Training Tip 8 - Make Your Training Count

I often think about how I used to train, and how ineffective most of the sessions I used to do were. I used to be a believer that volume was the critical determinant in the development of aerobic fitness. However, there is so much more to it than that.

Volume of training does have a part to play, but there comes a point when just increasing volume has limited impact on aerobic fitness, and more importantly, racing velocities.

For those of us who are serious about improving race performances, every session must have a purpose and be part of a structured training plan focused on the attainment of a specific goal. Attainment of the goal requires that specific aspects of fitness are identified and then targeted in training.

For example, to complete an Ironman Triathlon requires, first and foremost, the endurance necessary to be able to swim 3.8 km, cycle 180 km and then run a marathon, so training must have the underlying focus of developing that endurance to cope with the distances involved.

Alternatively, an olympic distance race requires a different focus. Aside from the novice, the distances in an Olympic distance triathlon are not the greatest hurdle to overcome if a fast finishing time is desired. What is of more importance here is 1500 metre swimming velocity, 40 km time trial velocity and 10 kilometre running velocity, all of which should be targeted at some point in training.

Fitness is multifactorial in nature, and while there should be an underlying focus targeting the specific factors most contingent on performance in a certain event, other facets of fitness must be enhanced at various times, no matter what distance of event you are training for.

In summary, if the session you are doing tomorrow does not have a recovery, skill, strength, core stability, economy, aerobic capacity, lactate threshold, endurance, strength endurance or specific endurance focus, you are not getting the most out of your training time.

Training Tip 9 - Resistance Training for Triathletes

There has been a lot of debate about whether traditional resistance training ie. that which is performed in a gymnasium, is beneficial for endurance athletes, and, in this discussion, specifically triathletes.

In my opinion, resistance training is a very important part of overall fitness and is invaluable to triathlon performance if the appropriate areas are targeted in the correct manner.

Various resistance training regimes will help to increase functional strength, decrease the risk of injury, increase efficiency of movement, and improve race day comfort.

Functional Strength

Functional strength is defined as the force produced by the muscles while involved in the specific movements of swimming, cycling and running.

It must be said that there probably exists some threshold level of strength over which any further increases will result in neglible performance benefits. However, if some aspect of functional strength is lacking, addressing the problem will probably lead to the potential for technique improvement, and direct or indirect, endurance improvement through either improved fatigue resistance or efficiency.

To derive the benefits from resistance training, the exercises performed must target the specific movements involved in each discipline and also target those muscles that are responsible for the exact opposite movements - to promote balance and minimise injury risk.

eg. One of the prime movers in the swimming action is the latissimus dorsi muscle and may be exercised in a swimming specific manner by performing straight arm pull downs on a cable machine. The opposite movement to this is the raising of the arms above the head utilising mainly the deltoid muscle. An exercise utilising this action (eg. military press) should be performed as part of the same routine.

Injury Prevention

Resistance training leads to stronger muscles and connective tissue which will have injury prevention implications. If you have noticed an area of your body that is continually breaking down with injury, a resistance program aimed at strengthening the area may help prevent further problems. Less injury down time means more consistent training and better performances as a result.

Efficiency of Movement

When I speak about efficiency of movement, I am referring to the performance of a particular movement velocity with the least amount of energy expenditure or oxygen cost. This can be improved by either physiological (improving aerobic capacity) or mechanical means (limiting the movement of the platforms responsible for energy transfer).

Strength training, and specifically core stability training, targets the platforms, scapular and pelvis, through which the movement energy of the limbs is transferred to the body as a whole.

Efficient transfer of this energy depends on the platforms being rigid and this rigidity is contingent on the strength and coordination of both the scapular and pelvic stabilising musculature.

This efficiency through platform stability is particularly important in a long event such as the Ironman, where energy conservation is critical for successful performance.

Further, a stable base of energy transfer, will help to minimise injury risk. Swimmers shoulder (impingement of supraspinatus tendon) is often the result of poor scapular stability and control.

Exercises that target the stabilisers of the pelvis and scapular should be included in any resistance training regime.

Improve Race Day and Training Comfort

Core stability exercises not only improve efficiency of movement but have the potential to improve comfort on race day, particularly during the cycle leg.

I have, as well as many others, no doubt, experienced lower back pain during the cycle leg of an ironman triathlon.

Spending many hours in the aero position places a lot of stress on the lower back and shoulder musculature and can lead to problems. Some of the problems can be alleviated with proper bike set up and flexibility exercises but strengthening the areas will provide further benefit.

A comprehensive core stability program will target all those muscles in the regions of the pelvic girdle, including the lower back, and the shoulder girdle, fortifying the areas to cope with the load they will experience while in the aero position while training or racing.

In Summary

Resistance training has potential benefits to many triathletes but it must be remembered that triathlon is almost exclusively an aerobic endurance event and training time/energy should be allocated accordingly.

Any resistance training that you do should target specific areas of your performance that need improvement. eg. an area prone to injury or a specific movement you know is particularly weak.

No matter what your circumstances, I recommend performing both scapular and pelvic girdle core stability exercises. The benefit derived from these exercises far outweighs the time and energy cost needed to perform them.

If you feel that you could benefit from a functional strength regime, a properly periodised plan should be followed. The basic premise is that as you progress through the program, the exercises performed mimic, to a greater degree, the demands likely to be placed on the muscles on race day.

Tri-ing Tales #1

One of my greatest fears in the early days of my participation in triathlon was the swim leg. Not the fact that I may drown or get swept out to sea. No, nothing like that. It was my fear of what lurked in the shadows of the ocean floor.

I even experienced heart palpatations, at times, while swimming in the deep end of Katanning's diving pool, and there was no marine life in that environment whatsoever.

I remember the Esperance Triathlon swim to be of particular concern. Sometimes when I could see people around me I could relax a little as I thought my odds of being eaten decreased proportionately to the number of swimmers I could count in the vicinity. The Esperance Triathlon swim, however, was one of those affairs where you were likely to see no one for the entire journey. Participant numbers were modest and there was invariably a brisk breeze blowing that generated a one to two foot chop, making sighting the bouys and other competitors a forlorn task indeed. If that wasn't bad enough, the ocean floor was covered in thick seaweed that ebbed and flowed with the ocean currents and included intermittent patches of no weed at all. All this created the illusion of the outline of one very large and very scary marine animal and resulted in numerous, adrenaline charged, flailing arm dashes from the immediate vicinity.

I employed the tactic of eye closing on occasions, secure in that fact that what I could not see, could not eat me. I soon realised that this tactic compromised my navigation skills and contributed to a longer stint in the medium I was so desperate to exit!

In all the triathlon swims I ever had to endure in my first years of triathlon, Esperance was the one that resulted in the most intense feeling of relief at its completion.

Tri-ing Tales #2

It is not often that you experience situations in everyday life that are genuinely heart warming. I was lucky enough to be part of one such incident while I was in the US last year, travelling between Boulder and Lake Placid, on route to Ironman Lake Placid.

Joining me on the journey were fellow competitors and Boulder residents, Michael Stone (my accommodation and support provider whilst I was in Boulder) Leanne Johnson (a rookie female pro) and her husband Randy. They come up with some priceless names in the good ol’ US of A don’t they? Sorry Randy, ha ha.

Travelling to Lake Placid involved two flights, with a stop in New York. The incident in question occurred on the second leg of our journey.

We all boarded the aircraft and it was not until after take off that we noticed that something was not right. The lone stewardess on the flight seemed to be quite distressed and would shed tears intermittently as she tended to her duties. Michael noticed this first and asked her what was wrong. It was revealed that while she was preparing the aircraft cabin for the influx of passengers, she lost the diamond from her wedding ring.

After much coaxing, she was finally convinced to reveal the situation to the passengers on board. The majority of the passengers did not let us down and were diligent in their attempts to locate the missing rock. One gentleman even traversed the entire aisle on hands and knees in a futile attempt to rectify the situation.

After half an hour or so had passed with no success, I was convinced there was no chance the diamond would ever be seen again. What I failed to take into account was the fact that we had "eagle eye" Randy on board, and better yet, he was part of my travelling party.

On a late flight trip to the bathroom, Randy spied the diamond on the floor of the cubicle and, with little fanfare, returned it to a very grateful owner. The rest of the passengers did not know this until the stewardess broadcasted a thankyou to everyone across the PA system. This resulted in a rapturous round of applause.

Randy was a reluctant hero, and was the recipient of a number of high fives as we disembarked the plane and mingled on the tarmac outside the terminal. It was a wonderful feeling basking in that collective glory and human spirit. I was definitely not shy in letting the other passengers know that Randy was part of my travelling group!

I think this little incident set the tone for the whole weekend. While not racing my best due to residual fatigue from previous races and having to compete on a borrowed bike, I posted a great result and was the recipient of my biggest pay day yet. You can’t complain about that!

Tri-ing Tales #3 - Buzzard

I met "Buzzard" (Garrett Macfadyen) towards the end of 2000 in my first year training with Col Stewart’s squad on the Gold Coast. He was a Canadian native who had trained with the squad the year previously in preparation for Ironman Australia and had returned for another attempt at Forster in 2001.

He was a relative behemoth amongst a squad of modestly proportioned individuals, standing well above 6 foot and built like a body builder. It was no surprise to learn that he used to spend a lot of time in the gymnasium prior to the commencement of his participation in triathlon. Adding to his notoriety was his shaven head and legendary ability to move through the water with all the grace and fluidity of a barge. Garrett had all the characteristics of someone who was destined not to swim well. He grew up in Riverview, New Brunswick, Canada, where the recreation facility of choice was the ice hockey rink and was further handicapped by his dense and inflexible mesomorphic anatomy.

Although he did struggle in the water, he was an extremely accomplished cyclist and runner. Despite giving away upwards of 15 mins in the water at Ironman Canada 2002, he stormed through both the cycle and run, posting a 4.36 and 2.48 respectively, to run out a convincing victor.

I really got to know Garrett when I joined him and fellow squad member, Jarrod Brauer in their preparations for the 2001 Forster Ironman. I was not competing in the Ironman myself, but Col thought it would be a good familiarisation exercise. I was not so sure myself, as I had no intentions of competing in Ironman at that point in time, but I was glad I had the experience all the same. It was an absolute pleasure training with both Jarrod and Garrett, the camraiderie was unique, and I finished the exercise with a couple of genuine, life long friends.

I am quite sure it was during preparations for Forster 2001 that Garrett’s nickname "Buzzard" was created. I know that Jarrod was responsible, being the squad’s clown prince, but am unsure as to the exact evolution of the moniker. It may have originated as "Buzzsaw", referring to his ability on the bike and then somehow morphed to "Buzzard". Although the bird itself is native to the UK and does not even exist in Canada, I think "Buzzard" is the perfect nickname for Garrett - it just "sounds" right.

Garrett was notorious amongst the squad as being intolerant and difficult to live with. Usually, when athletes arrived from overseas to train with the squad, there was not much choice as far as roommates went. It was a case of signing a tenancy lease with whomever was homeless at the time. Often, Garrett would end up with much younger athletes, whose domestic duty experience and awareness was limited. This was the cause of much of his, and their angst. I think the labels intolerant and difficult were unfair, as I had no qualms about living with him. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep a tidy house.

Garrett’s diet was also notorious for it’s simplicity. It consisted of two meals, either burgers, or roast chicken. Occasionally he would include a pasta meal, but only rarely. Such was the importance of his burgers, he would bring his own grilling rack and tray with him on his trip to Australia every year. He would also pack a coffee dripper and his favourite Tim Horton’s ground coffee. Prior to going out for his evening running session, into the oven the prepared burger patties would go. On his return, he would do his stretching, have a shower, do some more exercises and then fastidiously construct his meal. With ketchup smothered burgers and bottle of carbonated mineral water in hand, he would sit down in front of the tv to eat. He would often finish the meal off with fruit or ice-cream. Fruit if he thought he needed to lose weight or both if he was satisfied with his present appearance. I have witnessed him consume a whole 4 litre tub of vanilla ice cream in one sitting. This was the routine almost every night, unless he changed it up a bit and had the roast chicken of course.

I must say, I was a burger convert while living with him, they were good! Garrett ate a lot and with some justification. He loved to train and was arguably the hardest trainer in the squad in terms of volume. Lugging his large frame around for hours a day burnt a lot of energy, and this had to be replenished.

Unfortunately, Garrett won’t be gracing us with his presence in Australia this triathlon season. Circumstances have meant that he has to stay at home in Canada and face the winter for the first time in a number of years. He is not very happy about it either. He hates the cold weather. I am the same and will be experiencing my first winter in Perth for a long time this Northern Hemisphere season. But at least I won’t have to put up with snow!