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!

Triathlon Finder

I am one to promote a great site, and let me tell you Trifind.net is a great site. It is easy to use and has all the right links. You get to the site, have navigation to the left with states, once clicked a list of events for the 2007 year pop up. You scroll find your event and either go to Active.com or the events website.
It seems as though it is just starting out so make sure you support it in any way that you can. List them on your blog, advertise on there site, or just make sure you use them so that they can get more adsense.
Check them out! Trifind.net

Swimming in a Wetsuit

Swimming in a wetsuit is really different than in a tight speedo or spandex shorts. If the suit is a full (legs and arms covered), or a farmer john (trunk and legs covered) many different things can occur. First some will feel confined, buoyancy can be another problem, size, tracking, and heat can all be effects of a wetsuit. So what does this mean, get out before your event and swim in your wetsuit. Even if you are a seasoned triathlete get at least one workout in before the race (your last swim workout would be the best) so that you have a memory of what it feels like.

The other thing to consider is not to get into your suit to soon before the start of the race unless they allow you in the water to warm up. Many make this mistake and get overheated or just feel drained. Remember the wetsuit is tight and meant to keep water out and you warm, they don't work that great on land.

One last thing, for some a wetsuit is a blessing, it keeps you afloat and that can help certain a certain style of swimmer. If sink in the pool and feel as though you are kicking a lot to keep yourself moving then a wetsuit is great. Buoyancy in your lower half should be greatly increased allowing you to kick less or feel less fatigued at the end of the swim portion.

Cheers and get out and train!

Triathlon Tapering, Olympic Distance

Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Tapering seems to be on everyone's mind lately, with several triathlons coming up, New York Triathlon and Mercer County Triathlon all need to be in full taper mode. So what does this mean? In short less work/time/milage at a race pace or faster, to get your system ready for the race ahead.
Active.com puts it like this:
"In the last week before an Olympic-distance triathlon, your run training must be sharply reduced in volume so your body can fully recover from and adapt to the peak workouts you did the previous week.

In addition, you must include a modest amount of running at race pace or faster to ensure your neuromuscular system is primed. Cutting your peak tempo run and your peak transition run in half and eliminating the long run should do the trick. If you like, do this last, short transition run at a near-maximum effort level -- just so race pace doesn't seem quite so fast come Sunday!"
Full article and chart at: Active.com

Training in the Heat and Humidity

It's getting hot out, so how do you train? In the winter we are inside stuck to a treadmill or trainer, but in the summer who wants to be inside, but it's hot! For some the heat is a blessing for most the complete opposite, trouble breathing, overheating, muscle cramps, etc.. Your body needs to keep its temperature within a narrow range to be able to function effectively. The hotter it gets outside, the higher your core body temp becomes! Your heart rate will often rise whether you’re exercising or not.
So make sure you are ready and practice these tips
1) Acclimate Your Body
2) Hydrate Early and Often
3) Determine Your Losses
4) Dress for Success
5) Know Your Limits
6) Recovery
7) Your Age make a Difference
To learn more, please visit USA Triathlon's web site at www.usatriathlon.org

Pedal stroke, Proper Position

image courtesy of Road Hogs


Pedal stoke is one thing you need to get correct, you will find foot numbness, knee pain, thigh and calf strain, so make sure you get fitted when you start out. Bike shops that are any good will have a couple tools in their shop to help you achieve good bike position. A company called Slow Twitch has developed a process called F.I.S.T., Fit Institute Slowtwitch. "A proper road bike fit system is one that helps a rider adopt a road bike fit used by most of the better road bike riders. And a proper tri bike fit system will place triathletes in an optimized position for riding a bike outfitted with aero bars."
1) A trainer (bike trainer) with a riser ring keeping the bike level.
2) Knee Angle tool, making sure you have about 150 degrees
These two are the most important but read more at..

Speed training on a Bike

picture from Cannondale, thanks!

We all think that getting out and ridding is training, we are in our aerobars, going through an 2 hour or more ride. Now this is great but does it build up speed, the answer is NO. As in running or swimming breaking your rides up into hill, Mt. bike, out of the saddle can dramatically increase your speed. Over time you should see an increase 1 to 2 MPH. The best way to accomplish this is in group rides, but this can also be done alone. The short intervals develop your explosive power, improving your top end speed. These are essentially "weight training" on the bike when done at full intensity. If you can increase your top speed over short distances, either your "old" race pace will become easier to maintain, or you'll develop new speed for the distance; your "economy" at sprint, Olympic, and even Ironman distance will improve.
Here is a great workout:
Instructions:
• 1+ hour ride: 10-15 minutes warm up
• 30 minute tempo ride
• 5 minute recover
• 3 minutes on, 3 minutes off x3 (18-20 mph on, 14-16 mph off)
• 5 minute cool down
NOTE:
This is biking BASE PHASE which is used to build the aerobic capacity. Longer duration workouts at slower pace and intensity are predominant. You are building a biking aerobic base and getting stronger.
Try it I am sure you will be impressed with the results over time.

Swimming: Master Breathing

Photo, Underwater by Rowell Spencer, All Posters
I was asked the other day, how do I catch my breath while swimming? First, make sure you breathe out all of your air before you rotate to take a breath. This is not like running or biking where we can get a breath anytime we like, part of establishing a good breathing technique is more swimming and becoming comfortable in the water. The more you swim the better everything gets.
Here are some good pointers:
•On a 100 yard freestyle (4 laps of a 100 yard pool) break up the laps into sections, on the first 25 breathe every 3rd stroke, the next 25 breathe every 4th stroke, next 25 every 5th stroke and last 25 on the 6th stroke. This will take some time to get used to but it is a great drill, especially if you are doing triathlons where sometimes you have to switch up your breathing in a pack full of people.
• Side kicks are great to practice, make sure you are rotating while you are taking a breathe not just turning you head.
• Extend your arms, make sure you are reaching with the opposite arm keeping you moving through the water.
If you would like to know more read The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimmingby Kevin Koskella

Beginner Triathlete, we've all been there!

This is a great site to get workouts, information about triathlons, training plans, race reports, articles and even a store. When I started out I was Googling and reading a lot about training plans, Beginner Triathlete can up in one of my searches. I followed the "free" beginner sprint 13 week program, this was nice because it ramped me up, to get into the Olympic distance triathlons. There are four different levels; Free, Bronze, Silver and Gold, each has a little more to offer than the next. Which ever route you chose, be assured Beginner Triathlete is a good starting point!
Here is the sample training program that I followed:

*****This original training plan is posted on Beginner Triathlete*****

Sprint 13-Week Training Program

**9/11/02 - This is the program I designed for my mother who is running her first sprint triathlon this weekend. She is 59 years old and started from scratch in the fall of 2001. If she can do it, you can!**

Remember, you may definitely overshoot the mileage by the end of this program, but this program is for everybody and especially for beginners OF ALL AGES!!!. It is not based on speed but on endurance. You can go as slow as you want. This is your first triathlon, and the goal is to just finish and to HAVE FUN!!!

If you need some reference on mileage to minutes: I am a slow, leisurely runner and it takes me 40 minutes to run 4 miles. One runs max 45 minutes in this program, so runners slower than me (and I am slow) can definitely do this program. However, if you find you can do a longer length tri during the middle of the following program, than sign up for a longer one!

By the way, if you can't do all the minutes - DON'T WORRY!!! 45 minutes running or 35 minutes swimming does sound like a lot. Do your best. On race day, you will get a great extra boost from the environment. Being that swimming is first, I know you will be able to do the distance even if you have only maxed out at around 20-30 minutes (just make sure you have done the 0.6miles in the pool as you can't really stop in the event). Biking is easy at these distances - even under minimal training. Running...you can stop to walk as much as it is needed if you want...you are allowed. I THINK YOUR GONNA BE ALRIGHT!!!

For a typical sprint triathlon (~0.5mile swim, 12mile bike, 3mile run), here are some results of the best and worst times from ages 15 to 70:

Swim: 10-35min Bike: 30-55min Run: 18-45min Total: 55-135min

Final 13 Weeks!!!

Core Performance Training

After I bought a pair of adidas sneakers I noticed a free trial to sign up for a core performance training plan. I was a bit skeptical at first but once I logged into Core Performance and used code CP-AGWA, I found that I could customize my training towards endurance/running, soccer, baseball, core lifting, etc. My workout was full of Prehab, Movement Prep, Strength and Regeneration, each one of these has a set of exercises that is pack with exercises. The big thing that I noticed was the Video, this is a bonus, seeing how to do a certain movement is one of the biggest perks that any site can offer. Other stuff they have but I have not used is the "My Nutrition", "My Core reports", and a "My Page" area. Nice site. They email that I received to confirm my user name came from Mia Hamm
Check it out.. Core Performance

Running efficiently?

You have Nike free and Newton running showing us the correct running stance, and coming out with shoes to help us adjust. So I decided to try something in the last couple weeks, force myself to run on the center of my foot pushing off with my toes. Most people land on their heels and roll through, from heel to toes, after adjusting my style, I know refer to this as LAZY RUNNING. At first I was a bit slower but my time have started to change over the last couple runs. I am running in a pair of Mizuno Wave Creation 8 and they are good shoes but since I changed my running style from a heel strike to a corrected running style things seems have change. The shoe feels heavy and my legs feel fast. I am now looking at a pair of NB 902, they are light and comfortable (I'll let you know how they turn out).

"All accomplished and elite runners run on the balls of their feet.
The foot should strike the surface with the ball of the foot, in a dorsiflexed position (with toes pointing forward not downwards) otherwise this creates a" breaking" motion.
The heel doesn't touch the ground.
The foot on landing on the surface should be "light" not heavy, it then "grips and scrapes" the surface.
The knee is slightly bent on contact with the surface and the foot lands below the centre of gravity - just below the hips.
Think of your leg working in a circular motion from the hip joint.
This brings the heel of the foot behind the body. The hamstrings and gluteus maximus (backside muscles) play a very big part in this movement.
The thigh moves forward with the action of the quads and hip-flexors, the leg is extended and the foot drops again, landing on the ball of the foot as above.
We call this cycling the leg!
The hips and waist should be steady without a lot of side to side movement.
The back should be straight and relaxed, not bent at the waist.
The shoulders should be relaxed, The arms should be bent at approximately 90 degrees and the motion should be from the shoulder not the forearms.
As the arm moves back it should continue to stay in 90 degree flexion.
The hands should be held with the palm facing inwards not down. If you prefer to hold your hands in a fist, the thumb should rest on the forefinger.
The head should be up with your eyes looking ahead not down.
Try not to think about the movement too much. Instead try to feel the cycling motion, and visualise it in your mind while you're running. You will know when you have got it right, you will be able you feel it." More...
Special thanks to BCC health