Training Peaks, Love These Options, Three Key Workouts!

Training Peaks Best place for training

1. Short Hill Repetitions

The value in short hill repeats goes beyond just speed. You build muscular endurance, kinetic chain stability (a fancy way of saying the body is working efficiently from top to bottom which in turn leads to injury prevention) and stride efficiency. Beginner runners should start cautiously. While short, these repetitions are demanding.

The Details:

Find a hill that is at least 100 meters in length and relatively steep (approximately 6% grade). Run at a solid sprint, but not all out, up the hill for approximately 50-60 meters. Walk/light jog back to your starting point and repeat.

• Note how long it takes you to complete the 50-60 meters. You want to be sure you are fully recovered after each repeat such that your times for each repeat are consistent. If they are not, take more recovery time.
• I like to insert these repeats into the middle of an aerobic run day. For example, 20 minutes aerobic followed by hill repeats and finishing with 20 more minutes aerobic.
• Insert these repeats once every week to every other week as your training allows building up to a max of 10-12 total repetitions. Start with 2-4 reps if you are a beginner.
• For added strength, aim to also find hills that are steeper (I would not go steeper than 10% grade).

2. Lane 8 Progression Run

Progression runs certainly have tremendous physiological value but I also believe they are one of the best workouts for learning how to pace. If I had to pick one thing that is consistent across the board at races I attend it is the tendency for people to mismanage their pacing. Learning how to manage your pace will make you more aware of effort in short distance racing in addition to producing that attractive finishing time.

The Details:

• Head to the track for this controlled run. Warm up well for 10-15 minutes followed by light stretching. Then run 2 laps where you stride out the straights and coast the curves.
• Run 16 laps, 12 for beginners, in lane 8 on the track where you run EASY from the start line to the number 8 and at “pace” from the number 8 back to the start line. Yes, you are getting a tiny jog recovery each lap.
• “Pace” is as follows – 4 laps at 10K pace/effort, 4 laps just a little faster (approx. 5 sec/mi), 4 laps a little faster yet (approx. 5 more sec/mi), 4 laps making each lap a little faster than the last.
• Cool down well when done, 10-15 minutes.
• This workout forces you to start moderate and build your pace. You spend a decent amount of time at each pace, giving you the opportunity to recognize what different efforts feel like.

3. Pyramid Strides

I love strides. Strides in every form do something good for your running- they require you to go fast! At the end of the day, if you have not asked your body to run paces/efforts faster than you have in the past you cannot expect your results to change. With strides you are able to create proprioceptive awareness to switch gears and tolerance to uncomfortable efforts in a manageable way.

The Details:

• A pyramid stride is exactly as it implies, an effort where you build your pace and then ease off and can be easily inserted within or after a run. They are a great way to effectively generate speed in a safe way.
• Start with pyramid strides lasting 90 seconds. The first 30 seconds you build to good speed/turnover thinking about light and quick feet. The second 30 seconds you hold this effort aiming to maintain good form. For the final 30 seconds gradually ease off from the stride effort, allowing your body to decrease speed gently. Rest is as needed.
• Start with 4-6 strides after an easy run and build up to 8-10. Insert in the middle of a run to break up a pace rut.
• As you get more comfortable with the strides try changing up the duration to either 1 minute or 2 minutes in length. 1 minute pyramids are hard due to the shorter time you have to build your pace. 2 minute pyramids are also challenging due to the length you have to hold your effort.

Learn To Adjust! Front and Back derailleur

Great Instruction for derailleur adjustment, both front and back can be found.
How to check your front derailleur a Road Cycling video by rcuk

Simulating Triathlons Swim Starts, In A Pool!

Great article by Training Peaks

1. Swim in a group, large one
2. Go Hypoxic
3. Practice Sighting 
4. Breath on both sides
5. Do form drills

Complete description of each @Training Peaks

The Dash

I love this idea, forget about the watch image just having ear plugs like, Jack from the hit series 24.

World's First Wireless Smart In Ear Headphones. 1000 Songs. Performance Tracking. Body Sensors. Secure Fit.

Electronics should be discrete enablers of delightful and magical experiences. Our aim is for you to achieve a better understanding of your skills, abilities and health while doing the things you love. We think that with your support in this campaign, The Dash could become a truly remarkable addition to our lives.  

The Dash

Shoot, Ski, Record: Biathletes Use Technology!

Great Article by Digital Trends

At first glance, biathlon looks like a sport invented by the X-Games brain trust to make two distinctly different, distinctly unexciting skill sets feel cooler. After all, cross-country skiing and target shooting boast roughly the same natural, symbiotic relationship as fishes and bicycles, and neither discipline features fast-and-furious action.

But as much as the sport might feel like a modern invention, it’s actually an old-school, no-nonsense affair. Norwegian art dating back more than 4,000 years depicts men hunting while on skis, and soldiers even skied into battle during 18th century conflicts such as the Great Scandinavian War. By the time biathlon was introduced as a medal event in the 1960 games in Squaw Valley, the sport had an established history, one decidedly low on bells and whistles.

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/shoot-ski-record-biathletes-use-tech-stay-target/#ixzz2tEVp90mK

Neila Rey, Illustrated Workouts, Programs, Challenges and Nutrition Tips!

What a great site and visual representation of hundreds of workouts. Neila Rey has done an amazing job, visualizing no-weight workouts, meaning you can do this all in the comfort of you house with no gym equipment. Who ever illustrated the movements did a wonderful job and who ever came up with the names for some of the workouts did a great job.

Did I mention this is all free, you can donate and I would recommend doing so.

Enjoy..

Individual no-equipment workouts are added almost every week. To keep things fresh, you can either pick one at random or use a filter at the bottom of the page to find a workout that will suit you more, depending on whether you would like to lose weight or/and define muscle tone. These are all tested routines, some of them are harder than others, some are themed and Sci-Fi inspired and some are more to the point. You have plenty of options you can choose from. Don't forget to read the manual. 

Try not to stay with one routine for too long or your body will adjust and optimise to it and you’ll stop seeing results. I suggest you pick 3-4 different workouts per week and perhaps pick up a challenge to stay committed.

Challenges are designed to keep you accountable and help you stay motivated. Some of them have targets like getting to 50 push-ups in a month and others are there to help you supplement your training. If you don’t know where to start or you have never tried working out at home before, taking up a challenge is a good way to help your body adjust for daily exercise. 

There are no rest days in my challenges, but some days are easier than others to compensate for that. I believe it is more important to stick to something continuously rather than take a break and then give up on the whole thing. Stay committed and just do what you can, rest times are guidelines only - you don’t have to kill yourself if you can’t go on any further, just keep on showing up every day. Unless specified otherwise, the amount of reps is per day and is a total, you don’t have to do everything in one go. That way you can work at your fitness level. 

Programs are complete sets of daily routines. Currently I have 30 Days of Change [30DOC] and 90 Days of Action [90DOA] available for a free download. The main difference between the two is that the 30 Days of Change requires you do a lot of walking, jogging and running outside and the 90 Days of Action has all at-home cardio routines and challenges. So it depends on what kind of program you are looking for and what fits your lifestyle better, both will help you get in better shape and tone up, both come with cardio, strength and ab routines and have been thoroughly tested by me personally and by a group of volunteers. I also have a few running programs if it’s something you would like to try. 

Tips & Motivation is a collection of practical posts to help you begin your journey and then stay on track. Since I am not looking for clicks and I am not selling ads on this website, I only post material I myself find useful and worth reading. 

Nutrition is the edible extension of the tips and motivation section. That’s where I post all of the nutrition and healthy eating tips. 

Recipes section is the newest addition to the website. When you train you don’t have the time or the energy to cook and you end up with all the wrong things on your plate. So my goal is to test and come up with the best healthy, quick and easy, but affordable recipes that anyone can do. I only post recipes I myself make on a regular basis and I would recommend to my friends. 

Zipi: magnetic earbud strap

Now most still wear ear buds while training, not sure why but if you are going to get a Zipi! it helps you take the buds out of your ears and have them dangle around your neck, reach down and there they are. Zipi makes your earbuds simply disappear into the background when they are not needed. Zipi is an earbud strap that connects behind your neck using magnets.
Zipi uses neodymium magnets, the strongest magnets on the market.  Zipi comes in translucent white, yellow, aqua, hot pink and black. Zipi KickStarter Campaign

16 Supposedly Healthy Foods With More Sugar Than A Snickers Bar

We try and try, looking for healthy food, or food that we think is healthy, only to find out it is not, to a point. Check this list out! Really, the problem with sugar is that it just makes you crave more sugar. When sugar enters your body, it causes the chemical serotonin to be released, which triggers your brain’s reward center and makes you feel more relaxed. That’s fine; the problem is that constantly eating too much sugar dulls this feel-good response so it takes larger amounts of sugar to get there — meaning the more you eat, the more you need. Full List

 Chobani Black Cherry Blended Yogurt: 28 grams sugar

chobani.com

Where the sugar comes from: black cherries, evaporated cane juice, cherry juice concentrate

Turns out, fruit-flavored yogurts are sweetened with more than just fruit. Shapiro’s thoughts: “I’m not a fan of the fruit-flavored yogurts, because they do have a ton of added sugar. Yogurt has naturally occurring sugar from the lactose, so that added sugar is just extra.” A better bet is eating unsweetened yogurt with fresh fruit on top. Stephanie Middleberg, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. of Middleberg Nutrition, agrees: “If you’re adding sugar, you really only should be having a teaspoon at a time.” That’s far more than the 7 teaspoons of sugar in Chobani’s Black Cherry Blended yogurt.

Bikestock, Vending Machine!

Being shocked is rare today, but having this type of machine out and about is again, simply Brilliant! What else can you say, set up these around any small town and I am sure it would be a big hit.

Bikestock seeks to empower people to ride their bikes. When we ride we feel alive, fulfilled and engaged in our communities and know others feel the same way. To that end we are dedicated to addressing the obstacles of riding and making it easy to solve minor emergencies any time of day. Bikestock provides support for urban cyclists through a network of vending machines, toolkits, and branded cycling products. By making self-service bike repair available around the clock, Bikestock aims to encourage more people to ride their bicycles. Bikestock locations fill in critical gaps in traditional bike shops business hours, while enhancing existing infrastructure. Cyclists have become a permanent and prominent feature of New York City roads. 200,000 people now ride daily on over 250 miles of bike lanes. Don’t let complications like flat tires or unanticipated rainstorms keep you from riding. Bikestock’s network of conveniently placed machines and toolkits will put essential products and tools within reach of cyclists.
BikeStock

Zozi and Bear Team Up! Go Get Your Bear On!

Get points, get gear and a ridiculous low rate. This is similar to the Marlboro promotion in the late 80's.
Here is my link: http://zozi.me/1bIFEmZ

Swim Training vrs. Run Or Bike!

Now I have always taken off the months between October and January, even slowed down on the running and biking. I would start my training in January, with running and a lot of indoor biking. The biking is where one can make up a lot of ground, running is where the race is won. So swimming, what should one do... Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. I am not sure, from this article I am one of the 10% been swimming since birth, the past couple years I have dramatically reduced the time I have spent in the water.
TriFuel sums it up..

Swimming holds a unique space in triathlon. It’s the shortest of all three distances on race day, yet it often holds the highest level of stress. From our perspective as coaches, swimming is also the most costly training activity you can engage in. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you implement a swimming ban in the winter and focus your swim training within the final 20-26 weeks leading up to your “A” race.
More @ TriFuel

Calf Problems, Might Not Be The Shoes!

Runners World has a great article on calf muscles cramping up and the causes.

Cramping in the calves has several causes, but the true cause is not fully understood. Your history will likely give the most clues. True muscle cramps involve intense muscle contraction and the muscle needs to be lengthened to resolve the spasm. This differs a bit from calf pain from causes other than cramping that results in muscle spasm.

Exercise-related cramps are likely caused by muscle fatigue and may involve the Golgi tendon bodies, which normally fire to inhibit the muscle from contracting too hard. If the Golgi body fatigues, the nerve input to the muscle is overstimulated and the muscle cramps. This is an oversimplified explanation of a rather complex interaction proposed in the late 90s by Martin Schwellnus from South Africa. This may also be the cause of a “Charlie horse” type of cramp that strikes in the night or when sitting with the calf in a shortened position after an exercise bout. (I used to get them on the bus ride home from away track meets.) 

More..

14 Workout Mistakes!

The 14 Biggest Weight-Training Mistakes

The science around strength training has changed in the last decade. You’re older, stronger, and hopefully, smarter now. Don’t make the same mistakes you made in your high school weight room.

By: GORDY MEGROZ

The bad news? There are a lot of exercises you grew up doing that are dead wrong for building power. If you want to get stronger faster, you’ll need to embrace the new science. The good news? The fixes for those old mistakes are fairly simple. We enrolled two of the country’s leading fitness experts, Rob Shaul of Mountain Athlete in Jackson Hole and Ben Bergeron of CrossFit New England, to get you back on track. 

Complete article at outside magazine!

Buyers Guide for Cyclocross

From RCUK

We’re in the midst of the cyclo-cross season: knobbly tyres, mud, cow bells, beer and frites take over from September to February.

Cyclo-cross racing is, in our opinion at least, one of the most accessible forms of competitive cycle sport, with a packed calendar of mass start, first-across-the-line-wins local league races up and down the country. MORE>>>

Ultra's, So Your Thinking Of Going Big!

Gear Patrol, really gets it right! From ramping up, to training, nutrition, etc...

An estimated 60,000 people finished an ultra in the U.S. in 2012, up from about 10,000 in 1990. That number is still small compared to the 487,000 people who completed a marathon in the U.S. in 2012, but it’s still an awful lot of people running exceptional distances. The sport has been bolstered by author-athletes like Dean Karnazes (Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner), Scott Jurek (Eat and Run) and Christopher McDougall (Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen). Pros are pulling down sponsorships from serious outdoor companies like New Balance and Salomon; The North Face sponsors a series of high-profile ultra runs with growing purses and a competitive pool; mainstream media are starting to cover races. There’s a growing interest in the exceptional.

And now you’re thinking about toeing the line for an ultra. Good for you. We’ve got a handy guide to help you through, complete with advice from a few pros at the top of the sport. Here’s a preview: it’s going to be hard work, but well worth the trouble.

Finish the article, here...