Vary Your Pace to Improve Swim and Bike Performance

When you head to the pool do you swim countless laps at the same pace?  Does the length of your ride dictate how fast you go?  One speed for your midweek one hour ride and a slightly reduced speed for your long weekend ride?  Mix it up for improved performance. 

Many triathletes come from a running background.  They are comfortable with speed work such as tempo runs, fartleks and strides.

 If you are unfamiliar with those terms,  a tempo run includes a warmup, a sub-threshold portion and a cool down.  Sub-threshold pace is usually around 30 seconds per mile slower than your 5k pace.  Fartlek literally means "speed play" in Swedish.  A fartlek consists of alternating intervals of fast running (10k pace or faster) and easy running or walking.  Strides involve relaxed sprints for short periods of time sprinkled throughout a training run.

This speed work provides higher aerobic fitness and improved running efficiency.   Most of us know this.

Yet, we swim lap after lap at the same pace.  Pedaling mile after mile in the upper- middle area of our aerobic zone.  We're all comfortable there in the dreaded grey zone.  When we are done, we feel like we put in a good workout, but didn't really suffer.

Here are a couple of ways to include some speed in your swimming:  Following your basic endurance sets (100s, 200s, 500s,  include some 25s or 50s at maximum speed with 20 to 40 second recoveries.  It's like lifting weights in the pool.

You can also replace your basic endurance sets with fartlek sets.  Either alternate fast and slow laps, or slowly build your speed over some laps and then back down your pace.

Adding speed to cycling is even more fun -especially in a group setting.  Rather than spinning along in your group, institute some "telephone pole sprints."   As in, "race you to the third telephone pole."  Drop the hammer on your buddies.  Recover for a couple of minutes and do it all over again.   You can also do this on your own, but it's definitely more fun when you are pushed by others.

When you are on your own, you can add some speed with a tempo ride.  Warmup with around 15 minutes of easy spinning.  Be sure to include some short bursts of higher effort (around 30 seconds).  Increase your effort to near race pace (sprint or olympic distance).  Hold this effort for 20 minutes or break it into 2 x 10 minute blocks with 2-4 minutes of recovery in between.  Finish up with 15 minutes of spinning.

By including some speed work in your swimming and cycling, you will improve your race performance.  Variety also makes training more fun. 

Fun with Fauna (or beware of the angry goose)

When running and biking (and occasionally swimming) in the Twin Cities, we often encounter wildlife.  It's usually one of the benefits of being out early or late in the day.  Sometimes it's a nuisance (goose poop on the trail).  Other times, it's downright dangerous.

Last spring when I was training for IM CDA, I turned a corner (one that's on the Minneman Triathlon route) and found myself bearing down on a black bear.  Though I wasn't in any real danger, if I had been going faster I might have had to hit the ditch or the bear.  Neither option is very appealing.

I've also been sprayed indirectly by a skunk while doing a 20 mile run before my first marathon. That was about 3 miles in.  The next 17 miles were not all that fun.

This past Sunday was a gorgeous day for a run.  I did a 90 minute run on a paved trail that ran next to a fairly busy road.  Less than ideal but it was where I needed to be to fit the run into my day.  Normally the only danger I would feel would be from inattentive motorists (or more likely cyclists on the trail).

As the trail approached a retention pond I noticed two geese close to the edge of the trail.  One goose was eyeing me warily.  As I got closer I moved to the far edge of the trail.  The goose lowered it's head and started hissing.  That's a lot like a bull in a movie stamping its foot before it charges.  I had visions of getting arrested for drop kicking a 30 pound goose.  I yelled "HEY" which gave it pause as I moved away without getting pecked.  I've seen marks on other runners from geese.

The worst part wast that I was on an out and back so I knew I'd have to cross that grouchy goose on the way back.  Those things smell fear, I swear it.  Fortunately they had moved on.

Surely some of you have had encounters with wildlife.  Share your story as comments below.  Be sure to provide an email address.  I'll contact you about sending you a free TFI running cap.

Be careful out there!

TFI Athletes Rock Ironman 70.3 Texas (and Sprint)

Mike O. and Ang O. competed in Galveston last month.

Mike was attempting his first 70.3.  We had spent a great deal of time putting a race plan into place.  Both the bike and the run at Galveston are  pancake flat.  The wind can be an issue on the out and back bike. It's important to focus on your effort level not your speed - especially when heading into the wind.

 Sunday the wind was in Mike's face on the way out.  he watched his heart rate and kept his effort within the planned range.  He got off the bike feeling strong.  His first 8.5 miles on the run were all consistent.  It was a bit of a struggle over the last miles in no small part due to a hiccup with his nutrition on the bike.

This race served two purposes for Mike.  1) get a 70.3 race under his belt to build confidence for IMWI. 2) test his nutrition and pacing for a longer race.  Check and check.

Angie had a perfect race (perfect because her first open water swim was canceled due to high winds).  She tore up the bike with a new PR and felt strong on the run.

The highlight of the weekend though for Angie was talking with pro Andy Potts.

All in all a great start to racing for TFI athletes!

Tri Season Kicks Off in Big Way

Ironman 70.3 Texas kicks off the 2010 tri season for Tri For It! Coaching, as TFI athlete Mike O. does his first 70.3 on Sunday.  We're looking forward to lots of pics and a full race report.  Mike's training has gone very well.  We've been able to ramp up his mileage without causing his plantar fasciitis to flair up.  Getting this 70.3 under his belt is going to go a long way in building his confidence as he prepares for Ironman Wisconsin 2010.

Ordinarily I wouldn't recommend tackling a 70.3 this far from/close to IMWI as it means Mike is going to be facing almost a full year of intense training (not counting the prep work) with little recovery time after the 70.3.  Given his injury history though, it made a lot of sense in that it: 1) allowed for a slower buildup than we might have used for IMWI standing alone and 2) it really allowed us to test whether his feet would hold up to 9 workouts/week.

Mike has done the hard work, the plan is in place, now all he has to do is go out and enjoy race day.  Ang O. is also competing in the sprint distance race on Saturday.  Good luck Mike and Ang!

New Tri It Package

At Tri For It! Coaching we realize a lot of athletes would like some assistance achieving their goals but don't want the full panacea of coaching services.  For those athletes we've developed the Tri It Package.  For $275 you get:

• Initial 1 hour Consultation;
• 10-14 week custom training plan and nutritional guidelines;
• Basic Training Peaks online training log account (upgrade to Premium account available for $10/month);
• Follow up 1/2 hour meeting to review plan;
• Up to 2 hours of additional calls, emails or meetings with training/racing related questions;

If you would like to get started or more information fill out the contact form.  While you're there take a moment to check out the rest of the Tri For It! Coaching website.

Training v. Working Out

There are many differences between working out and training.  One of those differences was made very clear to me this past week.  Working has to fit into your schedule.  Training requires adjusting your schedule, within reason, to work towards your goals.

This past week I have been on Maui with my family.  It also coincides with the beginning of my 24 week build for Ironman Wisconsin.  I knew I was going to have trouble getting in the bikes but I wasn't too worried about that.

Monday was to be my first day of training.  Sunday night the family decided they wanted to do the road to Hana on Monday.  I knew I could get in one workout before leaving.  I also knew that I wouldn't feel like working out after being in the car all day.   So after the kids were in bed Sunday I went down to the pool and cranked out my first training session a day early.  The next day I got up before everyone and got my run in.

Tuesday I went back and biked a good portion of the road to Hana with a group ride put on by Go Cycling Maui.  Donnie has a great shop and he and the support crew were awesome.  The Litespeed bikes are nice.  If you're going to Maui, bring your shoes and pedals and Donnie will supply the rest - including Heed, Endurolytes, Gels, bars and peanut filled pretzels which may have never tasted so good.  We did 4500 feet of elevation in 40 beautiful miles.  You can also ride to the top of Haleakala - 10,000+ feet of vertical.  Despite how terrible this picture of me is, I had a blast.  You can make out part of the road on the cliff above my head.

I'll have to work my training around the family surfing lesson on Thursday.  Sacrifices, sacrifices.  Aloha!

Realistic Assessment and Plan is Key

"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."  Colin Powell

This is often true of race plans as well.  With races the enemy may be the weather or other external forces.  Usually the real enemy of executing a race plan is the athlete's failure to follow the plan.  I have been that athlete before.  I have discarded race plans in the first 100 meters of a race and paid dearly for it.

I have also, on the  rare occasion, put together the right plan and followed it to great personal success. (Note the success was personal.  It didn't necessarily translate to the podium.)

The first key is to have the right plan.  This past weekend I ran in the Get Lucky 7k here in Minneapolis.  It's an odd distance that I've never raced before.  My training of late has been improving, but when you are starting from less than zero there's no where to go but up.  The two runs leading up to the race were awful slogfests.  Not encouraging.

I was concerned that I might crash and burn after the third mile.  I needed a plan.  I decided to go out VERY conservatively and try to build my effort throughout the race.  This would be the exact opposite of my Thanksgiving race in which I overestimated my fitness and went out too fast.

The second key is to actually follow the plan.  I placed myself well behind my goal pace in the start.  I figured the crowd would help hold me back.  I knew I would pick my way through the other runners at the beginning, but I'm better off doing that among the 10:30 min/mile crowd than the 8:30 min/milers.   I resisted the temptation to follow some other runners through the crowd.

With each kilometer I felt stronger and was able to pick up the pace.  By the midway point I was steadily passing runners who had gone out too fast.  I ended up averaging 10 seconds/mile better than I had anticipated.  Don't get me wrong, I was still slow, but I knew I was going to be.

Having realistically assessed my current fitness level I was able to set an appropriate goal and develop a plan to get there.  A coach can really help the athlete by providing an objective analysis of fitness, setting realistic goals, and developing the right race day plan.  The coach also holds the athlete accountable if the athlete abandons the plan.  That being said, there are times when you've got to toss that plan right out the window.  We'll talk about a few of those in the next entry.