Discover the Love

This morning I had a conversation with a client who is working to regain her love relationship with her bike. Yes...you heard right. I did say love relationship. For many riders, there seems to be a special bond between them and the bike they so desperately love to ride. It carries them up mountain passes, across rough terrain, through fast race courses, and the hope is that it does so excitingly & safely. To me there is a trust between rider & bike, each needing the other in order to experience the joy of riding. Call me a little crazy (many will agree!) but I talk to my bike. Sometimes I catch myself just walking by my bikes so I can catch a glimpse of them. I say thank you when one of them gets me safely down a winding descent, or it magically seems to help me up a challenging hill. Cycling is much more than simply crawling onto the saddle. It is a relationship that can provide a life of memories and add an element to your life that can only be found by sharing time with your bike. Find time to ride but also to really look for the connection you have with the bike that gets who where you want to go!

Create Variation to Improve Performance

Many times I am asked what's the "secret" to keeping workouts (WO) fresh and getting the most from your WOs. One key is to create variation within repetition. So what is variation within repetition? It is completing the same mode of WO but creating small changes in that mode each time you do it. For example, Your training schedule might call for you to run 3x/week. The popular way to address this would be to have a speed run, a tempo run, and then some sort of long slow distance (LSD) run.

Although this can be effective, I believe you can develop better performance by creating variation within each mode of WO. Many athletes will get stuck in a rut and wind up doing the exact same speed, tempo, and then LSD run each week. You will benefit from these modes of WOs, but creating variation within each WO will give you just a bit more improvement in performance because the body is challenged each time, creating higher levels of progressive adaptation.

For example, maybe your prescribed speed WO is to complete 6-8 x 400s on the track. You could just go out and complete this track session, or each time it is prescribed you change it up just a bit. Maybe after each 400 you complete 1min interval of jump rope and then take a cool-down lap. Maybe you complete a 400 and then complete one set of stadium steps prior to your cool-down lap. Maybe on one 400 you run the first first 200 easy and the second 200 all out...or vice versa.

The take home point is that each time you complete a prescribed WO, you keep you body guessing as to how you might complete the WO. This will help keep your WOs fresh and help you challenge your body to adapt at a slightly different level as compared to just doing the prescribed WO the same old way each time your coach sets it up on your training schedule.

Save It For The End

When it comes to coaching, most of you know that I believe the run is where triathlon is won or lost. Not to take anything away from the other two events, but many recreational multisport athletes spend too much time trying to get faster in the water. Truth is, most athletes should focus on good swim form, but spend most of their time cleaning up their bike/run form and working on getting faster in these domains. A recent win at the 70.3 event in Hawaii points in this direction.

Two-time Ford Ironman World Champion Tim DeBoom has demonstrated in the past and now again that a strong run can win big events. He recently won the 70.3 event in Hawaii. After the swim of this event, DeBoom was a full two minutes behind the leader. DeBoom was in 3rd coming into T2, a minute behind the leaders. Things changed on the run as Tim tackled the run course looking like he was just starting his race. The report said that his "controlled, swift pace was enough to make the difference on the day." Ultimately, Tim chased down the two others in front, & this was enough to win the day.

So the next time you are deciding how to spend the time you have on training you might want to consider taking more time to work on the bike & run. Based on what I know those athletes who have a strong bike & run always seem to have the better finish times.

Big Day At Kansas 70.3!

Kansas 70.3 turned out great results for 3SF athletes! Check these out.

Luke Wilson: 4:24:32
Jimmy Montalto: 4:43:59
Brad Meara: 4:53:41
Mark Montalto: 5:05:11
Sara Plunkett: 5:49:11 (1st 70.3 IM race!)

Great job and hats off to all of these athletes. The IM 70.3 series events offers up a great challenge on some pretty demanding courses. Everyone did a great job...just beng out there is awesome enough. I hope everyone had a great day and are planning their next event.

Don't Race Without Strategy

As we approach the Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon and the Kansas 70.3 Ironman, I wanted to review the importance of race day strategy (RDS). Many endurance athletes really don't even consider RDS. But they should! Athletes don't achieve their race goals because they don't have a strategy going into race day. Having a plan for race day will greatly increase the likelihood that you will PR or have a good race. So here are three things to consider for RDS.

1. Start Slow - That's right! Too many athletes go out like gang busters only to find themselves huffing & puffing 10-20mins into their race. Ease into your race...warm up, and then you can push your effort. You expend too much energy at the beginning and you will likely never recovery.

2. Respect the Course - Don't try to blast up the hills and hammer down the backside. Use the course to your advantage. Remember that endurance events are about a total time that is based on an average pace. This means that each mile can vary, and should vary based on the course layout. Your pace can and will change based on course layout.

3. Save It for the End - You can do a lot for your overall time and race confidence if you have something left in the tank to give with about 3 miles remaining in your race. There is no better feeling than to be able to drop the hammer on the last 3 miles and no worse feeling than to know that each mile you are getting slower and slower. The latter happens because the racer did not follow rule #1 & #2!

Following these simple rules can help you have better races and better results. Try to keep in mind that there is more to endurance events than just going out there and wailing away at the course. In essence, racing in an endurance event is much like playing a round of golf. The old strategy of "grip it & rip it" does not usually produce favorable results on the golf course and the same usually holds true for endurance events. Know your ability level, don't overestimate your ability, start slow, respect your course, and finish strong...these are some basic tips for RDS!

3SF Partners with Rufus Racing

I am happy to announce a new partnership with Rufus Racing (RR), a multisport event management company under the direction of Ruth Sawkins. Ruth is no "newbie" when it comes to event planning and direction. She has worked as Webb City Youth Soccer League Director and at the YMCA as a Program Director in Carthage, MO and Joplin, MO. She oversaw multiple programs including youth & adult sports, tournaments, fitness events, 5ks and bike rides.

Our goal with this partnership is to provide multisport athletes in the surrounding four state area with an opportunity to receive quality coaching and event services. I will become the "official" coach for RR, and will work closely with Ruth to develop clinics and workshops for athletes that will precede RR events. I will also offer training programs for athletes that will be specific for a number of RR events.

If you would like to know more about RR events or how to become a RR team member, please visit the RR website at www.rufusracing.com. Check out the website and check out our coaching services. We are convinced that you will be pleased with both!

Fetchdrag!

Multisport is much more than just a sport that we all love. Along the way we learn things about ourselves and others through the sport. But I never thought that it would help us create new words for Webster's Dictionary...boy was I wrong. Through multisport Jenny Clark is helping us add to our expanding body of knowledge!

Fetchdrag (n.) - The result of playing fetch with a large mammal whilst that mammal is attached.

Here is Jenny's story behind the word. Several months ago, after the walnuts had ripened and begun to fall, Buddy, my golden retriever, and I were running in the dark. A car passed with brights blazing, blinding me, and I stepped on a walnut and fell right on the nut. In my anger at the offending nut, I picked it up and threw it as hard as I could.

Naturally, who should want to play FETCH, but my Buddy, on a leash attached to me while I was still on the ground! He took off as if shot out of a cannon until--BOING--reached the end of the leash and then dragged me a few feet until he figured out he was tethered.

After I got back on my feet and we passed the area where I'd thrown the nut, Buddy then heroically saved me from stupidly tripping on said nut a second time. He proudly picked it up in his mouth and carried it home, head and tail high, quite princely.

Lesson learned: If you fall on a nut in the road, don't throw it back where you'll step on it again, throw it on the side of the road for the squirrels! (Oddly enough, Jenny never mentions another potential lesson learned...Don't play fetch with a dog to which you are tethered!)

When we reached the end of the run, Buddy had to deliver the slimy nut into my hand; disgusting, but a small price to pay for not suffering further pain and loss of skin. Then he proudly proceeded to lick off the blood running down my leg...human's best friend!