Rock Solid: Kettlebells Provide Superior Benefits for Endurance Sports

By Brett Cornwright

For the typical time-stretched endurance athlete, strength training usually occurs in the off-season, if at all. Workouts often involve a heavy dose of machines and isolated movements with free weights. During the racing season, and if the athlete is really motivated, he or she may get to the gym once or twice per week in an attempt to maintain what strength they managed to build over the winter.

There is an alternative to this mundane and ineffective routine, however, that is guaranteed to change your outlook on strength training. It is called a kettlebell, and it resembles a cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells are made of cast-iron and come in a variety of different weights, from 10 pounds (4 kilograms) to 106 pounds (48 kg).

As many professional triathletes, runners, and cyclists are discovering, including the king of cutting-edge, Lance Armstrong, there simply is no better strength and conditioning tool for your entire body.

“Kettlebells are unique from any other form of fitness equipment in a multitude of ways,” said Betsy Collie, owner and head trainer at Rapid Results Fitness in Durham. Collie is a Level II Russian Kettlebell Instructor (RKC II) and a Z-health Level I movement coach. “Kettlebells train the entire body at one time through full body movements. Unlike traditional gym equipment that focuses on isolating the body’s parts or performing cardio on stationery equipment, the kettlebell enhances the performance of all life’s activities.”

As you know, our body’s movements require more than one muscle to perform. They work in conjunction with one another, not in isolation. When you stick with machines and bodybuilding exercises, you are usually targeting one body part. With kettlebells, your entire body, including the core and the posterior chain, are effectively engaged.

“Due to the bell sitting below the handle instead of between it, the kettlebell’s weight is off-set in the hand, causing the body to use more muscles to hold and move the bell,” Collie said. “This causes the body to use more energy, which is convenient if one of your goals is to lose weight. Conversely, if one of your goals is trying to build strength, the kettlebell will literally force your body to use more muscles than performing similar exercises with barbells and dumbbells.”

Almost all kettlebell exercises begin with the hips, as this is where the power is generated in all sports, especially swimming, cycling and running. After training with kettlebells, swimmers find that their cores become much stronger, thus they have more power in the water. Cyclists find that their wattage outputs increase, despite no increase in volume or intensity on the bike. Runners often find that their posture and form is better, they have more spring in their legs, and their core, on which everything hinges, does not break down in the latter stages of a race.

“The reason kettlebell training translates to improved sports specific training is because of how kettlebell training works with your body,” Collie said. “It produces amazing results in all areas of sports specific training no matter what the sport. For example, in running the core gives out almost sooner than the legs and heart do. The kettlebell forces you to work your core on every set and every rep.”

Over time, many age group triathletes will develop overuse injuries from all of those miles. Because they have full-time jobs, families, and the stresses of the daily grind, protecting and building their bodies via strength training often falls by the wayside. Luckily, kettlebell workouts typically last 20 to 30 minutes, and your heart will be pumping the entire time. Thus, an athlete’s VO2 Max numbers can also improve with intense kettlebell work.

“The kettlebell can enhance any athlete for any sport,” said Tim Anderson, RKC II Instructor and Z-health III movement. Anderson is the co-owner of Outstanding Personal Training in Fuquay-Varina. “Endurance athletes can particularly benefit from kettlebells because of the tremendous cardiovascular training a kettlebell provides. Training with kettlebells can increase your VO2 Max, or your body’s ability to use oxygen. Kettlebells are also easy on the joints. They can save an endurance athlete’s joints from a lot of wear and tear.”

Many endurance athletes also might avoid lifting weights for fear of building too much muscle and becoming bulky. Kettlebells, however, are great for building a lean and athletically muscular body. They are also excellent at building strength endurance, which is something that is vital for all endurance athletes. Many are powerful on the bike or the run for the race’s opening miles. Maintaining that power throughout the race is where kettlebell training comes into play.

As far as preventing or treating injuries, kettlebell training cannot be beaten. Common injuries, like lower back pain, shoulder problems, plantar fasciitis, and tight hip flexors from sitting at a desk all day, are all effectively rehabilitated with kettlebells.

“Training properly with kettlebells can help prevent injuries,” Anderson said. “Kettlebells can be used to strengthen the whole body as well as correct asymmetries in strength and movement. Kettlebells are an amazing tool when it comes to preparing the body for performance and reducing the risk for injuries, but only when used properly with good form.”

And once again, all of these benefits to your core, your conditioning, and the strength in your legs and upper body, can be had in as little as 20 minutes three times per week.

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Brett Cornwright is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. He is a two-time Ironman, and achieved a personal best of 11:06 at Ironman Florida in November. He writes a blog for beginner triathletes at http://www.triathlonjones.com/.You can also follow him at http://www.twitter.com/brettcornwright.

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

Besty doing a perfect turkish get-up.

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.

One of the best and most insightful triathlon bloggers, Chuckie V, was quoted in the article and he recounted his experiences of dropping “stability” running shoes for the lightest and most comfortable trainers he could find. He proceeded to do all of his running in those shoes and his chronic running injuries disappeared. I think he mentioned that as his foot got stronger and started working the way in which it was designed, his foot actually shrank some because your arches naturally rise.

I have had similar a similar experience. When I first start running about six years ago, I was about 50 pounds overweight. Everything I read or heard said big guys are supposed to wear the biggest, beefiest motion control shoes there are. I tried these for awhile, was hurt most of the time, and lumbered through runs looking like I had a pair or bricks strapped to my feet.

Of course, I was still running incorrectly as well, so I was doubly screwed. Once I adopted the principles in Chi Running, the Pose Method, etc., and applied them to my running form, my pains and injuries were reduced after about a week of adaptation. See my article, Improve Your Running in Five Minutes, for more information on that.

It wasn’t until about six months later that I finally woke up and tried the most neutral, cushiony shoes I could find. I haven’t had any injuries since, despite me being larger than your average runner. I have also noticed that since I started wearing the minimum in footwear that I could get away with, my feet are stronger and they are indeed smaller. I used to be a 12, now I’m an 11.5.

This is where most running shoes belong!

I’m not saying you should rush right and buy some Nike Frees and start hitting the pavement. What I am suggesting is that you pay attention to how your feet hit the ground at all times when your running. Pay attention to how your feet react to the shoes you are currently wearing. Start slowly changing your form to more of a forward lean from the ankles, a quick cadence, and a mid-foot strike beneath your hips. You will more than likely find that a switch to a lighter shoe will be much more comfortable.

Once you feel like you are totally adapted, I would consider switching to a shoe with a very flat heel. Personally, because I need widths, I wear New Balance. I have the official “Chi Running” model, which was designed with the help of the book’s author, ultrarunner Danny Dreyer. Rather than having the padding on the heel, which is what you need when you are heel-striker (shame on you), these have the padding on the mid-foot. Actually, these shoes help you hit on the mid-foot, so it would help you adapt quicker to mid-foot striking.

At any rate, if you having problems with your current shoes, or if you have frequent injuries, consider trying a more cushiony, neutral shoe for some of your shorter runs and see what happens. Try doing some sprints in bare feet on a grass field to give your feet a reminder on how they are supposed to operate. Believe me, they will appreciate it!

One guy in the Triathlete Magazine article, recommended going to a reputable running shoe store, trying on several different pairs, and choosing the shoes that you feel are the absolute most comfortable . Not a bad strategy at all!

The are two rides that leave from the shop at 6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The A-rides average 22-plus for 30 miles around and through the outskirts of Cary. The B-ride is usually 19-21, so it’s a pretty fast ride. Other rides I have done from bike shops in the area, including Cycling Spoken Here and The Spin Cycle in Cary. The B-rides on these I believe were held to 18 mph, which is perfect for this time of the year. One local shop offers a ride on Sunday mornings that is huge! I think I’ve seen as many as 50 riders on that one.

Check around in your area for bike or triathlon shops. Most offer group rides leaving right from their stores. It makes it mighty convenient for them to sell you bikes, helmets, cycling shoes, tubes, etc., when they do that sort of thing, so it behooves them to make sure the ride is fun and safe.

Anyway, over the years I usually have done one or two fast group rides per week. This, along with one long-ride on the weekends, was essentially my cycling training. I have picked up some tips that I share below on etiquette for riding in a group. Many folks are nervous about group riding because of the close proximity to the other riders. You have to pay attention and you count on your fellow riders to do their part in keeping everyone upright.

In no particular order, below are some tips on how to ride in a group setting. Etiquette, I have found, is usually consistent from group to group on organized rides. But there are group specific gestures and signals, as well, so be sure to pay attention to the ride leader for instruction. Someone is usually designated the ride leader before the ride starts.

There is usually an “A” ride, a “B” ride, and sometimes even a “C” ride. Don’t hesitate to ask either the ride leaders or any of your fellow riders about speeds of groups, skill of riders, etc., as this will vary somewhat.

Here are my tips. If I have forgotten any that you think are relevant, please leave them in Comments.

1. Ride in a group that is appropriate for your cycling ability. For instance, if you typically average 16 mph on a training ride, chances are good you will be in either a “C” or a “B” ride. Expect “A” rides to be 20 mph plus. Each bike shop will vary and will let you know beforehand.
2. If you are a triathlete and you are going on a group ride with a bunch of road cyclists, typically you will be expected to ride upright, on your bullhorns, rather than down in the aero position. If you are fortunate enough to have a triathlon shop in your town, everyone will likely ride in the aero position. This is nice because it allows you to spend time riding the way you would in actual triathlon. If you happen to have just a road bike, you are still more than welcome to ride with triathletes! Some groups don’t care one way or another, but you should meet the expectation, as some riders get nervous when they don’t know you or your ability to ride. If you tend to weave when you are in the aero position by yourself, it’s best not to try it in a group setting.
3. If you are new to the group, just start off easy kind of in the middle of the pack. If you have never ridden with other people before, you will find it much easier to ride in the draft of the riders in front of you. The riders on the front and a few rows back are generally the stronger riders in the group and will maintain the pace, usually, while taking the brunt of the wind. Thus, the group travels much faster as a whole than you would by yourself.
4. For your first group ride, stay in the draft the whole way. Do not take any pulls on the front unless you are quite confident in your ability to stay with the group for the duration of the ride. Trust me, when you are barely hanging on at mile 25 of a 30 mile group ride, you will thank me.
5. As such, always have directions for your first ride with a particular group. Getting dropped and getting lost, which I’ve done several times, is not fun! I always carry a cell phone and an ID with me regardless of where or with whom I’m riding.
6. When you ride behind another rider, the rider in front is expected to let the rider behind know if there are hazards ahead. For example, if I’m in front of you and I see a hole in the road ahead, I would point at it and yell, “Hole!”
7. Another gesture that is used often yelled by whomever is on the ball is “Car up!” This indicates that a vehicle is coming from ahead. “Car back!” would be if a car is coming from behind. “Passing” is when one a vehicle is trying to pass the entire group. There is no rule about how many times things are yelled out, so don’t be shy. “Gravel!” is another phrase you hear yelled a lot at intersections, as usually there is debris at intersections and taking a turn on loose gravel can be very tricky.
8. Only point out truly hazardous things. Some riders point out every little thing. Then, when something like a big rock or a pot hole that needs to be avoided comes along, nobody is really paying attention anymore.
9. When turning right, most people just point to the right. When turning left, you can either make an “L” shape with your left hand, or just point left. Either way, the key is to let people behind you know that a turn is coming up.
10. When coming to a stop, just put your hand out behind you and call out, “Stopping.” When the group is slowing, just call out “Slowing.” Most of the things are common sense, so just use your best judgment. No one is going to get mad at you as long as you let them know what you are doing.
11. When you are in front of another rider and you want to move over and drop back, always move to your left. Never drop back on the right, ever. You might see some people try it from time to time, especially if you are riding two by two, and the guy on the right decides to just to “slide” to the right to come back, but it’s better for him to move two places to the left, then drop back. That way, everyone can plainly see what you are doing.
12. You will likely either be riding as a group in one line or two. On busy roads, groups will usually ride one abreast. On more desolate roads without a lot of traffic or congestion, it is usually two abreast. At other times, you may ride in a pace line, but this is usually done on “A” rides and requires quite a lot of riding skill on the part of the entire group for it to work effectively.
13. Don’t worry if you get dropped. Some groups, especially “C” type rides, have “No drop” rules. So, just keep going and you will probably catch up to someone at an intersection. Believe me, everyone gets dropped, even seasoned riders. Some days are better than others!
14. In case you have a flat, make sure you’re prepared with a tube and either a small pump or a CO2 cartridge and a connector. Even though the rides are usually only 30 miles or so, you still have flats.
15. If you do hear your tube pop, just stay calm and gradually slow down using the brakes of the tire that is still inflated. Easier said than done! Once you are safely on the side of the road, then start assessing the damage. Usually, somebody in the group will stop with you. This is especially true if you ask. Often riders will check to make sure you have everything you need to change the tire. If you are less than spectacular at changing a tire (shame on you), some kind soul might stay behind with you to help you change it.
16. As I mentioned above, conserve energy until you have about five miles left. Groups tend to get faster as the ride goes along. On the Inside-Out ride that I do, we cruise about five miles at conversational pace. We then hit it hard for 20 miles, then we cruise back in for five. Each ride is different. On some rides I have done, it’s a sprint right back to the store.
17. Have fun! Although you are probably a bit nervous, especially if it is your first time riding in a group situation, just remember that everyone is out there to have fun. Other riders will be happy to let you know everything they can about the ride, what they are training for, etc., so you are sure to make some new friends along the way!

Chuckie V’s blog, by the way, is quite excellent. It is veritable treasure trove of training knowledge, and it’s all free. He is triathlon coach, former Ironman champ, and rode with Lance Armstrong on the U.S. Postal Cycling Team. He’s also hiked the Pacific Coast Trail solo twice. So, yeah, he’s been around a bit. His ideas on nutrition are also spot on!

So, in most normal triathlons , the swim start is staggered in waves. Waves are usually based on the age group or category in which you are racing. So, in a traditional open-water triathlon, you might start with 20, 30, or even 100 of your fellow competitors, depending on the popularity of the race. Per USAT rules, you can use a wetsuit if the water is below 78 degrees. You can use one above the 78-degree mark, but you will not be eligible for any awards.

I will go over what to look for in a wetsuit in a future post, but for now, let’s assume you either rented one from your local triathlon shop your first or you bought one. Because wetsuits make swimming easier and make you faster in the water, most people are checking the race director’s web site every five minutes in the days before the race to check with water temperature. In some races, it will be so close, the race director will announce if wetsuits will be legal or not the morning of the race, so always bring your suit just in case!

In your race packet, along with a bunch of other stuff, you will get a swim cap that is a particular color based on your wave. For whatever reason, many race directors think it’s funny to give the Clydesdales (men over 200 pounds) pink swim caps.

You will arrive at your race, set up your transition area (also another post), don your wetsuit and head down to the swim start. Don’t forget your swim cap and your goggles! When you get down to the water, you can get in to warm up a bit if you have time. Once it’s time for your wave, the race announcer will ask your group to cross over the timing mat. This enables your timing chip, which also received in your race packet. Without your chip, you will not have an official time, so make sure you have and make sure it’s attached securely to your ankle. You might even tuck it under your wetsuit for better security and less drag in the water.

As you cross the mat, you will be surrounded by several of your fellow competitors, all of whom are just as nervous as you are. I don’t care how many races you have done, or whether the race is a 1/2 Ironman or a sprint, people still get anxious on the swim because you never know just how many times you are going to get hit by a flailing arm or leg.

I don’t want to scare you, but I don’t want to sugar-coat it either. You are probably going to get swam over, or run into, or kicked in the face at least once during the race. All you can do it keep going and not let it bother you. If you are really worried about contact, I would suggest waiting a minute after your wave starts. You will still run into some folks probably, but it will be bet less hectic at the start without the good swimmers in the group battling it out for a good line.

OK, so now, after a few bumps on the start, we are off and swimming in rhythm. Another skill that is required in open-water swimming, besides actually swimming and keeping your head, is sighting. You will need to practice this in a pool by lifting your head occasionally to sight on the end of the lane.

If you have never swam in open-water before, I would highly suggest doing so before your race! It is a whole different ballgame in a big body of water, especially if it’s not in a crystal clear lake or ocean. Most lakes, depending on your area, are going to be murky, making it impossible to see more than a foot or so in front of you when your head is down. Believe me, you don’t want to experience this sensation for the first time during a race. Go to the ocean or a nearby lake and practice sighting on different objects. Sighting and swimming straight during a race is crucial, and you can even put time on people who are a bit better swimmers, but who cannot swim straight!

If you are a bi-lateral breather, which means you can breathe to either side on your swim stroke, then good for you. You have no worries about which way the buoys are set up. If you breathe strictly to one side during a race, some races will set up better for you than others. The race directors will have buoys placed in the water, usually in the shape of a rectangle or triangle. You can swim inside the buoy line, but you have to go outside of the main buoys which are bigger and on the corners. This ensures that you actually swim the entire distance of your race.

I breathe to the right side strictly during a race, so a race that goes in clockwise direction is best for me. In the races I’ve done, I would say it’s about even as far clockwise or counter-clockwise. It’s not a huge deal, as you will be able to see the buoys regardless, it’s just a bit easier to keep perspective on things as you can see them on your right when you breathe right.

That’s really about it as far as what to expect on the swim. The good news is that you are not racing in an Ironman. In these races, everyone — all 2,000-plus triathletes — starts together. Talk about frantic! Be thankful you are only swimming with 50 or so folks, not all of the race competitors!

My best advice would be to stay calm and realized that everyone around is just as nervous as you are. If you get winded or lose your goggles after getting hit in the face, there are usually boats, kayaks and canoes that you can grab onto. You can also just roll over on your back and float for awhile to regain your composure. Look for future posts on how to choose a wetsuit, some drills that will help your open water swimming, and my thoughts on training for triathlon-specific swimming.

It is very easy for me to tell when someone has found their passion in life (unfortunately I don’t know enough people who have found something they are truly passionate about) but it is quite evident that Cindy has found her calling.

At any rate, this was my first indoctrination into hot yoga. It was not Bikram Yoga, as apparently you have to carry a license and know the secret password to call it that, but it was definitely hot! She had three heaters in her yoga room along with 10-12 sweaty people in various phases of breathing. Although it was cold outside, the room got pretty toasty as folks started warming up, pardon the pun.

I am heavy sweater anyway, so my mat was soaked at the end, even to the point of my feet slipping in Warrior II. I did feel that I was able to do the poses easier than in a normal, “cold” class. It would be simple to assume that the heat helped, but I think the heat helped. I hope to get back to Cindy’s class at some point soon. I really like yoga and I always seem to crave feeling those stretches after I have done a class.

First Kettlebell Lesson
I also had my first ever kettlebell lesson. I call it a lesson because that’s really what it is. In kettlebells, technique is so very important that you do not refer to it as “training” or “lifting.” It is practice and practice only, thank you very much. I think that’s what appeals to me so much aboutkettlebells. They get your body into excellent condition from a functional strength and cardiovascular perspective. However, using kettlebells , especially the two exercises on which I will be most focused, the swing and the snatch, are as much a skill as are swimming and running, which I have mentioned before.

At any rate, since I have a goal of becoming RKC Certified at some point this year, I thought it best to consult one to let me know how my form was. Turns out it was much worse that I thought, but RKC II Tim Anderson had me swinging properly in no time. Tim also asked me to show him my rendition of the turkish-getup. Turns out my rendition of that was also completely wrong. Sounds like my experience in learning how to swim four years ago.

Tim spent an hour with me and it was quite productive. Much more productive, I can assure, that continuing to try to learn something so technical on my own. I look very forward to working with Tim next week on another session. My hamstrings are killing me today, but so far I’m no worse for the wear. I am starting on Tim’s protocol to become RKC Certified, which I hope to do in around six months give or take. We’ll see how it goes and how my body holds out, but so far, so good.

I have been reading blogs and web sites about kettlebells for at least four years now. I’m really excited that I finally decided to get serious about training with them and trying to help some folks out myself. I’ve mentioned several times on this site, but the bells are the best thing going as far as strength training goes — unless, perhaps, you’re a bodybuilder. If you are, and I have no problem with bodybuilders and used to dabble myself, you should stick with the same old same old for hypertrophy. If you want strength you can use and can apply to a bike, a powerful stride that doesn’t break down in running, or a more powerful core and shoulders too move more water in the pool, kettlebells are for you.

At any rate, more on my foray into kettlebell certification later. I’m glad the journey has begun!

Tidbits
I ran a 5K with a good friend of mine in Charlotte last Saturday, also on my tour to visit my mom. My friend has just taken up running about six months ago, and has already run five or six 5Ks. She is not very fast, but her form is good. She would do better by walking a bit more, but most new runners are all about running the whole way. New runners take note — your goal of running the whole way in a 5 or 10k (3.1 or 6.2 miles) is a noble one. However, you will go faster if you stop and walk for a bit. Just pick one goal and stick with it. You can’t have both!

At any rate, Melissa set a PR of 42 minutes. I ran the first mile with her and made her walk up the one big hill. It was wet and sloppy, as the rain was pouring. However, we trudged through it. I told Melissa she would have gone probably a minute or so faster if not for the mud and crappy conditions. She has come along way already. I would not be surprised if she decided to tackle a marathon before too long!

I’m pretty sure someone told you that you need a bike. If you are going to do more than sprint triathlons, it should be a road bike—although a hybrid or MTB can get you through your first few sprints. If you have money to burn, go ahead and get that tricked out triathlon bike, but realize that “it’s not about the bike.”

It becomes pretty obvious that no matter what distance triathlon you choose to race, it’s important to be a good cyclist. There are several reasons:

• the stronger you are on the bike, the less painful it will be to run
• triathlons are heavily weighted towards time spent on the bike, so as long as you are going to be biking for most of the race, it makes sense to try and be good at it, right?
• biking is the part of a triathlon where you are going the fastest, and fast is fun, right?

So how do you get good at biking? Do you buy a bunch of lightweight parts for your bike or race wheels? No. Those things may improve your speed slightly, but once you have them and have used them for a bit, they won’t make you faster.

You get good at biking in two simple ways: bike a lot, and bike hard.

Obviously, if your race is going to include a 25-mile bike leg (an Olympic distance triathlon’s bike leg is 24.8 miles or 40K), then you want to be fit enough to ride 25 miles at a pretty good clip. Depending on how fast you ride, 25 miles might take you 1-1.5 hours. That’s not a long time. But you might want to actually ride further than that sometimes, so it makes the 25 miles seem easy (you’ve probably heard this concept applied to running and swimming, too!).

If you are very dedicated, you’d ride 25 miles maybe three or four times a week. Or, you might ride less than that, one to three times, and then ride longer (say, 40 miles) once a week. Three to four rides a week is usually plenty when it comes to building your bike fitness.

What about the hard part? Just as for swimming and running, you don’t always want to ride at the same pace. You need to have some sort of benchmark to measure what is easy vs. hard for you. Speed is not a good benchmark unless you live somewhere where it is flat, the same temperature and the same amount (or lack) of wind all the time, since hills, temperature and wind significantly impact speed.

Good benchmarks are heart rate and power—power being the gold standard. Most beginners don’t have power meters, so they use heart rate, or a combination of heart rate and perceived effort. Perceived effort is always a good measurement, since even if you do someday spring for the power meter, you will still want to stay in touch with your body’s overall sense of effort, especially at longer races like the half and full Ironmans.

Why do you need to ride hard sometimes? Because climbing hills requires more effort than flats, you might need to surge to pass someone (legally), and because when you ride hard, just like in running, you are working on raising your lactate threshold, meaning that if you do it often enough, you will be able to ride faster at a lower heart rate (or power output).

How often and for how long in each ride do you need to ride hard? When you are first starting out, you may only want or need to spend less than half of your total ride time going hard. You should always begin with a warm-up, and a good rule of thumb is 10-15 minutes for a short ride, 15-30 minutes for a ride of 1-2 hours, and 30-40 minutes for a ride of 2.5+ hours.

As you build up the amount of time you are able to ride hard, you will find it feels easier and easier or you are going faster and faster. This is where the heart rate monitor (or power meter) can really help you out by telling you precisely what you are doing. You should stay at a given level for a few weeks or prove your fitness at that level in a race before you try and go even harder.

What does hard really mean, though? “Very hard” would be as fast as you could go for 25 miles, as in a time trial. Hard would be not as hard as that, where it feels hard but you can maintain it for about 30-40 minutes easily. Below that you have basically moderate and easy, and when you warm up it should be easy building to moderate to prepare you for the hard stuff.

Just as for running and swimming, it can feel easier to push yourself in a group setting. Try and hook up with a local cycling club, which will probably have several levels of riders, or find some other folks you can ride with that are slightly faster than you. Ask around about where the killer hills are in your area. A good workout is to warm-up and then ride a hill or several hills in “repeats,” where you ride up very hard, and then take it easy going back down.

What do you do during the winter if you live in a place where outdoor riding would be dangerous or impossible? You purchase a bike trainer, which is a device where you attach your rear wheel to it and there is a resistance drum that the tire rubs against to simulate road conditions. There are many good trainers on the market, and if you can test ride one before you buy, that’s great, because depending on how strong you are, you might want a different type. If you ride indoors on a trainer, you will want a fan blowing on you because you will sweat a lot due to not creating your own wind.

There is discussion as to how time on the trainer equates to time on the road. Some people think that time on a trainer is “worth” more than time on the road. Forget about it. It is the same. Time is time! But it’s OK to spend less time during the winter months on the trainer than you would if you were riding outside, but make the time count by spending more time going hard than you normally would. You can watch TV, movies, footage of bike races, triathlons, whatever gets you going, and you can have your favorite music on.

You can also buy DVD’s called Spinervals that guide you through specific workouts. My philosophy is that if you put in a lot of hard time in the winter, then the transition to longer outdoor riding is easy. I build up to a 2.5-2.75 hour trainer ride, and once it warms up, I can easily ride 3-4 hours outdoors the very first time I go out. You don’t want to burn out mentally during the winter, so if you cut back your biking time, you can add more swimming or running, because winter is a good time to work on those skills.

It’s as simple as that—bike a lot, and bike hard!

Sheila looking quite aero!

Sheila embarked on triathlons in 2000, coming from a background of 10 years of strength training, two years of running, zero swimming and negligible biking. She completed her first Ironman (which in 1999 she said she would never do) in 2001 and has continued to do one or two a year, a few half Ironmans and sprints just to keep things entertaining. In the process, she has become a student of the sports and has adopted the triathlon lifestyle. You can find her on Facebook and on her blog at http://crackheadfe.blogspot.com.

This year, however, I have grown accustomed to my living room, letting babies crawl all over me by the warmth of our indoor heating. I registered for the White Lake 1/2 Ironman, but I think I’m skipping it. I think Ironman Florida, a late Ironman held in November, has done a whammy on my motivation this year. I am still going to race, but it will be sporadic and only when I feel like it. I have done two Ironmans in two years. I have also done three standalone marathons, five 1/2 Ironmans and many international and sprint distance races over the past four years.

A break from “racing” will be good for me, and it will allow me to train more with kettlebells, my absolute favorite training tool. I might even try to become RKC Certified. I’m sure it will be difficult, you have to snatch a certain amount of reps for time based on your weight, along with other brutal punishment. I have heard great things about what great people the RKC folks are, so I look forward to learning all I can from them.

I really think functional training is important for anyone who is looking to extend their ability to “race” well into their 60s and beyond, and I think using kettlebells is a great way to do this. Bodybuilding, or what most people call strength training, is not helping anyone, and it seems to me a lot of new triathletes, especially those who have lifted in the past, are now really doing all the wrong things. Seeing a line of guys doing curls and benching seems the silliest thing to me.

Kettlebells will make your core ridiculously strong, hamstrings, quads, glutes, back, arms, shoulders. The entire posterior chain is worked with the swing. It sounds ridiculous but I can tell you from just the tiny amount of training with kettlebells I have done, I’m leaner and stronger than I’ve ever been, and I used to be a body-building guy, too.

At any rate, triathlon is still my passion so I’m sure I’ll do a few races this season. My ultimate goal for this year, and I have no idea of whether it’s realistic, is to try and qualify for Boston at the San Antonio Marathon in November. My wife has family there, so the race would be kind of a family vacation wrapped into one. I will need a 3:15 to qualify as a 39-year-old. A more realistic goal would probably be to wait until I’m 40 this coming November. Then the qualifying time drops to 3:20. Realistic goals are no fun, however, so that’s the plan as of now.

I’m still planning to do some long rides and perhaps some fast ones during the week. I’m also going to run, a lot. I hope not swimming and cycling sporadically will open up some time for me to train with kettlebells as well as yoga. We shall see. Tops on my list is being a good husband and father. Next is progressing on my freelance consulting business. Next is this blog. Next is Boston and RKC. Triathlon and racing are next, so do not laugh as you pass me on the bike.

Our local training group, the Growling Geckos, have a our annual showdown at the Triangle Triathlon in July, so I will definitely do that one, along with a few more. Ironman Canada is out for now I’m afraid. I kind of panicked when I signed up in the first place, not realized how far away it was and how much it would cost to go, stay, race, etc. I also know much of a commitment Ironman training is, and how much it takes me away from home. With 23-month-old children who are just learning to talk and who are doing new things each day, it’s hard for me to be away for a minute.

Missing one of the twins say something or do something new because I’m out on a six hour ride is too much to bear for this guy at this point. The cost of getting to Canada, much less racing in the NCTS, is also bit prohibitive for the Cornwright clan at this point. We are making our ends almost meet, but they ain’t meeting just yet, so racing is far down on the priority list.

I am still very excited about providing some articles and making this blog a good of a resource for new triathletes as possible. I will also be posting my training and random thoughts on triathlon, endurance training, and my progress on a BQ in October. Possible RKC certification is something I’m definitely excited about, so I will post some of the training I’m doing with that here, too.

I’m meeting with a ocal RKC guy, Tim Anderson, on Monday, so I’ll let you know how that goes. He has a garage gym and he’s going to give me a session to see where I’m at. I’m hoping my form in the swing and the snatch is decent, but I have a feeling Mr. Anderson will have a few things to say about that. Stay tuned!

I would also be willing to bet that there were several of you good-spirited folks, like me back in the day, who signed up for your first triathlon at the first of the year. It was only after you hit the payment button that you thought about the swimming part. You perhaps have been to the pool and actually tried to swim the required 300 yards in the particular sprint race and then you promptly found yourself in a calamitous battle with the water that resulted in nothing but splashing and a big-time oxygen debt that is rapidly coming due.

Swimming is a Skill
Well, I’m here to tell you, you can improve your swimming and you can do it very rapidly. You see the human body was not designed to operate well in the water. It is not natural to us and most of us don’t have the natural gifts like Michael Phelps, like a 6-4 frame, gigantic feet, really big hands and long arms to make it come easy.

What you have to realize, however, is that swimming is mostly skill and even a person that appears completely out of shape on the outside can in fact swim laps around you. I’ve seen it time and again in the pool. Little kids leaving you in the dust in the time-trial start of a pool-based sprint triathlon can be particularly disconcerting.

Most experts, and everything I’ve read, would say that swimming is 70-75 percent technique and maybe 25-30 percent aerobic conditioning. Which basically means that you can be a really in shape runner or cyclist or a really good basketball player, but you can also be a really terrible swimmer. The good news is that you can “learn” to swim fast by teaching your body to move in the same optimal way each time you take a stroke.

Technique Is Key
There are many options out there for improving your swimming in a big hurry but none of them skip the first step of  learning the proper technique. Going to the pool and swimming without focusing your technique is going to be worthless. It’s going to be hard and you are not going to get any better because of the effort.

After about two years and my first six triathlons (three sprints one year, then two sprints and an international distance the next), I was tired of coming out the water near the back of the pack. In fact, my first triathlon saw me have to stand up in the middle of my 300-yard swim huffing and puffing, wondering just what I had gotten myself into. That’s another story for another post.

During this “learning” phase, I had experimented with Total Immersion. I bought the book Triathlon Swimming Made Easy and started in with drills. I was not dedicated and I was not swimming much, so I never really improved. My technique was terrible and I was taking probably 30 strokes per 25 yards, wearing myself out before I could actually get any real practice in. Muscle memory is huge in swimming, and if you don’t swim, you will lose it, much like you would lose your golf swing when you haven’t played in five years.

Triathlon swim starts can be a bit disconcerting!

So, after a few false starts, I saw a sign for swimming lessons at the on-campus aquatic facility at Duke University, my former place of employment. It turns out the assistant swim coach there, Dawn Chuck, was offering lessons for like $125 per semester. The classes were to be during lunch.

For about the whole semester, I pretty much had one-on-one time with Dawn because nobody else apparently wanted a collegiate coach giving you valuable advice. Simply having someone watching you swim is going to help you a great deal, even if they are not former Olympic swimmers from Jamaica, like Dawn was.

In about two months of consistent swimming, like three or four sessions per week, she had me move from finishing my races in the back of the pack to the front 10 percent of the pack. She gave me lots of drills and she told me what I was doing wrong. She gave me shorter sets, 2000-2500 yards to work on drills, rather than a bunch of yardage swimming intervals.

Surprisingly, the comments were very few, but they were always major flaws that were easy to fix. It was as simple as that. She had my strokes-per-length reduced from about 25 to about 14-15 in about three months.

Lessons are Biggest Bang for Buck
So, if you really want to improve your swimming, probably the easiest thing you can do is hire someone for a few private lessons. If you can’t afford that, I suggest you at least find a friend who is a good swimmer and have them watch you and tell you what you are doing wrong. It can be something as simple as lowering your head in the water or finishing your stroke or setting your catch. Either way, whatever you think you are doing in the water is probably not what you are actually doing, so be sure to follow through with this.

If you would prefer to be a hero and do it all on your own, it can be done, but it will take much longer to become decent. I consider decent a 1:30 100-yards. In a future post, I will give my take on Total Immersion, which I tried, as well as some other thoughts on triathlon-specific swim training. Until next time, give your swim training some thought and decide the best way to approach improvement based on your specific schedule. If you can afford it, hire a coach. If you can’t afford that, at least ask some kind looking fish at the pool to watch you swim 100 yards. You will be surpised at how a simple suggestion will completely change everything for you!