Additionally, the shorts have 2 small, well designed pockets that are big enough to fit a gel or two, and sleek enough that you forget they’re there if you don’t need em. All in all, a great pair of shorts. So great, in fact, that I wore them for Ironman Hawaii with great success. Not a single rub or problem (which may be a first for me in an Ironman distance race).

With this being Nike’s first attempt at a tri short in over 20 years, I’m excited to see what year 2 will bring from them. Welcome to the triathlon party, Nike. Glad you’re finally here.

As promised, on first inspection they are a Speed Socket top to bottom, so if you’re curious about fit, swing by your local swim store (tri shops and general sporting goods stores won’t carry these. They are elite level racing goggles) and try a pair on. If you’re used to Vanquishers, then this won’t be much different. Might even be a little more comfortable. If however, the larger sized goggles or swim masks are more your bag, then they might take a little getting used to. Being a swedish goggle man myself, this was more goggle than I’m used to, but for me they are considerably more comfortable than the Vanquisher.

The real beauty is what you see. Everything. It surprised me at first. I didn’t realize how much glare in a goggle messes with you. Now there’s something to compare it to. The vision is crystal clear and it cuts the glare wonderfully. I almost felt like I was on one of those Blu-Blocker commercials while I swapped back and forth. Now, admittedly I haven’t used them in open water just yet so I can’t give you a play by play on swimming into the sun and how they cut that reflection off the water. What I do know is that they are going to be 100 times better than my smoke goggles I’ve been using.

So who needs these goggles? Someone who trains outdoors and those who swim in open water, whether it be triathlons or open water races. If you have sun hitting your face, you are going to want these goggles. If you train indoors and compete in indoor pools, then skip it. I don’t see any advantage to swimming under fluorescent lights with these things. With a glowing review like this, there’s got to be a downside right? Well, there is the price. The Speed Socket Polarized sell for $65. That’s quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle pricing. Then again, this is quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle vision too. If you find yourself squinting during a swim, it’ll be worth every penny.

Jump forward to 1994.  I was swimming at Clemson University but decided to race the Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon in Lubbock over the summer. My preparation time was short because of swim obligations but very dedicated once those ended(I mean come on, I’m IN COLLEGE. Not like free time was scarce.) That race turned out to be one of the hottest race days on record (108 degrees). I was able to race a 4:29 and picked up a slot to Kona. Only problem was, I was on scholarship and they would have none of it. Hawaii would just have to wait.

In 1997, I was in my second season as a pro, and I actually qualified for Kona twice that season. FINALLY! It was time to meet the queen, who I’d been obsessing over for a decade now. And I would be ready. Afterall, I had no ‘real’ job. I trained all day. Unfortunately though, that turned out to be one of the problems. I was training like a fool at altitude and by late August, I was borderline anemic. Throw in a couple trips to the other side of the world to my diet and I was pooped. Nonetheless, with the help of Phil Maffetone, George Dallam (the US National Triathlon Team Coach at the time) and UT’s Eddie Reese, arguably the best swim coach that has ever stepped on the planet, I prepared for Kona they way a 23 year old should. LIKE CRAZY.

Face swelling during the run. Not my best look

I finally met her in October of ’97, and I’ll be honest, she was in a pissy mood. The 1997 Ironman has gone down as one of the toughest Kona races in history. From Ironman.com:

“Thomas Hellriegel leads a trifecta of Germans first across the finish line in race conditions that longtime Ironman competitor

Scott Tinley calls the toughest ever. Strong and steady headwinds averaging 30 mph slow the bike and cloudless skies with temperatures in the low 90s combine to produce the slowest finish times in a decade. The conditions set the stage for the biggest surprise victory in the history of the women’s race as Heather Fuhr of Canada, renowned for her ability to handle the heat, runs nearly 15 minutes faster than any of the top five women to claim her first Ironman title in 9:31:43.”

(http://ironman.com/mediacenter/history/ironman-triathlon-world-championship#axzz1ShcxRdim)

If memory serves there were only 11 men to break 5 hours on the bike, and the conditions caused names like Natasha Badmann, Paula Newby Fraser, Tony Deboom, Holly Nybo, etc. to drop out. This was also the year of Chris Legh collapsing 50 feet from the finish (ever see that Gatorade commercial?). You also had on the women’s side, the crawl for 5th place between Sian Welch and Wendy Ingram (Here).

Fun in the med tent

I finished that day. Barely. The cramping began around mile 25 for me on the bike. first in the the glutes and then in the feet.  I cried on the bike. Literally cried. The run started much better, but trouble began again around mile 13. Where was mile 13 in 1997 you ask? Well it was essentially the entry point to the Queen K. Yes, the Queen. I’ve discussed various aspects of that race here before, but to give you the quickie version, my body was shutting down. I finished that day in 10:23, but I don’t remember the last 3 miles very well. After crossing the line, I began losing my vision and started going into shock. After a few hours with the medical staff, I went home, tail firmly between my legs.

Fast forward to 2006. I had since left my pro career behind me and signed up for Ironman Arizona more to lose weight and get fit than anything. The race went well and I qualified again. It was time to see her again and make things right. This time was different though. My goal wasn’t to kick ass and take names, rather to enjoy the experience of Kona  and have a finish down Alii Drive that I could remember.

Day started well enough. I had an easy but relatively slow swim, and the first part of the bike was going great. I was enjoying my day. This was also the year of the Hawaiian earthquake 1 week before the race. No major damage in town but small sections of the bike course were closed because of damage. It also left tiny shards of lava rock on the course. Unfortunately for me, I was able to pick up a few in my tire, causing the first flat in my race history. Not a huge problem as time wasn’t the goal. Got fixed up and finished the bike in good spirits.

Then came the run. I still don’t really know what went wrong that day. Sometimes I think sun poisoning, sometimes overheating. Just not sure. But in the few miles running on the Queen K, I went from good to bad and bad to horrible. By mile 18 I could no longer run. Not a step. Not because I was tired, but because I felt so sick I thought I might pass out if I tried. Walking a straight line was a challenge at times. I did a lot of praying that day, and somehow I made it back into Kona. As I made the final turn to Alii Drive the skies opened up and it started to absolutely pour. Every spectator ran for shelter. I got to the last 100 yards and was greeted by the town bum. Yes, you read that right. The town drunk/vagrant/bum/hobo/homeless guy, whatever you want to call him, was there insisting he help me to the finish. So I finished the 2006 Hawaiian Ironman in a downpour, no one around, with a bum. Magical ain’t it?

I’m not real sure why it is, but I still can’t wait to see her. And THIS time, its going to be a great experience. 3rd times a charm right? I just hope the Queen is in a good mood.

Aloha.

So why is it met with such resistance? Beats me. The good cyclists all know how to ride in a pace line. No one says “don’t learn how to ride in a group because you don’t draft in a triathlon”. Riding in a group teaches handling skills, pace, and often can push you beyond what you would normally do by yourself in an effort to keep up with those faster. While the skill set learned by doing a flipturn varies a great deal from that of riding in a paceline, the indirect benefits of learning to flip are just as important. So let your guard down for a minute and let’s go over a few perks that come with an effective flipturn.

1. Uninterrupted swimming. I figure I would start with the most obvious benefit. For those who swim in an 25 yard pool (most of us) and do an open turn (meaning you put your hand on the wall to turn around), you are interrupting the pace and rhythm of your swim at least a couple times a minute. Better swimmers who have dialed in the open turn a little are also getting a little extra rest and an added breath.  Hey, wait a minute…you don’t get to grab a wall and take an extra breath every 25 yards in an open water swim! Why the heck are you doing it then? Because it’s easier.

Quick side story. Every year I do a swim clinic for a local sprint race here where I live for first timers or those unsure about open water swimming. We go through a number of things regarding anxiety, sighting positioning, etc. When it’s time to swim, without fail I have a few people who swim 30 to 40 yards, roll over on their back and paddle to the shore (see where this is going?). They almost always get out and tell me how they regularly swim lap after lap in the pool without a problem and they can’t figure out what happened. I will tell you that there are a number of things that go wrong in the first minute of a lake swim, but the lack of a wall to grab to get an extra breath is a large contributor to their problems.

By doing an effective turn, you eliminate breaktime every 25 and create a more continuous workout. It’s going to make you tired faster, but it will also make you faster faster.

2. Breath control. I don’t want to turn this into a long winded (get it? man I crack myself up) discussion on hypoxic training, but I will say this. Trying to simulate altitude training simply by holding your breath is ridiculous, but in swimming there is still a need (and some benefits and adaptations) to learn how to control your breathing while you swim. Swimming is one of the only sports that you don’t have free access to oxygen at all times. Because of this, you need to be able to manage and time your breathing to match your effort. Flip turns are a great way to get better at all of this. If you do, say, a race pace 500 in a workout you will notice that towards the end of the 500 that you have more and more trouble finishing your turns as the need for oxygen becomes overwhelming. Yet over time, your body will adapt by increasing lung capacity, alveolar number and pulmonary diffusing capacity making those turns easier. The nice carryover that you get is that you can manage your breathing in-between turns better because of this. So that desperate gasp for air late in a hard swim becomes lessened. Now apply this to open water. At the start, we have all been or will be hit, kicked or run over at that start and thereby disrupting our breathing. Same goes for wavy or rough conditions. Your ability to adapt easily and not get panicked or out of breath will allow you to maintain form and speed, even you missed some air.

3. Better Technique. In the swimming world, it’s referred to as “feel for the water”. I would also call it better awareness in the water. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, very small adjustments in swimming can lead to very large improvements. I mostly discuss the larger aspects of swimming here so as not to muddy the waters (get it? man I’m on a roll here. tip your waitress), but there are lots of smaller items that add up as well. Did you know some of the best swimmers glide with their hand at a 25 degree angle and not flat? You get the idea. So with flip turns, the motion of your hands, arms, head, torso, legs, etc will all effect what happens as you turn. Learning that awareness, and applying it to the rest of your swimming will give you tools you didn’t have before in your attempt to get better. The little things add up.

4. Pool Swim Triathlons – Obvious, but worth mentioning. As you can see in this clip of me flipping under a lane rope, if you can swim a snake in a pool and use turns, you can make some serious time on your competition.

5. And of course …Street Cred: Let’s face facts, if you are doing flip turns in your workout, your street cred goes up. You look like you know what you are doing. We’ve all seen (or in my case been) the guy who wore tennis shoes and a tshirt to his first club bike ride. Not a thing wrong with it, but you knew right away that this guy was new to the sport. Compare that to the day you saw the tshirt guy show up on a new rig and had cycling shoes and cycling clothes. Looked like he knew what the heck he was doing didn’t he?

There are other perks to learning how to do a flipturn, but really now, if you aren’t interested in seeing the light then there aren’t any examples I could give that are going to change your mind. And that’s ok. I am quite aware that there are many out there that deep down aren’t that interested in getting much better at swimming, which is perfectly fine. Sports are about having fun, not torture. Get out there and enjoy yourself. Plus, the less you want to do flipturns, the further down the road I will be before you climb out of the water. And I have no problem with that at all.

Happy flipping.

Being one the first people to get into the water I had a few minutes to swim around. nothing fancy, just tried to loosen up best I could. As more people started getting in I swam over to the starting line to get a good position. While we waited I was able to notice the strength of the current. While it moved us backwards while we waited, it was clear that it wasn’t as strong as previous days, and seemed not nearly as strong as last year either. The swim splits eventually proved this. Good news for me!

Being a strong swimmer, I have a pretty simple strategy. I hit the gas for about 50 yards and then settle into a strong pace for another 150, or in his case, the first bouy, then I turn it off and settle in. The inital blast gets me away from any of the fighting and brings the group around me to about a 2 dozen. The next 150 shrinks the group down to a dozen or less. This is the group that I start paying attention to. Now typically this group dwindles considerably too, as some of these folks are swimming way too hard for this distance. Anyway, my first effort after the gun got me clear of the fighting in about 10 strokes. I kept the solid effort to the first buoy and was pleasantly surprised to be the first one there. I backed off a little as this point and started to settle into my pace. at the first turn buoy there was 1 guy on my feet, a small gap, and then a group of swimmers. I make the next turn a few meters later and settled in for the long stretch swimming with the current. about a third the way through this section the guy on my feet went to pass. Happy to take some time drafting, I let him go by. it gave me some time to get the lay of the land. behind us, the pack of swimmers were around 5 meters behind. Good enough for now but I didn’t want them to latch back on, so I kept an eye on them. I pretty much turned the engine off at this point. Sitting on this guy’s feet my effort level was considerably lower than what I normally warm up with in a workout. Drafting is great. After about 400 meters I looked back again an the pack was at the same point, meaning we had slowed down a little. In hindsight this was probably a mistake. I should have maintained my normal pace. So I decided to take over again and swam at a nice comfortable pace. The swim caps they gave us were pretty large and somewhere along this stretch my cap came off. I lead down to the turn buoy at the submarine and then a relatively quick turn again to head for home. On the second turn I looked behind and that group was nowhere to be seen. So now it was just me and him. Now I enjoy winning like the next guy, but I don’t kill myself to get out of the water first just ’cause. The race is way to long for that. As expected the other guy made a move. Not a big problem as it wasn’t a very strong move. The problem though, was that he didn’t see the final turn buoy to the stairs (we kept buoys to our left the whole way until the final right turn to the stairs)and so he begins to cut the course. I kept pace with him quite comfortably, waiting for him to realize his mistake. Sure enough, he did and started swimming back my way, but he saw that he wasn’t going to beat me to the turn and therefore the finish, so he CUT THE COURSE! Are you kidding me! People would throw a hissy fit if I just cut the course on the run, so why aren’t there penalties for this sort of thing?? OK so remember that thing I just said about not working to hard just to win the swim. Nevermind. That pissed me off. problem was I only had about 25 meters or so to get it done. He touched the stairs just a half stroke in front of me and then we ran up to the timing mats, at which time I beat him to the finish. We finished with the same time, but I don’t know why the results gave him the nod for place, as you can see by the photo how this actually turned out. Swim time: 48:59

What would I have done different? Nothing. Well…. maybe used some less than civil behavior in the last 25 meters, but I’m sure officials would have had a problem with that. Cutting the course is just fine though apparently.

I ran down the long pier while taking the torque off to the bags and off to the tent. Threw on my stuff and jogged out to the bike. Transition time: 2:37

I hopped on the bike and immediately started taking tabs on the heart rate. (This is where RPE is completely useless) All the fun and excitement of cheers, transition and starting the ride bring the heart rate up, so I wanted to get it down as quick as I could. The bike is very flat and the wind doesn’t kick up until the east side of the island so I had some time to do some easy pedaling. As things got into check I started to settle into my pace. My main goal was to get off the bike. Yes, I know. Not very ambitious, but I didn’t have a great deal of time to ride leading up to this race, so I knew I wasn’t going to set the world on fire. I planned on a nice steady pace and would be satisfied if I came in around 5:20 or so.Nothing to set the world of fire, but fast enough to set up the run. I got to the coast and the wind was mild relative to the nightmares I had about this section. I still got tossed around a bit but I was expecting Kona type wind and that just wasn’t the case. I focused on my hydration and salt stick schedule. I’ve learned with heat that I just don’t eat as much, so kept a looser schedule for the food. As we approached the turn away from the coast, the crosswind turns to a nice tailwind. It was about this point that I started feeling some cramping. the pain started where the hamstring connects around the buttbones, and slowly radiated out. The hips slowly started to cramp as did the gluteus muscles. At first I just thought that if I stood on pedals for a few seconds the problem would disappear. But it didn’t. So while we had the tailwind I sat up and soft pedaled, trying various things to get the cramping to stop. Nothing I did helped and it got excruciatingly painful. I could barely sit ont he seat. What the hell? I’ve never had this problem in training. I always tell people that when you do an Ironman you will plan for A, B, and C. Then D will happen. I guess this was my unplanned problem. I was running out of ideas though. After about an hour of this, I decided that maybe getting off the bike altogether might help. If I take a moment to really stretch, maybe I can fix this. So a little ways into lap 2 I pulled over and just got off. Again I tried everything and nothing worked. I climbed back on the bike and rolled on. I had no more ideas. All I could do was pedal and try and find the least painful way to do so. Slowly the pain reduced from almost unbearable to a duller, more tolerable pain. I also kept trying to think of what would cause it. It wasn’t until much later in the ride that I noticed my stem looked different (stem is covered with a gel flask by the way, so it’s kinda hidden). I couldn’t remember right off hand but it looked like, based on the number of spacers, that my stem was lower. I had the mechanic at the resort help me put the bike together since he had the space and the tools, but I don’t take the stem off in transit, so why would he have moved it? And would it make enough difference to cause this kind of cramping? Apparently so as this is the only thing I could find. Anyway, I kept rolling along, and kept up the gatorade intake with perpetuem for calories. I also had 2 flasks of gel but ended up not using either. The stomach was full enough. The final loop felt the best of the 3 but I was ready to get the heck off the bike and get on with the run. Other than gatorade, perpetuem, and stalt stick, I had a half a powerbar for the entire ride. Meager in comparison to what I had on paper for nutrition, but my energy levels were high so I wasn’t worried. Bike Time: 5:34.58

First steps off the bike were very painful. Did a bit of a shuffle to try and get the hips to loosen up. Got into the changing tent and couldn’t sit down at first as the hips/butt/hamstrings hurt so bad. Eased into the chair and got to work. While I did that a volunteer put sunblock all over me. Slowly stood up and headed out. Transition Time: 2:11

As I started running the pain from my hips started to diminish. I kept a close eye on my heart rate as I wanted to start the marathon conservative. I changed my stride some as well to compensate for the hips. Ran through the first mile in 7:11. Heart rate was right on, RPE was fine, but I still felt this was a tad hot considering the conditions. It was freakin hot. So I eased off a bit. Next few miles were in the 7:30′s and more in line with where I thought they should be. As a side note: One of the pro men passed me in the first loop, and as he got  ahead by about 60 yards, he ran off the road to a grassy spot next to the sidewalk, dropped his drawers and took a monster dump right there for the world to watch. pulled up his shorts and took off. all in the span of about 5 seconds! haha!). On my way back I noticed a couple of things. 1st: keeping cool was going to be a major challenge as it was 94 degrees now, and 2nd: my legs were falling apart quicker than they should be thanks to the bike problems. I also noticed a sunburn setting in. So every aid station I dumped ice and water all over myself. My stomach was not cooperating as I could feel it was full of fluid, so I skipped drinking for a few aid stations (they had them every kilometer afterall). coming through town, which was great as the crowds were large and loud!, and onto lap 2 I started feeling better and could feel my stomach issues disappear for the time being. Didn’t think I was ready for gatorade and solid food wasn’t going to happen, so I opted for Coke. Glorious Coke. Quite possibly the greatest invention for Ironman racing ever. This became my method for the rest of the run. water on body, ice in the clothes, a little coke and drink some water (along with a salt tab at every turnaround) No gels for the entire race. So for those keeping track I had no gels for an entire Ironman, and only Coke for a the marathon. Go figure. My pace had slowed a bit as I hit the halfway point at 1:44. I knew I was going to miss any goal times for the run, but I was still content with what I was doing considering the circumstances. I went through the highs and lows with both my legs and my stomach like everyone and needed to walk through a few of the later aid stations to keep it together. The last 4 miles the legs were really not cooperating anymore and it took more and more effort to keep a steady stride. I was pretty adamit though that I didn’t want a glow stick (aka night finish) and knew the sunset was at 5:06 pm (or a 10:06 finish time). The last few miles I could see the sun slipping into the ocean. At this point though I was back in town with the huge crowds (They actually parted as you ran like the Tour De France!! It was second to none!) and knew that even though I was going to miss beating the sunset, it was only by a few minutes, so I was going to finish while it was still light out. As I came up to the jumbotron I could see Andy Potts standing on the podium while they played the National Anthem. Nice! I made that final left turn to the finish line and soaked it up. One thing was missing though, the announcer! I guess because they were doing the awards ceremony for the pros, they stopped calling out the finishers. Small bummer (Let’s face it. I’ve had MUCH worse finishes, let’s not relive the damn bum in Kona), but I was not going to think twice about it. As I finished I needed some medical help walking as the change in stride made my legs wobbly. A few minutes sitting down in the med tent and I was able to steady my legs. Run Time: 3:44.10

Kissed my family at the finish, got some pizza and a massage. Then headed for the hotel. Total Time: 10:12.55

So what most effected my performance? The cramping in my hips/butt/hamstrings were an absolute gamechanger, not only for the bike, but for the run. I did a 3:12 marathon as a training run one morning building up to this, so the 3:44 was way off target thanks to the bike.

All in all, I’ll take it. Ironman racing always seems to throw a few curve balls. For those thinking about doing this race I would highly recommend it. The best Ironman swim in the world, scenic ride and great crowds on the run. Just bring some sunblock. The forecast was for low 80′s. 94 was not part of my thinking. I have a feeling I will be back to do that one though anyway.

On a side note: I prepared this 1 week after the race and my hamstrings/hips are still sore. Hopefully I didn’t screw something up!

The problem is that if you want to compete in endurance sports, then quantity (or volume) IS quality.  Let’s face it, the basis of our racing is quantity. Heck our sport is used as a punchline when referring to extreme endurance. So let’s split the triathlon up and look at the best in the three individual sports to see how much they train. Then we’ll circle back around to the triathlon sport as a whole.

Swimming – Outside of open water swimming, most of the events in competitive swimming are relatively short compared to the other two sports in triathlons.  Swimming also has an enormous emphasis on technique; something the other two sports don’t really have to worry about. Having said that, because the low impact/ low stress nature of swimming, you will see the highest training volume to racing distance ratios. Just look at Olympians Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, and even sprinter Alain Bernard.

Lochte has mention that regular training for him is around 100,000 meters per week. Phelps was training 90,000 meters per week as early as age 11 and well above that now. And Bernard? the 100 meter sprint champion? You got it. 100,000 meters per week for a race that lasts less than 50 seconds.

Cycling – While an incredible amount of volume is done to compete in the sport of cycling, there are usually great distances covered in the races as well. The average pro cyclist spends about 450 to 500 miles per week on the bike. Of course if your name is Lance Armstrong then you would be riding almost that much by the age of 13. Want to make the podium of a major tour? Then find a comfy saddle because you’ll be sitting on it for about 700 miles per week.

Running – fits inbetween swimming and cycling when it comes to the training volume to race distance ratio. The tricky thing with running, moreso than the other two sports, is that training durability is much more of an issue. To put it another way, because of the high impact/ high stress nature of running, large amounts of volume need to be built up very gradually so that you don’t get hurt. Having said all of that though, You would be hard pressed to find a middle distance or distance runner in the elite ranks running less than 100 miles per week. Sort of a training minimum in the world of the elite. Take Deana Kastor, marathon Olympic medalist and American record holder. When asked about her training volume in Track & Field Magazine, she responded, “We haven’t really focused as much on mileage this time around as we have on quality workouts. I was typically getting up to 140 miles per week and keeping it up there for a few weeks in a row in the past. This time, I’ve gone to about a 120 miles and feel great doing it.” Hmmmm….decreasing to a meager 120 miles per week.

Triathlon – While training for 3 sports instead of one can be a complicated task, one thing is consistant with the single event sports. Volume. Triathletes don’t do near the volume that single athletes do in their respective sports, but if you look at the training as a whole, you’ll see that top triathletes put in some very long days in their quest to be the best. Numbers you typically see are 300-400 miles on the bike, 45-60 miles running, and about 20,000+ meters in the pool.

So what is my point? Afterall, you’re not a pro and don’t have the time to spend all day training. While you may not be able to put up the huge numbers the pro’s do, the strategy should be the same. Volume first, intensity second. If you are looking to get better in triathlons, or would like to do well in an Ironman, then volume needs to be far and away your first focus. Are you going to be able to fit in 45 miles of running every week? Maybe not. But if you take a look at your training logs and you find yourself focusing your week around the track workout at the expense of the long run, or trying to fit in weights instead of swimming or cycling, then you’d be wise to reevaluate. Speed workouts are great, just make sure they don’t negatively effect the total volume. If you’re racking up 15 miles of running per week in your preparation for an Ironman, look for ways to get a little more quantity in each week, not for ways to add another speed workout in that 15 miles. No one ever gets to mile 23 of an Ironman run and wish they had done more windsprints.

Which brings me back to my initial thought. When I surf around the internet in the various forums I read a lot of training advice from triathlon coaches of all kinds. The information they offer is often all over the place. Some good, some strange, some dangerous. Many of these coaches have taken a weekend seminar and are now certified experts. Others have grabbed a book or two and after flipping through them consider themselves experienced. If the one’s that you’re looking at claim that you will get more out of short, intense workouts then all that boring volume, then start asking some questions. If they say that they don’t believe in a ‘base’ period (more on the here), you might want to get a second opinion before you open your checkbook.

I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine (and college coach) this past weekend at a championship meet and we got on a very similar discussion. When she goes to swim meets where the athletes are slower/newer, the coaches at those meets have training philosophies that are all over the board. When she goes to a national event where the faster swimmers race, the coaches are extremely similar in how they think. I think you see my point here.

Something to keep in mind the next time you’re shopping for a coach or reading all those opinions on the internet.

Good luck with your training.

This is the time of year in which athletes and non athletes alike take some time to endulge in all the wonderful things that the holidays have to offer. With that brings a bit of guilt, and that rolls right into New Year’s and the infamous New Year’s Resolution. Year in and year out the number one resolution in this country is to workout more or to get in shape/lose weight. For many (including myself), this means committing yourself to an event such as a marathon (or an Ironman).

Gone are the days that you could decide to enter a major endurance event such as a marathon 30 days before the race. Marathons are filling up 6 months to a year out and Ironman races can sell out in as fast as 25 minutes, a full year in advance.

The drop out rate for the very popular marathon training programs are ridiculusly high. People sign up with great intentions, hit the ground running with some big runs early on and then burn out just as fast. The success rate would be much higher if people just approached it differently. They’re trying to eat an elephant in a few bites and we all know that’s not how  it’s done.  If you want to finish a marathon, you need to do it one mile at a time.

Here in the Houston area, where I live, most of the marathon programs start in early to mid July for the Chevron Houston Marathon that takes place in mid January. For the average recreational runner, 6 months is plenty of time to ramp up for a marathon, but many of those signing up are starting from stratch in July. Not a good idea, because you have to start covering some pretty big distances in a hurry, and that can be quite overwhelming.

I would suggest that if you think you want to run a marathon, start the training now, but start in very small doses. The key to success in any endurance event is consistency in your training, not how early you can go big. So, instead of trying to kill the world right away, spend the first few months just getting into a habit. Telling you to get out 3 times a week and run 1-2 miles each time for the first 4 months sounds a lot more palatable than to tell you that in just a few weeks you must be able to run 8 miles.

Same thing goes for intensity. There is no reason in the world that you need to hit the track and do wind sprints or interval work if you are trying to finish your first marathon. No one out there walking/jogging in the final miles on race day is wishing that they had done more speed work instead of endurance work. Plus, the rate of injury goes through the roof when you add intense workouts to your training program.

The same philosophy holds true with any endurance event, not just a marathon. If you decide you want to do the MS150 or local 100 mile bike ride, an adventure race, or the Ironman, take small bites from very early on. Because if you start too big, you are going to start to hate the training and there’s a good chance you won’t even make it to the starting line. What ever ‘mountain’ you decide to to climb, remember that it’s small steady steps that get you to the top, and that, “Joy is found in not finishing an activity, but doing it”.*

Happy Training.

*Author Greg Anderson

One of the big topics of discussion around our house is whether or not to enter the 2010 Ironman Cozumel. My wife and I both know that I am due for another challenge, but with the recent purchase of Swim Shops, I want to make sure I have enough time in my day to train for it. And then there’s the bike. In 2006 I rode a 2003 aluminum Specialized in Ironman Hawaii. It was in need of a few upgrades then, so tack 4 years onto it and we both know a new bike is needed.

Of course Cozumel itself is an easy sell to my wife. Go to a resort destination that is a non stop, 2 hour flight away? No problem. If this was a discussion about Ironman Wisconsin then it would have been decided long ago.

I will be keeping an eye on the race today and see how it goes, but have about 24 hours left to make a decision. Just a week ago, Ironman Arizona sold out in 25 minutes, so waffling on my decision will leave me on the outside looking in.

What to do..what to do….

I know that in our perfect, robot-like, utopian Ironman race it seems to make sense to put the biggest focus on the bike ride. It is longest event of the three afterall, so by improving your time on the bike will yield the best improvement overall.  To some degree I can buy into that theory. It’s the biggest chunk of the race, so training for it should take up the biggest chunk of time.

The theory starts to fall apart however, when it’s greeted by the reality of the day. Unfortunately, the Ironman is not performed in utopia, so things will start to deteriorate at some point in the race. Even the overall champions admit that at some point they are out there surviving and not racing anymore. Often you drop into survival mode a few times during the race.  So with that mindset, which event do you want to be most prepared for?

Many people I have listened to point out that the stronger and more prepared on the bike you are, the fresher you will be for the run. I won’t disagree that you need to be prepared, but I’m not sure that this translates into fresher legs on the run. People who prepare more for the bike still exert the same effort as they would with lessor legs, they just finish the ride a little sooner. (And if that was truly how this whole thing worked, why wouldn’t everyone prepare like crazy for the swim, as that really will set you up to be fresher on the bike, and then so on). Look at some of the top pro’s in Hawaii. Almost every year we see some of the strongest cyclists in our sport melt down on the run and finish well back of the leaders. Not exactly fresher legs from their bike preparation. This leads me to my point of the importance of the run.

 Let’s say you didn’t prepare as well as you would have liked on the bike ride and have some rough stretches. If  you are averaging 20 mph on the bike,  hit a wall and drop to a 15 mph average, you will lose 1 minute for every mile. While this isn’t a good situation to be in, you know your focus has been the run and just need to get off your bike to turn your day around. We get to see this often on tv. Someone has a tough day on the bike, but they are able to run themselves back into the race. Remember Dave Scott in the 1996 Ironman? He got off the bike in 26th place and ran his way into a 5th place finish. There are dozens of examples just like Dave.

On the run however, if the goal is to hold 8:30 per mile and you hit the wall, you’re walking, which is typically around 18+ minutes per mile. Now you are losing 9:30 per mile. If a good placing was the goal, your competition will eat your lunch in a matter of a couple of miles. If a good time was the goal of the day, tacking on 9 and a half minutes every 5280 feet will kill that personal best in a hurry. To put it another way, in the hour and a half it takes someone to put up 30 minutes on you on the bike, you will only need about 31 minutes to get all that time back on the run.

Of course the key to any race is to prepare for all aspects, so I am not suggesting that you slack off the other sports and just go run. What I am suggesting is that the greatest swing in performances comes on the run. When people wither on the run the impact is exponentially greater than the other two sports. The fact that the run is last, which increases the probably of hitting the wall on the run course over the other two legs of the race only strengthens my arguement.

Training for an Ironman is a long and grueling process. Whatever your goals may be on race day, make sure that all that training is done in a manner that is well thought out and in step with your raceday plan.  Even if that means you still want to focus on the bike.

Good Luck.

Many people commit to a triathlon and then proceed to have a melt down shortly after the start of the swim. I run an open water clinic every year in the weeks leading up to a big sprint race in the area and without exception there are a number of people who have an anxiety attack just 30 yards into our dry run of the course.

In the years that I have put on these clinics, I have learned some of the most common causes of anxiety in an open water swim. Hopefully this will help you get through the swim and onto your bike.

Breathing – 95% of the problems are breathing, and its not a physical thing, it’s mental. First there’s the anxiety. Most people are a little panicked in murky water with 100 other people and tend to get overwhelmed at the start with arms and legs going everywhere. The jump in heart rate with a dose of anxiety leads to hyperventilation and panic.   People also hate getting lake water in their mouth so they don’t exhale underwater. Instead they exhale AND inhale when they turn to breathe. That causes very shallow breathing and they end up out of breath. Finally, there’s the rough water as was mentioned. Poorer swimmers stop altogether to get a clear shot of air, but most won’t rotate enough to breathe and end up with a mouth full of water (see above).

The Unknown – It crosses everyone’s mind, but only a few admit it. Cloudy water brings horror movie type thoughts (I would love to know how many people won’t swim in open water because the movie JAWS ruined them for life). When it comes to animals there is almost nothing to worry about. Snakes, turtles, fish, etc are scared of us, so the last place you will find them is close to 900 people swimming in a lake. The other big unknown is the bottom, and what’s down there. Branches? A tree? A car? A monster? A body??. While I can’t speak to every body of water that we swim in, here in Texas where I live we have more lakes than Minnesota, but there is only one natural lake. Yep. One. That means there is a very good chance that the lake you are swimming in was planned, engineered, cleared and filled. So relax a little. If the swim start is in at a public beach or park, there’s not a lot of unknown down there.

 The Course – The vast majority of people entered have swum the distance at the pool and are very comfortable. 500 yards is a piece of cake when you break it into 20 lengths of the pool. Take that same 500 yards and drag across a lake and it can make you rethink things. It’s pretty common for me to see the swimmers head off swimming parallel to the shoreline doing just fine (after all, they’re only 15 yards from land), but that first turn away from the land and out into deep water will stop them dead in their tracks. My advice? Instead of doing a 500 in the pool to prepare for a 500 in open water, add another 25% to the distance and make sure that you’re not resting on the walls during the swim. The other to approach it is to swim a 500 to prepare for a 500, but do the whole thing without touching a single wall. It’ll force you to tread a little water just like you’ll have to do when you’re in open water.

The People – To be honest, this one even makes me a little nervous and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. All those people, all those arms and legs, and all that energy. The best way to avoid getting tangled up in the start is to seed yourself properly (or even conservatively for those with an inflated sense of their swim skills). Unlike running races, its not very easy to just swim around someone, so the chances of getting run over is pretty good if you start in-front of faster swimmers. The other problem is that we crowd the starting line and wait for the gun treading water in a vertical position. When the gun goes off we all get horizontal in the same amount of space.  This makes it nearly impossible to avoid bumping into others. So be sure to give yourself room. If that means you start 10 yards back or wait a few seconds before you put your head down and go then so be it. You’ll easily make that time back since you won’t have to fight for space.

 Of course this isn’t a complete list as everyone has their own personal demons to deal with, but they are the most common that I run into. Bottom line: if you just rationalize the situation that you’re in, you should be able to achieve some level of comfort out there and turn a scary experience into an enjoyable one. That is, of course, assuming Jaws doesn’t swim up from the deep, murky, waters and eat you whole.

Happy Swimming.