Consistency is Key. This is Why You Need a Plan B

 Consistency is the key to long-term training success. As we all know, life has a way of throwing us curveballs, which can easily interrupt this consistency. The goal is to create options so that doing a session is never the question, but we have multiple plan B options. These may not be the optimal option, but when it's a choice of getting it done or not, it's easier to have a fallback plan.

It takes time to develop a plan into options/strategies. Start with the most important and slowly build over time to create an environment that supports consistency and makes decision-making simplified.

The primary example of a plan B is to have an indoor trainer. Most cyclists/triathletes have indoor trainers to make it easier to ride when the weather is poor, or there is a lack of daylight or available time to train. 

There are several other options that you can develop to help create your environment. For swimming, you should have stretch cords available; that way, if you can’t get to the pool or if the pool is closer to where you’re traveling, you have some options to do a short, simple swim-specific workout. In addition to a bike trainer, having a mountain biker gravel Bike will give you additional options for riding through the winter or varying terrain or getting off the road and on trails or bike trails during fog or bad weather. For running, if you have space to add a treadmill and becomes a great option. Although treadmills are expensive, you can always find them cheap or free online or from friends or family who have a treadmill and never use it; they would love to take you to take it off their hands.

Over the past several decades, I’ve accumulated some really cool equipment that has allowed me to stay consistent and competitive. Here’s my list:

Swim-

· Olympic-size pool/28 short course lanes /eight minute drive

·         neighborhood 2×25 m seasonal/ two-minute drive

·         Vasa ergometer

·         Vasa trainer

·         stretch cords (many varieties)

Bike-

·         gravel bike- access to 60 – 70 miles without getting on the road from house

·         Compu trainer- old but still does the trick

·         Rollers-

Run-

·         treadmill and garage

·         treadmills at National Training Center (motorized and curved)

Strength training

·         fully equipped home gym

·         fully equipped at work

People often tell me I’m lucky to have access to all this; they are correct, and I’m very grateful. But this is also by design.

In addition to the training consistency, I’ve also built in recovery with a hot tub and sauna on-site for daily use.

By building an environment based upon consistency, you save time building fitness and take away the stress of having to decide what you are going to do. Have fun and slowly build an environment around you that will help support health, fitness, and recovery.

Recovery Heat Stacking

 Recovery heat stacking is a recovery method of using a hot tub and sauna to create heat adaptation while simultaneously providing recovery.

I like to use this method on days where I have a morning workout and no 2nd workout of the day and have the available time, approximately 30 to 40 minutes to do this session.

How it's done.

1. Preheat the sauna. Set to 150° for 45 minutes. This will take it approximately 25 minutes to heat.

2. While the sauna is preheating I'll go into the hot tub at 10 5°F for 10 – 15 minutes. This is a great recovery method in and of itself.

3. After the hot tub immediately get into the sauna for 20 – 30 minutes. Due to the heat from the hot tub,
you'll start sweating immediately, we normally would take approximately 10 minutes. This enhances the heating effect in the body's attempt to cool itself down.

4. Make sure to hydrate before during and after as you lose a lot of fluid in the session.

The Sustainable Training Week

 

 

2 min. per 100 Barrier

Averaging 2 min. per 100 (yards or meters) in the pool, or open water seems to be a barrier for many age group triathletes. It's like the 4 min mile in running or the Mendoza line in baseball ( 200 batting average). I'm not sure how much of this is physical and how much is mental. I have my own thoughts on this.

To swim an average speed faster than 2 min/ 100, you need to have decent body position, stroke race, and muscle endurance all at the same time. Many can isolate them individually, but putting it all together over the duration of the swim leg is the challenge. 

My goal is to create a plan/ system to break thru this barrier over the winter with the athletes I coach who fall into this category. Here are some of the things we will work on:

1. Flip turns- Not having a break at the wall will help build endurance and maintain momentum.

2. Ankle band swimming- Nothing corrects flaws like ankle band swimming. You need to create force, stroke rate, and body position all at the same time. if you get to the other side of the pool, you are doing something right. Start with 25's with plenty of rest and build from there.

3. Fins and paddles- This is a great way to create force and speed. it also raises the HR to feel like a race effort. fins and paddles create a full-body workout

4. Butterfly- One of the best ways to create a powerful pull is by doing butterfly. Start with 4 -8 strokes off the wall. fins help create lift from the legs. Triathletes hate this stroke, but it will help make you a stronger open-water swimmer.

5. Base intervals- create short rest with a specific send-off time. this ensures the athlete is swimming at the desired pace and not dropping off. A good way to determine  threshold pace is to do 10x100 with 10-sec rest. time the entire set, and subtract 90 seconds ( total time of rest intervals) to get swim time. 

As I begin to execute this plan. I will periodically report back findings, and what has worked and what has not.

Happy swimming!

 

Cycling Junkie

 

If you want to be a better cycling or triathlete, you need to love the bike. I remember when I began training for triathlons, I read Scott Molina saying to be good in triathlon you had to be a cycling junkie. I began putting in lots of bike miles. I still believe it.

In general,50% of your weekly training time should be spent cycling. If you are indoors during the winter, that may decrease since the quality is higher. I relearn this every summer when my cycling frequency and volume bumps up for 10 weeks. I have found it also helps improve running.

As we get older, and run volume decreases to keep from getting injured, we can get on the bike more to maintain fitness. The other benefit is that as we age, we do not tend to see a decrease in cycling performance as long as we continue to include some quality each week. 

Here are some tips to keep your bike miles fresh and interesting.

- Explore new roads and routes on a regular basis. Exploring can be fun.

- get on the trails or dirt roads to boost power and handling skills

_ use the bike trainer once a week for hard / controlled intervals

- don't ride the same routs more than once a week

Although I no longer have the time for 250+ mile weeks in the saddle, The more miles I ride, the better I feel. The hardest part is getting out the door.

 

3 Ways to Keep Sweat Off the Headset

 There is nothing worse than a corroded headset. Sweat is very destructive and the heat and humidity we face for 7 months of the year in Florida can destroy the bike's front end. The headset, and bolts for the handlebars and aero bars are especially at risk. 

As a heavy sweater, I've come up with 3 simple ways to attempt to control the damage. 

1. Headband- using a headband under your helmet will help keep sweat off the bike and your sunglasses. I find it takes about 45-60 min for it to get saturated. A quick stop to wring it out and off you.

2. Facecloth- Place a face cloth in your back pocket to wipe off your face and under your glasses. They are small and very absorbent. 

3. The sweat shield- As a coach, I solve problems. The constant drop of sweat on the headset was a yearly problem. I tried all kinds of solutions. A plastic sheet with channels made with a heat gun keeps the sweat off everything and allows me a clear view of the computer. It is helped with Velcro so can easily be removed and cleaned.

So now you have 3 easy solutions to preserve your bike and control sweat on the road or on the trainer.

Happy Training!

Coach Tim

Running Through Injury- The run Load Continuum

 Typically when a runner suffers an injury, they back off their running volume and intensity until the injury subsides, or worse, they stop altogether, and when the injury heals jump back in risking further injury. Both methods don't lend themselves to consistency and long-term development.  Then they begin to add in more miles gradually until they reach the previous levels before introducing intensity. This could take several weeks to months to bring you back to pre-injured levels.

The idea behind the run load continuum is that during an injury, you maintain the same running volume in minutes but decreased the amount of stress being placed on the body by manipulating the amount of load/stress that are occurring during the run. This will allow you to maintain fitness as you gradually increase stress to rebuild the affected area. 

There are several ways we can manipulate the loading, and these can be used in combination to manage the mechanical stress placed on the body. This can also be used to bump up the volume in preparing for longer races. One way I used to do this in preparing athletes for marathons, was to do a long run and then get in the water right after and do 20 to 30 minutes of a deep water running. This would allow for a bit more volume in active recovery. I'll outline this process and then give me some examples of how you can use it.

Guidelines

1. Keep running volume ( minutes) the same as you had for the past 4 weeks.

2. Don't run back-to-back days to allow your body to recover from the stress of the workout.

3. Gradually increase the load by adjusting the type of activity in the amount of minutes you are doing.

Run load continuum (from least stressful to more stressful)

A. Deep water running

B. Walking 

C. Waist-deep water running

D. Incline walking on a treadmill

E. Treadmill running (cushioned deck)

D. Outside running

Here is an example of how you can use this format. 

You're coming off of an injury and your run is usually 45 minutes. Run for 20 minutes before the pain starts, stop at 20 minutes, and do the remaining 25 minutes in waist-deep water. Gradually shift the minutes on the road and lessen the waist-deep running provided you are progressing and adapting properly.

Run training does not need to be all or nothing, by having a pool and treadmill access you can keep a running volume the same interest and manipulate the stress to help you recover quicker while maintaining run fitness. A water running belt is always good to have in your tool box.

Training Metrics- What you view during workouts matter

 The data you view during a workout has an impact on how you execute, adjust, and mentally interpret the training session. Not all data is the same. Some are very useful and others can be distracting and do not give an accurate picture of the effort or work being done. Here are my recommendations on what data you should be viewing during training sessions.

Bike- for indoor rides on a trainer key metrics should be:

power

cadence

heart rate

If you are using a platform such as Trainer Road or Zwift, you will have plenty of data to view.

For outdoor rides 

time

heart rate

cadence

power or core temperature

Average speed is not a good indicator of training effort, since wind humidity, and terrain can all have a big impact. Cadence may be more important than power since how the power is generated is important.

In the absence of power, core temperature is a good metric since overheating will drop your FTP (functional threshold power) leaving all of your current power zones suspect.

Run

I find viewing 3 data fields to be optimal. Four fields make the numbers a little bit small and can be distracting by having too much information. Here are my suggested data fields:

time

heart rate

cadence

core temperature (if available)

If run power is available, viewing that in real time is unnecessary as it will fluctuate rather quickly. The only exception may be if you're doing a tempo run in order to learn pacing based upon cadence heart rate and power.

Running pace is not a great metric to use as it may entice you to race to work out. Running pace will be affected greatly by temperature humidity as well as rising core temperature and elevation. 

These are my recommendations. Additional data and information will be downloaded after the workout but these are the ones I suggest you have in view while you're doing your workout. As always these are subject to debate and fine-tuning based on the individual. 

Happy training!

Bike shoe tension

 

There is a simple way to keep your feet comfortable while improving your pedaling efficiency at the same time. By loosening the straps on your shoes you may find yourself pedaling more efficiently than ever before. Here are some thoughts/ideas and how this can be achieved.

Too often people buy bike shoes that are very narrow and tighten them as if they are wearing hockey skates. This can cut off circulation and squeeze the bones of a foot together causing any number or foot injuries'  or at least numb feet. A simple suggestion is to buy bike shoes a half size larger and search for ones that have a wide enough toe box.  If you live in a warm climate your feet are going to swell during longer rides so a larger size is warranted, and if you live in a colder climate you need to make sure you allow for extra room for thicker or warmer socks during the cooler/colder winter months. Make sure to adjust tension every hour of riding to accommodate for swelling. Bike shoes are often narrow so a simple shoe stretcher could be used to widen out the toe box if needed.

The best way to start this process is when you doing workouts on your indoor trainer. Loosen the straps a little bit at a time. If you find your feet moving around inside the shoe then you may not be applying force to the pedal efficiently. With practice, you will learn to relax and unweight the foot on the upstroke you find a better connection to the pedal if you give yourself a bit of time to work with this.

Next, do this during your easier road rides.  Play with different tensions to find one that feels right. Over time you will find the optimal tension to relax the feet given enough room and allow for optimal power transmission.

You just might find your riding better and more comfortable without numb or cramped feet.

Hot Tubs- A Secret Training Weapon

I've always viewed hot tubs as a great great way to relax and recover. When I started my career in the health and fitness industry in the late 80s, I'd end my swims in the hot tub to warm up and recover. It wasn't until a year ago that I decided to get one for home to enhance recovery and improve sleep.

The new type of hot tubs which are called plug and play are fantastic. All you have to do is fill them up and plug them in and they are self-contained, and provide all the features of much more expensive versions.

Once it arrived, i just filled it up and plugged it in. I use it every evening for 10 to 15 minutes as part of my wind-down /sleeper routine. This has worked tremendously, but along the way, I have found some  added benefits which have made this even more valuable to my training and recovery.

My daily hot tub sessions have allowed me to get more benefits out of my time spent in the warm water. These include:

Breath Work- With nowhere to go for 10 to 15 minutes, I work on slow relaxed breathing to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is a nice relaxing way to end the day.

Stretching- while in the hot tub, I can do a variety of stretches and work on flexibility.

Trigger Point Work- After completing my breathing exercises I can often use my thumb and work on the calfs  or any other areas in my lower leg that seems to be tight.

Meditation- Although I really haven't delved into this as of yet I feel like the hot tub with the sound of the bubbles e is a perfect place to work on meditating.

Hot water immersion is a proven method to heat acclimate. Living in the warm humid weather of Florida, the ability to heat acclimate not only makes life more comfortable but allows me to train and compete at a safer level. Two to three times per week after key run workouts when my core temperature is above  102F, I will immediately jump into the hot tub with a temperature of 105F for 10 to 15 minutes. Unlike my evening routines, this is not so comfortable. I have found after a couple weeks, my heat tolerance in training is enhanced.

I now view my hot tub as an essential part of my training. I hate missing a session due to thunderstorms, as it has become an integral part of my training, recovery,
and sleep routines.

Incline Tempo Runs on Treadmills

 If you want to build muscular endurance and reduce the impact stress on the legs, then incline tempo runs on the treadmill might be your answer. This is a workout format I have recently begun experimenting with. As an expert and contributor on any question, I often love asking questions of other experts I have read and respect. A workout that piqued my interest was an uphill tempo workout that I saw posted by elite running coach Brad Hudson. This workout calls for a 4 to 5-mile uphill tempo effort. Unfortunately, this is not available to most people unless you live in the mountains and have a nice long uphill for 5 miles. But I did like the purpose of the workout and think it would be very valuable for triathletes to develop muscular endurance running off the bike without beating up the legs.

The treadmill became the best place to execute this workout for many reasons. First, it would allow us to lock in the speed and the grade and go for either distance or duration. By locking in a speed we can settle in and work on running economy and relaxing or ticking off the miles. A 3% grade is a good starting point; even going for 10 or 15 minutes provides a great workout. This can be a great workout done right off of the bike as an uphill transition tempo run of 10 to 20 minutes.

Workout variations

decreasing incline- 5 minutes at 5% grade/ 5 minutes at 4% grade/ 5 minutes at 3% grade. As you lower each grade by one percent, increase the speed by .1 – .2 mph.

Increasing incline- in this variation, you will keep the speed constant while increasing the grade 1% every 5 minutes. This tempo section can range from 15 to 30 minutes.

Broken tempo- in this variation, you will use a 4-minute run/1 minute walk or rest to break up the tempo efforts. This allows you to go a bit longer and hold a higher pace.

The goal of these workouts is not to beat yourself up but to provide a stimulus that will work the legs well while keeping your heart rate at or below your threshold pace/heart rate. It provides a good solid workout but minimal recovery center not pounding your legs. 

Happy Training!

Functional Isometrics for Triatletes

Build Triathlon Specific Strength with Functional Isometrics

Functional Isometrics can be a great way to add some variety to your strength training plan while increasing strength and power within the swim/ bike/ motor patterns. Isometric is defined as the muscle attachment closest and furthest away from the center of gravity maintains a constant length while forces being applied. Functional Isometrics (FI) are used by strength and conditioning coaches in all major sports. By integrating Tri -specific Functional isometrics, triathletes and can achieve higher levels of strength and power exactly where they need it.

There are key positions within the swim/bike/ run patterns that require increases strength or leverage. By incorporating FI into your strength plan, you will develop high levels of isometric strength which will lead to an increase in power and speed.

There are three points during the swim stroke in which isometric would be effective. They are :

1.      High elbow catch position at the beginning of the pull phase

2.      Mid pull phase when hand is at hip level

3.      Extension at back end of stroke.

These isometric exercisers can be done using either a vasa trainer or TRX/ suspension system so that there is no movement when force is applied. Apply 85% effort for 3 to 5 seconds per repetition in each of the three positions. Completing 3 reps per set with a 5 second rest between each repetition. Each set will take 24-50 seconds to complete.

 In cycling the point of highest power application is between the 2 o’clock to 4 o’clock point in the pedal stroke. There are two ways FI can be done in this high power zone.

1.      Rack Pulls-The First method uses a barbell pulled up against the pins in a power rack at knee and hip angles identical to the powerful position on the bike. Again, hold for 3 to 5 seconds per repetition.

2.      Squat or Deadlift with Iso Hold- The second method is to do an isometric hold for 3 seconds at the same joint angle as the rack pull when executing a squat or deadlift. Athletes can use a barbell or hex bar. Hex bars are preferred since it places less stress on the back and knees. Use a controlled eccentric (lowering phase), isometric hold for 3 seconds, then lift weight with a fast acceleration.

In running, there is a point in the stance phase that requires high levels of isometric strength at the point of contact with the ground just before take-off. As with cycling there are two ways this can be accomplished.

1.      Single leg Toes taps- Using a barbell in the back-squat position and standing on one leg in a running posture (knees and hips slightly flexed as if initiating the push off phase of the run stride.) This position is maintained while the athlete does lateral toe touches 4 – 10 repetitions before switching legs.

2.      Rack Single leg Iso Holds- Hold the barbell in the back-squat position and just like the rack pull exercise above. Pushing up against the pins from a single leg running posture. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds per repetition per leg for 3-5 reps per set.

There are several ways you can integrate Functional Isometrics into your strength training plans. Include FI several times through the training year to increase triathlon specific power. Below is one example of how FI can fit into any strength plan.

Tri set A (alternate between the 3 exercises below until all 3 sets are completed)

hex bar deadlift      3 sets of 5 (3 sec isometric holds just off floor on each rep)

Dumbbell chest press 3 sets of 6

Swim isometric (3 positions) 3sets of 3 sec each at 85% effort

Tri set B

Pull up    3 sets of 6

Slide board leg curl  3 sets of 6

Single leg toe taps    3 sets of 5 taps each leg

Tim Crowley is USAT Level III Coach, owner of TC2 Coaching LLC and the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Montverde Academy. If you have questions Tim can be contacted at tc2coaching@gmail.com or timcrowley.biz. Tim’s Training Peaks Coaching Profile can be found at https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/tc2coaching

Hot Tubs, Slushies and Heat Acclimation

 My history with training and competing in the heat had not been a good one. I love to train and race in the heat but I had problems with heat exhaustion and cramping once the temperature got over 80°. In 1989 my 2nd Ironman I ended up requiring 11 L of IV and overnight trip to the emergency room before attending the awards ceremony the next morning. The following year I qualified for the wine Ironman and suffered heat exhaustion and went unconscious at mile 18 of the run .The problem living in a northern climate is that it is never hot long enough to fully acclimate.

In 2012 when we relocated to the hot and humid environment of Central Florida I wondered if my triathlon career might be coming to a close. I either had to figure this out or suffer and struggle for 8 months of the year. After many hours of research and implementing different strategies, I started to figure it out and came up with a few ideas. This venture into heat acclimation even got me a chance to write about it in the upcoming MMA book to be released in August. 

This summer I decided it was time to take it to another level. After researching ways to keep the core temperature in check, I came across the use of slushies that can both keep core temperature down, provide fluid and electrolytes by using Gatorade and electrolyte salts and with the crushed ice feature on the fridge. I started using this during run workouts with good success but needed to figure out how to keep the insulated bottle cold enough to make it to the run  of a triathlon. I figured out that you can make a slushy solution in an insulated bottle, put it in an insulated lunch bag with ice packs and it would last about 2 hours which would allow me to get to the run of the Sprint triathlon. I could leave the bag in transition and after jumping off the bike grab my bottle and off I would go.

The 2nd part of my heat experiment this year was to installing a hot tub (honestly, I did this for science).  I researched hot water immersion and sauna protocols for heat acclamation. I began using the hot tub each night and using it immediately after hard runs were my core temperature was elevated 3 times a week. This wasn't exactly pleasant but I'm pleased to announce that it seems to be working. After using these techniques for the last few months I have found my training and racing in the hot humid heat of Cleremont to be improving. 

Yesterday I put it to the test and in very hot and humid conditions had a good race with no overheating issues on the run. Upon finishing the race I still had some slush left in my bottle. The next step is to get this to work for Olympic distance race. Stay tuned.

Also more to come on the use of the hot tub not only for heat acclamation but for recovery and improved sleep.

Unique Ways to Heat Acclimate

As the weather heats up, its important to acclimate to heat form optimal performance in both training and racing. Here are a few ways you can optimize heat acclimation into your busy life. When the weather is sporadically hot, its hard to get enough constant exposure to heat to fully acclimate.

1. Do easy training sessions at the hottest times of the day. Keep the intensity and volume low.

2. Do trainer sessions on a hot garage to maximize heat stress. Use a fan to keep the air moving.














3. Mow the lawn or do yard work in the afternoon when its hot and humid.

4. Adopt a road way, and plan to clean it on hot humid days in the Florida sun :)

Process outcome and the Masters Athlete-

This is a topic I have been wrestling with for the past 10 years. How can we stay motivated and enjoying a sport we put so much of ourselves into when we know we may not see another PR, or win another race?

If you are new to the sport, ot have been racing for several decades, there will come a time when you will no longer go as fast as you once did. We know we can keep this decline minimal for quite a while, but how we handle it can make all the difference in out outlook toward the sport and lifestyle we love.

Training and racing triathlon is not a zero sum game. The irony is that the sport attracted driven type A personalities, but to be successful, one needs to take a long term view, and as Joshua Medcalf says in his book  Chop Wood/ Carry Water, you need fall in love with the process. As we age as athletes, we can begin to appreciate good health and the ability to push ourselves. Over time there will be a decline in performance, which we cannot control. What we can control is the rate.

I have come to enjoy racing and training more then ever before. I no longer take health and the ability to train for granted.

what i have learned is that when I focus on the process and enjoy it for its own merits, the outcome are almost always favorable. The medals and trophies will collect dust, but the lessones learned out on the road last forever.

150 Pull sets

TC2 coached athletes will see this workout throughout the year. This is a great aerobic set with many additional benefits. start with 6 reps and build to 12, taking a 15-20 sec rest interval. The 150 is broken into 50 cruise./ 50 tempo/ 50 fast. By swimming a varied pace, you don't get stuck swimming at a constant speed.

cruise- this 50 is nice and easy with a focus on a good streamline position and smooth relaxed catch. By slowing things down a bit, it allows for good efficient swim mechanics.s s

Temp o- now keeping things smooth, pick up the tempo to race effort. this should be 80-85 % effort.

Fast- this is not a sprint, but focus on increasing power and finishing off the beck end of the stroke.

.

This swim set makes you negative split, and after each rep, you are forced to go back and swim smooth and relaxed at the start of the next rep. The average pace is steady endurance, but there is the added benefit of working on body position, tempo and power.

There are variations of this set;

A. 12-21 x100 alternating cruise/ tempo/ fast with 10-15 sec rest.

B. 4-6x 300 with 20-30 sec rest as 100 cruise/ 100 tempo/ 100 fast

c-. 5-8x 200 as 50 cruise/ 100 tempo/ 50 fast rest interval 20 sec

i like doing this as a pull set. but it can be done swimming or with paddles added.

bike rollers

IF live in a warm climate or cold climate, using rollers  has many benefits.
I try to fit rollers in at least once a week throughout the year. I find it helps smooth out my pedal stroke and improves my efficiency on the bike.

Before moving to Florida, I would spend a lot of time during the winter using rollers and a stationary trainer. After relocating to warmer climate, a began using them, not because I needed to be inside, I chose to be inside. With thunderstorms often in the summer afternoon forecast, rollers became a great option when getting on the road was possible.

Here are some useful ways to get the most out of your rollers.

• Recovery rides- using rollers for recovery rides allows you to control the intensity, and work on a smooth efficient pedal stroke. It's easy to pedal with the light resistance and high rpm's on rollers. Too often when athletes try to ride outside for the recovery rides intensity gets too high,  hills or headwind. Using a stationary trainer for recovery rides is often boring and doesn't allow you to work on efficiency or balance at the rollers do.
• Develop handling skills- in the beginning just staying upright on the rollers is often a challenge for many athletes. Once you get used to them, you'll notice a smooth and efficient pedal stroke. You can then work on developing advanced skill such as riding no hands, or one leg and pedal drills.
• Making the most of daylight hours- when you're rides are often asked shortened due to less daylight in the early morning hours or early sunset in the evening. You can extend your workout  by coming inside tossing the bike in the rollers and doing you warm-up or cool down.since there is no set up time, it makes for an easy transition.

There many different types of rollers, I prefer emotion rollers due to the fact that they have resistance levels and guide wheels that help you not ride  off cylinders.since many cyclists and triathletes. Now he's power meters. You'll have all your data on board on any type of rollers.

As we head into the darker in colder months. Consider adding rollers to your indoor training arsenal this winter.

Tim Crowley is the owner of TC two coaching, is also the head strength and conditioning coach at Montverde Academy. For more information, visit www.Tim Crowley.biz

Strength training for endurance athletes

It's that time year when the the racing season is complete, daylight starts to shrink, and training volume is at its lowest of the year. Is also a time year when the great debate about strength training for endurance athletes begins anew. As a proponent of strength and conditioning for endurance athletes, I have lectured and written numerous times on the subject, and the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of this concept. Yet many coaches still advocate that strength training has little or no value for endurance athletes.


I can only assume this is either due to lack of information, or lazy coaching .You see to create a well-designed 6 week plan for an athlete, takes the same amount of time as it does to create a 6 week training plan and I can only guess that coaches and athletes do not want to create the extra work required to increase performance.

There are many reasons why athletes need to create a year-round strength training plan that will help reduce injuries and increase performance.It is often cited that this takes too much time during the training week and takes away from swim, bike, and run training .  But a well-designed program should only take about 40 minutes to complete and be done twice a week . this type of plan should include movement skills, core training, mobility work , as well as strength and power-based exercises.

 There are many reasons other than increasing strength and power in the prime movers that one should perform regular strength training workouts .

1. Create muscle balance- swimming cycling and running are all cyclical activities which use specific muscles  that are often over worked and shortened.  A properly designed strength training plan will help create muscle balance,  improve posture, and decrease the incidence and severity of over use injuries .

2. Improve athleticism- through basic athletic lifts such as squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, you become a better athlete. the added benefit here is when these are done with barbells, dumbbells, or kettle bells you also improve the stabilizers of the core hips and shoulders which are critical in preventing injuries .

3. Improve movement economy- this has been proven in the laboratory and research time and again in all endurance sports that an increase in strength and stability can improve movement economy from about 5 to 8% . this is free speed with no additional training required.

4.  Masters- after the age of 35 endurance athletes lose muscle mass at the same rate as sedentary people even know they are training aerobically. this is a proven fact in this alone is enough reason for athletes to strength training around. the loss of muscle mass and Masters athletes correlates very closely to decrease in speed often seen. one of the best ways to maintain speed as we get older is to a quality well-designed strength training plan.

 These are just a few the reasons to incorporate  a quality well designed strength plan into your off-season as well as in season training plan.

Below are a few links to some additional articles on strength and conditioning for endurance athletes .

http://running.competitor.com/tag/strength-training-for-runners

http://vasatrainer.com/media/wysiwyg/PDF/TRIATHLETE/USAT_Reconstruct_P1_2.pdf

http://ebookbrowse.com/functional-strength-training-for-triathletes-doc-d192533356

http://www.triathlonstrengthcoach.com/

Top Ten Triathlon Books for Athletes

I am often asked by athlete and coaches for recommendations of good Reading material. I have compiled a list of favorite swim, bike , run and triathlon related books. They are in no particular order.

By clicking on the link, you can easily order the book (s) or your choice.

In the coming weeks, I will begin doing book reviews on each of the titles below.

Happy summer reading!

1. Swimming Coaching Bible II



2.Serious Training For Endurance Athletes



3. Better Training For Distance Runners




4. Daniel"s Running Formula



5. Scientific Training For Triathletes



6. Call The Suit




7. Going Long




8. Lactate Liftoff




9. Training and Racing with a Power meter



10. Training Tips For Cyclists and Triathletes

Inseason 3x3

It is now spring, and athletes are getting out of the roads to increase their mileage as the days get longer and the weather warmer. This often leads to athletes either skipping or minimizing their strength plan. Unfortunately all the hard work that was done during the winter will be lost in the next two months unless a maintenance plan is put in place.

Maintaining strength gains can be accomplished by utilizing two short high-intensity strength sessions per week. What I have outlined here is a triathlon specific program which involves three simple strength exercises. Complete 3 sets of each exercise in rotating fashion( cable push both, expired to lift, in ab wheel roller) will allow you to get the biggest bang for your training minutes.

Each exercise was elected for its overall benefit, and its ability to help create muscle balance, stabilization strength and improve movement economy in all 3 disciplines.

1. Cable push / pull- this exercise can be done on any dual cable machine, or could possibly be done using stretch bands or tubing. While standing with feet shoulder width apart one arm is doing a cable row while the other is doing a press. Using cables in this way requires a high degree of shoulder and core stabilization . This is a full body exercise.

2. Hex bar deadlifts in my opinion are single best exercise for cyclists and runners. By using the hex bar the center of gravity is moved further underneath the hips thereby decreasing the stress on the back and knees. In addition to developing strength and power in the hamstrings, glutes and quads, the back muscles are stabilizing the hips much like they do in cycling, creating a strong powerful cycling base.

3. Ab wheel rollout-anterior core strength is critical in swimming and running to maintain proper posture and movement economy. If an ab wheel is not available, this exercise can also be adapted using a stability ball TRX or mini slide toward.

It is highly recommended that before you attempt any the exercises that you consult with a qualified trainer or strength coach to ensure that you are doing them correctly.

Program

You should do 5-10 min. of foam roll and dynamic warm-up drills before you begin the exercises

Perform three sets of each exercise keeping the reps any 6-8 range. Take about 30-40 seconds rest between each set to keep the quality high.

From start to finish this should take no more than 15 to 20 min.

Stay Powerful!

For individualized strength plans, defined your specific needs, contact Tim@ TC2coachingComcast.net or visit www.triathlonstrengthcoach.com