Whenever you see an athlete with great technique they make the sports they play look easy. Think of Coe breaking the 800m world record, Adlington winning Olympic gold, Federer victorious at Wimbledon, Wilkinson’s world cup winning drop goal or Beckham curling the ball over the wall into the top corner. Each of those guys made it look so easy that we all think we can do it.
The fact is that what seemed so easy was actually the result of years of deliberate practice. Great runners perform hours and hours of drills to give them a fluent stride and you can bet that Adlington is just as diligent with her drill work in the pool.
So here are 3 questions for you.
1. Do you know what your swim, bike and run technique looks like?
2. Do you know what world class technique looks like?
3. If you know what your looks like, then how close is it to what we would consider to be a world class example?
If you don’t know the answer to these 3 questions then there’s absolutely no point in starting with any drills!
As with any journey you need to know where you are starting from and where or what you are aiming for. With these firmly in your mind you can then workout how you are going to get from point A to point B
No matter what you might think, there is a very strong link between efficient technique and top performance. You may not be as genetically gifted as the champions I mentioned above but there’s no reason why you can’t have a bombproof style. It just requires and understanding of the 3 questions above and a great work ethic.
If you are one of those who has no idea of their swim, bike and run style or how to improve it, TTC coach Louise Hanley is hosting a 2 day training camp in Leeds on November 12/13 where she will be able to provide you with the answers.
You can find more details by clicking here http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
If you really are serious about making progress in 2012 then this is a fantastic place to start
Stay healthy & have fun
There are a number of things that really iritate me. Not being able to sleep at night, stuck in traffic and being ill are top of my list. I can just about put up with not sleeping because eventually I’ll have a really good nights sleep to make up for it and its difficult to do much about traffic.
Since I’ve been back in the UK I’ve noticed that there are already a few athletes with colds and we are only just beginning the winter training phase.
Being ill not only makes you feel rubbish it also means that your training is impaired. OK, so you can train at low intensity with minor cold symptoms but I’ve found that this generally means they just drag on so I prefer to miss a couple of days and get healthy as quickly as possible. Given the option I’d prefer not to be ill at all.
Unlike traffic jams we all have control over our health…
For example, did you know that you can cut down the potential for colds and their associated symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough) by washing your hands more frequently?
In this short video, my friend Mr David Teanby, Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, will demonstrate the correct way to “scrub up” and he also answers a few questions about NHS recommendations for reducing transfer of germs.
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S. we still have places on our winter training camp in Leeds. Click here for more details http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
P.P.S. -You can now purchase my 21 week winter Base programme from here http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/long-distance-triathlon-base-plan/
Unbelievable. That’s one of the words I’d use to describe what I witnessed yesterday.
The Queen of Kona (at least in the 21st century) Chrissie Wellington, swam, biked and then ran in pain AND came from 20 minutes down to win her 4th title in what she described as her toughest race ever. In the post race press conference she said ” I’ve never had to dig so deep as I did today”
Craig Alexander set a new course record in Kona (a record that has stood since 1996) and also became the oldest man ever to win the Ironman world championship.
British domination of triathlon continued as 3 GB girls made it into the top 4 with stunning performances from Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce and lets not forget an 11th place for Tom Lowe not only in his Kona debut but also his 1st year of Ironman.
Below you’ll find some images put together by my friend, Kevin Lynch, but first a couple of things that we can all learn from our winners.
1. Craig Alexander said that in 2010 he had a great race but got ambushed and finished 4th, so he went back to the drawing board and planned meticulously for this result. Lesson – If you want a stellar 2012 race season start planning with great care right now
2. Chrissie Wellington said that her crash 2 weeks ago had hampered her preparations (she ended up in hospital for 6 hours on the Tuesday before the race after attempting to swim with torn pec and intercostal muscles)…yet she still won. Lesson – There will be times when your race build up is less than perfect. Just take confidence from the fitness you have built up over many months/years and focus on having the best race you can. You may be surprised!
In the meantime enjoy the movie
Mahalo
No words of wisdom, sessions or videos today, just a montage of images from Kona.
Oh and thanks to those of you who post comments to the blog. It really enhances what I’m trying to create here.
Mahalo for being part of our tribe and enjoy the show.
Early morning at the beach is always a busy time as the athletes get in an early morning swim before it gets too hot. In this short video you’ll get a good idea of how busy it is at 7.30 am. It was rocking today and it’ll be the same tomorrow.
One thing you can’t see from the video is how rough it was. There was quite a swell and near the beach there was a fair amount of chop. As I’ve said before, long gliding strokes leave dead spots and that means you get pushed backwards. The only technique that works in rough open water is one where you have a faster cadence and constant application of power. Is this what your stroke is like above and below the water?
If you don’t know then you can find out by booking onto our winter training camp where we will video your swim and run techniques
Reserve your spot by clicking here http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
Mahalo for watching
Please post any comments to the blog below
Aloha,
Being here in Kona is not just about the racing and training. In fact in the last week before a race it should be more about relaxing and eating. Lets not forget the family members and supporters either. They need to chill out too!!
And if you want to eat good food, drink great coffee and just hang out with other triathletes and watch the ocean then there’s only one place to go – Lava Java
In today’s video I interview Lava Java owner Jeff Fischer about why Lava Java is the No 1 hangout in Ironman week and how it gained it’s worldwide reputation
Enjoy the video.
If you’ve got any comments or questions then please post them to the blog below.
Mahalo for watching
Its race week here on the big Island of Hawaii and Kona is starting to buzz as the athletes arrive and get ready to race next Saturday.
As you might imagine there’s a lot of energy here and wherever you go, in the town or on the highway, people are running and cycling. It looks to me like a lot of people will be overcooked by race day. Anyway that’s a different story.
There are approximately 1500 athletes who have qualified to race here out of probably more than 30000 who have tried to qualify. In order to meet the qualifying time an athlete has to have some very specific goals and not ones that are for the next couple of months. Some athletes have been on 3 or 4 year plans to get to Kona.
What does this have to do with you?
If you plan on racing in Hawaii or any other world championships next year then you need to start planning now>
You’ll need the following goals
Outcome goal – this is actually a goal you need to have but is often out of your control. For example there may be 5 qualifying slots in your age group. whether you grab one depends not only on your performance but also on those of your competitors. even if you have a PB race they might have better ones
Performance Goals – statistically you may calculate that you need a particular time to get your top 5 finish. Achieving that time is within your control. If you do everything you that’s within your control then you have a good race. you can break performance goals into sub goals for example you might work out that to do a 2hr 10 min Olympic distance qualifier you need a 25 minute swim, 65 minute bike and a 40 minute run
Process goals – these are the small tasks that you need to accomplish every single day to take you towards your goal. It could be anything from 8 hours sleep, stretching, eating correctly to the drills necessary to make you a better swimmer etc.
Once you have set your goals you need to focus on the process goals every single day. they are front and centre in your ind. every month you need to do some sort of performance test to make sure you are moving forward and all the time just keep the outcome goal at the back of your mind.
You need to start with these goals now, in fact its another perfect task for your end of season recovery period.
If you want a comprehensive document to help you set goals for next years racing then e-mail me and I’ll send you the form that we use with our athletes.
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S. if you havent signed up yet then our winter training camp in Leeds will eb the perfect place to get started on those process and performance goals. For more information click here http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
After my suggestions last week that you should try other activities for a few weeks I decided to take some of my own medicine.
So today I tried stand up paddling for the very first time
I rented the kit at $25 for the hour and after a few minutes instruction on how to stand on the board and how to hold the paddle, I set off. Apparently the water was perfect today but that didn’t stop me falling off a few times. I felt like I was correcting every little ripple of the water and being a novice I was very unsteady. My legs were working overtime and at the end they were a little wobbly as I hit the beach. On top of that its a great upper body & core workout. The 60 minutes went very quickly and I had an absolute blast. Remember what I said in my last post; its not about training but being active and trying something new!
If you haven’t downloaded it then you can get my FREE active recovery report ‘Rest is Best’ by clicking on this link
Its a short post today.
Last week I introduced you to the foam roller and a simple exercise to ease out tight calves.
Today I’ve moved onto something that triathletes either get or are prone to – tight Iliotibial bands. This is the fibrous band that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee. It can often manifest itself as an irritating pain in that little bony protrusion just at the top and outer aspect of the shin, just below the knee joint.
Triathletes seem to be more prone to this than pure runners or cyclists because of the combination of cycling and running in their training.
Anyway, todays video will show you how to use the foam roller to help avoid or treat this painful issue.
I’m loving your comments so please keep them coming and post them to the blog below or on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/thetriathloncoach
Have fun & stay healthy
PS Don’t miss our winter training camp in Leeds http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
This week I had another request for some jargon free swimming tips
It’s usual to find that experts in every field use jargon. I think this is partly because they get so used to this type of language they forget that the rest of the population isn’t in on it too. I think also for some “experts” it’s because they want to set themselves apart from everyone else.
Of course when coaches talk to each other then jargon is fine but when speaking to athletes perhaps we should remember to keep our language simple.
I’ve highlighted the terms that I use on a regular basis and also some of the shorthand. If you use or see others on a regular basis then please let me know. I can compile a glossary of shorthand terms and maybe put it up on our site somewhere.
fs/fc – free style/ front crawl
bs – back stroke
fly – butterfly
brs – breaststroke
IM- Individual medley (although in general triathlon talk this might also mean ironman)
Paddles- a plastic, almost flat surfaced toy which can be placed over the palm to emphasise the hand position in the water and to build upper body strength. Can range in size from palm to dinner plate
Pull Buoy – the foam object you squeeze between the upper thighs to emphasise the arm stroke
Band – small rubber band (a 30cm piece of inner tube tied in a loop) which fits snugly around both ankles and completely eliminates kicking
Fins – or flippers which are worn on the feet to emphasise kicking
Swim – just swim, NO TOYS
Pull – Swim with a pull buoy between the legs (no kicking)
Kick – Kick only, no arm strokes
Pull/Paddle OR PP- A swim set wearing paddles and with a pull buoy (good for developing upper body strength)
Pull/Paddle/Band OR PPB- A swim set wearing paddles, pull buoy and a band(even better for developing upper body strength)
Bilateral breathing – the ability to breathe on both sides. Usually every 3 strokes but could be 5 or 7
Hypoxic breathing – limited opportunities to breathe. Usually every 5,6,7,8,9 strokes
Weak side breathing – every one has a favourite (dominant) side to breathe. This is the other one
Catch up drill- one arm performs the stroke while the other handrests in front. When the arm in use “catches up” with the resting arm you do a stroke with the other arm. emphasises what is happening with the catch
Fists – swimming with both hands clenched into a fists. Emphasises the role played by the forearms in the stroke and also promotes a faster turnover
Trail fingers – as the arm recovers to start the next stroke you trail the finger tips over the water. This promotes a high elbow during recovery
Recovery – when talking about the stroke this is what happens when your hand exits the water by your hip and moves over the water ready to start the next stroke.
Recovery can also mean the time that you get to rest between sets or reps
Rep – one repetition usually of a set distance I.e. 100m
Set – multiple repetitions I.e. 10 x 100m
Turnaround OR off – if the set is written as 10 x 100 off 2 minutes then it means that you start each 100m every 2 minutes. If it takes you 1 min 45s to complete the rep then you get 15s rest
Build – if the set is written as 10 x 50 build off 60s this means that you start each 50m every 60s and within that rep you build the pace, starting easy and finishing with a sprint
Descend- a set might be written as 3 x 100 descending off 2 mins. This means that each rep is slightly faster (1-2s) than the previous rep, starting every 2 minutes If the set was written as 9 x 100 descending 1-3 off 2mins then its essentially repeating the first block of 3 that I described until you have done 9 reps
Negative Split – the 2nd half of the rep is faster than the first. So if it was 200m negative split you might swim the first 100m in 90s and the second 100m in 88s
That’s about all I can think of for the moment but if you have any more then I’d love to hear them. Please post them to the blog below
Stay healthy & have fun
P.S. If you want to improve your swimming then why not attend our first winter training camp in Leeds? You can find full details here http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/bootcamps/training-weekends/12th-13th-november-2011/
