News

The Open Water Swimming season is here…almost! In Leeds at the moment the water temperature is only 9C, which means that we have had to ut off the start for at least another week. You may think that a couple of degrees doesn’t make much difference but unless you are training to swim in very cold water triathlons then I’d recommend you wait a bit as well.
As well as the temperature there are a few things for you to consider before you plunge (sorry) straight into your open water workouts for this year
Rather than write them down I’ve created a little video for you.

Remember to stay healthy & have fun

I’ll be creating a summer swim conditioning programme soon (This is for real, not like my April Fool prank). If you are interested then just email me at this address simon@thetriathloncoach.com

At the BTF L3 coach education last weekend we had EIS nutritionist Dr Kevin Currell as one of the guest presenters. Kevin does a lot of work with the elite triathletes at British triathlon.

If you haven’t heard Kevin speak then you should if you get the opportunity. Not only is he very knowledgeable but he is also able to deliver his information in a format that the audience can use.

Basically his advice is cutting edge and practical
Here’s a brief synopsis of some of what Kevin had to say

Firstly its probably worth pointing out now the Placebo effect is very important. So if you think something works it will probably help you even if the research evidence doesn’t back up the manufacturers claims.
The question that you should always be asking yourself is “Will it help me to go faster?”

The top 5 actions you can take to affect performance
1. Training >5% ( this is the biggest intervention you can make to get faster)
2. Nutrition 2-5% (this is the next biggest)
3. Altitude 0-2% (living or sleeping at altitude can make a big difference but exhaust No’s 1 & 2 before you try this one)
4. Body Mass 0-1.5% (good nutrition will help you to sort out your fat %)
5. Equipment 1% (in the light of potential benefits it may be better to spend and extra £1000 per year on your food and alter your body mass than buy those aero wheels unless of course you have done all of the others!!)

Recap on some stuff you’ve probably heard before
Foods that should feature regularly in your diet
Carbs – Pasta, Rice, bread, cous cous, quinoa, potatoes, Muesli, Porridge
Proteins – meat (red & white, Oily fish, milk, nuts, tofu, beans, lentils
Fats – nuts, Olive oil, flax seeds, avocado, Olives, Hummus, fish
Vitamins & Minerals – from Fruit & veg – 8-10 portions per day (5 is a good start not a target!!) as well as the foods just mentioned

Iron is important especially in females. Exercise damages red blood cells and running more so because of the impact. Iron is poorly taken in from veg & supplements so unless there are ethical, religious or medical reasons eating red meat is a better option.
caffeine inhibits iron uptake so if you are eating red meat or taking iron supplements then wait at least an hour before cup of coffee

The healthy food plate - rather than carbs protein and fats look at the plate as function, fuel & health. The meal should contain about 1/3 of each of these.
You must have carbs as these are important for energy but more importantly the immune system.
All food stresses the body BUT Processed meats and food create more stress. You get enough of this from training. Why make it worse by eating poor quality food.
Generally when choosing foods if you can kill it pick it or grow it then you should eat it. factory produced foods tick NONE of these boxes. By the way this fits into my mantra of shopping at the supermarket around the edges.

Chocolate – Its fine to eat as long as it is dark chocolate> This is because of the anti Oxidant properties. While we are on the subject other good sources of anti oxidants include – cinnamon, blueberries, olives, spinach, walnuts, balsamic vinegar

Fruit & veg – Lab tests on cyclists showed that those eating a high fruit & veg diet had a much longer time to exhaustion than those consuming a low fruit & veg diet

Beetroot juice – can improve blood flow and economy and there is evidence to show it can improve performance by as much as 2%. It may not sound like much but in the world of marginal gains, every little helps

Fasted training - does improve the ability to oxidize fat. It may be worth trying but perhaps only 1-2 times per week. However it’s not a new idea!!

Timing of food intake for recovery – Aim for within 30 minutes of training
You need to focus on the 4 R’s
Repair (muscles) – protein
Rehydrate (cells) – Fluid
Refuel (muscles & liver) – Carbs
Reinforce (Immune system) – Fruit
Milk shakes or smoothies fit the bill nicely and are a lot cheaper than commercial protein shakes…unless of course you are lactate intolerant. In this case try soya milk. If this doesn’t work then you may have to use protein shakes

If you are eating solid food then high GI is better. Simple carbs are fine just after exercise. Cereals (cornflakes, rice crispies with sugar & milk get significantly more glycogen to the muscle). A combination of carbs and protein also improves glycogen repletion.

A reminder. If you intend to use carbs during an event then you need to use them during training. You can train your body to absorb more. CARBOHYDRATES IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

HYDRATION -
to rehydrate after exercise you need to replace about 150% of the weight loss.
1kg = 1 litre so if you have lost 2kg after a run you need to replace with 3l of fluid.
Having some electrolytes (such as Gatorade G series pro recovery) in there will help to retain the fluid so this is better than plain water. Of course if you train in the evening you’ll end up losing sleep as you wake to empty your bladder so you probably want to leave at least 2 hours between finishing your workout and going to bed or before your next session.

Pre race Strategy
4-5 days pre race – consume good quality food and plenty of fruit & veg
2-3 days before – fuel the muscles so increase the carbs. You’ll probably be cutting down on training so it doesn’t need to be by much
1-2 days before – No fruit & veg (you’ll be nervous enough on race morning!!), reduce fibre so more white carbs. Maintain hydration but increase salt intake a little
The goal is to come into race day “feeling” light

Race day – for long distance aim for 90gms of carbs (360 calories) per hour. A glucose/fructose mixture is good but Maltodextrin & fructose is even better. For Olympic distance aim for 60gms on the bike from say 2 gels and some Gatorade

Carbo Loading
Pro’s – will increase fuel tank & may delay fatigue
Cons – may not work over short distances, difficult for females to do successfully, may feel bloated, increased risk of GI issues, weight gain, increased fibre intake

How to carbo Load
reduce training volume
2-3 days before event increase carbohydrate to 5-8g/kg/day. For a 75kg male this would be 1500-2400 cals
1 day before increase to 8g/kg/day. For a 75kg male this would be 2400 cals

Thats a lot of food and if you do want to try something like this then you’ll need to use calorie dense foods as you’ll feel bloated on nutritionally dense foods
Ideally try it in practice first, NOT before your BIG race of the year

Most of the stuff that Kevin covered was common sense but as we all know there is a difference between knowing and doing.
Hopefully you will have picked up one useful piece of information that will help you this summer and maybe more.

If you have any questions please post them to the blog below
If you enjoyed this post then please “like”, G+1 or share via twitter at the top of the page.

Stay healthy & have fun

If you are preparing for a long distance triathlon event such as an Ironman or Ironman70.3 and you have 8-10 weeks to go then there are a few crucial things that I think you need to be doing right now.
In this little video I’ll tell you what they are.

You can also find some worksheets that I have produced which include
Bike fitting, race strategy, 5 change you can make now which will have an immediate benefit, nutrition issues for long distance athletes.
Just click on this link

http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/client-login/

Username = 19042012
password = outlaw
Please post you comments to the blog. If you enjoyed this post then please “like”, “G+1″ or share via twitter at the top of the page.

Have fun & stay healthy

I am in a constant state of puzzlement with many triathletes.
They are willing to spend hours training hard and pushing their aching bodies to the brink of exhaustion and sometimes beyond in search of that elusive 1% gain in performance.
They will happily invest their hard earned cash in large sums to get access to the manufacturers promised benefits many of which are one time only (aero wheels).
Some are prepared to cheat running the risk of being caught drafting or worse taking drugs.
What puzzles me is that many simply miss the easy pickings that are often right in front of them.
Examples include..

1. More sleep each night – just getting to bed 30 minutes earlier can have massive benefits
2. Eating for performance – either by eating more of the right foods or eating the right foods at the right times
3. Time management – just being organised can reduce stress and help you to get to training on time
4. Strength & Conditioning – 2 x 30 minute strength session per week will provide a mega boost
5. Regular stretching – its this final one that I am going to focus on today

The video below has a handful of simple stretches that can be performed daily(if required).
hand in hand with the video just follow these simple instruction to see huge benefits in your sports performance and your overall health

• Stretch at least 2-3 times per week
• Always perform the stretches when you have finished training (within 30 minutes). This will ensure that the muscles are warm and the fibres are pliable, which makes them more receptive to stretching. If you don’t have a session planned then do enough exercise or activity to create a sweat.
• Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds (it takes this long to overcome the stretch reflex and create a prolonged lengthening of the muscle fibres) but ideally at least 60 seconds.
• Be consistent. This will only work if you follow the programme for a few months and more

Enjoy the video

P.S. If you enjoyed the article please “like” above “G+1″ or share with your friends
P.P.S. If you are running short of ideas for gym work why not follow my monthly programme designed especially for triathletes. Its called Triathlon Strength and costs £5/month

The months of March and April generally welcome in a change in emphasis of training as triathletes move from winter base to pre competition training.
Generally several actions take place which in my mind are actually BIG mistakes

1. Training emphasis moves from long slow distance (typical winter base work) to much higher intensity shorter duration work. Physiotherapists often see a spike in running injuries at this time for this very reason; the dramatic change in intensity
2. Cyclists ditch the turbo trainer and start riding outdoors because the weather is better – I can see why you might do this but its a mistake because you can’t replicate the quality and control that you get from using an indoor trainer. If you want sunshine and warmth then just move the trainer out into the garden
3. The gym work which has been a constant factor (if not a priority) during the winter takes a back seat and in many cases is eliminated altogether. In some ways I think that this is the biggest mistake of all…

The first two actions I’ll deal with in a later post but for today I want to focus on the strength training.
Theres a lot of evidence that when you cease strength training you can actually retain a lot of the gains for a short period but then you start to lose them and in fact if you can complete a maintenance load of strength training then you can retain much of what you developed in the winter. There are two facts that you should accept
You will lose some strength during the race season
If you stop all strength training you will lose a significant amount of strength

If you’ve ever experienced a reduction in performance towards the end of the season then this could be the reason. You were probably trying just as hard but your maximum efforts just generated less power because your muscles were just weaker

I can understand why endurance athletes may feel as though they need to focus on the qualities that will help them to get through their events, in this case aerobic fitness. However, strength endurance is an important part of this.
Applying force to either the ground, pedal or water will be reduced if the contractile strength of the muscle is reduced
Additionally, the ability to maintain good technical positions when the core and stabilizing muscles are weaker will adversely affect performance.

So reasons for stopping the gym work might be
to focus on seemingly more obvious sports qualities
lack of knowledge about what to do during the competitive season
poor planning and time management.

Fear not. Right now if going to give you some very simple ideas as to how you can continue with your gym work and not diminish the sports specific workouts or be too fatigued

30 minutes is all you need – If you are in the gym for longer than this then you need t adjust your programme. remember you are only trying to preserve what you have. How do you finish a workout in less than 30 minutes?…
Use compound OR multi-joint exercises. These are exercises that use (as the name suggests) more than one joint. You can even combine exercises. So two compound exercises (a squat and an over head press) becomes one exercise, squat to overhead press.
Train movements not muscles – Training muscles is a bodybuilding philosophy. You need an athletic philosophy. I divide exercise into just 4 categories – push (e.g. overhead press), pull (e.g. bent over row) and legs (e.g. squat) and core. The core is involved in many movements and so one might argue as to whether there is a need to separate these out into a category of their own
Time keeping. Usually workouts take too long because people don’t keep track of rest periods. It’s easy for a 45s rest period to turn into 90s if you don’t watch the clock. be ver strict about these

OK, so using these basic principles here is a sample of a workout that you can get done in less than 30 minutes
Aerobic warm up -
build the intensity. If possible use the rowing machine as it uses upper & lower body (5 mins)
Injury prevention warm up
Shoulders – internal & external rotations with theraband (4 x 15 reps – no rest) – (2 mins)
Ankles – eccentric lowering on step (to protect achilles) (3 x 10 per leg – no rest – (2 mins)
Legs – Clock Lunges (forward, lateral, reverse on both legs) ( 4 x 6 + 30s rest) – (4 mins)
Core – Plank, side bridge L, supine plank, side bridge R (30s on each no rest) – (2 mins)

Main Set
3 x 30s Kettlebell swings + 30s rest (3 mins)
3 x 8-15 Squat with Overhead Press + 45s rest (4.5 mins)
3 x 8-15 bent over rows + 45s rest (4.5 mins)

Stretch (3 mins)
TOTAL (30mins)
The range of reps (8-15) allows for a variation in weight to target either strength or endurance

There are many variations on this type of programme and I’m really just trying to give you an example of how you could arrange a programme to be done inside 30 minutes. If you’ve got some experience of doing this then thats great. If not then why not try our new 12 month programme called TriathlonStrength. It has Its been designed specifically with you in mind. There are 2 sessions per week with full, set, rep and rest details and is updated monthly. The first month if FREE. You can find more details by clicking here.

Whichever path you choose just don’t give up on the strength training during the summer

P.S. If you enjoyed this post then please click the “like” button above and please share it with your friends

The 2012 triathlon season is almost here and it will soon be time to see how good your winter training has been. But there’s nothing more embarrassing than turning up to the first event of the year and being sidelined because you forgot a vital piece of kit. At TheTriathlonCoach.com we’ started creating checklists when we realised that athletes were forgetting vital bits of kit.

If you are new to triathlon then you are probably wondering about the kit that you need for racing this summer. If you’ve been racing triathlons for a while then you might be a bit blasé about the kit you need for races. Either way it’s best to make sure in advance that all of this stuff works well in advance of when you might actually need it

Firstly, check the kit you have
Wetsuit Check – if you haven’t used it since last year then there’s a good chance it has been in a cupboard for the last 6 months. Try it on and see if it still fits. If it does then check for any tears or rips and make sure that the zip still functions correctly. If it needs repairs then you can get these done at reasonable prices either by returning to the manufacturer or seeking out specialist repairers. If it doesn’t fit then maybe now id the time to get a new one. Just don’t leave it until the week before your big race

Bike Check - The same may also be true for your Race bike. Has it been sitting in the garage for the last 6 months just waiting for the warmer weather?. If so then you should take it our ASAP and give it a thorough. I prefer to have mine checked over at the bike shop but if you DIY, then check all brake and gear cables, make sure that the bearing are running smoothly in the wheels, bottom bracket and headset. Also check the tyres and make sure they have no nicks or splits. Finally go over all the allen key bolts and make sure they are tight. Then test ride it on your turbo for 30 minutes to make sure the chain and gears are OK before finally riding it on the road in anger. If you need to make any changes then do them now, so that you have plenty of time to get used to new kit before race day.

Wheels – Aero wheels can handle very differently to spoked versions especially in cross winds. If you plan to use these at all during the summer then it’s bets to start using them as soon as possible so you feel comfortable. They can make a big difference but NOT if you ave to sit up with the brakes squeezed on for the whole ride

Race Kit - if you are going to be using new kit to race in this summer then order it now if you haven’t already. If it needs printing up this may take a few weeks so you’ll need to plan this in advance. Once you have it all do use it in training a couple of times to make sure there is no chafing

Bike shoes & pedals – once you have found the right position for cleats on bike shoes finding that position again with new shoes can be quite hard. If you plan to change either pedals, shoes, cleats or any combo of those 3 give yourself plenty of time to find the new right position and then to bed everything in before race day. It can be very embarrassing to arrive at T2 try to unclip only to find that your new cleats are a bit too tight and wont come out of the pedals. You can imagine the consequences

Now for the full list of kit you might need (If I’ve missed anything off then please add it to the blog below)
Swim
Swim suit
Goggles
swim hat
Wetsuit (if its an open water event)
AntiFriction cream
Bike
Bike
Bike shorts
Bike shirt
Bike shoes
helmet
socks
Arm warmers – Spring races can have changeable weather
Gilet – Spring races can have changeable weather
Bike glasses
Spares – gas bottle, tyre levers, inner tube or tub
Waterbottle(s)
Run
Running shoes
Hat/Visor

Other
Race nutrition
Heart rate monitor
Bike computer
Number belt
Safety pins for race numbers
Elastic bands (use these if you keep bike shoes on pedals and you need to keep them in the right position)
Towel
Post race nutrition – If you want a drink then Gatorade G series pro 03 Recover is perfect. If you prefer solid food then it should be protein & carbs such as tuna pasta or peanut butter & jam sandwich
Post race kit – too cool down in after event
Money – for the expo
BTF Race License – some races charge a levy if you don’t have it
Directions to the event
Scissors
Multitool
Allen keys
Track Pump
Sunscreen
Sense of humour (you may need this if things don’t go your way)

Use this list twice. Tick things off as you lay them out and then cross them off as they go into your bag. That way you should never forget anything. If you do forget something then add it to the list for the next time.

You may think that as you are only a doing a local event it doesn’t matter, but being thorough is a habit. Just get used to the process of checking your kit before each race. It only takes a few minutes more and you know how frustrated you would be if you travelled all of the way to the event to find that you couldn’t start.

P.S. When you set off for your event don’t forget to check how long it will take to get there and allow time for parking. There’s a good chance everyone will arrive at roughly the same time. I like to be there at least 90 minutes in advance for local events and 2 hours before for big races such as national champs and ironman type events.

Have fun & stay healthy

P.P.S. Make sure you “like” this article above and please share it with your friends

In recent weeks I have a number of emails and conversations with triathletes and runners who are interested in barefoot running or at the very least using minimalist running shoes.
Last week one of our regular readers, Nick Hannah, asked me if I would be able to outline a simple programme to enable him to transition from shod (normal running shoes) to barefoot or minimalist style running. I’m not sure I’d go as far as suggesting that you run your triathlon events barefoot but you can certainly aim to run in lighter less supportive products and with a more effective and economical running stride
Before starting, here are a few guidelines that you should follow to reduce the potential for injury
When you start to change the foot-strike you are going to use the muscles of the foot and ankle in a very different way; These muscles are probably relatively weak so you will probably experience stiffness in both the calf and Achilles. This is because the calf muscles act eccentrically (they stretch to lower the heel to the floor after the mid-foot landing). because of this here are your first 2 guidelines

1. Before you start take some time to strengthen the foot, ankle and calf muscles
2. Proceed VERY slowly. It may take 6-12 months before you are fully adapted to running this way (you’ve probably heard of runners who have made this transition in a few weeks. You’ve probably never heard of the greater number who tried to make the change to quickly, got injured and gave up; Don’t be one of them)
3. Try to avoid landing with a pointed foot (plantar flexion). This is a weak position for the ankle and foot and a heavily loaded calf muscle. More than likely you will massively increase your injury risk
4. If you experience soreness that is to be expected. You will need to increase the amount of stretching and self massage that you do and you may even need to start seeing a masseur.
5. If you experience pain then you MUST stop and let your body heal. This could be for a number of reasons. You’ve tried to progress too quickly for your body, you may not be suited to this type of running, your muscles need more strengthening
6. Continue with your normal running and then swap out small amounts of it and replace with the new style
7. Firm surfaces are better than soft ones – If possible run on firm grass (I love cricket grounds because they are generally well looked after with short grass and fairly safe), a running track, treadmill or a tennis court

Here’s the programme…
2-4 weeks before you plan to start the running programme begin by walking barefoot OR in minimalist shoes.
Add in some eccentric calf strengthening exercises such as those shown in the video below. do these twice daily, every other day and complete 2 x 10-15 reps for each leg

Be patient, you’ll soon be ready to begin the running part of the programme.
Lets assume you run for 2-3 hours per week. thats 120-180 minutes. To start with aim to keep your minimalist running to less than 10% of your total weekly volume (<12-18mins) and SLOWLY build over the next few weeks. Remember that you are trying to create a permanent change in running style so it doesn’t need to happen immediately. Its better to take your time and not get injured!
There will be 2 minimalist run sessions per week
Week 1 – 1) 10 x 30s run, 30s walk, 2) 5 x 1 mins run, 1 min walk
Week 2 – 1) 7 x 1 min run, 1min walk, 2) 10 x 1 mins run, 1 min walk
Week 3 – 1) 12 x 1min run, 1 min walk, 2) 6 x 2’ run, 1’ walk
Week 4 – 1) 7 x 2’ run, 1’ walk, 2) 8 x 2’ run, 1’ walk
Week 5 – 1) 5 x 3’ run, 1’ walk, 2) 6 x 3’ run, 1’ walk OR 3 mins at the end of each run
Week 6 – 1) 7 x 3’ run, 1’ walk, 2) 5 x 4’ run, 1’ walk OR 4 mins at the end of each run
Week 7 – 1) 6 x 4’ run, 1’ walk, 2) 5 x 5’ run, 1’ walk OR 5 mins at the end of each run
Week 8 – 1) 4 x 6’ run, 2’ walk, 2) 4 x 7’ run, 2’ walk OR 6 mins at the end of each run
Week 9 – 1) 4 x 8’ run, 2’ walk, 2) 3 x 9’ run, 2’ walk OR 7 mins at the end of each run
Week 10 – 1) 3 x 10’ run, 2’ walk, 2) 2 x 13’ run, 2’ walk OR 8 mins at the end of each run
Week 11 – 1) 2 x 15’ run, 2 min walk 2) 20’ run OR 9 mins at the end of each run
Week 12 – 1) 25 minute run, 2) 25 minute run OR 10 mins at the end of each run

ALTERNATIVELY, after week 4 you could just start to use the last few minutes of each run for minimalist running as shown above, Keep the run duration the same so each week you’ll be completing a slightly longer percentage of the run barefoot, until you can eventually complete a 30 minute run

Personally, I’ll try this route so that I can eventually run better with minimalist shoes rather than barefoot (or in VFF shoes). By minimalist I mean some (but drastically reduced) cushioning such as those found on this page
The best weight I can ever hope to get to for racing is probably 72-75kg and more likely I’ll hover at 75-80 most of the year so in the interests of preserving an aging body I’ll go easier on my joints by being more conservative with my running shoe choice for longer runs and for racing
I’m not sure I can see any long term benefits of running marathons and Ironman events in Vibram Five Fingers.However I will continue to wear my VFF’s every day for work as this will help me to strengthen those foot ankle and calf muscles

OK, I hope that has helped those of you that are wanting to make the transition. let me know how you get on and be sure to send me your questions to the blog

P.S if you want total body conditioning for triathlon then for ONLY £5 PER MONTH, my NEW Triathlon Strength programme maybe just what you are looking for

On Sunday April 1, I emailed you about 2 new programmes

1. Super High Intensity Training for cyclists
2. Continuous Response Acceleration Programme for runners

here is some background information on these new programmes

Happy April Fools Day

Pretty much the whole of the UK and northern Europe seems to have benefited from the exceptionally nice weather in the last week or so.
The warmer, sunnier weather seems to lift everyones spirits and for endurance athletes the opportunity to ride and run in shorts an T-shirts is most welcome.

Sadly, there seems to be a bit of a knee jerk reaction to training in good weather.
The examples below are ones I have experienced recently because we had sunny days

The 10k runner who decides to do a 2hr run rather than their normal 40 minute tempo effort
The cyclist who rode for 5 hours despite a planned 1hr turbo session and the upcoming 25m TT
The triathlete who did a 3hr ride followed by a 1 hr run rather than the planned 2 hr swim session.
The triathlete who rode for 3 hours on a prescribed rest day

Now please don’t get the wrong impression. I like being out in the nice weather as much as anyone. In fact I see it as a reward for the hard winter months of training in the cold, rain and mud.
Athletes employ my services as a coach to help them get the most from what they see as limited reserves of either talent or time (or both). To help them do this we need to develop a careful plan. This includes the right amount of quality work padded out with other endurance and technique workouts and in the right order so that recovery can take place.

So you need to do the right sessions at the right times

So how can you match your desire to be out in the sun with your training plan
Here are a few suggestions

Swimming
If you know it’s going to be a nice day then get your swim out of the way early.
Commuting to the pool is OK as long as its not too hard and not too far.

Bike
For time trialling and non drafting triathlon I think you need quality interval & threshold sessions and the only way to ensure this quality is to use a trainer.
A simple solution is to position the trainer outside. That way you get the best of both worlds. Just make sure you have plenty of water and some sunscreen

Running
I guess that most of you do your training outdoors but just in case you have a treadmill set then it’s OK to run outdoors but just plan your session carefully so that you replicate it identically. If you cant make it to the track then a football field or cricket pitch is OK.

Wts & Stretching
Take your equipment to the park or out in the garden and do your workout in the open air

Duration
Its generally not a good idea to massively increase your run or ride time just because of the extra sunlight. Personally I’d stick to the training plan and then spend the extra time

enjoying the nice weather by finding a more relaxing pursuit such as with the family or friends, reading
Rest Days -
if you have a NO TRAINING day planned then it’s probably there for a reason. Take it and spend the day doing something more relaxing.

I’m not here to spoil your enjoyment. I know that you do this for fun and that is absolutely fine. BUT (and there’s always a but isn’t there) if you want results then you need a plan that you stick to.
Don’t get sidetracked just because the sun is shining.

If you have any questions or ideas to share with the rest of the group please post them to the blog below

Stay healthy & have fun

P.S. Just because the summer is nearly here, it doesn’t mean you have to STOP the strength & conditioning workouts. TRIATHLON STRENGTH is my new year round S&C programme. The first month is free. Sign up here

During the winter I like  TheTriathlonCoach.com athletes to focus on the following…

Consistency
Developing Aerobic capacity (through working either below approx.. 80%mhr or around 95%mhr – above or below No Mans Land on the graph)
Avoiding too much work at threshold (between 80-90%mhr – See No Mans Land on the graph)

This doesn’t mean that they don’t do any threshold work but that it’s kept to a minimum and tends to happen naturally such as when climbing a hill or running a X Country race. This is probably in direct contrast to what most triathletes do. Thinking that they race triathlon at this intensity they mistakenly spend most of their training time in this zone

There are many different terms for threshold and a lot depends upon the sports scientist that you work with. However I have drawn a graph (see above) which illustrates the zone I am talking about. If you perform a bike fitness test increasing the watts by 20 every few minutes, at first your lactate levels wont change much, then they will start to go up slowly and then at a certain point they will sky rocket. The 2 points where there is a significant change have various definitions such as

The 1st turn point = aerobic threshold
The 2nd turn point = anaerobic threshold (AT), lactate threshold (LT), max lactate steady state (MLSS), functional threshold power (FTP)…

In cycling power terms, the 2nd turn point is a very good estimate of the average power you can hold for 60 minutes. If you do a 20 minute Time Trial then you can calculate the value of the 2nd turn point by multiplying your result by 0.93. If you achieve an average of 300 watts in a 20 minute TT then 300 x 0.93 x 279, so your FTP, AT, MLSS = 279 watts.

At a certain times in the year I do like athletes to focus a bit more on the zone between the 2 turn points. It seems as though you can focus on threshold work for about 8 weeks before plateauing so just before the start of the race season is a god time to give this a bit more attention. To develop your ftp you need to train at around the ftp wattage. This session has you working 25above and 10% below so that you get a push & pull effect

This week I’m going to give you another session provided by my friend Julius Jennings from KoolStof Coaching (see below for details of how to get in touch with Julius)

To do this set you will need to calculate your ftp, ftp x 1.02 and ftp x 0.9 these will be your target wattages for the set

Warm Up for 10 to 15 minutes; build to about 80%mhr

Main Set – Now perform a continuous 40 minute effort in an aero tuck or on drops alternating between 3 minutes at  watts/ at 90% of threshold and 2 minutes at  watts/ 100%-102% of threshold. Do this block at 5rpm higher cadence  than you would race at.

Cool Down 5-10min.

It is important NOT to go above these wattages/efforts as we are trying to pull and push and pull your threshold up by JUST going above it and below it. Go over 102% and you’ll WASTE the session and be doing VO2 max intervals which is another session for another day.

Your heart rate will gradually get higher for each 2 min rep over the session. Stay strong and you’ll get through this.

Try it out and then let me now what you think by posting your comments to the blog below.

Julius Jennings runs Koolstof Coaching in Exeter. you can find out more about him by visiting his website. Julius uses the CompuTrainer with all of his cyclists. Here is what he has to say….
” Here at Koolstof Coaching we use the CompuTrainer in Erg mode for power sessions that require exact wattages. A power meter on a standard turbo varies way too much and you just don’t get the same physiological response required as you do on the CompuTrainer. It hurts like hell as there is no ‘cheating’ but you get 100% benefit from the session resulting in greater power gains.” – Julius Jennings
Click here to own your CompuTrainer now from only £46 per month. Based on an average gain of 2% per month You can still feasibly gain 6-8% before the season really gets going.