Coaching post- Enter the Dragon

Coaching Post
Enter the Dragon

I came up with the title of this blog post because the phrase "enter the Dragon" has double meaning when it comes to this blog post. First and foremost the Dragon in part one refers to the Dragon naturally speaking software from which I will now use when I write my blogs and articles. This is great tool because anyone who knows me knows that my typing is less than great. With voice recognition software I can think the way I talk and, therefore hopefully not make as many typos.
Having never taken a typing course before, I can finally type as fast as I speak. Back in high school if I knew then what I know now, I probably would've taken a typing course but instead I took art courses. The good news about art and science is that it's perfect when it comes to coaching so hopefully this will allow me to write more frequently.
The second part of the Dragon refers to a book I recently just finished called The Warrior Within the philosophies of Bruce Lee. I recently saw a TV show which is a documentary on the life of Bruce Lee. I realized that make for a very good coaching resource book. Upon reading I came across a pretty good pieces of information which I thought be very useful to share one of them refers to the essence of Jeet kun do which is Bruce Lee's martial arts.
Here are some of the principles and how they refer to coaching
1. Researcher ones experience- what do you bring to your coaching or sport based on your own background, knowledge and experience.
2. To absorb what is useful- you do not need to take everything hook line and sinker.
3. Reject what is useless- throw the rest away
4. Add what is specifically your own- put your own interpretation/ stamp on things
These four principles will work well for most coaches. Too often we take what we learn about coaching based upon other people without questioning or looking deeper. It is important that we filter through all the stuff that we read and learn to create our own philosophies and methodologies.

Swimming with Ankle Bands

If you are not sure what ankle band swimming is, then I can assure you you have not done a set of freestyle with the nast little band around you ankles.

What makes this drill so effective, is the fact that the athlete must exhibit proper body position, a high stroke rate and effective propulsion all at the same time. This is exactly what needs to happen if you plan to swim fast in a triathlon.

Many athletes work on these three aspects of freestyle swimming independently, and then expect them to all come together when it counts.

So what is an ankle band? you can but premade rubber bands or ankle cuffs that velcro from many popular swim vendor. An inexpensive verion can be made from an 18 inch length of old bike tube tied in a knot. The band is placed around the ankle so that it is snug and prevents you from kicking.

Begin with 4-6x 25 with the ankle band with 20-30 sec rest interval. You will quickly learn if if some aspect is lacking.
1. Over glide and you will lose momentun and sink.
2. swim with a low stroke rate and you will sink.
3. Maintain poor body position, and you will sink.
4. Do not obtain a good hold on the water or VF ( vertical forearm)and you will sink.

The great thing about ankle band swimming, is that if you are able to make it across the pool, you are doing something right. Its self correcting execise/ drill.

Think if it as the swim equivolent of hill running.

Another critical benefit of ABS ( ankle band swimming)is fatigue resistance. This is the ability to maintain body position, stroke rate and pulling power as fatigue sets in.


Here is a sample set progression
1. Begin with 4-6x 25 y/m with a 1:1 work to rest ratio twice a week
2. Add 2 reps per week.
3. I like to build to 10x 50 on 1 min send off or 5x 100 on 2 min. send off.

It is important to work at ABS. At first, you will not like it, but with persistance, it can really make you a better more powerful swimmer.

If you are like my athletes, you may have some choice words following your first set of ABS. but it will work!

Coach Tim

Lower Leg Injury Prevention

As we head into winter, and begin building up mileage and fitness, its important to make sure the lower leg muscles keep up with the rest of your training.

One overuse injury that often occurs in masters athletes at inopportune times is a lower leg calf/ soleus strain. I have seen this happen mant times ( as well as prsonally), and have set out to come up with ways of keeping the lower legs healthy and flexible.

here are a few factors/ observations
1. Masters athletes suffer fom this more than younger athles.
2. Cycling, due to the high isometetric aspect as it pertains to the lower leg, tends to create tightness deep in the lower leg, and builds over time until it gets injured.
3. After an lower leg strain, it take 4-6 weeks until the athelete is back to normal training.
4. Ankle mobility needs to be maintained to prevent added stress on the gastocs and soleus.
5. Lower leg range of motion needs to be maintained with simple eccentric calf raises.



after each run do
8-10 eccentric calf raises on each leg
8-10 ankle mobility reps with each leg
15-20 second calf stretch.

Happy Training!
To Learn more about customized Strength plans for endurance athletes, check out
www.triathlonstrentghcoach.com

Goals Passion and Discipline

I saw this quote the other day "Discipline naturally follows passion and commitment. Where there's a lack of discipline there's something else in the way: fear.", and it got me thinking.

You see this is the time of year when I spend lots of time reviewing all the data, graphs, charts and race results for the athletes I coach. It's also the time of year when we begin to make plans for 2012.

2011 marks close of my 25th consecutive triathlon season. I ended the season with a sprint race and finishing 6th overall. The discipline to train hard and have the passion to continue is something I try to instill in my athletes.

As I pondered the quote above during a recent long run, I think I came up with the proper sequence to continued progress and athletic success.

Proper goal setting leads to passion for training and racing, which in turn leads to the discipline to do the work required to get a result.

The goal setting piece is a topic onto itself. So begin thinking about what gets you excited to train today when your next race or goal is 4 to 6 months away? Its good to take a few weeks following you final event of the year to set your goals.

That will be the topic for the next installment. Enjoy tha fall training.

Taking up ‘Cross
By Tim Crowley, TC2Coaching

As the fall approaches, and the race calendar begins to thin, you may want to extend your race season another month or two. Consider cyclo-cross if you plan on a single sport focus during this off season.

‘Cross, as it’s commonly called, used to be an obscure version of cycling. In the past five years, the number of races and competitors in most fields have swelled to maximum capacity, attracting mostly roadies and mountain bikers. However, triathletes may be better suited to cross than any other group of athletes.

Cyclo-cross can be defined as a time trial with handling skills and transitions. For any Multisport athletes’ looking to improve their power output, technical skills as well as mounts and dismounts, cross may be your ticket.

Here are some reasons to take up ‘cross this fall.
1. Improved bike handling skills- Racing on dirt, grass, mud and asphalt, shoulder to shoulder with other athletes through tight windy courses, your learning curve to handle your bike becomes steep. It’s said that one season of cross is equal to 2 to 3 years of road racing. Triathletes are notorious for lacking bike skills of mountain bikers or roadies. Cross will make you a safer and more competent rider fast.

2. Normal start times- Cross races range from 30-60 minutes in length,depending on the category you enter. Most start at 9am or later, there are no early morning start times. And since races are no longer that 60 minutes, racing does not require an all day commitment.

3. Transitions- each lap usually has 2-4 natural barriers (steep hill, sand pit etc) or man-made barriers ( 18 inch wooden barrier), requiring riders to dismount at speed and run over a barrier or up a hill with your bike on your shoulder, then a full speed remount. This skill is obvious to triathletes..

4. Increased power output- ‘cross is raced at or above lactate threshold most of the time. With dismounts and run ups, heart rates are usually higher than time trialing. Grinding up hills and through muddy fields requires a large amount of on-bike strength and power, which will lead to improved time trialing abilities.

5. Learn to suffer- Although races are relatively short, the suffering is intense. Learning to race on the edge while slipping through corners develops a high level on focus and concentration. Add to this cold rainy weather, and you become a tougher, more resilient athlete. A good skill set for any triathlete.

6. Winter bike- If you need a bit more convincing, consider that a cross bike with road tires makes the perfect road bike for base/ winter training. If you live in a northern climate, then leave the cross tires on, and you can ride on sandy/ slushy roads all winter without destroying your tri bike. Just hose down and wipe off after a ride. These bikes were made for these conditions.

7. Great spectator event- If your family and friends like watching triathlon, they will love cross. The viewing and action are continuous.

Ifyour next triathlon 4-6 months away it may be too soon to take an extended break from training and racing. Use this time to become a better bike handler and time trialist. Step out of your multi sport comfort zone and become a better athlete. If interested in cross, go watch a race, you will learn a lot, and be eager to get training and racing in the mud..

Three Strength Exercises That Will Change Your Cycling

Three Strength Exercises That Will Change Your Cycling

During the winter months, I often hear triathletes talk about getting in the weight room. Unfortunately, many do ineffective exercises, and don’t make strength training a regular part of their year round training plan.

If you are a master’s athlete, you need to stay strong if you want to maintain or increase strength and speed, while staying injury free. Fast twitch muscle fibers atrophy rapidly if not stimulated. The safest and most efficient way to maintain joint range of motion, tap into the fast twitch fibers, strengthen ligaments and tendons, as well as improve joint stability, is to hit the weights correctly.

Before implementing the exercises below, you should have a good strength base (2 to 3 full body strength sessions for 3-4 weeks). I would also recommend getting some coaching on the exercises outlined her by a qualified strength and conditioning specialist. It is important to find someone who can coach you on the proper technique with these lifts.

Exercise 1- Deadlift
For cycling, the deadlift (DL) gets the nod over the squat, because the bar is held in front of the body. This requires the low back muscles (erector spinae) to stabilize the lumbar spine as you drive the heels into the floor. It is critical that you maintain a neutral spine, and do not round the back.

If you have access to a trap bar, they are very effective in developing good technique.

Exercise 2- Single leg squat on a slide (SLSs)
Probably the single best lower body exercise for triathletes. Single leg exercises require each leg to contribute equally, and forces the core to stabilize during a single leg motion, which is different than executing a double leg exercise. The SLSs also offers dynamic flexibility for the hip flexors, critical for fast efficient running.

If you do not have a slide board, a frisbee on carpet, or a towel on smooth flooring will work just as well. Loading can be provided by holding a stick or bar behind the head or extended above the head, holding dumbbells, or attaching a cable to a waist belt.

Exercise 3- 1 leg good morning (1LGam)
The 1LGam is a hip pulling exercise that targets the hamstrings and glutes while in a single leg stance. It combines the benefits of the DL, along with the advantages of the SLSs. It is important to keep a neutral spine and to move only from the hip while keeping the non working leg straight and inline with the torso.

By pairing up the above exercises with a upper body exercise, you can create a very effective and time efficient training plan. A program may look like this;

Pairing 1 Deadlift 3x8
DB chest press 3x8

Pairing 2 Single leg squat on slide 3x8
Pull up 3x8

Pairing 3 1 leg good morning 3x8
Horizontal cable row 3x8

Here are links on Youtube to the exercises discussed above.
Deadlift http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azwEgTHOOzU
Single leg squat on slide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXxrkgXaOo4
1 leg good moring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=162BstmGpO8

TRX ReverseWall Press

The reverse wall press is a great shoulder mobility exercise. It is especially beneficial for triathletes who spend lots of time swimming free style and riding on aerobars.

the goal is to maintain constant pressure on the trx handle activating the rear delts, rhomboids and extrernal rotators. Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps as part of your dynamic warm up.