - 504 Productions Everytime - Christ on a Bike Set it Free - DJ Balthazar So in Love - Tom Flynn 18 Now - Bankrupt The Saint - Max Forever Changing - Antix Don't Break Down - David Jennings Cold - 504 Productions Less Than Three - A Living Daylight Jasmin - Joshua Lutz Give it to Me - Pete Maxwel vs. Juliiet Watching the Stars - Christ on a Bike LOCAL HERO IS OUT! BUY IT NOW - USD $11.99 for 85 minutes (!) of World Championship action! ---------- Sufferfest Studios, Singapore http://www.thesufferfest.com Questions? Feedback? Visit our Get Satisfaction page.

Learning about core strength and endurance

So........I added the swim into my workouts this week, which is good because I'm not running this week because my calf muscle is a bit sore again. Before last week, I hadn't swum since maybe July of last year. The second half of the season fell apart because of my drill schedule.  Anyway....

I've managed a 10-lap-anything-goes workout just to get in the water, followed by a workout of 500, 250, 150, 100. And then today I did a 600-500-400-300-200 ladder.  These aren't long distances at all but I can definitely feel that I have no endurance in my core for swimming. I thought that was strange, so I'm writing about it. When I try to "snap the hip," I feel a huge decrease in strength compared to what I felt in the beginning of the set, especially towards the end of the 400 when I had 1,300 yards completed.

If you look at my goals for this year, you'll see that I think I have a weak core. What that means but isn't stated so directly is that I think I can improve my bike and run through better core strength. I always thought I had good core strength for swimming. And maybe I did before a six month gap in swimming. I clearly have some endurance issues in my core when it comes to swimming right now. And of course, when one part of your form goes away, the rest falls apart, too. Might as well stop swimming at that point so I don't pick up any really bad habits.

Note to self: Early in the season is when to think about good form, how to get it, and how to keep it. Swimming tired leads to poor form. So, early in the season, even though you only have 1,500 yards done for the workout, it might be a good idea to call it a day if you are getting into bad form and bad habits so that you don't pick them up for the rest of the year.

On the good side, I have no kidding doubled my bike and run volume over last year's averages, and I can feel that my core strength for those is definitely better.

I guess this is what happens when you focus on specific events, or at least decide not to do a specific sport for a while.

The take-away: core strength is definitely something to think about if you're wondering why you're not progressing as expected.

Joe Friel....GREAT STUFF to remember and use!

I got this e-mail today, and I read and re-read it. There are two parts. The first part is about season goals and is a review of what we all probably know....but don't necessarily remember to do. Read it and check your goals to see if they are SMART. Second is the top ten list from Joe Friel's blog this year. Every one of these should be considered MUST READ!  Over the weekend, I'll write a quick note about each of these and post my annual goals. Have a great weekend! Darin *************************************************************************************************************** Season Goals by Scott Iott Happy New Year athletes and coaches!!  Now that you have reflected on your 2010 season, it is time to move forward to 2011.  The first step is to set season goals and training objectives.  Ideally, you should have 2-4 season goals and 3-5 training objectives.  Season goals are tied to events or races and will drive your training throughout the season.  For example, you may have a goal to complete your first triathlon or finish an Ironman in less than 12 hours.  Each training session should have a purpose related to your season goals.  Training objectives are things that you can accomplish during your actual training.  Examples of training objectives can be to complete 95% of written workouts, reach optimal race weight, or set a new PR on a training route.  Each of your season goals should fit under the criteria of the SMART principle.  They should be Specific, Measurable,Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.  Use this formula when setting season goals: Specific – Season goals should be tied to a specific event.  Generally the event will be your “A” priority race when you will be at peak fitness levels. Measureable – How are you going to know when you’ve reached your goals?  Your goals should be written so that you or your coach can monitor progress. Using a pace or power meter will help give you objective data to help with achievement. Attainable – Set your goals so that right now they are just out of reach.  Setting your goals too high will set you up for failure.  Set them too low and you will not challenge yourself in your training. Realistic –Don’t set a goal that you are not physically or mentally capable of accomplishing.  It’s okay to aim high, but make sure you feel that you are able to realistically reach that level. Timely - Season goals should be achieved in the current season, during your build up to your “A” races, or in the 2011 year.  You may have a 2 or 3 year plan in triathlon, but set your goals based on your needs this season. The goal setting process is an important part to the beginning of your 2011 season.  They will drive your training decisions throughout the year.  Use the SMART formula and set yourself up for success in 2011!!  Happy Training! Scott Iott is a Level I USAT certified triathlon coach. He has helped athletes of all levels to numerous age group wins and podium places. Scott has eight years of multisport experience across a variety of distances. He is dedicated to helping athletes reach their season, race, and training goals. For more information on Season Goals, contact Scott atsiott@trainingbible.com

Top 10 Most Read Posts of 2010 by Joe Friel The following are the 10 blog posts from this site which were the most read in 2010. #1 below never ceases to amaze me as it’s #1 every year and shows no sign of slowing down. Only three posts from 2010 made it to the top 10 of all-time (#4, #7, #10). I still have a long list of topics that interest me waiting in the wings. If you have a topic you’d like me to write about please feel free to post it as a suggestion in the comments section below. I can’t guarantee I’ll write about it, but I may. Thanks for following my blog in 2010. It was viewed 685,265 times and continues to steadily grow. I look forward to seeing what’s ahead in 2011. #1 Cleat Position (January 2007) This was the first blog post I ever wrote and it continues to be the most read of all having been #1 four years in a row. Here I discuss a midsole alternative to the traditional forefoot cleat position for cycling shoes. There have been 143 comments posted to this blog by readers, many of which describe their experience after moving their cleats. There have also been follow-up posts to this blog which you can find by doing a search on “cleat position” on thehome page. #2 Road Bike Posture (September 2009) This is a post from September, 2007. I’ve never figured out why it turned out to be so popular. It discusses hip position in a seated position and shows examples of two riders, one with a position I like and another that’s not quite as nice. #3 Foot Strike in Running (March 2007) Written in March, 2007 this is a perennially popular post making the top five for the fourth consecutive year. It provides pictures of two runners at Ironman Hawaii 2006—one with a relatively flat-foot strike and the other with a heel strike. It briefly discusses the advantages of minimizing an initial heel-first foot strike. #4 Core Strength (March 2010) From March of 2010, this post includes frame captures from two videos of runners on treadmills. I’ve had people say that the top pictures of the female runner are fakes—that she has her shorts pulled down on the left side thus exaggerating her poor postural muscles. That’s not the case. I’ve seen the entire video. Had I shown a right-foot landing you would see a mirror image with that hip sagging just as much. These videos changed much of what I thought I knew about the subject. #5 Estimating TSS (September 2009) Training Stress Score (TSS) is a concept Dr. Andrew Coggan came up with that is at the heart ofWKO+ software, which I and many other coaches and athletes use quite extensively. It’s simply a way of “scoring” the difficulty of a workout based on power (bike), pace/speed (running) or heart rate (any endurance sport). If you don’t use a power meter, GPS/accelerometer speed-distance device or heart rate monitor (e.g., swimming) this post helps you estimate TSS for a workout so you can manually enter it into WKO+. #6 A Quick Guide to Setting Zones (November 2009) As suggested in the title, this post takes you through the step-by-step process of setting up your training zones (heart rate, power, pace) for cycling, running and swimming. #7 Physiological Fitness – Lactate Threshold (March 2010) Posted in March of this year this topic continues to attract readers. And with good reason. If you improve your lactate threshold you will be faster. And it’s highly trainable. #8 Heart Rate and Training (March 2009) This is a quick, personal history of using a heart rate monitor along with how to determine your lactate threshold heart rate. #9 Can Your Socks Make You Faster? (October 2007) I believe it was 2005 when I first saw compression socks being used in a triathlon. Now it’s a common sight. This is perhaps the most notable change in athletic apparel in the decade. But are they beneficial? This post takes a look at that question? I need to return to this topic soon as there has been some recent research on the topic. #10 Physiological Fitness – Aerobic Capacity (March 2010) This was part 1 of a three-part series on “what is fitness.” Part 2 of the series was #7 above. Part 3 had to do witheconomy. This aerobic capacity post describes a term—VO2max—used by every serious athlete but understood by few.

It's COLD...but sunny and beautiful...Start Phase 2

Most of my co-workers looked at me funny when I went to run at lunch today because it was between -5 and 3 degrees F (depending on who you asked). BUT, it was incredibly sunny and no wind. SOOOO, I definitely went for it, and it was awesome. In fact, I was a bit too warm at times, namely the hills(!). Such a great run; these are the days I'm glad I run at lunch.

I felt great during the run. Of course, I took a week and a half off of the normal schedule, so I should have felt great. This morning's bike ride was great, too. Somehow, I could feel some fatigue in my legs from a long backcountry tour on Thursday followed by a full day of downhill (lift-served) on Friday (another great, sunny, COLD day!).

Today also marked the beginning of Phase 2 of my winter plan. The volume is upped once again by adding about 4,000-6,000 yards of swimming. We'll see how that goes.

I'm starting the year at 185 pounds, with a race weight goal of 170. The weight gain now is just a bit more than normal. I usually come in around 180-183 during the dead of winter, depending on how much skiing I've been doing.

My word for the year is CONSISTENCY. No kidding. I also got a great acronymn yesterday from Tera's uncle, whom I called but he was on the treadmill doing what he deemed BTN..."better than nothing." I figure a BTN is also a great way of maintaining consistency, going with the theory that very easy is better than nothing,  which I know is debatable.

Anyway, here's to everyone for a Happy New Year!