Triathlon Jones

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Article on Benefits of Kettlebell Training for Triathletes

By admin On May 27, 2009 3 Comments

I don’t think this has hit the streets in print yet, but below is a link to an article that I wrote for Endurance Magazine. Check it out. I’m telling you, if you are a triathlete and you do any strength training, make it kettlebells.

You will thank me later. Increased power on the bike, increased power in the water, increased core strength for a speedier, more powerful stride on the run. Kettlebells also rehabilitate old injuries and prevent new ones. I’m not sure what else you could ask for! Drop the bodybuilding exercises for something that really gets results. OK, enough preaching. See what you think:

Rock Solid: Kettlebells Provide Superior Benefits for Endurance Sports

Also, pictured is my friend Betsy Collie, RKC, who has been helping me a bit. She was also referenced in the article along with Tim Anderson, RKC, both of whom are teaching me the art of kettlebells.

Triathlon Tip – Catching the Draft on the Swim Leg

By admin On May 22, 2009 No Comments

As I’ve written before, many beginner triathletes are quite anxious about the swim. I’m willing to bet that every single one of you will swim too hard and use way too much energy right off the bat, no matter the distance of the triathlon.

What if I told you there was an easier way? No, I’m not going to tell you to skip the swim workouts that are in your training plan. I am going to tell you how to make the swim less taxing, easier, and less worrisome. OK, got your attention?

Good. Many of you who train solely in a pool will not have had the opportunity to experience this yet, but swimming directly behind someone, or just off their left of right arms, offers huge energy savings. Much like the draft you get when you are directly behind another cyclist, which is illegal in most U.S. triathlons, you get kind of a free ride on someone else’s effort. On the swim leg, however, drafting is quite legal and quite wise.

Another benefit is the fact that if the person you are drafting off of is sighting well and swimming straight, you can turn your trust over to them and take a break on sighting, instead concentrating on swimming. Coming from experience, though, be sure to check every now and then just in case. I’ve been led off course many times by someone who I thought would pull me around.

So, you ask, how do I position myself to take advantage of this affect. Everyone is starting off together and there is going to be mayhem!

I will spare butchering Rudyard Kipling’s poem, but “he who can keep his head when those around are losing theirs ….” Same thing on the swim leg of a triathlon. If you can remain calm, cool and collected, you are in a far better mental state than about 90 percent of the rest of the folks choosing their positions and sight lines in the water.

Usually, the best swimmers will line up in the front, and everyone else will fill in behind. I’m going to suggest something you might find ridiculous — line up right up front, not in the back and not way over to the right or left. Get right into the mix. You will often find that because the better swimmers are usually here, there is not nearly as much tussling as further back.

If you want to catch the draft of the first, really fast group, line up right behind whom you think might be the fastest.

If your goal is to catch the second, bigger group, line up two more rows deep. Line up right with everyone though, right where the best sight line is. Usually right down the buoy line is the way to go, unless of course there is a current, then use your best judgment. If a current is moving to the right, you will need to compensate for that by swimming a little left.

Back to the matter at hand, though. If you can stand a little physical contact for about two or three minutes, things should calm down and you can start looking for the pair of feet that you want to stay on. Learn to follow the bubbles from the turbulence the swimmer in front of you is churning up. If you happen to tap them on the foot, no foul, just try not to do it too much as it can be annoying and your ride might decide to try and drop you.

As I mentioned at the beginning, you can also get a good draft when you are beside someone. However, you want them to be in front and you want to be kind of flanking them in a wing formation right beside their arm pit.

If you find yourself in this situation, you will need to worry about sighting a bit more, but still, there is a big benefit energy wise. Either way, right behind or off to the side, will give you the opportunity to potentially hang with faster people, resulting in a faster swim split.

If you have the opportunity to do an open water swim in training, try it out. Get a friend who’s faster than you and try to stay in their feet. You will know pretty quickly how well you are fairing.

Triathlon Tip – Be Strong at the End

By admin On May 12, 2009 No Comments

One thing that many triathletes struggle with is going way too hard on the swim or the bike leg, or both. They are then forced to walk the last half of a given triathlon.

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but if you learn it early, you will finish well ahead of many of those who blow past you in the early miles of the bike. You can ruin your entire race by swimming to hard. You can ruin your race by biking too hard over the first half of the ride.

You have to throw your ego out the window in order to be successful at triathlon. It’s hard to maintain your composure and ride at your pace/heart rate/wattage when your are being passed by seemingly everyone over the first half of the bike.

However, if you ride within your capabilities, not above, and save your energy for the run, you will be in for a big surprise. Usually over the last miles of the bike leg, you will start passing all of those people back who went by you earlier.

Also, if you are prepared and have ridden within yourself, your run is going to be much more enjoyable, and sometimes even fun. You will find that the race that had seemingly passed you by starts coming back to you.

Being strong on the run also gives you a psychological boost because you start passing a massive amount of racers who are physically and mentally spent. You get a big boost of confidence when you are running right by so many folks, and you often will get cheered on by both athletes and spectators for being so strong so late in the race.

So, if you want to be successful, especially in your first few races, make sure you save a lot of energy for the run. You will be happy you did. I guarantee that if you wait until the run to let it all hang out, you will have a good race relative to your capability. You also might even beat many more experienced triathletes who have simply gone way too hard too early in the race.

Give it a shot and let me know how it turns out. Remember, as in all things, be strong at the end!

Vibram Five Fingers

By admin On May 7, 2009 No Comments

I so lust after these shoes! I will have some soon! Apparently, Tim Ferris, along with many others, have seen the light as well. Also, see my paleo pal Keith’s review of the Vibram Five Fingers

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/05/07/vibram-five-fingers-shoes/

http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/of-vibrams-and-fossil-records/

Effective Hip/Glute Flexibility Stretch Combination for Triathletes

By admin On April 30, 2009 No Comments

This stretch, found via Chris at Conditioning Research, is Mac Daddy for stretching your hip flexors. Triathletes have perennially tight hip flexors from being the aero position for extended periods.

This, paired with sitting at desk all day, can lead to major injuries! Try this stretch out after your workouts to keep those hip flexors loose. You will thank me, and Chris, halfway through the run.

Gear Review: Triathlon Specific Running Shoes — Zoot Ultra TT 2.0

By admin On April 27, 2009 No Comments

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ironman triathlete Jerry Cody. Jerry and I trained and raced for many triathlons together, including Ironman Florida in 2008 where he knocked down a 10:32. You can visit him at http://codys-tri-blog.blogspot.com.

I have been running for a number of years and like most runners I have tried a number shoes. I’m in my fifth year of triathlon now and I have a pretty good idea of what works for me. I run anywhere from 10 miles a week for short course and as much as 50 miles a week when training for a marathon or Ironman.

I am a forefoot runner, which means I run mostly on the balls of my feet. There are a number of theories about how to run more efficiently, but for me, this is simply how I have always run and I am not sure I could change that if I wanted to. Over the years, I have noticed how running shoes tend to have a lot of cushioning in the heel, but for me, that seems to be a waste due to my forefoot style of running.

I have used ASICS DS Trainers for the past two years and I really cannot say I have any complaints. They worked so well for me that I would buy two pair online when they were on sale and slide them on day 1 and have no problems at all on a long run of 10 miles or more. So you may ask … If the DS Trainers work so well for you, why change? Great question, maybe a combination of curiosity, desire for something different and new or just plain bored with the DS trainer. Whatever the reason,  I started looking at various shoes on the market that are supposed to be designed for forefoot runners. I looked at the Newtons, Nike Free and the Zoot Ultra TT 2.0.

I decided to give the Zoots a try because they are pretty unique and a little more affordable, selling at about $120 a pair on sale. The site I ordered from recommended ordering the shoes a 1/2 size up, so I ordered a 9.5. However, this turned out to be bad advice and I had to return them for my normal size of a 9.

When my shoes arrived in the mail, my first impression of the shoe when I picked it up was wow! cool looking and super light, the heel of the shoe was not massively built up and the forefoot area bent upward easier then any other shoe I had tried to date. Sliding them on I noticed some of the finer points of the shoe.

The shoe was designed specifically for triathletes incorporating features like quick laces built right into the shoe, a hole in the tongue and the heel to allow you to slide your fingers in and pull the shoe on quickly in transition and microfiber lining allowing the shoe to be worn barefoot and to drain water away.

According to Zoot, other shoes can gain as much as 30 percent more weight due to water retention. I always like to test a shoe by first taking a long walk. During my walk, I got a slight rub in the toe box but by the end of the walk it was worked out and not really causing me any issues.

I also have wide feet in this area so that was not much of a surprise for me. My left heel was rubbing but my right was not, guess I have strange feet, either way a little body glide in that area and that problem was solved. Running on the shoe felt very different than any other shoe, very light and you could feel the ground much more similar to running in flats or barefoot.

Picking up the pace I noticed my foot really stuck to the inside of the shoe and I felt the shoe provided me a better snap as my foot touch the ground and pulled through. I ran 5 miles in them and my first impression was good, maybe 4 out of 5 stars provided a 5 is a perfect shoe.

In summary, this shoe is clearly designed for triathletes who want to get the most out of their equipment. I would recommend using the shoe for shorter triathlons up to the 1/2 Iron distance as well as alternating the shoe with another shoe type on training days. As with most things, don’t expect anything too dramatic from a different shoe, but you may just shave a second or two off your run time and that can be the difference between 1st and 3rd place in a sprint distance triathlon.

Jerry Cody lives in Durham, North Carolina. If you are in Kona in the next few years, be sure to look Jerry up, because he will likely be racing.

Reader Question: Race Morning Prep

By admin On April 20, 2009 No Comments

A reader sent me the following email the other day, so I told him I would just write a post so everyone can join in the conversation.

Great blog! I found it as I have been looking for training tips, and occasionally peek at Zen Habits. Anyway, I’m gearing up for the Anchorman Portland (sprint) on August 30.

However, I am also a dad to twins (they are just a couple months shy of two now), and I am wondering what the night before and race day morning typically looks like for you? My wife just told me that she was planning on not counting on me being “present” on race day, which will help me remember my transition stuff and actually make it to the boat on time, but I thought you’d have a better idea of how it actually goes. Also, how have you and your wife balanced out your training schedule with twin care?

Just wondering. Thanks for all the great tips.

Stephen, thanks for the great question! Race morning can be stressful, even if you are by yourself, so being prepared is the best solution. I also have two-year-old twins, so I know what everyday life is like for you. Us family guys and gals have to be even better prepared than triathletes without kids!

I have addressed some of what race morning looks like for me in my previous post, 28 Tips for Triathlon Transitions. Getting all of your stuff for the run, bike and swim packed away safely and securely will give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on racing.

I think it good to have your stuff packed for your race a few nights before. That way, on the actual night of the race, all you have to do is relax and prepare mentally for the challenge that lies ahead. Get it all in your transition bags, get your bike ready, etc., then get to bed early!

On race morning, especially for those with families who plan to accompany you to the race to cheer you on, I strongly suggest taking two vehicles if possible. My kids are now all over the place, so my wife, being the sweetheart she is, gives me a free pass on race morning. This means I don’t have to worry about feeding the kids or getting them dressed. She takes care of all that. I worry about eating and last minute checks of gear, etc.

I also tend to be a bit irritable on race morning (or any morning, for that matter). Taking two vehicles allows me to leave at whatever time I think appropriate, thus not stressing the rest of the family too much. They can be on their own schedule and I can be on mine. This makes everyone happier! Plus, I can listen to whatever loud rap or heavy metal music I feel like at the time! I like to get fired up, baby!

My ultimate goal is getting myself and all of my gear to the race in time to set up my transition area with plenty of time to spare before the race starts. I usually get my stuff set up and then call my wife to see where she and the kids are. I will then track them down after I do my warm-up. You will be surprised at how much a hug and kiss from your wife and kids can boost your enthusiasm and energy!

If you do have to take one vehicle to the race, simply let your family members know what to expect. If you want to get there early to have some time to relax, be sure to build that into the schedule. After you have a few races under your belt, the stress of race morning is still there, but you know what to expect, so it’s not quite as bad anymore.

Good luck! If you have specific questions on race morning or anything, please leave them in the comments. Thanks for reading!

A Snapshot of What an Ironman Is Like

By admin On April 14, 2009 1 Comment

This video pretty much sums up the Ironman experience. For those of you training for your first, bless you! For those of you training for a sprint, perhaps thinking that doing an Ironman is inconceivable, just remember that I was thinking the same thing five years ago. Also consider that some folks make their first triathlon an Ironman or Iron-distance race! Anyway, enjoy!

The Iron War – Dave Scott versus Mark Allen, 1989

By admin On April 8, 2009 No Comments

I recently finished a book review that will appear at some point in Endurance Magazine. The book, Fit Soul, Fit Body: 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You was written by Mark Allen, and it includes a story about how Allen saw a vision of a shaman healer in the 13th mile of the run. Allen said this gave him strength to keep up with “The Man” Dave Scott and eventually pass him. The victory was Allen’s first in the World Championships in six previous attempts. Allen would win five more before he was done.

As far as the book, I will have to wait until the review appears in Endurance, but will post a link here if one is available. Allen wrote the book with his guru, Brant Secunda. The foreword was written by Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

So if you like Ironman triathlon, spiritual and mental exercise, and personal development, it would probably be a good read for you. Enjoy the video! What an unbelievable effort!

28 Tips for Triathlon Transitions

By admin On April 4, 2009 12 Comments

As a beginner triathlete, probably one of the most difficult and stressful challenges is how to manage yourself in transition, as well as getting your transition area set up before the race.

This is especially true if this is your first triathlon. Without actually having done it before, it will be a bit stressful for you. If, however, you prepare yourself well and manage to stay calm while you are trying to get your bike shoes on, you can actually make up quite a bit of time on some of your race peers.

If you are doing a longer distance triathlon, like an Ironman or Half-Ironman, having a speedy transition doesn’t make up that large of a time percentage compared to the whole race.

For instance, two extra minutes spent resting in a Half-Ironman might do you some good, but will have little affect on your overall time, which, depending on your ability, anywhere from five to seven hours.

In a sprint triathlon, however, two minutes would probably drop your place in the race by at 20, 30, even 40 places depending on the size of the race. So, making a quick transition from swim to bike, then bike to run is vitally important!

If you are doing your first race, though, I would worry less about time and more about making sure you have everything you need. After a few races, you realize you don’t need that much. Below are 26 tips that might help you in setting up and skillfully navigating your transition area. It is up to you to remain calm, cool, and collected at all times.

1. Before you start packing your transition bag, think about what gear each sport will require, then add each item to your bag.
2. For instance, for the swim, you will need your goggles and your race assigned swim cap. If it’s an open water and depending on the water temperature, you may need your wetsuit. For the bike, you will need cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses. Attention all new triathletes!!!! You do not need cycling gloves! Talk about a time waster! This was a point I pondered for hours before more my first tri, so I have just saved you much brain power. For the run, you will need a race belt with your number on it, your running shoes, and maybe a hat or a visor.
3. That’s pretty much it for the important stuff. Everything else is more for your own comfort, like a towel on which to place your stuff, or anti-fog spray for your goggles, or extra shoestrings, or some trash bags in case it rains and you want to stick your cycling and running shoes in them. Keep all that stuff in your tri bag at all times and you won’t have to worry about it.
4. There are many excellent packing lists on the Internet already. If you become a USAT member (good idea if you are planning to do more than one race), they give you a little credit card with a checklist of all the things you might need on race day, like sunscreen, a tire pump, a spare tube, etc. Again, have all your miscellaneous items packed, the work through the list of important stuff. After that, your packed, ready to go, and you can relax.
5. I like to get to the race early so that I have plenty of time setting up my stuff. I also like to walk around and say hello to everyone that I know who his racing. You will see some stressed out people, so don’t feel bad if you are one of them! You can also learn a lot by watching other triathletes, especially the good ones, set up their transition areas.
6. As far as warming up before the race, the general rule of thumb is the shorter the race, the longer the warm-up. So, if you are doing a sprint, you might want to run for a mile or so to loosen up. You will also want to get in the water before the swim to stretch out. It’s really up to you what you do. Some do no warm up, some do a lot. If would be more concerned with swimming than anything probably. If you are doing an Ironman or a Half, I would just save my energy and skip the warm-up all together. You’ll have plenty of time to warm-up over the next 5 to 17 hours!
7. On race morning, you will have the opportunity before the race to put all of the things you need for your race in your own little spot. There will be racks to put your bike on, and your race number will usually correspond with your spot on the rack. Make sure your bike is racked on the side your number is facing, as usually bikes are staggered down the rack on each side.
8. At this point, I like to walk around the transition area to check out where the entrances and exits are from the swim, to mount your bike, and, most importantly, coming back in on the bike and exiting to start the run.
9. You will be surprised how similar everything looks when you come back in off the bike. I have wasted valuable minutes searching for my bike in transition, so don’t let this be you! Some folks even put balloons or some other marker at the end of their rack, so they know which rack their bike is on. This is all well and good until the balloon pops or there are two red balloons. My wife used to get me super-hero ballons so I would I know where I was — just look for Spider Man! Either way, just know where your spot in relation to the bike dismount!
10. You will see people who have their bikes racked either by the handlebars or by the seat, facing out from the rack. I’m not sure which is quicker to pull off and get moving toward the bike mount area, but you do what you feel most comfortable with. I don’t think it matters much.
11. Simply find a space to either side of your bike and place a towel or a mat. If you happen to luck up and get bike rack that is on the end, you have all the space you want! Lucky you!
12. After you have walked around a bit (or before), lay your items out in your transition space in a way that makes it simple to get your shoes on off. I like to have my bike stuff on one side and my running stuff on the other.
13. Always loosen the shoe laces on your running shoes and unfasten the velcro straps from your cycling shoes. You want to be able to get these on and off quickly! Triathlon specific cycling shoes usually only have one strap to mess with, so it makes it much quicker than putting on normal cycling shoes that have three straps. For running shoes, try Yankz or Lock Laces, which are elastic laces with locks that make it easy to just slide your shoes on. They do an excellent job! I even use them in training because they are comfortable, and because I want to be used to them.
14. Try putting some Vaseline on the top inside part of your shoes at the rear. It will make it easier for your heel to slip into the shoe. I also sometimes put baby powder in my running shoes and cycling shoes to help dry my feet. Remember, you will be wet when you are transitioning from swim to bike!
15. Lay your helmet top side down on your handlebars or aero bars. Lay the straps open to either side so you can just grab it plop it on your noggin and buckle it up. I always try my helmet on before laying it out just to make sure it’s fitting right and their are no snags or tangles in the straps.
16. I then put my sunglasses (I usually wear these not only for coolness points but to keep from getting hit in the eye with debris, rocks, bugs, etc.) laying open in my helmet. So, sunglasses on, helmet on and buckled, and your off.
17. As far as your bike, make sure you’re in an easy gear. You don’t want to start off trying to mount your bike when it is in the big ring!
18. You should have your fluids already prepared as well, of course. I like a bottle on my down tube, then an aero-bottle full of whatever. If it is a longer race, you should invest in a Bento Box that will allow you to store a lot of your race nutrition, like gels, bars, etc.
19. Keep a towel hanging on your bike. You can grab this right when you return from the swim to wipe of your face and perhaps your feet.
20. If you are male and racing in a sprint, in some races you will be allowed to ride without a shirt. In some races, you can’t. The best solution for not having to put a cycling shirt on a wet body is a triathlon specific suit, which you can find online or in any triathlon store. In my very first triathlon, I think I spent at least four of five minutes in transition trying to get my shirt on. For reference, a decent sprint transition time would be less than a minute and a half. Elite athletes often have times of 40-50 seconds.
21. If you are racing in a wetsuit legal race, you would wear whatever you need under your suit. Some folks use things like Pam cooking spray, BodyGlide, or other wetsuit specific sprays like Suit Juice to enable their wetsuits to slip off their ankles and arms easily.
22. If it is a wetsuit legal race, when you exit the water and are running to your bike, start removing your suit by pulling the zipper down in back. I usually try to have mine down at my waist before I get back to my bike.
23. Once back to your bike, I find it much easier to just sit or lie down and pull the thing off my legs. I find if I stand, I have a tendency for my calf muscles to cramp from the pressure of the wetsuit on the legs. Do what works best for you. Removing a wetsuit is a skill you should practice a few times before the race! In Ironmans and bigger Halfs, they have wetsuit strippers there for you. You just lie down and the pull it off. How nice!
24. When I get back to my bike, I usually put my shoes on first, then helmet, then the sunglasses. Next, grab your bike off the rack and hit it! You have to run your bike to the bike mount area though with your helmet on, so don’t try to get on before then!
25. After you have smoked your ride, start preparing yourself physically for the transition to the run. Over the last few miles, switch to a lighter gear and spin more to prepare your legs for the run. You should already have a cadence of 85-90 (see my post, Improve Your Running In Five Minutes, for more info on that), so riding at that cadence, at least over the last few miles, would be highly beneficial to your legs. If you have never felt the experience of getting off the bike and running, I urge to try it in a “brick” workout of your own in training before the race!
26. You should also take in a gel and make sure that you have hydrated properly over the entire ride. You don’t want to have to drink too much at the end of the bike, as it will more than likely be sloshing in your stomach on the beginning of the run.
27. If you have the bike handling skills, you might also reach down and unfasten your straps on your shoes. I often find that my feet feel much better after wiggling them around and getting some blood to them before they hit the pavement.
28. Prepare yourself mentally for the transition to the run. Over the last few miles, you should also be prepared in your head. Run through the steps that will result in a speedy transition. Imagine yourself hitting the dismount line, jumping off and running with your bike, the finding your rack and racking it. Next, off with them helmet. Slide your running shoes on and grab your race belt and hat while heading out. You can put your race belt on after you are running semi-comfortably.

At this point in the race, all that’s left for you do is run! That’s about it for my transition tips. If you have any transition tips that you think would fit, please leave them in the Comments section. Thanks for reading! Also, if you are training for a triathlon, let me know which race and when!