The Right Running Shoes

Finding the right running shoes will help from getting injured. With the new running shoes coming out, it might be a little hard to find the one that you like. Newton Running shoes were designed by runners for runners to mimic the advantages of barefoot running, Then you have Nike Free which kind of doing the same sort of thing as the Newton but Nike does not seem to have the actuator lugs which help when pushing off.

Action: When you forefoot strike with a Newton running shoe the actuator lugs stretch a membrane as they are pushed from the outer sole into the chambers of the mid-sole. This replaces the foam/air/gel used in the outer and mid-sole of traditional running shoes.

Reaction: As you begin to push off after striking, the membrane returns to its original shape pushing the actuators out from the mid-sole and returning the energy into forward propulsion.

Mimicking the barefoot running style and keeping on the toes seems to be the industries leading focus. For sometime it was the cushion in the heel, but things have changed and to run smarter, faster and with less injury keep it on the toes.
Now Think, Tri, Do!

Always Competing

Competing in triathlons is fun, but what or how do you keep that competitive spirit when you are training. One way is on the day that you are to go hard do just that, and to make it special, find others out on the road and catch them. If you see someone 100, 200, 1/2 mile ahead of you, go for it. Can you catch them, can you pass them, can you sustain that level for you full ride or run. If you are ridding with a group then play rabbit, each one leaves at 2-3 min intervals, the leader of course tries to hold of the group and the rest (tri's) to catch, pass the rest.
These types of workouts help that competitive spirit and also help improve/surpass level periods in training.
Chee

Bigger lung capacity

You want to have a larger lung capacity or just be able to hold your breath for 4 minutes, then practice these techniques from Outside Magazine.

1. Start in the Kiddie pool: Practice in the shallow end and wear a dive mask.
   
2. Bring a Friend: Hey if you are going to try this then someone should be there to bail you out, plus it helps that they keep time and tap you on the shoulder every 30 secs.
3. Prep You Lungs: Above water start with 2-3 minutes of slow, deep-belly breathing, air into the stomach.
4. Warm Up: Hold you breath in a dead man's float. Come up when you feel that you need air, do this twice.
5. Take a Deep Breath: Inhale and float face down.
6. Relax your mind: Your body will say give me air, but overcome this by humming a song or counting tiles.
7. Breathe!: When you can't take it, come up for air. lean against the side and get your breath for 30 or more seconds before you talk or move.
   

Mark Anders writer for outside magazine.
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Strength for Triathlon

As we all start to get into the summer and biking and running outside is a lot more fun then being in the gym we seem to let the little things go, strength training. From the swimming and biking you tend to use more chest, shoulder and parts of the back (lats), but the traps and rhomboids (center of the back) get forgotten. So when you start to feel your shoulders getting tired start working the traps and rhomboids. Doing exercises while on a balance board (Indoboard) not only improves the muscles that you are working but "core" muscles as well. The muscles of the torso stabilize the spine and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities. These core muscles lie deep within the torso. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. When these muscles contract, we stabilize the the spine, pelvis and shoulders and create a solid base of support. We are then able to generate powerful movements of the extremities.
Remember you are doing hundreds of miles a week, between swimming, biking and running, so through out the high reps and light weight (after you have mastered the movements, don't jump into anything until you consult your doctor or NASM Trainer) and lets get down to business!

"The most effective type of strength training program for a triathlete incorporates a single, very high intensity set for each muscle group. This stimulates the desired strength increase without building huge muscles or using up too much time or energy that we need for swimming, cycling, and running. Strength training is an important supplement, but it is a supplement. Spending hours in the weight room won’t improve triathlon performance." read more...

Hydration, training and racing in the heat

We all have our way to stay hydrated or think that we are hydrated. An easy way to tell if you are dehydrated is if you stop sweating, this is one of the first signs. In the northeast the heat, humidity, can be just as bad as the cold, and who want to go inside and run on a treadmill. Train like you would race.
First and foremost drink plenty of liquid before a race, being hydrated starts days if not a week before. Some people like Gatorade, some like Accelerade while other like Cytomax it all depends on what is best for YOU!
Jennifer Hutchinson has some great points on Hydration:
"Anyone who has raced in Hawaii, Arizona or in any other notoriously toasty Ironman conditions is aware that how well one can take the heat can determine who has a great day or who goes home unfulfilled. Successful racing in hot conditions depends on how well the body is able to adapt to the heat (acclimatization)." read more, from IRONMAN training tips...

Pre Race Eating: Carbo-Loading

What to eat the night before, many races have pasta dinners the night before, but for some getting the carb's into the system there is just not enough time. Some say it takes roughly 12+ hours for the body to break down the pasta. So what do you do, well start early and get your take topped off 48+ hours before the race.

• Eating/drinking: Try not to skip meals race week, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate throughout the week, especially one and two days before the race. Don't eat a late-night meal the night before the race, Scott says, or you'll feel too heavy and possibly have an upset stomach race day. Dave Scott
• It is an important period to stock your energy reserves to their max, but don't make too much of the process. Some elite runners, for example, will race hard about seven days before the target race day to deplete their glucogen stores, then train normally for three or four days, eating mostly fats and protein to keep glycogen low. Then in the last few days before the race, they pack as many carbohydrates into their system as they possibly can. The theory is that their muscles are so starved for glycogen that they will soak up even more carbo's than they normally would, giving them extra energy for the race. We do not recommend this for the mainstream runner -- certainly not without the oversight of a dietitian. Too often, this approach can backfire and leave you out of gas midway through the race. Coolrunning.com
• On the morning of the big day, have a light breakfast; a bagel and some fruit juice is ideal. Don't eat any solid food for three hours before the run, just water (a good rule of thumb for any run when you really plan to push yourself).Coolrunning.com

And remember, meals and nutrition are about YOU pick the meals that you are familiar with and stick with them. This is not the time to experiment, now go out and train!

Fun Times, Simulated Triathlon Training

Clif Bar Triathlon Training, is a great spoof on what a triathlon start is like. You get punched, kicked, scratched, pushed, grabbed and basically drowned, but if you make it through the first hundred yards or so things tend to settle down. Now this is a spoof but in all reality if you have the access to a couple friends an open pool or body of water, practice starts. Have your friends hold you, grab, punch, kick, hit and push you, I am sure that you friends will have no problem helping out on this request. In the end you will be better faster and prepared at the start.
Cheers, hey its summer get outside!