TBC San Luis Obispo Camp

Congratulations to all the athletes that Swam, Biked and Ran with us this past weekend up in beautiful San Luis Obispo, CA. The weather was perfect for a training camp and the athletes soaked up a ton a knowledge from the expert coaches that were on hand. We’re already in the early planning stages for another similar camp later this summer … stay tuned for details.

Shoulder Shift, not Roll

I recently read an swim article and the analysis makes great sense to me, unlike the stroke that is being taught by so many swim instructors and masters groups with a great deal of shoulder rotation and swimming on your side.

Fishlike swimming is an impossible-and misleading-goal since we're not built like fish, and we cannot emulate the movements of fish. By using a shoulder shift instead of a roll, a few extra inches are available on every pull. By reaching or extending forward, natural (core/hip) rotation occurs. With a slightly wider than shoulder width hand placement and an early/high elbow catch, you can have a stronger and more efficient pull.

Here are a few key points that you can try for yourself next time you’re at the pool.

Minimize shoulder rotation: Too much shoulder rotation burns up energy and does little to help you move forward. Minimize rotation by “quieting” the shoulders. Instead, shift the shoulder forward allowing the body to rotate as one unit, using the core and the hips to generate power.

This “flatter” stroke can feel mechanical at first, that’s ok! Change feels weird at first. Of note, it is nearly impossible to swim entirely "flat". We are simply removing the EXTRA rotation.

Wider hand placement: With less shoulder roll, a slightly wider than the shoulder hand placement is now available. This wider “spacing” creates the foundation for a powerful and more stable pull.

Need more proof? The next time you go to get out of the pool, look down at your hands. You probably placed them about shoulder width apart. Why? Because you intuitively knew that you needed power, leverage and stability to exit the pool. Apply this same principle to where your power is in the pull.

Extend and pause ‘catch-up’: The “extend and pause” allows the pull to “catch up” to the often-shorter recovery phase, and gives you time to set up the “catch.” If you swim with a “mirror” stroke, you may be rushing your pull.

High elbow/early catch: After “extend and pause,” initiate the “catch” by lifting the elbow and pointing the fingertips at the bottom. The wrist is firm and straight, but the hand is relaxed.

A great visualization technique to practice a high elbow catch is to imagine you are swimming over a VERY SHALLOW coral reef. You can’t touch the coral, so the arm must bend at the elbow to accommodate the shallower pull. Do not internally rotate the shoulder as this may cause injury.

Pull alongside the body, not under: You would never put a paddle in front or under a canoe or kayak. Apply the same principal to swimming. An efficient pull “catches” or “holds” the water to move you forward, with the hand entering and exiting the water at about the same location. The old “S” pull pattern moved water…you want the water to move you!

Power: After the “catch,” apply power early and round off the pull at the hips. With this wider stroke the power or “umph” is in the FRONT using large muscle groups instead of the back, which relies on the triceps.

So as not to become overwhelmed, slow down and practice just one of the above aspects at a time and keep it simple. Your stroke will always be a work in progress.

Pacing the Run

A race is your ability to perform in a particular setting regardless if you are running against the clock to qualify for another event or against another runner or nemesis. Your out there alone with nothing but the fitness you've worked so hard to build.

I was finally able to get one of my athletes to buy in to the notion that you can not, I repeat, can not put time in the bank. It does not work regardless of what you say, how you spin it or what you have heard. Trust me!

This past weekend this athlete ran a local half marathon following a strict pacing plan and the results speak for themselves. A near perfect race!

(Click the chart to enlarge image)

TrainingBible Camp this March

The Perfect Triathlon Training Camp for 2010!

Camp Features:
• All workouts are coach-led, by a TrainingBible Coach
• Training on incredible biking roads, vineyards and surrounding areas
• Coaches on the rides
• Fully-sagged rides
• Strength sessions!
• Classroom sessions, for learning, Q&A, discussion and individual learning, totaling 3.5 hrs!
• Free airport shuttle to those flying via San Luis Obispo Airport to/from camp hotel
• 14-20 hours of training in 4 days!
• Hotel discounted rate (Athletes are responsible for food, lodging and travel to San Luis Obispo.)


The camp will feature training totals of:
Bike - 13-18 hours
Strength - 2.5 hours
Classroom - 3.5 hours
Total Training - 16-25 hours in 4 days!

Costs:
March 11th – 14th Camp (Thursday-Sunday): $499 ($449 for TrainingBible Athletes!)

Register here at Active.com
http://www.active.com/triathlon-camp/atascadero-ca/trainingbible-coaching-cycling-camp-san-luis-obispo-ca-2010


Camp Hotel – Best Western Colony Inn, Atascadero
Hotel Features:
• Free continental breakfast
• Free internet
• Pool access, (Kennedy Club)
• Special rate of $99-$105/night (Based on occupancy)
• Amenities include refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker

Hope to see you there!

Pedaling efficiency

Pedaling efficiency can save HUGE amounts of energy over the course of a race. In training most athletes just jump on their bike and ride believing that pedaling will provide a natural selection of your optimum cadence. Not true!

To optimize your pedal stroke you will be able to pedal through your “dead” spots (the top and bottom of the pedal rotation), have a less choppy pedaling action and learn to relax while pedaling.

To improve your pedal stroke incorporate a few of these into your next easy ride.

Isolated leg training (on road or a stationary trainer) - select a gear where you can maintain 85+ rpm and focus on pedaling through the full range of motion. Keep it smooth and alternate between left and right leg for 30-60 seconds with an equal time recovering with both legs between efforts.

Spin ups – after a typical warm-up step up your cadence and ride at 100 rpm for 5 minutes focusing on round circles then increase your cadence to 110 rpm for 3 minutes. Again focusing on round circles. Step up again increasing cadence once more to 120+ rpm for 1 minute. Recover for 5 minutes at 90 rpm.

Warming-up and surviving the swim

Here is a copy of the article I recently wrote for XTri.com. Enjoy.

Warming-up and surviving the swim

Open water swimming is never boring. Whether you are an accomplished swimmer or a first timer, there is never the "same" open water swim. Variables are always changing and it’s not too often you swim with a few hundred other athletes starting at the same time, trying to get to the same point.

Proper transition set-up and warm-up are essential to having a successful race. In short Course Triathlons (Sprint & Olympic Distances) the importance is magnified even more so because every second counts. Long course athletes have room for error but why waste those precious minutes and seconds when you can maximize your advantage over the competition.

The first step to a more successful and enjoyable event may seem like a no brainer, arrive early on race day. You might remember the guy that arrived as the transition area was being cleared search frantically for a spot to rack his bike. This is an all too common scene in triathlon and can lead to a disastrous day.

Once you’ve secured your area in transition, stretch, are numbered, and have gone to the bathroom (twice) it’s time to get in your pre-race warm up.

There are several reasons aside from the obvious why you’ll want to include a solid pre-race warm-up before every event. A proper warm-up, preferably in each event, with a few accelerations to race pace will get your heart rate going and prepare your body for task at hand. As if you need more reason, there is a strategic advantage to knowing what to expect once the gun goes off. What’s the water temperature (cold or warm); are there landmarks you can use to navigate possibly spending less time and energy sighting; what are the water conditions (currents, swells, surface chop, sun, rocks)? All of these factors can vary from day to day so even if you’re able to pre-swim the course in the days leading to the race nothing is certain on race day. Prepare for the unexpected.

Armed with all this information you can now seed yourself properly and take every advantage to get to the first turn buoy ahead of those that might otherwise be stronger though less prepared athletes.

Remember having a plan and being prepared is half the battle.

Fighting back illness

One of my current athletes, training for an early season Ironman has come down with flu like symptoms thanks to a co-worker that was kind enough to share his germs with the entire office. He was a bit concerned that he’d lose some of the fitness that we’ve been able to build up these past few months.

In his particular case the symptoms were entirely above the neck, mostly congestion and sore throat. That being the case we continued our scheduled workouts but reduced the intensity a bit to ensure we remained completely aerobic.

Had the symptoms been below the neck (body aches, fervor, etc...) it would have called for a different protocol, namely take a few days off. Generally, if you take a break and rest you'll get over the entire illness faster than if you try to suffer though it. If you try to push too hard when sick with a cold or flu you could easily end up with further complications.

Have respect and listen to your body when it is trying fighting illness.