tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82201208668480946782024-03-14T06:59:42.018-06:00Train Smart Race FastEmpowering AthletesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-76610206769114422102014-08-29T18:49:00.003-06:002014-09-26T09:01:40.883-06:00New blog locationSummer has been going full speed and one of the things I have changed is where my blog will be located. Check it out <a href="http://coachericneilsen.com.blog/">coachericneilsen.com/blog</a> Looking forward to a great Labor Day weekend and squeezing out as many awesome fall days before winter gets a firm grip on Colorado.<br />
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Train Smart... Race Fast!<br />
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Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-20872626101531212362014-07-07T12:08:00.003-06:002014-07-07T12:08:31.380-06:00Ironman World Championships Round 2<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was talking on the phone a couple weeks ago with one of my clients that is racing in Kona this October and I posed a simple question to him; Why do you want to do another Kona Ironman? I liked his response so much, that I thought I would share it. Possible it may help the rookie Ironman or a gentle reminder for the seasoned veteran on how to keep the balance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bill Greentree</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first time you enter an Iron distance triathlon you really have no idea what you're in for. You might not even be sure just how you came to the decision to enter an Ironman race. Our reasons for wanting to complete an Ironman distance event go well beyond our desire for a brief moment in the spotlight. For some it's a natural evolution of their current sport or a lifetime of athletic endeavors. For others it's a fad, they just want to hear the famed “You are an Ironman!” (He doesn't say it every time by the way.) Some are just natural triathletes and want to give the long course a go. A very few are competitive by nature and want to one up someone they know. And then there are the pro's.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm not any of those. In fact, I spent most of my adult life avoiding any physical activity that could by any stretch of the imagination be deemed 'exercise'. At age 50 I was tired of being overweight and out of shape so I started a run walk program. I took absolute delight the first time I ran a full mile without stopping. Eventually a combination of factors led to my first triathlon, an Olympic distance race. Six months later in October 2011 at just under 55 years of age I did my third triathlon ever – the Ironman World Championship. I joked with people that the reason I was doing Ironman was because I was a runner in the “Mecca” of the long course triathlon world, Kailua Kona -- it's the only place in the world you have to apologize for being “just a runner.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even as an endurance runner with several standalone marathons under my belt, I really wasn't prepared mentally for just what simply completing an Ironman course during the hottest time of the year on Hawaii Island would entail. Your mind focuses on the upcoming race and there are likely as many reactions to that focus as there are people doing the race. A common reaction is paralysis through analysis. You become so intent on the end task (the race) that you can't figure out how to get there. For those of us with real lives it's easy to get overwhelmed with the myriad of details involved in training for three sports when you haven't done this before. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's easy to succumb to the idea that training for a full length Ironman distance race isn't for the feint of heart or those with limited time to train. After all, it's Ironman for heavens sake. Unless you're careful, Ironman training can easily become a second job and as any person with two jobs, you find yourself becoming adept at juggling schedules, disciplined in following a training program and time management or you end up sacrificing other aspects of your life. That's where your coach comes in. A triathlon coach can take an enormous amount of that stress out of your life and allow you to focus on the task at hand, getting trained to compete. It's his (or her) job to keep that path to the finish line in mind for you. How you train for this or any other race is dependent upon your goals. Are you capable of finishing in the top 3% of age group athletes? Do you simply want to comfortably finish the race? Are you working with a disability or chronic injury? Each answer impacts your goals, priorities and just how you approach training.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another common reaction to the prospect of an Iron distance race in the not too distant future is becoming overly task oriented. That is, focusing so much on the immediate task at hand that you lose sight of the big picture. The old adage that there's training and then there's racing isn't always true. Some of our workouts are designed specifically to apply to race day: flattening out the hills on the bike, training your legs to run properly when they feel like rubber after a 100 mile ride, simulating the fatigue you feel at the end of the bike ride at mile 20 on the run, etc. Task oriented myopia can lead to forgetting some of these lessons and having them painfully brought home during the race. As an airline pilot, I naturally fell into this category for my first Ironman race. My training program for the 2011 Ironman World Championship was more of a journey than a set of individual exercises. But I missed a lot of that journey by focusing on what I was trying to do rather than where I was going, how I was doing and what I was doing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am a runner. I had trained for and finished a December marathon the year before I started triathlons. My training, therefore, concentrated on swimming and building cycling skills and endurance. Running would take care of itself though it was neither ignored nor allowed to languish. What I recall the most are the long bike rides, five plus hours while trying to figure out your nutrition and hydration for those long rides. Anywhere else what we call “nutrition” would be called really bad candy. Oh and the bricks. For someone from a pure running background, bricks are an amazingly humbling experience. Your legs that have served so well on countless runs just don't feel right and you can't make them feel 'normal' anytime soon. But really, no matter how fit you are when you start the journey, you soon find yourself in the best physical condition of your life and you like it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hesitated a bit before I pressed the submit button on Active.com for this years race. The first time you have no clue what you're in for. I know better now. I pressed the button anyway. Maybe the answer really is what Frank Shorter said regarding marathons, “You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.” I have four months from the time I found out I had a Kona slot to race day. It's going to be a journey again. This time though, it's not my first rodeo. In fact it really isn't my second (It <i>is </i>my second time to the Ironman World Championship) rodeo either. For the first time I'm intent on maintaining the balance between the big picture and tunnel vision in the task of the moment. I also want to see just how far that commitment to enjoying the journey will go towards not avoiding the discipline I most dislike. Everyone has a discipline they most like to avoid, mine used to be swimming. It just might be fun to see how I do in October if I actually do all my coaches swimming workouts instead of putting them off.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There's also the complacency factor, been there done that; no big deal. The second time around is harder because you <i>have </i>been there before. Motivation, or rather the lack thereof, becomes a real factor. Plus it's a familiar course for me. That's a double edged sword. We know where the course compounds our personal weaknesses so we can train for it. It also is the proverbial sword of Damocles. We know what's coming. All that matters on race day is how you deal with the inevitable adversity; our winds are famous, it's the hottest time of the year, it's also on the edge of one of our rainy seasons – all on the same day sometimes! Overcoming those factors and finishing better than I did three years ago would be a coupe. But I will have fun again. But honestly there's another reason.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's the last half mile that sucks you in. The finish line is a mere 800 meters away but seems to be a mere speck of light in an otherwise black hole. The music and voices you could hear so clearly out on the Queen Ka`ahumanu highway now sound startlingly muted and distant. Astonishingly the last bit of energy you've been trying to find for 10 km suddenly appears. Your pace quickens along a surprisingly empty road. Even in prime time it seems it's just you all alone on Ali`i Drive. A few elites are out enjoying a post dinner stroll (They can still walk?) and cheer you on (Dinner? How can they eat? Can it really be that late that they're done with dinner?). A spectator who's imbibed a bit too much staggers out onto the road to congratulate you. You really wish he hadn't done that, you're not done yet, besides changing course even by a step just isn't easy after 140 miles. This is what the four months of training and pain were all about – not the miles beforehand – this moment in time. <i>This</i> is why you want to do this. Suddenly a huge noisy crowd materializes yet ironically you hear your family and friends above the din. After listening to Mike Riley call in people for 2 or 3 miles it's your turn. And then it's over. Just. Like. That. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This years race will likely be my last time in the Ironman World Championship. It's rare in life that we get the opportunity to know that we're doing something for the last time. That knowledge is incredibly empowering. We can enjoy the journey, enjoy the sport we most dislike, enjoy the sport we really enjoy the most, enjoy the race and relish the finish. As Bullwinkle Jay Moose used to say, “This time for Sure!”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And I still think it's incredible when I run a full mile without stopping.<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><br />
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</span>Aloha,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With a little over 3 months until Kona, I know that Bill is in a very good place and will do everything I can to help him enjoy the journey to race day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Train Smart... Race Fast</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Coach Eric</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-35949203590475042602014-06-09T17:26:00.001-06:002014-06-09T17:26:58.299-06:00Progression workouts for sensible, flexible training!<br />
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Training plans are written as a best case scenario, but there is no way for you or your coach to know how your body & mind are going to feel on a particular day. No way to know how much of a toll all the other stresses of life have put on you. How much sleep you have been getting, the quality of your nutrition/hydration, any injuries, work, family, etc... All of these things can factor into your workout for that day.<br />
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How fast you progress to in any particular training session will be based on the goals of the session and what your body & mind have available to deliver on that day. I like to give my clients workouts that are what I call "progression on feel". This allows them to listen to their body and progress to their limits for the day or if the body is a bit off, then just progress to what is available. I believe this helps keep injury potential down and continues to teach the athlete to listen to the signals their body is sending so they can keep training or recovering if that is the case.</div>
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Progression workouts are really quite simple, you start off at a pace you can handle and increase your intensity as the workout progresses. They are great for teaching athletes how to pace themselves at the beginning of a training session, so they will have enough energy to finish the session as fast or faster than they started. It is much better to be dictate the pace you are going to move at rather than have the pace dictated to you because you went out too fast.<br />
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For those that train with power or heart rate, you can easily measure whether or not the intensity is increasing. While going on feel is great, the numbers don't lie and a good tool to use to compliment your training. Over time your feel will get better as your ability to gauge your perceived effort improves. This is important because you do not want to be a slave to the numbers and what happens on race day if technology fails you? You should have a very good idea what a particular effort feels like, and how long you can sustain it.<br />
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Remember that consistency in training is one of the keys to improvement. This coupled with a balance of stress plus recovery will enable an athlete to progress their training throughout the year. So try implementing a few "progression on feel" workouts during the coming weeks to help maximize the training that you do.<br />
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Train Smart... Race Fast!<br />
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Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-19674875467036384562014-05-27T14:05:00.000-06:002014-05-27T14:05:22.786-06:00Want to Get Faster... Work on limiters, maintain strengths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Often times as a coach, I hear athletes state "I want to get faster but I don't know what to do". One of the easiest thing you can do is to identify your strengths and weaknesses (limiters) in the sports you do.<br />
A Romanian sports scientist Tudor Bompa, Ph.D., did some of the early work on periodization and has shared his findings in a great book called. "The Theory and Methodology of Training". Joe Friel, has simplified things for the everyday athlete to easily understand and calls it "The Training Triad". You can read in more detail about this in one of his books, "Total Heart Rate Training", but here are the basics to get you started.<br />
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He states that in any sport, there are six physical abilities related to performance: Endurance, Force, Speed Skill, Muscular Endurance, Anaerobic Endurance and Power. He further states that endurance, force and speed skill are the "basic abilities" and muscular endurance, anaerobic endurance and power are the "advanced abilities". Athletes regardless of sport will need to develop their basic abilities to their full potential before the advanced abilities can be developed fully. The reason for this is to develop your muscular endurance fully you need both endurance and force. Anaerobic endurance requires endurance and speed skill while power requires force and speed skill. Beginner athletes will stand to gain the most by just working on the basic skills while a more seasoned athlete can devote time to the advanced abilities to improve performance as long as the basic abilities are maintained.<br />
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Identifying your limiters and subsequently learning how to train for them is a key ingredient to getting faster. This will make setting up your training plan whether self coached or using a coach a bit easier because you will know exactly what you need to work on. Make time to do your homework and you will be on your way to getting faster.<br />
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Train smart, race fast!<br />
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Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-91860412463479297912014-05-12T14:23:00.000-06:002014-05-12T14:23:41.147-06:001/2 Ironman Race Pace Swim Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A month ago, I posted one of my favorite Ironman swim training sets and had a few people ask me what they could do to prepare for a 1/2 Ironman swim distance. The 1/2 Ironman distance is a little over 2100 yards or 1900 meters. Specificity of training is key, so it is important to do broken swims at or near race pace with some rest from time to time. If you can not swim race speed with rest, it is going to be <u style="font-weight: bold;">VERY </u>difficult to swim it with no rest.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The set </span></b></div>
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<b>2100 Yards/1900 meters</b></div>
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Strong, but in control:<br />
6 x 50 on short rest interval :05-10 sec. This helps simulate the beginning chaos of the race. Arms flailing around you, feet kicking, bodies pressed together. Best to get a little uncomfortable in practice with these 50's so race day will be less challenging. Think of swimming these 50's as a strong, broken 300 and that will allow you be consistent and not over achieve too soon.<br />
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Settling in:<br />
3 x 300 @ :20 sec rest steady pace. Not a lot of rest, but enough to keep your swim speed honest. Try not to slow down too much from the initial swim speed of the 6 x 50's. So, if your 50's above were :40 seconds then you should aim for 300's around 4:05-4:10<br />
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Stay settled or pick it up:<br />
3 x 200 (2 x 200 if Meters) @ :20 sec rest. Here is where you need to decide, do I stay on these feet I am drafting or possibly make and effort to pass and/or find feet moving slightly faster. By practicing this in training you will have a pretty good idea in a race at this point what you should do. So keep the pace the same as the 300's or pick it up 1-2 seconds per 100.<br />
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Finish strong:<br />
6 x 50 on short rest interval :05-10 sec Graduay build the legs and hold on to your stroke biomechanics This will help minimize your chances of falling down when it is time to stand up and run to T1 and help the legs prepare for the bike.<br />
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A set like this could be done once every 2-3 weeks to help measure if you are improving and also dial in your swimming pace. Perception and reality are often two different things. For example if you are good on the 50's but fade on the 300's, chances are you went out too fast. If you get through the 300's knowing you can swim faster, you are in a good place and should be able to hold pace on the 200's or slightly faster. <br />
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Train Smart, Race Fast<br />
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Coach Eric<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-79108751654782461322014-05-05T11:29:00.000-06:002014-05-05T11:29:52.754-06:00Get FASTER!....Get out of your comfort zone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How many of you are training by doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result? It is easy to fall into the same routine with exercise and don't get me wrong, routine is a good thing. But, if you want to improve, I believe from time to time you will need to get out of your comfort zone and change up the routine a bit. A client of mine gave me the name "The Evil Genius" and I think it largely came from the fact that I challenge him to reach beyond what he thinks is possible.<br />
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Lets take a simple swimming set of 10 x 100 @ 1:30<br />
There are 3 ways to modify this set to make it more challenging.<br />
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1. Intensity - Same number of repeats, same interval but increase speed.<br />
2. Duration - Same speed, same interval but add more repeats 12 x 100 or 15 x 100<br />
3. Rest - Same number of repeats, same speed but on shorter rest interval of 1:25<br />
What you choose to modify should focus on what your limiters are. You can apply this to your cycling and running when planning workouts. In addition, the type of training route you choose (flat, rolling, hilly) can help get you out of your comfort zone.<br />
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How often should you get out of your comfort zone? Once a week for beginners would be a good place to start. A more seasoned athlete may choose twice a week. Keep in mind there is not only a physical toll on these workouts, but a mental one. Often times the real gains come from the latter as the physical ability was always there, but the mind was lagging a bit in confidence or preconceived self imposed limits.<br />
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Get comfortable being uncomfortable and watch your fitness and performance improve.<br />
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Train smart, race fast!<br />
<br />
Coach Eric<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-4887790538551476242014-04-28T09:35:00.004-06:002014-04-28T09:35:53.528-06:00Triathlon 101 - The Basics Starting off... Keep it Simple
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So you want to do a Triathlon but not sure how to go about
training for it. Triathlon is comprised of three sports, swimming, biking and
running and the events are typically completed in that order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very common race distance that
athletes will start with is called a sprint triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim will usually be between 500-750 yards, the bike about 12 miles and the run
3.1miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The Swim – 10-20% of your race depending on ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the three sports, the swim can be
the most intimidating for people, especially when you are learning as an
adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the best things you
can do in addition to getting to the pool and practicing is hire a coach to
help you with your swimming stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A good set of eyes should quickly be able to determine where improvements
can be made in technique to help you, swim faster and hopefully with less
effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The Bike – 40-50% of your race depending on ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bike typically is the largest
portion of the race in terms of distance and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many first time triathlete’s, I would encourage you to
just ride whatever type of bike is available to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No need to go out and spend $100’s if not $1,000’s of
dollars on a bike before you know that you are going to be doing this sport for
a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A basic mountain or road
bike should do the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plenty of
gears to choose from and it may be a more comfortable ride compared to a time
trial bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do have clip
pedals now where you can clip your shoe right onto the pedal, but your running
shoes and a pair of stomp pedals will work just fine and help keep the initial
cost of your first race down.</div>
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The Run - 30-40% of your race depending on ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now most of us at one time or another
either growing up or as adults have run at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While running may not be your favorite
of the three events, it is the one event you can pretty much train for anywhere
and all you need is a good pair of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take the time to get a proper fit for a pair of shoes that are the best
for your feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Before you lay out a training plan to prepare for you first
triathlon, it is important to identify which sports you’re strong in and which
ones need a bit more attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That way during the training, you can properly balance training for
the three sports, work on improving your weaker ones and maintaining your
strengths.</div>
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Setting up a training week does require a bit of thought but
here are 5 simple to make that a bit easier.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Identify
the best days and times of day for you to train.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->When
appropriate, find a workout buddy, as you are more likely to stick with a
scheduled workout if meeting a friend.</div>
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flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life does throw changes
at us all the time, so having the ability to move things around when needed is
a bit help.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Schedule
a day off each week, where all you may do is take a leisurely walk for 20-30
minute if you feel antsy.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Brick
workouts are very specific training. They may be challenging at first, but will help better prepare you for
transitioning from one sport to another.</div>
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Training like a triathlete is a great way to stay fit even if you don't plan on racing. The variety of training generally helps athletes avoid overuse injuries from just doing a single sport and there are endless ways to structure workouts depending on your strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, as I have stated before, have fun with your training whether you train alone or with a group. </div>
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Train Smart, Race Fast....</div>
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Coach Eric</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-29647113734995890552014-04-14T16:47:00.001-06:002014-04-16T11:00:20.808-06:00Little things go a long way<div>
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Spring is in full bloom throughout most of the county and more and more people will be ramping up their training for upcoming races. Along with the increase in training, comes the potential for over use injuries if the athlete is not mindful of their bodies signals. Here are 3 parts to pretty much any workout that if done properly will give you the best chance of success. </div>
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Warm up - Make sure you take time to let your body come online for the workout. A combination of aerobic activity gradually building intensity along with some sport specific, dynamic exercises is a great way to prepare the body for the session.<br />
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During workout - This is where you really need to pay attention. Some days you are going to feel great, so take advantage of that. Other days you are just not going to have it. Kind of like Captain Kirk's request for more power and Scotty says "captain I'm given her all she's got". These days are best spent working on technique and basic endurance skills. So, when the body is feeling good, you have the good biomechanics in place to when you crank things up.</div>
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Cool down - As the training session comes to a close, take the time to GRADUALLY cool down. Some post exercise flexibility in areas of tension would be most beneficial along with some myofacial release work with "The Stick", foam roller, or any combination of tools that will help you loosen up</div>
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Two orher big things you can do when not training would be adequate sleep & balanced nutrition. Lets keep this real simple: We are all different on our own individual sleep needs so find what is best for you and get to bed. The same goes for the foods you give your body. Find what works for you and not the latest fad or what a professional athlete may be eating who is training 20+ hours a week.</div>
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Exercising and training for a race is a privaledge and such a great way to spend some free time. So, make sure you take the time to do the little things so your training and racing can be at their best. </div>
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Train Smart, Race Fast!</div>
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<div>
Coach Eric </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-32630131374853914492014-03-18T16:00:00.000-06:002014-03-19T10:40:24.217-06:00Group Training & Racing = Fast and Fun<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GVYFAEBRCvxUnnpc6tJcexu3tQaVc_BhNIfy1oGHnKytGwFHPrs7jKkrMWavWXDvGbwxO0edzCMp8Fcu7DTKMVs4gajOyWrx2TLGjF8R6B7hSK3SCz_ujI_NakTmeDttFT9ICbkzlYk/s1600/1016851_10152273913452867_1007985451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GVYFAEBRCvxUnnpc6tJcexu3tQaVc_BhNIfy1oGHnKytGwFHPrs7jKkrMWavWXDvGbwxO0edzCMp8Fcu7DTKMVs4gajOyWrx2TLGjF8R6B7hSK3SCz_ujI_NakTmeDttFT9ICbkzlYk/s1600/1016851_10152273913452867_1007985451_n.jpg" height="300" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon Crew pre-race. Moab, UT</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Training and racing with a group from time to time is is a great way to mix things up. Last weekend, a group I coach and run with headed for Moab, UT for the Moab 1/2 Marathon. The trip reminded me once again how much fun can be had when you get a group of people together for some exercise. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdE1iba2PxfxvCVJ1_G5oQK-32wzeInF-5YSJS0XSDuFAbrfiMKcE50ej1zIKjoA-ZjdPi8lVUh736n-2j6kB6vYJ3qTZ-bE-iQL7XBoAHq9JH5gqPwlATZybKpRr-8P0qoK-7HWsABU/s1600/photo-25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdE1iba2PxfxvCVJ1_G5oQK-32wzeInF-5YSJS0XSDuFAbrfiMKcE50ej1zIKjoA-ZjdPi8lVUh736n-2j6kB6vYJ3qTZ-bE-iQL7XBoAHq9JH5gqPwlATZybKpRr-8P0qoK-7HWsABU/s1600/photo-25.JPG" height="300" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race hike Arches National Park Moab, UT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Incase you have never had the opportunity to workout with a group, here are a just a few benefits of group training:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Training partners</li>
<li>Someone to push you and go into the hurt locker with</li>
<li>Someone to just cruise when you need it</li>
<li>Socializing during workout</li>
<li>Coaching</li>
<li>Someone to draft in the pool, lake or ocean</li>
<li>Accountability knowing you are meeting a friend for a workout</li>
<li>Potential cool photo opportunities</li>
<li>Someone to draft on the bike when you're dragging ass or rotate through on a paceline</li>
<li>Post work social activities... need I say more</li>
<li>Carpooling to workout and/or race which leads too...'</li>
<li>Roadtrips!</li>
<li>Therapy... usually cheaper than retail therapy</li>
<li>Laughter, think about it, when is the last group workout you did and there was no laughing?</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gTIxyD6RQabuFgeqnoGzHYWfEPTPovm5y3eOPlcypkUYx2SRzbxffe83lDHJlAVo7AJCUpw12XNQ5k_0zTHbFwEhr3zARuoGhbDvrnjNIXeZ-Ln9fSVQPHhpqoTJqfECday5xsB_GtE/s1600/1004853_10152273912402867_2014884637_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gTIxyD6RQabuFgeqnoGzHYWfEPTPovm5y3eOPlcypkUYx2SRzbxffe83lDHJlAVo7AJCUpw12XNQ5k_0zTHbFwEhr3zARuoGhbDvrnjNIXeZ-Ln9fSVQPHhpqoTJqfECday5xsB_GtE/s1600/1004853_10152273912402867_2014884637_n.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></div>
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As you plan out your training in the coming days and weeks, think about ways that you may be able to add a group workout into your schedule.</div>
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Lace um up and have a great week,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Coach Eric</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-68799074144801991172014-03-10T16:30:00.000-06:002014-03-10T16:30:00.752-06:00Northern Colorado Triathlon Club (NoCo Tri) has launched!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakmCSYavcELDz69AA_t8XloKneYLlvL5j6EGJiHGBXEa1wjGNI7Etffuuz7HgtvW7PpL3VReAD6GZ1TMtEuWt5xYXZBNW-UNuK506j5ziLIdbpAKCJE9Gk9I346zWK4NGtZjg48veoMo/s1600/NoCo+TRI+Final+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakmCSYavcELDz69AA_t8XloKneYLlvL5j6EGJiHGBXEa1wjGNI7Etffuuz7HgtvW7PpL3VReAD6GZ1TMtEuWt5xYXZBNW-UNuK506j5ziLIdbpAKCJE9Gk9I346zWK4NGtZjg48veoMo/s1600/NoCo+TRI+Final+logo.jpg" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141414; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times;">There are many
small groups of endurance athletes working out in Northern Colorado, and even
more people working out by themselves. What if these groups could be brought
together for training, racing, educational and social activities?</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141414; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141414; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141414;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">Two local coaches,
Jon Mason & Eric Neilsen had a vision of a triathlon club that would
unify the endurance athletes of Northern Colorado. They also wanted to
make a difference in the community they live in. After some further
discussion it was decided to move forward and start taking the necessary steps
to forming the club. Knowing they would need the support of other
like-minded individuals in the community, a meeting was held in mid-December to
see who might want to be involved in the leadership as the club was being
formed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifteen people showed up
for the first meeting and from that group they filled roughly 2/3 of the
officer and committee chair positions that would lead the club in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times;">Next up was
planning for the first meeting and filling the remaining leadership positions.
Jon and Eric along with the club officers Brent Phinney, Michelle Alexander,
Jennifer Schneider and Diane Schultz worked on the agenda and logistics for the
kick-off party to be held on January 15th.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a great turnout for the event with 85-90 people
showing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The evening consisted
of socializing, seeing old friends, and meeting new friends along with hearing
about the nuts and bolts of why the club was being formed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The turnout of people for the
first meeting exceeded expectations and is a good sign that the people of
Northern Colorado are interested in making this happen. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">People join clubs
for many reasons: social, training groups, education, racing. We envision
the NoCo Tri Club serving all these needs and more as interest continues to
build in 2014. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times;">For more info on the Northern Colorado Triathlon Club please visit </span><u style="text-underline: #204CBB;"><span style="color: #204cbb; font-family: Times;"><a href="http://www.nocotri.com/">www.nocotri.com</a>
</span></u><span style="color: #141414; font-family: Times;">or check out the Facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nocotri">www.facebook.com/nocotri</a> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Make it a great week of training where ever you're at and take a few minutes to check out your local triathlon club.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoachEricNeilsen"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Coach Eric</span></a></div>
<!--EndFragment--></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-9849747253518214092014-03-03T11:12:00.002-07:002014-03-03T11:12:18.397-07:00Swimming reference set for Ironman Training <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJdplbpZX6sPJK5NdbKKp4KcgOauaHcwLY04c_Z2mBxnNhnOa5x6SeN2wTkmwUDAJhcqPeywZZP-Y8Y43l0UPz5vluJ9pEMBWAIC0DU22F-4EZCIFTB5f-uHE-ApvjqDhvQUHvWa0Tn4/s1600/IMG_3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJdplbpZX6sPJK5NdbKKp4KcgOauaHcwLY04c_Z2mBxnNhnOa5x6SeN2wTkmwUDAJhcqPeywZZP-Y8Y43l0UPz5vluJ9pEMBWAIC0DU22F-4EZCIFTB5f-uHE-ApvjqDhvQUHvWa0Tn4/s1600/IMG_3010.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swim Start Ironman World Championship view from Kona Inn on Ali'i Drive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
March is here and if you are preparing for an early season Ironman, this is a great 3500yard/meter<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
workout you can insert into your training plan. Also, good for swimmers preparing for open water swims and/or the time crunched athlete. Continues reinforcing the need to build into swims making early pacing critical to maximizing your performance. </div>
<br />
<u>The workout</u><br />
1 x 500 Free Warm<br />
2 x 400 Faster pace per 100 than 500 this should be easy since 500 was warm up<br />
3 x 300 Faster pace per 100 than 400's<br />
4 x 200 Faster pace per 100 than 300's<br />
5 x 100 Cool down<br />
Total 3500<br />
<br />
<u>Intervals</u><br />
500 on :30 sec rest<br />
400's 300's and 200's on your normal base example 1:30/100M<br />
so 400's on 6:00, 300's on 4:30, 200's on 3:00<br />
100's on :10 sec rest mix strokes as you like<br />
<br />
You could repeat this set every 3-4 weeks to measure your improvement as the season progresses and it works well before a bike session as the first part of a swim/bike brick.<br />
<br />
Make it a great week of training and please email me at eric@coachericneilsen with topics you are interested in learning more about.<br />
<br />
Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-14264452188307204792014-02-24T16:21:00.003-07:002014-02-24T16:23:46.027-07:00Powerful Glutes... Powerful Athlete!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50SbohsnQmt0EE5pW2weXLXgYHrlwZLygikI6D0axEuFjsVcboYsNGtHq0cNwlpht2SBxfV9cSBA7HPIKxZQPvdfl-v5ahVmjSNv5A7uPD5bgCmhHuwUUuDwuhT5855NjUO6xfD2LnYg/s1600/img023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50SbohsnQmt0EE5pW2weXLXgYHrlwZLygikI6D0axEuFjsVcboYsNGtHq0cNwlpht2SBxfV9cSBA7HPIKxZQPvdfl-v5ahVmjSNv5A7uPD5bgCmhHuwUUuDwuhT5855NjUO6xfD2LnYg/s1600/img023.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recently I was corresponding with a client that will be preparing for some triathlons later this year and we got to talking about strength training, in particular strength exercises for the glutes aka "the butt" and how important it was to have functional strength in this area for multisport athletes. There are three muscles comprising the glueteal region Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius & Gluteius Minimus and a 4th smaller muscle the Tensor Fasciae Latae. Click on the links below to read more about each specific muscle. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteus_maximus_muscle">Gluteus Maximus</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteus_medius_muscle">Gluteus Medius </a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteus_minimus_muscle">Gluteus Minimus </a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_fasciae_latae_muscle">Tensor Fasciae Latae</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are many exercises for the glutes but here are three that she found to be very helpful in her strength program. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All these exercises </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">do not require that much balance, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">can be done with body weight, then progressed to an </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">unweighted Smith bar</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. When doing an exercise for the first time, work on technique and check body position to create body memory before adding weight.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Split lunges with back foot on a bench or ball with bodyweight or weighted on Smith machine. Narrow stance works quads more, wider stance works glutes/hamstrings, push up through heel. Knee do not pass toes.</span><br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Sumo squats either with bar or on bosu ball. Key is for thighs to drop below parallel to engage glutes/hamstrings, keep butt out (do not curve lower back or tail bone in). This can be difficult for people with tight Achilles. You can use plie squats with a landmine just to vary it up (this is a wider stance with toes pointed out like in plie).</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Wide stance leg press brings in more glutes/hamstring, narrow stance quads/vastus lateralis. Try to bend knees past 90 and push through heels. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do the time in the gym NOW, so you can cut loose when its time to go fast later this season.</span></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Make it a great week of training.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Coach Eric</span></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-64678122025593108882014-02-17T17:37:00.000-07:002014-02-17T17:37:01.699-07:00Athlete Education...Never Ending!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzVmEPMfjzeNwAqC_eyKYhnQ2ILLP1pXsswEOdgHHCtjfilBnXu6I58ej0pZ_rNXX0jgScVAUs33TT2PaKkX4HQRAw63Qh6pNHlyiE1UW8LgzLyGxwGzaGZKxcWx_KfqiuyT9loFh8ek/s1600/IMG_1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzVmEPMfjzeNwAqC_eyKYhnQ2ILLP1pXsswEOdgHHCtjfilBnXu6I58ej0pZ_rNXX0jgScVAUs33TT2PaKkX4HQRAw63Qh6pNHlyiE1UW8LgzLyGxwGzaGZKxcWx_KfqiuyT9loFh8ek/s1600/IMG_1400.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited in Fall 2011 on my quest for more knowledge!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I have been coaching since 1991 and one thing I have always tried to do is keep and open mind to new ideas in ways to train and continue to educate myself on how the body really works as one unit.<br />
<br />
Below are a couple of articles from the folks at <a href="http://www.reboundsportspt.com/">Rebound Sports</a> I think you will find helpful as you continue to amass your own knowledge. They have been helpful reminders as well as some new information to add to my library. One talks about the the imbalances our bodies have and the other is about the feet in terms that you can understand.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.reboundsportspt.com/blog/rebound/the-matrix">http://www.reboundsportspt.com/blog/rebound/the-matrix</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.reboundsportspt.com/blog/rebound/feet">http://www.reboundsportspt.com/blog/rebound/feet</a><br />
<br />
Happy reading, make it a great week of training and never stop learning!<br />
<br />
Coach Eric<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-40653282513813311482014-02-10T15:56:00.002-07:002014-02-10T15:56:48.390-07:00Re-Post, Just Try... One year later<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ltL2C8T55KqwR_jRCMwHv5FxGC0EJK8-pYcnieWWjp19cN0xvmr1HaOnRFxIdjVWu3Xkzi6MRwsUS4ryy9tqnJzdbQUmqX7cXXg99Za9EQPAXkWnWk26IPN3po6_Rlf9d86rh6rGYog/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ltL2C8T55KqwR_jRCMwHv5FxGC0EJK8-pYcnieWWjp19cN0xvmr1HaOnRFxIdjVWu3Xkzi6MRwsUS4ryy9tqnJzdbQUmqX7cXXg99Za9EQPAXkWnWk26IPN3po6_Rlf9d86rh6rGYog/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A little over a year ago, I decided to try and create content for a weekly blog. This was a bit scary on multiple levels, but the pro's out weighed the con's and I gave it a go. It is now early February and I am still at it. One week at a time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">in 2013, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I chugged along like the little train that could with posts on different topics in the multisport world, general health and wellness and reader suggestions on new topics to explore. At times it was a challenge to write, but I am glad I stuck with it and look forward to where this writing journey will take me this year.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now, I would imagine that some of you have set new year's resolutions and may be struggling to maintain your focus and commitment after the first 40 days of 2014. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe some of you were inspired to just start exercising, shed 10 pounds, or just eat a bit healthier. Regardless of the resolution, you took the most important step, you decided to try. Come to think of it, life is like a triathlon. Below is slight revision of my first blog post back on January 21st, 2013 and a good reminder how far I have come in the past year.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By definition triathlon is “<span>an<span style="color: #262626;"> athletic contest comprising three consecutive events, usually swimming, bicycling, and distance running”.<span> </span>What if we looked at it from a slightly different perspective and called it a try-athlon.<span> </span>Would that help take some of the fear out of it?<span> </span>What is it that prevents people from getting out of their comfort zone and trying something new?</span></span><span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I believe <span style="color: #262626;">the answer is very simple.<span> </span>The fear of failure is what </span>stops most people from not only trying something new, but from leading the life they were meant to live.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This fear of failure paralyzes us from reaching our full potential as athletes, and experiencing some of life’s greatest moments. <span> </span>We see this in sports all the time, but also in many aspects of daily life: work, school, and relationships to name a few, where fear prevents us from trying.<span> </span>What are we afraid of?<span> </span>Are we too worried about what others may think or say?<span> </span>Too vain as to how we might look in spandex? Being the slowest in a training group or last in race?<span> </span>Look clumsy or awkward when first learning a new skill? I guarantee you, the Olympians we watch during the winter Olympics had plenty of awkward moments when they first started off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">What’s that old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try again”.<span> </span>The Front Range here in Colorado is an athlete’s playground with so many things to choose from. So, find a sport you like and just get out there and do it.<span> </span>L</span>ife is far to short to be spending your free time doing a sport you don’t like. <span style="color: #262626;">Give it your best shot and jump in with both feet and embrace the new challenge.<span> </span>The only person you have to answer to at the end of the day is you so, do what makes you thrive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In closing, the athletes we will have the opportunity to watch during the two weeks have failed on more than one occasion to reach the level excellence they are now at.<span> </span>One of the reasons they are champions, regardless of their final outcome is that they have learned from these failures along this long journey to Sochi.<span> </span>It’s better to fail trying, than to not try at all.<span> </span>Failing can be artistically beneficial and when we allow ourselves to become vulnerable by putting fear aside, we often times achieve the greatest growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-29965883432508743432014-02-03T10:00:00.000-07:002014-02-03T16:38:35.923-07:00Aquathon... Triathlon without the bike<br />
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Lago di Garda, Italy</td></tr>
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One of the wonderful things about being a multisport athlete is there are endless ways to create workouts and have fun doing so. One order to combine events is by doing a swim/run or the more common term, aquathon. Competing in aquathon events is gaining popularity among athletes that are looking for new challenges in the multisport world. Some people love to swim and run as part of the fitness regime but when it comes to the bike have no desire, do not have a bike or can't afford one. Let's take a little closer look at some of the basics of aquathon.<br />
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Race Format - Typically is either run/swim/run or swim/run. Of course swimmers would love to see a swim/run/swim event to even things out. Hmmm.... idea for a future blog. Some triathlons are now starting to offer an Aquathon as one of the formats to choose from on race day along with biathlons which are run/bike/run events. For more listings of aquathons that may be in your area, check out <a href="http://trifind.com/gs_aquathlon/AquathlonRaces.html">http://trifind.com/gs_aquathlon/AquathlonRaces.html</a></div>
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Race Distances - For the run/swim/run format will typically range from</div>
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Sprint 1.6 mile run, 1/4 mile swim, 1.6 mile run </div>
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Intermediate 4 mile run .63 mile swim, 4 mile run</div>
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Long 8 mile run, 1.25 mile swim, 8 mile run</div>
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Ultra where they may run 18.6 miles, swim 2.0 miles, run 18.6 miles<br />
For the swim/format, either a 1/3 - 1/2 mile swim, 3.1 mile run or 2/3 - 1 mile swim, 10K bike seem to be popular. Really any combination of distances could work predicated on the venue you are using. The swim part can be challenging because of limited access to water sometimes.</div>
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Time - It takes less time to train for an aquathon than a triathlon as the athlete is saving hours by not having to train for the bike portion of a triathlon which is close to 50% of most races. <br />
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Training - You can pretty much run anywhere it is just a matter of finding a lake, ocean or pool to swim in. If you're lucky to live near a fitness center with a <a href="http://vasatrainer.com/vasa-swim-ergometer.html">Vasa Ergometer</a> or have your own, you can complete your swimming and even stay dry. No cap, goggles, or bathing suit so you can already be dressed in your running stuff ready to go!<br />
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Variety - Along the lines of training, there are endless ways to combine events, based on distance, time or both to get a great workout and work on transitioning from one sport to another. One thing I used to enjoy doing when I lived in Kona, Hawaii was run to the ocean or pool as warm up, then do my swim workout, then run home either as an easy cool down, or a hard run if I was feeling spry. Just the opposite of that, some days a swim warm up, followed by a run, followed by a swim cool down was a great training session and swimming I have found over the decades is great way to finish off any run session. <br />
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If you ever have the chance to travel to Kona, head down to the pier for a swim, then a run along Ali'i drive. Great way to start the day. They have swim/run events from time to time their as well and they are free. More info, check out <a href="http://bigislandraces.com/extras/peaman-events/">http://bigislandraces.com/extras/peaman-events/</a><br />
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For more questions about Aquathon, how to set up a training plan for it or questions in general about training, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com <br />
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Make it a great week,<br />
Coach Eric<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-32105078651727600282014-01-27T10:00:00.000-07:002014-01-27T11:34:35.271-07:00Triathletes and training the other strokesRecently I was asked if triathletes should train the other strokes from time to time and my answer was YES! Swimming is the most technical of the three sports in triathlon and requires the athlete to learn to be one with the water. Often times you will hear coaches talking about "the feel" of the water and one way you can enhance this feel is by training the other strokes from time to time. In case you don't know what those other strokes are they would be butterfly, backstroke and breastroke. If you do those three strokes in order and then add the freestyle, you would then being doing an Individual Medley or IM for short.<br />
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Typically the best all round swimmer is usually the 400 IM champion at Nationals (yearly) World championships (every 2 years) and Olympics (every 4 years). Interesting note 400 IM in swimming is a combination of doing 4 different strokes the fasted and a IM distance triathlon is a combination of doing 3 different sports the fastest. </div>
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Where to start? If you only know freestyle, then I suggest the next stroke you learn would be backstroke.<br />
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<li>Great for recovery swimming between sets stretching out the chest and shoulder muscles.</li>
<li>Helps connect the core to the pull as your body rotates and shoulder shifts similar to freestyle</li>
<li>Teaches the swimmer to kick with long legs and loose ankles</li>
<li>In the open water sometimes 4-6 strokes on your back in a long swim will give your freestyle muscles just enough of a break to maintain a good solid pace when you roll back on your stomach. Lastly, if you are swimming an ocean race and have to come thru surf to finish, you can roll on your back for a couple quick strokes to check the waves behind you and possibly catch a free ride into the beach.</li>
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If you are feeling good about your backstroke, then next up would be butterfly. </div>
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<li>The pull pattern is similar to freestyle except now you are pulling with both arms at the same time and your body is moving through the water in an undulating motion like a dolphin instead of rotating from side to side.</li>
<li>Great stroke for helping swimmers develop power when repeats are done in short increments like 4 strokes, 12 1/2 or 25 for advanced athletes that can hold form.</li>
<li>Using the undulating motion of butterfly is great for dolphin dives at the beginning of a swim (beach start or shallow water) and exiting the water. </li>
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Breastroke rounds out the other strokes. A challenging stroke to teach as there are different ways to swim this stroke and swimmers knee, hip and ankle range of motion will determine the best kick.</div>
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<li>Great for loosening up the hips, knees and ankles.</li>
<li>Because of the difference in the kicking motion, be careful when swimming breastroke and make sure you are warmed up before trying any harder kicking. </li>
<li>The arm pull on breastroke outsweep and insweep, is a great way to enhance feel for the water and really give the forearms a good workout.</li>
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A simple set you can do to incorporate the other strokes would be 3 rounds of<br />
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4 x 25 Stroke</div>
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1 x 200 Free</div>
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The first round the stroke is butterfly, round two backstroke and round 3 breastroke. As you progress you can bump up to 6 or 8 x 25's before the 200.</div>
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Not only does training the other strokes help feel for the water, it gives the freestyle muscles a break which may help decrease potential injuries from overuse. Plus, it is a great way to add variety to a work out and keep the heart rate elevated as changing strokes and muscles groups frequently will challenge any athlete.</div>
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Have fun with it and don't be afraid to try something new in the pool the next time you go for a swim.</div>
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Make it a great week,</div>
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Coach Eric</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-43444852221516691442014-01-20T17:16:00.000-07:002014-01-20T17:19:40.414-07:00Bike Workout + Time Crunched = Tempo Time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruiser bike works good in snow with tires at about 10psi</td></tr>
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I decided to stay with the cycling theme after last week as many people are having to ride indoors this time of year. Multisport athletes are usually time crunched between the training and everything else that occupies there waking day. So, when time is short, get some bang for your buck with some tempo work. Tempo pace is what I like to call "comfortably hard". You are working but it is something you could sustain if needed for close to 60 minutes.<br />
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Here is a great workout I like that takes about 60-65 minutes depending on how long you cool down.<br />
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Warm up 5 minutes easy spinning focussing on smooth pedal strokes</div>
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3 minutes alternating </div>
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20 seconds single leg right</div>
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20 seconds single leg left</div>
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20 seconds spin up to 100+ Cadence</div>
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repeat 2 more times.</div>
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Main set</div>
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1 x 10 min Tempo (use first 3-4 minutes to build up to that then hold)</div>
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2 1/2 minute easy spin</div>
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2 x 8 minutes Tempo</div>
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2 minute easy spin between each</div>
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3 x 4 minutes Tempo</div>
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1 minute easy spin between</div>
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5-10 min cool</div>
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That works out to 38 minutes of tempo pace work during the session. The goal is not to go harder on the shorter repeats, but just hold a good steady pace. A progression from this after 3-4 weeks may have you going</div>
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Main set</div>
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1 x 15 min Tempo (use first 3-4 minutes to build up to that then hold)</div>
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3 minute easy spin</div>
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2 x 10 minutes Tempo</div>
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2 minute easy spin between each</div>
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3 x 5 minutes Tempo</div>
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1 minute easy spin between</div>
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The training benefits from tempo work on the bike as well as running and swimming will continue to teach the athlete how to properly pace themselves. Learning to measure ones effort for a workout is critical to getting the most out of each session. For example, some days 6:30 pace running may come at an easy effort other days, it is a monumental effort. Or cycling if using power you know some days cycling at or near FTP comes easier than other days. So, learning to measure your perceived effort for that particular day is critical because that is all your body/mind may have for that particular training session and you have to accept that. </div>
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Make it a great week of training,</div>
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Coach Eric</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-30676314540744864462014-01-13T18:55:00.000-07:002014-01-13T18:55:34.805-07:00Triathletes and Group rides<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a triathlete, joining a group ride from time to time can have some great training benefits. But, joining a larger group for the first time or a group you don't know can be a bit scary. I came across an informative article today by Katya Meyers, professional triathlete and coach. She points out 5 things that are just good common sense not only for triathletes joining a group, but anyone riding in the group to help keep things safe while getting a good workout.<br />
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Check out this link when you have a minute<br />
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<a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/01/benefits-of-group-rides-for-triathletes.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29#axzz2qKhOEBkW">benefits-of-group-rides-for-triathletes</a><br />
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In the meantime, keep having fun with your training, sticking to any resolutions for 2014 and as always, make it a great week.<br />
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Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-12916893404039190022014-01-06T10:54:00.000-07:002014-01-06T10:54:04.214-07:00Swimming, keep it simple...do the work!<br />
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This morning at Masters swim practice, I had the swimmers do one of my favorite freestyle sets:</div>
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1 x 400</div>
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2 x 300</div>
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3 x 200</div>
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4 x 100</div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Quick math tells you that is 2000 and there is no hiding one's aerobic fitness level in a set of that length. </span></div>
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The goal was to pick a base per 100 for an interval, stick with that and remain steady all the way through the set. This makes them get realistic about what their aerobic swimming pace is because if you go out too fast at the beginning, there is usually a slow down as the set progresses. </div>
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From a coaches view, a great time to make corrections to stroke biomechanics as the set progresses. Easy to hold good form when fresh, but good form 1200-1400 into a set is even more important. I can see who is good at pacing or who goes out too fast and fades. <br />
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A set of this length is a great reference set to use from time to time. Maybe early in the season you can handle the set on a 1:30 per/100 base. With some training, in 3-4 weeks you may try it again one of two ways: bring that down to a 1:25 base per 100 or keep the base at 1:30 per 100, but try to swim at a faster pace than the first time. If you can achieve either of these, then chances are, your swimming fitness has improved.<br />
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Along with some longer endurance sets this time of the year, consider one workout every week or two that you devote more time to swimming the other strokes. This will help your feel for the water, provide a great workout using muscles a bit differently and giving your freestyle muscles a little break.<br />
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Keep blowing bubbles and have a great week!<br />
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Coach Eric<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-14632151891522527312013-12-30T10:07:00.000-07:002013-12-30T10:07:01.635-07:00Re-post... Stress + Rest = Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRITkfMbQJwZa7IrzctZ_NoWbg8nnCr9RhAWRP-qeTQExrnoDa3Fjm3QxkpntElzpA7zJUnFSxhrkY8csJFhIKkpaaWMvwniSNWg8IiVeOviP5KOgksTgzBXa0te-T6WhoE07Fb2yWb-k/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRITkfMbQJwZa7IrzctZ_NoWbg8nnCr9RhAWRP-qeTQExrnoDa3Fjm3QxkpntElzpA7zJUnFSxhrkY8csJFhIKkpaaWMvwniSNWg8IiVeOviP5KOgksTgzBXa0te-T6WhoE07Fb2yWb-k/s400/IMG_3689.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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With the sun setting on 2013 this week, many people will be setting New Year's resolutions. In the health and fitness industry, we see a huge surge at the gym. Masters swim programs, running and cycling groups all see an increase in activity and workout participation. So, I thought it would be a good time to share the post form earlier in the year as a reminder to keep the balance with your training. This will hopefully allow you to stay healthy which leads to consistency in training which leads to you reaching your goals for the 2014 year.<br />
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One of my favorite authors, Matthew Kelly has a saying he calls “carefree timelessness”, such a simple yet powerful statement. I drew the inspiration for this article on a training break as I spent the morning lazily wandering along a river taking pictures of my friends fly-fishing. The landscape was stunning and as the morning progressed, large billowy clouds slowly formed on the mountaintops surrounding the valley. The sound of the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze was both soothing and cooling and the thought of a nap crossed my mind on more than once occasion. </div>
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From an athletic standpoint, we call this a recovery day or in some cases a recovery week. It is just as important to schedule rest and recovery days, as it is the hard training days. Rest is when the training adaptations occur and too much training without taking into account recovery, can lead to injury and burnout. Stress is the combination of workouts that challenge both your body and mind. Rest comes in the form of easy training days or complete days off from exercise. Progress is made when you have the optimum balance of stress and rest. This balance will be different for every individual.</div>
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When setting up a training plan for an athlete, balancing the stress and rest of training is a top priority. First and foremost is the age of the athlete. Let’s face it; we just don’t bounce back like we did when we were kids. That said the adult athlete can still perform at a very high levels of intensity, but is just takes longer to recovery from those efforts. Other things to be considered are current level of fitness, number of years in the sport, past or present injuries, demands of job, family obligations and how much can they train versus how much they are willing to train.</div>
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But, what if you’re not training for an event? What can you do to add a little rest and recovery into your day? Try taking time to check in with yourself, hitting the reset button and putting the fast paced world on hold. It does not have to be a long period of time by any means even five minutes will do. Some people find mornings are best to check in and set your intentions before beginning the day. Others may find a mid-day break is just what they need before diving back into the afternoon to do list. Or maybe you prefer some quiet time in the evening to unwind and decompress from it all. </div>
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Really it can be pretty much anytime that works for you. One of my colleagues, Cris Dobrosielski, <a href="http://monumentalresults.com/">http://monumentalresults.com/</a> has a saying that I really like, “small consistent change, over a significant period of time, leads to monumental results”. Five minutes may not seem like a lot, but it can have a big impact over time if you are consistent. So, keep searching to find your optimum balance, not only sport, but in everything you do in life.</div>
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Best of luck in all you set out to do in 2014 and Happy New Year!</div>
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Coach Eric</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-39640158435111181612013-12-20T11:24:00.000-07:002013-12-23T15:32:48.335-07:002013...almost history. The future... a mystery!<br>
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The end of the calendar year is often a time to look back and reflect on what has transpired the past 365 days. So, before the year comes to an end in 8 days, I challenge you to set a side a little time to reflect back on what 2013 has meant to you and answer this one question before getting too carried away with thinking ahead to 2014.<br>
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Do you know why you do what you do?<br>
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If you know the why, then the how you do it and what you do will take care of themselves. This could be applied to many aspects of one's waking life such as work, school & sport to name a few. <br>
<br>If 2013 was a year you considered successful, then keep building on that momentum. If the year had some bumpy patches, try to learn from those experiences and bring that new knowledge forward into 2014.<div><br></div><div>Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!</div><div><br></div><div>Coach Eric </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-9465849317955934512013-12-10T17:59:00.001-07:002013-12-14T16:24:31.899-07:00Run... The hour of Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFluQKjACp-jSarvQHa_OnKU64mu34NhMUh8d4estXEyWd2qfS1etEhwGoA_m5-4hBocmYy_AstfIFVw-GZxQySd_kj1sAcPxBD6pj7v1YyLjP5UDkwdALLHkaDYpYG1Xx-aj4W1r2b-I/s640/blogger-image--582461168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFluQKjACp-jSarvQHa_OnKU64mu34NhMUh8d4estXEyWd2qfS1etEhwGoA_m5-4hBocmYy_AstfIFVw-GZxQySd_kj1sAcPxBD6pj7v1YyLjP5UDkwdALLHkaDYpYG1Xx-aj4W1r2b-I/s1600/blogger-image--582461168.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thought I would take advantage of the layover in Singapore to share this great 1 hour run workout I love to do while on travel. </div>
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Really quite simple, and can be done on any type of surface: road, trail, snow, treadmill and terrain: flat, rolling or hilly route.</div>
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9 min easy/1 min hard</div>
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8 min easy/1 min hard </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">7 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">6 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">5 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">3 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 min easy/1 min hard</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1 min what ever you have left in the tank</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Finish up with 5 min cool down and you have 60 minutes on the nose.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, you end up getting some speed in as well as a progression type workout as the rest time between efforts gradually decreases. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Make it a great week!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Coach Eric </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-76054747088554962922013-12-02T23:16:00.002-07:002013-12-02T23:16:50.505-07:00Catching up with Kyle in Cottesloe, Australia <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-f1AaDRAt1TcJGCW2PUi0fKvQwu1OHGdZRobKvsGY6fJTsxzYCJVC8shLBIpS-hiDnm0dnmMm0DjNmFDVqAX-5Z6PRszHSi1Nukb9R1Oj8X6CcrHOf5ihgtQ9HCjBO2v-MJAzvUIFn4/s1600/IMG_5395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-f1AaDRAt1TcJGCW2PUi0fKvQwu1OHGdZRobKvsGY6fJTsxzYCJVC8shLBIpS-hiDnm0dnmMm0DjNmFDVqAX-5Z6PRszHSi1Nukb9R1Oj8X6CcrHOf5ihgtQ9HCjBO2v-MJAzvUIFn4/s400/IMG_5395.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Warm up time.... 50M pool at Scocth School<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgvdsHAGv9606xWAjVJjcrbKVVZo_uVfKdojWVskMlzP9AyM4O3vtIagFJ4vQ7ySiocBzVbCM2ziXtPauUUalxxCSOw8Lg3H3IdUNmbBcekwB9IrEc-NXx1YMMAVFOnBrhzOm7x8wzY4/s1600/IMG_5452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgvdsHAGv9606xWAjVJjcrbKVVZo_uVfKdojWVskMlzP9AyM4O3vtIagFJ4vQ7ySiocBzVbCM2ziXtPauUUalxxCSOw8Lg3H3IdUNmbBcekwB9IrEc-NXx1YMMAVFOnBrhzOm7x8wzY4/s400/IMG_5452.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Kyle in action!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Aussies love their swimming. With over 60 (50M) meter pools in the Perth area alone, no wonder there are so many good swimmers down under. Water sports are a big part of the Aussie culture. Head to the ocean and you will find surf lifesaving clubs are scattered up and down the coast from Cottesloe Beach. </span></div>
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Last week, I dropped in on a swim squad that Kyle trains with from time to time and snapped a few pics from his last long session (a little over 7K) before IM Western Australia. This particular squad is in preparation for the biggest open water swim in this part of Western Australia, the <a href="http://rottnestchannelswim.com.au/">Rottnest Channel Swim</a> next February. After the session, we sat down and chatted more about his training. <br />
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What got you into triathlons? </div>
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Kyle - It was a slow progression in 2010 when I did the bike leg for a relay team in a 1/2 IM and that inspired me to try a 1/2 IM on my own in 2011. In addition to the 1/2 IM that year, I competed in a number of sprint and olympic distance events. I have a good good support group of friends to train and race with and in 2013, a few committed to going "the full hog" and signed up for the Western Australia IM in Busselton Dec 8th, 2013</div>
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Why do you want to do an Ironman? </div>
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Kyle - Looking for a bigger challenge and it seemed like a natural progression after completing the 1/2 IM distance.</div>
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How do you feel your Army training has helped you prepare for the IM? </div>
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Kyle - For starters, it has gotten me used to sleep deprivation, but more importantly, the discipline and mental toughness that the Army training has instilled in me has been a great asset. The flip side is the IM training has allowed me to better develop my endurance. Only being 23, in the past I have been too aggressive in my training so, taking on the IM distance has taught me how to be patient with a better long term approach to my overall fitness.</div>
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How do you keep the balance with school, work, girlfriend, family and training? </div>
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Kyle - I sometimes tread a fine line between too much training and too little study. Better planning of my days and cutting out unnecessary tasks is the key. The bottom line, it comes down to one word: efficiency. My girlfriend has been very supportive of the training and I look forward to the time we spend together away from our studies and work; often taking the option of a stroll along the beach or at a park to unwind.</div>
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What is your favorite recovery meal? </div>
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Kyle - For sure a smoothie post ride or run taste great. Coach has been showing me how to "really eat" after a tough training session. My new favorite smoothie is chocolate milk, with bananas, a few ice cubes and scoop of protein powder.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is he saying to that gel?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDuF8mmUurcZZAT-vigkYAPGiTHbBTJpQqxL8EZN2E66tD810G8oznhXmFcHiB2LD2xkvqrfqghCGW9H-ISAWEOGzMsWU7ik2hYHpykDipdWkkXAwAe1xPp9lujsyf7ft-kRGYicWX80/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDuF8mmUurcZZAT-vigkYAPGiTHbBTJpQqxL8EZN2E66tD810G8oznhXmFcHiB2LD2xkvqrfqghCGW9H-ISAWEOGzMsWU7ik2hYHpykDipdWkkXAwAe1xPp9lujsyf7ft-kRGYicWX80/s400/IMG_5474.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of gear to choose from<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVM_KsUR9ZECzvoO7krDL3onxuO7ifNyJ0MbOpRShosHsWZk3MfKsNRiE8JfqX_gZZqSubX6sfAgb28CaWCVrRzs4zjWWMTjAneUzLEQcKf3-nWvRIv3tAiGqLw0dHzpnDJWBc2lRowU/s1600/IMG_5430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVM_KsUR9ZECzvoO7krDL3onxuO7ifNyJ0MbOpRShosHsWZk3MfKsNRiE8JfqX_gZZqSubX6sfAgb28CaWCVrRzs4zjWWMTjAneUzLEQcKf3-nWvRIv3tAiGqLw0dHzpnDJWBc2lRowU/s400/IMG_5430.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Just like this pic!<br />
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Anything else you would like to add? </div>
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Kyle - Don't under estimate the logistics of training and the time commitment of Ironman and endurance sports. A good way to be efficient with my cycling training was commuting to Uni. Sometimes as a recovery from a workout, other times serving as a warm up for a workout. Set up your training groups to help you stay on task and motivated in the training. We usually have a large group that heads down for the 1/2 IM every year now and a little healthy competition can be a great motivator.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-15223436343270564662013-11-22T14:56:00.002-07:002013-11-22T14:56:47.814-07:00Training and racing abroad
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQ45YkityL_pJaSjtLly99IedCYQ-8B20pjqaYvngwc-zXwKY97rqci4umFNDzBq32H0_qzR0ZZloAnDtlX7n78-QU5E9epiQJAL25WLih05x2mnn_IqvJXKbcTJVtQ_KBXUVkMr0iDM/s1600/photo-19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQ45YkityL_pJaSjtLly99IedCYQ-8B20pjqaYvngwc-zXwKY97rqci4umFNDzBq32H0_qzR0ZZloAnDtlX7n78-QU5E9epiQJAL25WLih05x2mnn_IqvJXKbcTJVtQ_KBXUVkMr0iDM/s400/photo-19.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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So, you want to travel to a foreign country, see some sites, stay fit and maybe even race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Training and racing abroad is a great experience and with a little bit of planning, you can make the most of your time abroad. Here are a few things to consider before you depart, during travel and once you have arrived.</div>
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Pre trip – Make a list!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds simple, but is most helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a few moments before you depart to
educate yourself a little bit more about where you are traveling too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paper maps are quite helpful to keep
handy in case Google maps or the Garmin is not working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make extra (Paper) copies of
passport, credit cards, travel itinerary and any contact info in case you loose
anything or your smart phone gets stolen/lost or won’t charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notify your credit card company
of the dates you plan to travel to avoid delays making any purchases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arrange for transportation to your accommodations
ahead of time instead of trying to figure it out when you arrive and are
tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Travel – Allow enough time to not have to rush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check in, baggage, customs, all take a
little more time than domestic travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Have a small amount of local currency when you arrive to cover anything
that may arise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wear
comfortable and functional clothes/shoes for travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you have a lot of walking to do along with
baggage and possibly a bike box.</div>
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Food & Hydration - Drink plenty of water on the plane
and during the travel day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pack a
few snacks in case you have delays or not feeling like eating the airline
food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, be aware of
any food restrictions of your destination country, as you may have to declare
items you are brining into country on your customs forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some countries you cannot bring certain
foods in at all so, don’t bother bringing it along unless you plan to consume it on the plane or on any layovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Time change – Give you body a few days to adjust from the
travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best thing I have found to
help this is upon arrival get some kind of easy workout in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are an athlete after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helps the body loosen up from the
flight/train and starts getting your reset on local time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set an alarm to get up the
following morning on local time as well and keep drinking water!</div>
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Rules of the road, local customs – Here in Australia, when
you ride a bike, you must wear a helmet otherwise be subject to a fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, vehicles travel on the other side
of the road compared to the states, so when you step off the curb, or merge
into traffic look right first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Speed limit signs are in KMH not MPH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dining out in some countries the tip is already
include in the bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Check out the course – Course knowledge is always helpful so
plan on driving or riding part of the course before race day to get more
familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pay attention to
road surfaces, wind conditions and what parts of the course are and are not
open to traffic on race day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great
to get in the water at the swim finish area so you can get some land based
objects to site on for the end of your swim.</div>
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Where are you going to travel next? Don't forget the camera!</div>
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Make it a great week,</div>
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Coach Eric</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220120866848094678.post-89674492213079292032013-11-11T18:50:00.001-07:002013-11-11T18:50:31.507-07:00What happened to common sense... if your exhausted... REST!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg/220px-Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg/330px-Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg/440px-Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg 2x" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; vertical-align: middle;" width="299" /></a></span></div>
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<a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aristotle_Altemps_Inv8575.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; color: #0645ad; display: block; text-decoration: none;" title="Enlarge"><img alt="" height="11" src="http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.22wmf22/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial initial !important; background-repeat: initial initial !important; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; border-width: initial; display: block; vertical-align: middle;" width="15" /></a></div>
Aristotle, who is the first person known to have discussed "common sense". He was describing the ability with which animals (including humans) process sense perceptions, memories and imagination (<i>phronein</i>) in order to reach many types of basic judgments. But only humans have real reasoned thinking (<i>noein</i>).</div>
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I think endurance athletes are loosing touch with things a bit in particular their common sense. Often times I hear athletes say they were exhausted and wonder to myself, "why are they going to attempt a workout today". Now I know sometimes one can become tired from training and you need to stress the body from time to time to gain some improvement. But, if you had just raced an IM a little over 3 weeks ago and I am hearing you say you're are exhausted, don't ya think it might be better to take the day off instead of creating more fatigue which continues to delay the full recovery process.<br />
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People, when are you going to get it? Do you need to be sick, fevered and injured before you stop training or take a much deserved break? I am seeing this more and more with age group athletes who train like professional athletes, while working a full time job. Sure you can train like them in a physical way, but there is no way you are going to recover like they do because you just don't have that much free time for naps, weekly massages and general downtime to rejuvenate. Some age group athletes eventually gets to the point of being so run down from lack of adequate rest, combined with pushing their training limits, that even a 3 week taper is not going to bring them to race day fully prepared. Always better to be 10% undertrained than 1% over trained when going into your priority races for the season.<br />
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Take the runners from Kenya, when they are done for the season, they are done. Some will not run for 2 or 3 weeks some not even for a month. They just take a complete break, no cross training, just total downtime. I belief this downtime allows them to maintain the focus and intensity when they are training. Most elite Kenyan runners run 2 times a day and some 3 times a day. They usually start with a morning run around 6am, after that return to bed to rest for the main session around 10am. Lunch and more rest and some will run again in the afternoon. Now I know this is the elite, but my point is by having the real downtime, it allows them to hit a very high level focussed bit of training when called for.<br />
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In the western world, 2-3 weeks of downtime is going to drive the type A athlete and those around him/her completely NUTS! I have written about this before and will continue to do so in future posts, TRAINING IS RECOVERY BASED! Easy means easy, hard means hard, day off means, day off. Combine that with some common sense and you may just reach your next goal healthy and happy. Pay attention to your self talk. Are you saying "I have to workout" vs "I want to workout" When the have to's start becoming the norm, overtraining, burnout and injury are getting bigger in the rear view mirror for sure.<br />
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If you need help, get it. There are plenty of great coaches out there who can help you balance the training load with all your other activities. Don't be afraid to do a little less especially if this is supposed to be your off season.<br />
<br />
Make it a great week!<br />
<br />
Coach EricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08179471678404281735noreply@blogger.com0