February 3, 2008

These workouts assume you have a working knowledge of the Friel training zones 1 through 5c. Zones 1-3 are aerobic, zones 4-5a are at or near lactate (or anaerobic) threshold, and zones 5b and c are very anaerobic. To learn more about these zones, see field tests and tables provided in the book The Perfect Distance, by Tom Rodgers (Velo Press: 2006).

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE WORKOUTS

Muscular Endurance 1
Half-Iron or full-Iron pacing brick: Start bike easy first hour in Zone 1. Then ride 40 minutes steady in Zone 2.For the next 20 minutes increase to Zone 3 (moderately hard). Repeat 40-20 pattern 1–2 more times for a total of 2–3 hours.
• This is controlled pacing—beginners to intermediates avoid Zone 4 or higher except in very steep climbs. Division contenders for half-iron training can push final 10–15 minutes of each hour in Zone 4–5a.
• After warm-up of 15–30 minutes, this ride should be on the aerobars except for steep climbing. Easy run off the bike for 15–30 minutes.
• Good baseline for half-Iron pacing.
• Note heart rate, power, and perceived exertion during workout.
• Eat and drink as planned for the race.

For personal workouts and coaching go to Training Bible.com 

When triathlon first started, it was all about combining different events, whether they included swimming in the ocean and running along the beach to your bike, or just about any variation to see what happened. Training reflected this, with athletes spending a lot of time experimenting with combinations. And everyone has initial trouble transitioning the frontal leg muscles used in cycling over to more use of the hamstrings, calves, and glutes for running.

In recent years, popular coaches and athletes have moved away from so much brick training, or at least from the long brick workouts that dominated full and half-Iron training for past masters like Dave Scott and Mark Allen. Some of this has to do with the higher speeds that short and long-course professionals can now generate. In order to run very fast, you need to do more of your training very fast, and this is difficult to maintain consistently after cycling.

The other factor is recovery, where long bricks are blamed for overtraining or “garbage Zone” cycling and running. Beginning athletes mistakenly try to start with the long, advanced bricks and quickly find themselves worn-out or hurt.
I believe, however, there can be something lost in this bargain for the average age-group veteran who can still benefit from moderate pacing and frequent practice of transitions and fatigue management via brick workouts.

“Representing Trek is an honor, and I am proud to partner with a company that produces such high 
quality products. Their investment and commitment to superior quality and performance is 
unparalleled, and I can’t imagine riding any other bike. Heading into the 2008 season with Trek gives 
me confidence that I’ll have a distinct performance advantage over my competition and that my year 
is going to be strong once again.” 

January 28- 2008 

This week's workout will be mostly drills, with a time trial thrown in just for fun.  It's been a while since I really changed things up with the workouts so here you go.  I don't usually use a lot of different drills - I tend to lean toward the catch up drill because it's so basic and really addresses each portion of the stroke.
 
If you have the means to get with a swim coach and learn new technique, now would be a great time to do that.  If your stroke needs a lot of improvement, now is the time to correct it when you have lots of time to do so.
 
I usually don't write drills into these workouts, so be sure (aside from this week) that you are adding them yourself.  Enjoy!
 
BEGINNER
Warm up:  150 swim, 100 pull, 50 kick
Drills:
4 x 25 catch up drill; take 5 seconds rest between each
25 easy swim
4 x 25 one-arm freestyle - alternate arms; 5 seconds rest between each
25 easy swim
2 x 25 kick no board (use a board if you cannot kick without one); 5 seconds rest between each
50 easy swim
Time trial:  250 yards all out and time it
100 cool down
Total:  1000 yards

The Hill Simulator. 

One of the best parts of our job, is that we  have the good fortune of being able to test and play with some of the coolest products on the market.  You would think having to pick one product as the stand out would be a difficult task, but this year, though there were some amazing innovation available, the best (as far as we’re concerned) is a little known product called The Hill Simulator.

The Hill Simulator does just that, simulates hill’s while you are on your Computrainer or your regular trtainer.  Though it may sound simple, it adds a level of realism to your trainer workout that will leave your legs aching and a lake of sweat on the floor below.  

The shiny little box about the size of a case of beer doesn’t look like much at first glance, but once you mount your front wheel onto the hill simulator and begin to pedal, you know that your trainer workout has changed forever, as the front wheel literally rises and lowers based on the grade changes that are happening on the Computrainer course.

In a traditional trainer workout, you can simulate the resistance of an 8 degree climb or a quick decline, by adding or releasing pressure on your back tire, the Hill Simulator takes that to the next level with it’s quiet, but strong lifting power (300 pound load) and raises your front wheel up to 10 degrees or as low as 8 on a decent.

January 7, 2008 

Welcome to 2008!  This week I thought I would mix things up a bit for the new year.  If you don't do alternative strokes to freestyle, you can just substitute.  To make this workout more difficult, you could always either throw in fly or kick with no board.  Oh, the possibilities!!  :o)  I apologize for not having workouts the last couple of weeks.  My, Christmas came and went like a fast transition!!  One of my resolutions is to TRY not to skip writing any workouts for you guys.  I'm not saying it will happen, but I will sure try.
 
BEGINNER:
Warm up:
150 swim; 100 pull; 50 kick
1st Set (stroke set):
3 x 100 (taking 15 seconds between each):
50 backstroke, 25 breast, 25 free
25 back, 50 breast, 25 free
25 back, 25 breast, 50 free
2nd Set (kick, pull, swim set)
3 x 100 (taking 10 seconds between eacht:
50 kick, 25 pull, 25 swim
25 kick, 50 pull, 25 swim
25 kick, 25 pull, 50 swim
100 cool down
1000 yards