The Short Course ~ BIKE FOCUS

On my short course journey, I was reminded of really how great sprint & Olympic distance triathletes can ride a bike.

Just like the swim, from the moment they leave the bike rack, hustle to the mount line, leap (and I do mean leap for many of them) onto their bikes, and head out to tackle the course- it's no joke- they are moving and you learn to find your next gear in short course.

Here are a few bike details that short course athletes have mastered.  Plus skills and drills to implement in your workouts.

THE TRANSITION

Bottom line, these guys/gals are lightning FAST!  At Nationals / World's we have had both ourselves and/or clients hit or miss the podium due to the efficiency of transitions.  Short course athletes know that the simple set up is key, you are NOT creating 'a residence' in transition. 

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

Practice transitions! Practice the setup and the execution both 'from the water' and 'to the run'.  To take it up a notch practice not only when you are fresh, but I love challenging athletes to do this as part of their warm down. 

The safest and most effective way to work on your swim-bike transition is to start with your shoes on the bike.

AGAIN, you will NEED to practice setting up the bike with our shoes attached (my preference is to use rubber bands), navigating the bike from the saddle, and how AND where you want to mount the bike.  Don't worry, you do not have to 'hurl' your body onto the bike- but you need to leave time in your training to focus and dial in how you want to attack your transitions.

BIKE HANDLING AND CORNERING

Maybe the worst habits I see in long course athletes are a.) they don't focus on minimizing side to side movement, resulting in wasted energy, not to mention taking away their forward progression (aka adding time to the clock) b.) they forget bike handling 101 and simply glide through a corner only to hammer like all-get-out on the back half, wasting significant time and energy.

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

I say to my clients all the time- even if it is an easy recover spin, "Watch your line and practice proper cornering.  If you can train your body to do it every time you head out to train, come race day it will be automatic."  So two things you can practice, every time you are on the bike:

a.) Simply glance out in front of you, primarily look 6 feet out in front of your wheel and keep your chin down to minimize the neck strain.

b.) Try and hold your wheel parallel with the lane line on the road.  If you find yourself weaving back and forth, you are most likely loosing precious seconds and wasting a lot of energy on race day with your lack of bike control.  With attention to this detail, you will see that this is a quick fix. Long course athletes are just accustomed to logging long miles. Many times they not focused on the small details of bike handling that can really benefit the athlete.

c.) I could go on and on about cornering.  But for now, I want to focus on shifting and powering out of a corner.  When coming through corners, make sure you are not in your hardest gear- otherwise, you are going to have to hammer fest your way out of there and lose valuable energy for later in the race.  While not being in the hardest gear, whether sitting or standing once you are cresting the corner, increase your cadence and then shift into a harder gear only after you have regained momentum.  Do this in every ride- you will not only gain speed quickly, but you will be able to SUSTAIN that effort coming out of corners. 

LEGAL DRAFTING

"Drafting"- it's the cuss word that everyone hates in non-draft legal triathlon.  Have even heard it called comparable to doping.  Here is the gig, there is something called LEGAL drafting when passing or being passed by an athlete.  In short course, you have ~15sec to pass or drop back if you are being passed.  The difference in long course and short course, long course athletes (unless just deliberately sucking some one's wheel) typically do not utilize a slipstream approach when moving throughout the course. 

AGAIN, I am not encouraging you to hang on the back of another athlete's wheel.  Instead, when passing another cyclist, learn to approach from directly behind them rather than automatically moving to the left and trying to make a point as you grind right by them.  Get in their slipstream and then move to their front wheel.

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

Head out with either a small group or an area where there are plenty of riders (aka: opportunities to practice legal drafting).

When I go out with a client, we focus on both passing and being passed by another rider.  Both times, we focus on moving either forward or sitting back into the other riders slipstream or ~10sec and then learning to drop back within ~5sec in order to ensure we are not in danger of other athletes or ignoring the rules. 

The draft legal zone is 3 bike lengths- What does 3 bike lengths look like?

A way to measure the legal distance from your position to the lead rider is by using the white or yellow separator lines on the road (if available).

One line = ~3m long (and the distance between the lines is about 9 meters if you want a further reference). Therefore, you only need one white/yellow line and an extra 4-5 feet of space beyond that between your front wheel and the leader’s rear wheel to avoid a drafting penalty.

Practice both passing and dropping back- to keep it super simple:

If you passed 10 people x 10 sec/person of legal drafting and then 5 people happened to pass you x 10sec/person of legal drafting= that's over 2.5 min of 'drafting' and utilizing others to get you to the finish line faster. 

Short course athletes know the value of practicing and implementing fast transitions, proper handling & cornering ~ keep practicing!

Continue to train with a smile~

The Short Course ~ SWIM FOCUS

Athletes don't always applaud other triathletes when they say they are going to dip their toes back into the short course.

I will remind you again, the short course is no stinkin' joke!

It is demanding in a totally different way than the long course.  You don't see folks running around with short course tattoos and telling everyone at the office about their 'long ride' they did over the weekend.

But rather, I have found most of these athletes are extremely humble, consistent, headstrong, and freakin' fast.   

My hope and suggestion, before you 'turn your nose up' at the short course, read on. 

Remember that this sport has so much to teach us about ourselves and the dynamics of racing at every distance and every level.

Here are just a few things I learned about the swim in short course and the drills to help implement the speed and skill to survive :)

SWIM

THE START

YEP, from the time that cannon/ gun goes off- IT'S A BURNER!

These athletes do not hold back or wait for others to 'go in front of them'.  I noticed that like we teach in Playtri, most short course athletes want a bit of space and head for the edge of the start line in order to give themselves enough room to chase for their 'open water'.  Once they settle into the swim, they are NOT slowing down- unlike the moderate effort of long course short course triathletes get comfortable real quick with the idea that they are going to be uncomfortable, THE ENTIRE SWIM.

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

Work on your deep water starts with sprint sets starting with 25's, all the way up to 300's.  Do not give yourself much recovery but then again, if your pace drops drastically, either step it back to a shorter interval or increase the recovery between each- ideally on the longer sets like 150-300's you would sprint the first 50-100 and teach the body to hold the pace as much as possible.

ARM CADENCE

Every swimmer/ triathlete wants to talk about the 'glide/ pull' at calm water pool practices.  That's cute, but we don't have a black line of a calm pool to follow in our open water swim races.  So that essential 'glide' skill for pool, not so great for waves, current shifts, groups of athletes... short course athletes know how to move through the water regardless of the conditions.  Most short course athletes have a continuous arm cadence- don't freak out, I did not say the pull is not important.  What I am saying is that the continuous arm cadence is vital to move with fluidity through the water and around others.

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

Within the warm-up, I like athletes to do a 200-300yd/meter swim with a snorkel that purely focuses on the continuous arm cadence.  Visualize a fan- the fan may have 3 different speeds BUT regardless of pace - it continuously spins.  Within the workout, I encourage you to work this drill but implement it after speed or strength intervals to simulate how your body will 'default' come race day.

A great example would be to do a 10x100 pull set followed by 200yd/meter of the continuous arm drill with a snorkel.

What does this do? 1. Trains the body through fatigue to 'recover' in a forward progression, with far less effort 2. Teaches body fat efficiency 3. Teaches the body to stay on top of the water even through fatigue as the snorkel allows the athletes to focus strictly on the kick and arm cadence.

DRAFTING & RESPONSE TIME

Right now, pull up a long course age group swim start, then watch age group Nationals swim start.  Notice something??? Long course athletes are spread out pretty far apart, even the top guys/girls are not so great at always finding themselves in a line and working with one another (until the last 200-300meters that is, but up until then, they have wasted a significant amount of energy and mental focus by swimming primarily in their own little bubble).  Now watch Nationals, short course athletes may 'fight' their way to the front, but quickly, you see small packs and/or swimmers slip-streaming off the lead athletes. Research has shown over and over the significant benefits of drafting off others feet and/or hip has not only physical but also metabolic and mental advantages. Its a skill to learn!

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

Grab a few friends, head to the pool and hit the workout but alternate who leads ad practice both slipstreaming and the hip and feet. Notice the difference between being the second, third, fourth... girl/guy in line.  Have the lead athlete (also useful for the slower swimmer) use fins in order to increase/ push the pace.  Have a slower swimmer in front, great- work on not hitting their feet, maintaining a small continuous kick and stroke.  No doubt, you want to practice drafting at all paces and positions on other athletes- WHY??? Because in a race, if another pack or swimmer from behind passes your group, you want to already be in proper position on top of the water to accelerate and respond to the other pack.

The other skill you want to work on while at the pool is your response time.  Effective sighting is key in short course racing and essential to work with others.  Instead of just doing your normal threshold intervals, ex: 5x300 @ pace- challenge your efforts with 5x300, sighting at least 1x every length.  When you first do this main set, your times will most likely not match your normal 300yd/meter time.  Don't freak out, but notice the discrepancy and keep practicing your sighting technique by slightly increasing your kick and simply glancing right above the water line each time you 'sight'. 

FINAL KICK

You know how you hear a lot of coaches and/or triathletes warn about not 'kicking too much or wasting their legs in the swim.' 

Ya, go ahead and nix that idea.  Short course specialists know the value of 'creating a wake' behind them, literally!

You are going to have to train both your body and mind on this one- it hurts, your heart rate skyrockets when you first start incorporating this in your training (as with anything new, introducing a new concept in any part of your training will first increase heart rate and then it will drop as you become more effective with the skill), and it no doubt it is the exact opposite of what our brain tells us considering we are about to hit the pavement in a mad dash to our bikes out of the water.

Workout Skill/ Drill to Implement in Training:

At the end of a strength or speed pool session, put on your flippers, and finish with 3-5x100's swim with an exaggerated fast kick. The next week increase distance to something like 2x250, and the following week or two attempt the 500 'finishing kick' swim.  No doubt, it's brutal, but it works!

I will say this, the absolute BEST way to practice triathlon swimming is through the obvious- GET TO SOME OPEN WATER SWIM PRACTICES. 

Don't settle on simply doing the distance in the open water, nor is it ideal to just go out there alone. 

But rather the more people you have to practice and push you, the better.

Pool swimming is good but again the best option is to get outside in the true elements of short course triathlon swimming.

Next up we will look at the dynamics of short course and racing and how the bike segment is DRASTICALLY different than the long course.

Until next time, train with a smile~

Orange Mud Product Review by Coach Raina

Muddy Waters
Orange Mud Review by Coach Raina

With temperatures comfortably hitting the triple digits these days, it’s tough to get through a run workout without needing crazy amounts of fluids.  Finding water fountains that are dispensing anything colder than luke-warm are few and far between. The problem, however, becomes how to carry enough water to make it all possible. Well thanks to Orange Mud, it’s now easier to get your hydration needs covered.

I have been running with a hand bottle for quite some time – I can hydrate, it forces me to not clench my hand, and I can even carry a few necessities, such as gels, a key, or even my credit card for a corner store stop. The problem I always have, however, is keeping the bottle cinched on my hand. It always loosens while running, so then all I can do it focus on my bottle and not my run. Orange Mud made it simple – elastic Velcro! With a wider band for comfort, and stretchy material making it possible for any size hand to use, OM’s hand bottle made the overall experience more enjoyable. With its larger, standard water bottle (such as like that on a bike), I had plenty of water for my run that I could easily get ice into. It was slightly heavier, but I’d take the extra few ounces in lieu of the ability to easily fill it with ice any day. It could even accommodate a larger bottle if I needed. Nutrition was tough to get in and out, but with some practice (and patience), a gel or two could be accessible as well.                                                             

So what happens when you need more than a bottle? Carrying bottles on bottles isn’t really possible, or practical. Enter the hydration vest. I wasn’t sure at first, thinking that the weight of the water would really bother me – won’t my back chafe, I’ll get too tired in my upper body, my arms won’t be able to move freely? Not at all! ONE run was all it took for the staff to become fans of the vest systems. The 1 liter option was perfect for me on quick runs, and the 2 liter option was a great choice for longer runs and the guys. The weight of the pack was perfectly situated on the upper back, and as the water sloshed around, the pack didn’t move at all (my favorite feature!). So many well-designed pockets for nutrition, a phone, and soft flasks. You can even hide your nutrition in the pockets over the shoulders! Overall, it was an awesome option.       

Orange Mud’s long line of products makes training a breeze, and they’re non-hydration products are so fun too. (Check out their Transition Towel/Car Seat wrap!) Come by and try out their latest styles today!

10 Reasons to get RETUL/GURU BIKE FIT

Top 10 Reasons YOU should get a RETUL/GURU BIKE Fit at PLAYTRI:

1)    You will be more comfortable and efficient riding your bike.

2)    You can maximize your power and endurance with an optimal position.

3)    You can prevent injuries - the right alignment prevents knee and back issues.

4)   Because chamois butter is an accessory, not a necessity.

5)    Because riding on the hoods isn’t aero.

6)    You gain more control of the bike.

7)    Because that numbness in your hands and groin isn’t a good thing.

8)    You’ll gain confidence in your equipment as a complete equipment check is part of the evaluation

9)    You can get a custom bike without the custom price.

10)    Because your saddle should be your friend not your enemy.

Contact your local PLAYTRI Store today to schedule a Bike Fit.

Get all the details of a RETUL/GURU BIKE FIT watching our 90-second video or at www.playtri.com/bikefits/

Have additional questions?! Give us a shout at: coach@playtri.com 

Race Week Prep ~ So close to the finish line

So, you have done all the hard work and training, now you are in full blown taper mode, don't screw up the week leading into your race! 

Most likely you are now simply focusing on that starting line and all the possibilities that race day will bring you.

But don't miss out on Coach Amari's race week tips to help set you up for your best day.

1) Sleep

Make sure you are setting up your evenings with minimal commitments and be careful to not schedule many early morning meetings.

This will help ensure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep or downtime a night.

You don't want to force the body but rather make sure to put away electronics, turn off the TV, and do your best to find a routine that calms you down and allows for ample rest

You might not sleep for 7-8 hours but give yourself space and time to chill it out a bit more than normal.

Consider taking a short 15-20min power nap as well during your lunch break.  Make sure you are not waiting till late in the day but rather power down prior to 2pm.

This will likely not disrupt your normal sleeping pattern.  Again, the goal is to simply allow your body and mind more rest and recovery prior to your big day.

2) Water

Drink 6-8 oz. every hour you are awake, outside of your training schedule.

I emphasize water for a couple of reasons.  Just to name a couple drinking water increases the natural flushing of toxins, aids in digestion, increased concentration, encourages recovery throughout your taper and ensures the obvious, hydration prior to race day.

I always hear people complain that it is hard to drink that much water.  And then I kindly remind them that they will be drinking water every 12-15minutes for several minutes or hours in just a few days.  Keep your body used to the idea of drinking often even when you are not training.  Don't force water down your pipes, rather drink 2-4oz every 15minutes.

3) Breakfast

Race morning brings nerves and anticipation.  A lot of athletes struggle to get down their race morning breakfast.  Although you probably have practiced this meal many times over in your training (hint, hint), leading up to your event, consider eating your pre-race breakfast a few times throughout the week.  Make sure you include the proper hydration to help stimulate quick absorption and your body's ability to utilize the fuel quickly.

4) Eat Consistently

Watch out for eating too many additional calories, as your training is at a minimal during taper.  As well, try not to overindulge at any given meal.

Eat small and steadily throughout each day.

Rather than saving your biggest meal of the evening, make your lunch the largest of the day.

Just like with the water, come race day you will be eating often.

You want your body to quickly utilize that energy all while pushing your limits and blood, oxygen, and water being dispersed throughout.

Keep your body in tune with the ability to rapidly digest to ensure come race day your body will properly respond rather than reject or delay your race with each feeding. 

5) Watch the Fiber

If you know you experience race day GI issues, are doing a longer distance, and/or are planning a PR- consider cutting back on foods high in fiber starting 3-4 days out of the competition.

This will hopefully limit the additional porta-potty stops!

When choosing starches consider rice and potato-based products while limiting the corn, flour, and wheat.  Also if you are fruit eater, have small servings at the beginning of the day.

6) Cryosauna / Ice Baths

Ideally, you want to minimize the amount of inflammation and increase the recovery process the week of your race. 

Your body will thank you if you can score at least 2-3 cryo sessions or ice baths. 

7) Massage, Chiro

If you are racing Saturday, I encourage you to get your last treatments on Tuesday and if your event is Sunday, no later than Wednesday.

Why?  For whatever reason, the treatment causes more pain or your body needs further attention, there are plenty of days in advance till game time.

Don't wait, get your race week treatments done early!

Have a great race!

Swim Equipment Checklist

Swimming is more than just jumping into a pool and staring at a black line. There are several tools and equipment every swimmer needs to be successful!

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Here is our recommended swim equipment checklist:

 

Goggles:

1.     Brand new googles have anti-fog in them that lasts 6 weeks

2.     Once the anti-fog stops working I recommend foggles that lasts 1 week

3.     The longer you go without rubbing your goggles with your finger the longer your goggles will last

4.     Depending on the condition of your goggles you should probably replace them every 4-6 months

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Speed suit:

1.     Allowed in non-wetsuit triathlons

2.     Provides aerodynamic resistance

3.     Eliminates drag

4.     You just feel FAST!

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Wetsuit:

1.     USAT rules states that competitors may wear a wetsuit if the water temperature is 78 degrees or lower.

2.     USAT rules also states that if the water temperature is between 78.1-83.9, competitors may wear wetsuits but will not be eligible for awards.

3.     Full sleeve option and a sleeveless option (recommend trying both and deciding on the one you feel more comfortable in)

4.     The buoyant neoprene in a wetsuit will help the swimmer swim higher in the water, decreasing drag and increase swim speed.

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More Pool Equipment to get faster and have some fun!

1.     Paddles- helps strengthen arm muscles and correct hand placement

2.     Fins- helps with floatation, speed and strengthen legs

3.     Pull buoy- helps with flotation and allows you to focus solely on your pull

4.     Snorkel- helps with freestyle form by taking the breath stroke out of it

5.     New Wave buoy- open water swimming flotation device for safety

6.     Ear plugs- helps prevent swimmers ear

7.     Nose clips- helps keep water from getting in your nose (great when using a snorkel)

8.     Swim Cap- helps keep hair out of your face (highly recommend silicone…very soft)

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Playtri has everything you need to swim, bike and run! Shop online or visit any of our Dallas-Ft. Worth locations.

We now carry the Huub swim and triathlon line:

Happy training!!

Overcoming the Fear of Swim with Coach Raina

If there’s one thing that I hear over and over again when it comes to triathlon, it’s negativity about the swim portion of the race.

“I’m going to be the last person out of the water.”

“I’m not a great swimmer, it’s my worst part.”

“I just need to get the swim done so I can get to the bike.”

“I’m just hoping I don’t drown!”

Let me start off by saying that I also hope you don’t drown - Good grief, that’s not a great race plan!! As a triathlete and coach with a competitive swimming background, it was difficult hearing this over and over as I began coaching newcomers and age-groupers. “Swimming is like breathing to me” I’d tell them, and my lack of understanding of their fears, quite simply, left me puzzled. So as a coach that tries to bring hard science and education to athletes, I knew I had to look for commonalities and solutions.

After countless swim analysis sessions with athletes of all skills and levels, it’s surprising how alike we all really are. I find myself repeating much of the same principles and tactics to athletes that are not only struggling with the swim, but also fine-tuning their swim!! In the end, it all boils down to a few key, foundational techniques, and then it’s like anything else – it takes practice! Here’s what I’ve found helps athlete’s step out of fear, and into the water:

Get a swim analysis.

Youtube is NOT the way to learn how to swim (I’m still so shocked that I hear this on the regular!). Having a coach that can look at your technique one on one, and give you instant feedback, is a great way to learn how to adjust your swim to get more efficient. Video recording of your actual swim, mirrors in the water (such as in the Playtri endless pool), and taking pictures are some of the ways that athletes can see what the coach sees, and can immediately address during a session. Getting efficient in technique will help strengthen your balance in the water and make you more comfortable in the water.

Understand and plan for your swim.

Do you have something specific you’re shooting for? When you have a clear focus point, it can help keep you moving in the right direction. If you’re training for a race, know what the swim portion will consist of: How far is the swim? Will it be in a pool or open water? How long is the pool?  All too often, many athlete’s end up underprepared for the swim because they didn’t spend enough time training for race conditions. Using a pool to practice for open water, wrong pool size, not practicing with a wetsuit, and even the wrong lens color for the conditions of the day can create anxiety. Knowing what to expect on race day will help give you time to practice more of what you need. Visualizing your swim, joining coached open water swims, practicing your race day gear will make you more comfortable and more at ease come race day.

Remember you’re not alone, so keep moving!

Swimming is by far the most difficult portion for most triathletes, whether physically or mentally, so knowing that most of the people around you are feeling the same can help put you at ease - We all start out in “unfamiliar waters”. Keep your focus on what you’re doing in the moment, (trying to minimize the starting/stopping cycle so it will be more efficient and faster) and you won’t allow yourself the time to focus on anything else but your swim!

Before you know it, you’ll be through the water and back on land!!

Find a swim coach and training sessions with Playtri at playtri.com/personaltraining/

Hello Recovery Workout! Why training less than TP is beneficial

If science shows us that we should spend NO MORE than 30% (at the very most) in anaerobic training on a YEARLY basis- then logically, you can understand the stress (albeit good stress) that it puts on the body and mind. 

On the flip side of the coin- that means our body DEMANDS recovery...

How do we in Playtri define recovery (not aerobic effort but true recovery efforts)= <TP OR <ZONE 1/2...  what, when, why, how is <TP beneficial???

QUESTIONS I GET:

1- "Why the HELL am I/ are you wasting my time doing this easy of a workout?"

We are looking to increase mental, metabolic, and muscular recovery.

There is plenty of research that has shown that easy sessions will increase performance/ quality of harder/longer workouts + stimulate fat efficiency (esp digestive health, which as we have previously discussed equates to IMMUNE FUNCTION- huge as we age!) + relaxes the body to maintain balance and psychological well being.

2. "If it is about recovery, why am I just not taking the entire day off- Aren't these just crap miles?"

Easiest visualization of the body= IT IS ONE MASSIVE PUMP- blood flow, oxygen/ carbon dioxide exchange, digestive tract....

It craves and operates at its HEALTHIEST when it is PUMPING consistently and for the most part steadily.

That said- active recovery workouts at the very least= increase blood flow and pushes "FRESH" oxygen throughout the entire body.

The athlete that likes to ride the line RIGHT UNDER where their aerobic efforts begin (TP or mid Zone 2)- these are the athletes are the ones who later in the year start to breakdown and many times lead to injury, lower immune function/ illness, or lack of motivation to get even a short workout in...

In other words, not worth it in in the long run!!!

3. "But is there a time when taking off an entire day might be more productive?"

FOR SURE!!! More bc we need or crave just a day... if you are like me I need to run errands, go to brunch, sleep in, family/ friend fun, travel :)...

We need to keep a balance, This is why I have recently / strongly encouraged athletes to give me specific day(s) of the week that they would like to have off when doing their schedules.  Ideally we would see 5-6days/ week of consistent training, dependent upon the individuals goals and commitments (even if it means only 30min/day- my job= maximize your time and energy so that you may live a healthy and active lifestyle).

Again, workouts should be A PART of a fun and fulfilling life!

4- "What does EASY really mean- how fast should I go?"
Bike: <TP/ < Zone 1-2= both heart rate (the effort you put into the workout) AND power (the efficiency your effort- reminder, low heart rate but high power/ fast pace means you are either recovered OR your fitness has elevated- these are simple internal factors. 

Yes, you may need to be in your easiest gear- GREAT work easy gear/ high cadence- this is a recovery workout!

Run: <TP/ <Zone 1-2 heart rate AND at least 2min SLOWER than your threshold pace.

Ex: 7min pace on 10k at 160bpm, EASY= at least 30bpm below TP heart rate AND no faster than 9min pace

(Hr rates discrepancy may vary based on testing)

(***Also could also vary based on different terrain, lower winds, more shade, lower temps... tons of outside factors. Partly why pace and hr rate are used)

Yes, you may have to walk- GREAT work form and staying relaxed- this is a recovery workout!

5. "But I can go faster than this and it seems too easy!"

Consider these:

A. Check with your coach/ consider retesting- they/ you should absolutely be able to review multiple files that will reveal whether or not this is necessary.

B. Think BEYOND today / look beyond your nose- if you or your coach has scheduled an easy day- most likely, a harder day is around the corner.

C. No one cares how fast you can go on your EASY DAYS. Let everyone comment on how slow you were going, you will show them when it counts :)

D. Again, consider the goal of the workout- you should simply feel and be completely REFRESHED after this type of workout!!!

Here's to staying healthy both in mind and body through the easy days~

Happy Training!!!

Mental & Metabolic Component of Interval Training

As we begin to increase fitness this year = longer intervals, higher intensity, and/or both- I want to point out a small trick that I feel is/has significantly helped me in conquering new goals in my power and paces.

When you look each morning at your training document to see the Rx'ed workout- review the strategy by calculating the total minutes of actual effort. 

Use both the science and mental component to dial in the true goal of the workout rather than potentially being overwhelmed or dreading if you can actually "hit" workout. 

Example Workout: 1hr Bike with 9x3min @ your Olympic distance power, pace, or heart rate (threshold) with 2min very easy recovery between each hard interval.

BIG PICTURE- after the warm up and cool down, this truly is only 27min of effort (less that half an hour)...

You have 33min of active recovery, below both zone 2/ active recovery hr rate and power! 

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Another trick I like to play when the interval seems overwhelming I like to compare the interval length to something completely out of the sport.

If we use the same 9x3min @ threshold example- I like to imagine that my next interval will take me LESS time that unloading my dishwasher at home.

Ok, so your mind trick and comparison may be better than mine- but try it- I can tell you, I personally love tackling an interval more than doing my dishes!

When you look at the workout like this, it seems far more manageable mentally and metabolically to recover.

You are only going to need roughly 150cal of carb to recover fully from these efforts. (ex: banana + piece of toast or 1/2c milk in your coffee- that's not much at all!).

Play games/ tricks in training- it is fun to test the waters and stretch your body and mind- guess what, if you have to stop mid point on an interval bc you aren't quite nailing it- that's ok, jump back in and try again, training is about the accumulation of effort not perfection.

Just like in life, you gotta go for it, OVER AND OVER!

Happy Training!

GALVESTON 70.3 HALF IRONMAN ~ COUNT DOWN!!!

GALVESTON 70.3 HALF IRONMAN

COUNT DOWN!!!

SWIM-

Purchase 2sets of new goggles (preferably two different types of tinted lens)

Practice 2 x 15-20min in wetsuit / speed suit (if you own it)

-Reminder: Rinse out suit, hang up to dry-inside out, and do not leave it in your car-

BIKE-

Get bike tuned up at least 10 days out from race day

Practice rides in race shoes and sunglasses

Practice 2-3 ride in helmet

Practice Transitions

Pack Transition Contents:

In a zip lock / solutions bag- Vasoline and Tums

In zip lock / nutrition bag- nutrition and electrolytes

Extra PBJ and water bottle for emergency only- made at destination

RUN-

Buy race shoes at least 15 days out from race day- if new: do at least 3x30min walks in them

Practice 3x 20-30min in race shoes, compression sleeves/socks, sunglasses, and visor/hat

Pack Transition #2 Contents:

In a zip lock / solutions bag- Vasoline and Tums

In zip lock / nutrition bag- nutrition and electrolytes

Extra PBJ and water bottle for emergency only- made at destination

SLEEP-

8-9hr/night- try to not set an alarm the last 4 days prior to race day

RECOVERY-

Chiro, massage- 1x/week

Compression up to 4hr/day

Ice Bath / Cyrosauna- 2x/wk

Foam Rolling / Stretching- 5min / day

Elevate Legs as much as possible

HYDRATION-

Don’t force hydration but make sure your pee is light yellow always 

Consider drinking a Nuun 1x/day (split it in half morning and mid day)

NUTRITION-

Pre Race Breakfast throughout race week a couple times

Main meal – Lunch: 400-500cal

Small snacks throughout the day- 100-200cal, every 90min

Carry snacks to the Expo and throughout the bike drop off

Smaller Dinner – no later than 5pm Wednesday-Saturday of race week

If needed small snack at 7pm- last 2nights before race day

Look back at all your workouts you've done to prepare for the race.

You got it!! You put in the work and now it's time for the fun part....SMILE AND RACE!  

Maximizing Your Efforts

A quality that we can all truly appreciate is when a person / program is dedicated to not wasting time and energy. 

I have watched athletes thrive on the Playtri concept that maximizes every minute an athlete has in and outside of their health and fitness goals/workouts.

I want to highlight on one aspect of getting the absolute most out of your efforts and workouts: THE WARM UP AND COOL DOWN!

Who wouldn't want to take advantage of the warm up/cool down, if I could promise - NOT ADDING A SINGLE MINUTE INTO YOUR WORKOUT-

I could teach your body and mind to be more efficient muscularly (both in technique and speed), metabolically (more fat efficient), and mentally (prepped as well as increasing the recovery rate between workouts)...  you would be crazy to not implement these quick and easy modifications to your workouts.

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SWIM

WARM UP-

3min Dry Land (this is also a really fantastic way to train the mind/ body year round for those races that do not allow an in water warm up)

25 easy jumping jacks or jog in place to increase heart range and range of motion

15 reverse big arm circles/side to open the chest and shoulders

15 torso twists/ side to wake up the core and hips

10 reach down/ squat down to initiate hamstrings

10 calf stretches / side to lengthen the calfs

10 side and runners lunges

25 jumping jacks this time a little faster than at the beginning of the warm up

Within your normal warmup: after the initial 200 or so yards/meters, simply add 8-10strokes that gently picks up the pace to begin to increase heart rate and response. 

You can also do this within your warm up kick set.  Add 5-10sec of just a bit faster kick and then return back to your normal warm up pace. 

Again this is simply to wake the body up- not looking to set any new records!

Note to Self: this a great warm up pre race as well that can both be done in pool and open water races.

COOL DOWN

Put on your snorkel during the cool down. 

Every swim should have at least 150-200yd/meters of a cool down. We are all very tired at the end of our swims.  By putting on the snorkel, you are able to easily remind / train your body through fatigue to stay on top of the water through a continuous kick and consistent stroke.  This is a huge advantage in open water toward the last few hundred meters.

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BIKE

WARM UP

Regardless if the workout is a training pace (zone 2-3) or race pace+ (zone 4-5), your warm up should be at least 5-10minutes long.  Research has shown us that in the older athlete or an athlete who is increasing their load count on a week to week basis should allow their body a longer warm up with a few exercises to stimulate and prepped the body for the main sets effort.

10-15min warm up routine

5min: easy spin

2min-5min: 20sec single leg drill/ 20sec single leg drill/ 20sec easy pedal- focus on a smooth pedal stroke, reducing all 'dead spots' while ensuring you are pulling the pedal through the back half of the stroke

3min-5min: 15-20sec high cadence/ 40-45sec easy pedal- to wake up lungs and prep legs for some work

COOL DOWN

Every workout must end with 5-10min easy.  Instead of just pedaling, go into a very easy gear and keep a 90+rpm. 

Metabolically- increases fat efficiency

Muscularly- increases circulation and is the simplest/ cheapest form of recovery

Mentally- allows the body to relax after a hard workout= the body will be less resistant to the next workouts' stress as you have "tricked" it and it will recall the ease of the cool down over the previous effort

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RUN

WARM UP

Those that grew up running already know the advantages of an easy jog, followed by drills, and finishing up with some strides or pick ups prior to their main workout.  Watch the runners prior to their big events- they don't simply jump into the race- they allow the body to ease into the day, while daily revisiting drills and technique, and finishing up with some pick ups that initiate the effort in a controlled manner. 

10-15min warm up routine

5min EASY jog (at least 90sec-2min slower than your workout pace)

3min-5min: 20sec single leg drill/ 20sec single leg drill/ 20sec easy jog

2min-5min: 15-20sec pick up/ 40-45sec easy jog

COOL DOWN
Just like the bike, instead of pedaling, walk it out for at least 5 minutes!

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Increase your body's natural ability to burn fat and recovery rate while encouraging the body to recover quickly so that tomorrow you can jump into your next session without hesitation!

Notice- I did not add a single minute into your daily training.  Our goal for you - stay healthy and consistent while maximizing your time and efforts!


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Why FTP should not be your only focus

In the first part of this 5 part series, I discussed the limitations and restrictions of using only the FTP as the sole evaluation of current fitness.

When calculating performance ability, we want to see both our capability through both field testing (ex: FTP 20 min Time Trial) as well as how our bodies respond to stress, removing the mental aspect of load (Blood Lactate Testing).  Without both, you are possibly missing out on optimal training opportunities. 

Why else should FTP (Functional Threshold Power) not be your only focus in establishing current fitness-

#2- How efficient is the athlete in controlling their power at different cadences AND different positions in and out of the saddle?

It is one thing to hit your FTP on the trainer, in perfectly flat / calm conditions, at a controlled cadence.

We want and need options in controlling our power, while maintaining the same effort (heart rate), regardless of circumstances or terrain. 

Just a reminder, we use heart rate as a reference to evaluate how hard the athlete is actually working to produce a certain power.  It is very important to evaluate this, as the athlete is getting more fit, that heart rate (effort into the interval) will drop.  In other words, as the athlete becomes more fit, the effort gets easier and takes less toll on the athlete metabolically and muscularly.

Now back to my point of needing more than simply FTP to know if the athlete is getting more fit and/or on track to reaching their goals.

I not only want my clients to be able to hit their FTP / Race Pace power numbers, but I want them to be able to repeatedly sustain this threshold at cadences and positions in the saddle that mimic complicated race-like conditions, specifically wind and hills.  Most athletes average 80-90rpm on the flats but typically climb at 65-75rpm, depending upon the grade and length of the climb.  Many athletes struggle to maintain and not overshoot power on the climbs and in windy conditions, power is harder control and can conditions may be erratic and unpredictable. 

So when looking at an athlete's file, I want to see that Client X is first able to sustain their FTP for at least 2x20min, at the normal 80-90rpm, in a seated neutral position on the saddle.

From there, I will to challenge the athlete to sustain the same FTP at 50, 60, 70, and even 100rpms. 

Not only am I gauging their power, I am also referencing heart rate to see the discrepancy between their normal cadence interval (80-90rpm) compared to the "climbing and decent" rpms. Again, the heart rate will be lower (less distress muscularly and metabolically over time) the more fit / comfortable the athlete is, at their specific FTP.

As soon as the client has mastered this, I challenge the athlete to maintain that same FTP, while utilizing the four different positions in the saddle: mid saddle, tip of the nose of the saddle with a higher rpm, back of the saddle utilizing a slower more 'paddle boat' like pedal stroke, and lastly standing out of the saddle. 

Ideally, as a coach you could throw the typical FTP interval of 2 x 20minutes at a client and within that 20minutes, you could have the athlete alternating different positions in and out of the saddle AND at different cadences and see if the athlete can control their watts within a 20watt range, while maintaining their heart rate within 3-5beats .  Once the athlete has accomplished this, then we know the client is proficient in utilizing their Functional Threshold Power. 

As an athlete and a coach, I want options in maximizing potential.  Utilizing FTP, while simulating complicated and ever changing race conditions is key!

Look forward to sharing the next installment, #3/5 of reasons why FTP should not be your only focus, within the next couple of weeks.

Happy training! 

Indoor Training

Good Morning & Happy New Year!

With these temps, comes a lot of indoor training.

Here is the upside= QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY!!!

Wanted to send you a few reminders that you need to consider when moving the majority of your training indoors.

SWIM-

1- Maintain as much of a consistent body temp as possible in and out of the pool. (wear warm clothing in and ensure you quickly dry off post workout/ warm clothes prior to leaving)

2- Drink water consistently throughout the session.

BIKE-

1- Wipe down your bike after every workout.

2- Clean your chain at least 1x/week.

3- Use a trainer tire.

4- Warm up and cool down adequately in every session. 

Your body temp is lower and your response to stimulus will be slightly delayed bc of the colder weather= make sure you stay well below TP (zone 2) BOTH power and hr rate.

Consider including either short drills or pick ups to prepare the body for the sessions longer efforts.

5- Drink at least 1bottle / hour of plain water.

6- Make sure you have a fan or good ventilation to the training area to keep the body temp regulated.

7- Pump tire to at least 105-115psi every workout prior to tightening the trainer to the wheel.

8- Make sure to either completely remove the bike or stress on the tire from the trainer after every workout.

9- Hills= unless otherwise said= climb for 1min at 65-75rpm and recover for 1min at 80+rpm

RUN-

1- Warm Up and Cool Down

Again, your body temp is lower and your response to stimulus will be slightly delayed bc of the colder weather= make sure you stay well below TP (zone 2) hr rate & at least 90sec/mile SLOWER than your main sets determined efforts.

Consider including either short drills or pick ups to prepare the body for the sessions longer efforts.

2- Drink at least 1bottle / hour of plain water.

3- Make sure you have a fan or good ventilation to the training area to keep the body temp regulated.

4- Warm up and cool down at 0%

5- Main set of TP or intervals, set treadmill at 1%

6- Hills= no higher than 4% and unless otherwise said= climb for 1min up to 4% and recover for 1min at 0%

HEALTH-

Most people assume that they get sick bc getting out in the cold weather- they forget the reality that when it is cold, EVERYONE avoids the outdoors like the plague= all germs and gross gunk literally sits in the air, ready to pounce on your immune system.

Not to mention your immune system is compromised for multiple reasons but to name a few= alcohol, sugar, travel, lack of sleep, whatever your poison, the holidays do a number on us!

Through the winter, I STRONGLY recommend:

1- Vitamin D

2- Turmeric

3- Probiotic

4- Vitamin A

5- Apple Cider Vinegar: 1Tbsp / 8oz water in am & pm, if you have a sensitive stomach start with 1/2Tbsp / 8-12oz water

Also, if you happen to get sick (esp the chest crap that is going around)- DO NOT get an antibiotic... WHY???

In short, antibiotics severely disable the immune system and its function.

Immune system= 80% of it is in the digestive system and regulated by the "gut flora," microbes.

Being broad= you have roughly 85% "good microbes" to 15% "bad microbes" in the gut.

Most folks= this ratio is severely skewed in favor of bad microbes, which in turn has the effect of seriously weakening the immune system.
Talking antibiotics= not only are the "bad microbes" killed off, so too are the good microbes= leaves the gut almost completely depleted of beneficial, immune response-regulating gut flora, & consequently a seriously compromised immune system.

With this knowledge what is the BEST solution over antibiotics:

1- SLEEP: AT NIGHT! When the sun is down - aim for 8-9hr/night BUT avoid daytime naps as much as possible

2- ELIMINATE: dairy and gluten

3- INCREASE: roughage and berries for antioxidants

4- REDUCE: all sugar and processed foods

5- ELIMINATE: alcohol completely

6- MINIMIZE: caffeine

7- INCREASE: water intake, 4-6oz water/hr outside of training

Keep what you put into your body VERY SIMPLE- if what you are throwing into your body creates more stress and inflammation- CUT IT OUT!

Here's to a healthy and fun winter of training!!!!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me!

5 Part Series: Why FTP should NOT be your only focus

Many athletes are starting to getting back into the groove - to start the year off, we have our athletes put their bodies through field tests and lactate testing in order to establish new benchmarks. When it comes to the bike, outside of buying new greatest, lightest, most aerodynamic machine one can buy, rumblings of FTP or Functional Threshold Power numbers start to fill the air.  FTP or Functional Threshold Power testing is essentially what maximal sustainable power output an athlete can hold for one hour. 

Although FTP is a great predictor of one's endurance performance and ability, it absolutely is not the one only way to evaluate current fitness.

What is athlete's potential metabolically and physically, outside their mental limitations?

FTP testing is done many different ways, but the most well known on FTP test is a 20min time trial.  

There is a reason that the Time Trial Road Race is considered the, "Race of Truth".  If done correctly, it takes almost everything out of you... 

But here is the kicker, maybe counting on a single hand, do the number of athletes in the entire world gain absolute knowledge of their potential in this test.  Why? 

Because our mind is our limitation- when it gets hard, whether we like it or not, we back down- I don't blame you, it is just the way the human body has survived and evolved.  

In Playtri coaching, we evaluate three main aspects of a client's fitness: physical, mental, and metabolic factors.

That said, we do Blood Lactate Testing to remove the mental aspect and review only how the athlete handles stress and load metabolically and muscularly.

One of the best things I can do for my athletes is to USE BOTH RESULTS FROM THE LACTATE TESTING AND FTP TESTING... How???

Ex: An athlete completes the 20min TT and finds that their FTP is 280watts, and yet her Blood Lactate Testing exposed that they are capable of sustaining 315watts.

This shows, as of that moment, the athlete ALREADY HAS 12.5% MORE PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL TO WORK WITH!  

If you were to rely solely on the FTP, you will miss out on truly knowing where you are and settling for less than your body and training can handle.

If you are willing to evaluate your current bike fitness through not just the FTP lens, you will see endless possibilities in your training and racing to stay motivated.

You will continue to improve not just your power output on the trainer but rather make a significant impact on your experience out on the road and/or races!

Mental Training & Motivation

"Ironman is more than just a race to test their bodies, but a culmination to a commitment, made a long time ago!"- Ironman 2017.

I absolutely love everything about this quote.  It is a beautiful reminder that everything great in life, that we decide to thrive in, takes relentless dedication.

When we are willing to establish our goals (because goals do take guts), we are agreeing on a pact or unspoken contract that we are willing to do whatever it takes.
Reality check, goals demand responsibility. 

So, what happens when you flinch at the obligation and start to dig your heels in, finding little motivation to do what you said you wanted to do???

Motivation is not something you can fake.  

But let me suggest that instead of getting caught up with your personal resistance, challenge your allegiance and point your attention to what you can do.

Check out these 3 aspects and you will find a new gear and a mental edge in your training.

1- DIAL IN YOUR NUTRITION

Any time you are willing to eat better, you will FEEL better.

I could really over complicate this one, but let's keep it super simple:

A. Add greens to every meal. 

B. Pull out from your diet anything that comes from a bag, bottle, or box. 

C. Drop the alcohol. It is no secret, alcohol is a depressant- are you really shocked that drinking one too many suds can mentally take away from your focus???  

Ultimately you control what goes into your body- EAT to feel your BEST!

2- CREATE A RALLY ROUTINE

Most of us don't give sleep the credit it deserves.  Watch a toddler who missed his nap or is sick, their last resort is to have an absolute melt down in the grocery store.

Why? Because they don't feel good and they can't find a solution to their frustration... guess what, we too have our own mini-meltdowns when we don't take care of ourselves and this will absolutely impact your consistency and drive. When you are having these moments and are struggling to stick to the commitments of your goal, make sure you have what I call, a rally routine.  

Instead of simply skipping the workout and heading out for happy hour or reaching for the basket of fries, pull together 2-3 recovery methods and prep your body for the task tomorrow.

EX: foam roll for 15min, take a 20min nap, hop in the cryosauna, grab a massage, sit in the sun for 20min, take your dog for a walk... on and on.

This isn't only about the physical strain of training but it greatly reduces the mental stress and will motivate you back to your inward agreement and goal.

3- PICK YOUR COMPANY WISELY

My mom used to say, "Surround yourself with people better than yourself... if those around you are 'winning', you too 'will win' one day... "

There is absolutely nothing wrong with removing people, places, and things that bring a negativity or distraction into your life when you are attempting 

to do something you have never done before.  

In the same breath, this is a journey and part of its richness will come from being surrounded by like-minded individuals who demand that you too bring positivity to the table and a special energy to sharpen one another.  

This year, outside our normal Wednesday morning runs, I have started to create small squad workouts within my clients schedules.  They know the accountability to one another, they honor the challenge of pushing one another, and they leave the complaining at the door- they are there to work!

Find your tribe and ditch those that accept or even encourage you to be less than what you can be.

Just because you are struggling, and you will have days that you will battle yourself and your goals, focus on what you can do!

This is the mental edge that you won't find in a sports psych office- rather I dare you to redirect your energy and time to what you can control.

"Where your mind can go, your body will follow."

Gift Ideas from Playtri

From newbies to seasoned athletes, we've got the perfect gift ideas for all the athletes in your life (maybe even you). 

Make this the year for big challenges with the Sprint Bundle - admission to four races and all the necessary (and awesome) SWAG. 

Register online by Dec. 20th and pick up SWAG between Dec. 21st - 24th for gift giving.

Help your athlete CONQUER the SWIM!

Playtri Swim Bundle offers everything an athlete could need to get the workout they want - speed, strength or just float!  All these great swim tools for just $99.

Swim don't Sink with 4 - 30 minute coached Endless Pool swim sessions for just $180.  
 

CRUSH the BIKE with these Gift Ideas!

Speed, Comfort and Aero are the best gifts for a cyclist.  Get your cyclist a Retul Bike Fit at Playtri for just $149.

 

Purchase Race Wheels or a Power Meter and get a $50 Playtri Gift Card*.

 

*Offer available through Dec. 17th.  Not combinable with other discounts or offers.

Tri a Tri-Cation in Kona, Hawaii

Enjoy a full week of swimming in the clear blue water of Hawaii, biking on the infamous Queen K and running along the storied Alii Drive.

Build your 2018 base and your tan while training on the Hawaii Ironman World Championship Course.  Just $999 - use code HOLIDAY for $500 off. www.playtri.com/hawaii

*Offer available through Dec. 17th.  Not combinable with other discounts or offers.

Playtri Gift Cards Available in any Amount!

When Should You Replace Running Shoes?

Breaking up is hard to do, even when it comes to your favorite pair of running shoes. A good pair may fit like a glove, but they all eventually wear down and stop providing the support and cushion they once did, fresh out of the box. 

Signs of wear are not limited to glue separating, frayed stitching, and holes as many times there is wear in places that are not immediately obvious. The midsole, or layer between the inner and outer soles of the shoe, will compress over time and fail to provide support and bounce. This may show no outer signs of wear and therefore, the the general consensus is to replace running shoes every 300-500 miles, every 45-60 hours, or every 3-6 months, whichever comes first. This wide variation depends on the running surfaces and frequency of the runner. Occasional runners, may only need to replace shoes every 500 miles or 6 months, where as avid, high mileage runners should aim to replace shoes every 300 miles or 45 hours. 

Replacing shoes can be expensive, but failing to properly replace running shoes can predispose you to blisters, stress injuries, fractures, and sprains. Telling my patients to stop running due to injury is hard, but oftentimes avoidable, by having a simple conversation about new running shoes. 

About Dr. Baca

Dr Baca grew up in the metroplex area and earned his bachelor's of science from Texas State university before graduating from Des Moines University.

Following podiatry school, completed a three-year surgical residency at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. The training program was developed with special emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to lower extremity disorders including lower extremity trauma and complex reconstructive surgery. As chief resident his final year, he spent time correcting pediatric limb deformities on underprivileged children in San Salvador, El Salvador.

After residency, Dr Baca took the unusual step of pursuing a one-year fellowship at the world-renowned Weil Foot and Ankle and Orthopedic Institute in Chicago, IL. The fellowship incorporated all aspects of advanced reconstruction of the foot and ankle including complex surgical correction and revisions on patients all over the world. Here, Dr Baca also worked on numerous innovative research projects including early weight-bearing protocols.

Dr Baca specializes in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and as a passion for personal health and fitness. He also has a special interest in advanced return to sport after injury/surgery and incorporates this into all of his treatment regimens. He has experience in the treatment and rehabilitation of high level athletes and believes in getting you back to your active lifestyle as pain free and as quickly as possible.

Why Coaching?

As the season winds down, we have a period of contemplation – both as coaches and athletes – when we look back at the season and consider the good and the bad, what worked and what didn’t, and what we want from the coming season. During this time, I always come back to “why coaching?” I look at this question both from a coach’s perspective and an athlete’s perspective as I currently have the opportunity to participate in our sport under both of those titles.

This year, I dug a bit deeper into the topic, and I’m sharing my thoughts here in the hope that they will inform and inspire other athletes and coaches to always be moving forward in their approach to the sport and its corresponding lifestyle. It is important to note that my thoughts here are representative of coaching as I feel it should be. As most of us know, it is not always as pictured below. There are a wide range of individuals operating under the title of “coach,” and athletes’ experiences with these professionals vary widely. However, this is not intended to be an attack on any coaches that may be struggling to fulfill these objectives – rather, it is intended to encourage those that identify a lack to endeavor to fill it. If you are an athlete, and you do not see the following in your coach/athlete relationship, schedule time to speak with your coach about expectations, rather than abandon ship – switching coaches brings its own set of challenges. If you are a coach and you do not see the following in your coach/athlete relationship, make plans to address this need – while coach education may sometimes seem thin on the ground, legitimate coaches and programs do exist that will work with you to help you reach your potential. None of us would be where we are without the mentors who have guided us there.

So without further ado – why coaching?

1.     Coaching provides effective analysis and planning of training load. Every coach/coaching group should have a proven method of calculating and planning overall training load (the combined stress on the body of all training activities), and an approach to applying both stress and recovery in effective cycles. Let me briefly break this down in case this sounds like Greek to anyone reading.

Any attempt to gain fitness ultimately is built on the concept of the supercompensation cycle, which is a long phrase that essentially theorizes the following:

The above visual, in essence, says that when we apply training stress to an athlete, their fitness initially decreases (recall how you feel immediately after hard training – somewhat beat up and fatigued, right?), but upon application of recovery methods, fitness not only returns to baseline, but increases to be better prepared to meet that specific stress in future. Eventually, if stress is not applied again, involution occurs and fitness begins to decrease once more. Balancing these ups and downs is one of the core jobs of any coach.

Many coaches use the TrainingPeaks Total Stress Score (TSS) in their planning. Here at Playtri, we have a similar proprietary method that we have proven over and over again as effective for triathlon (it is also proving to be effective for single sport, but we have less data to base this claim on), and feel confident in recommending to potential athletes. Regardless of the approach, this is a data-based analysis that provides an objective look at the athlete’s progress or lack thereof, and data-based solutions. This should lead to increased confidence in achieving goals, and decreased likelihood of illness, injury and burnout.

2.     Coaching provides objectivity. Following up on our previous point, coaches have the ability to provide an objective analysis of an athlete’s past, present and future progress. This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of having a coach, as regardless of our individual knowledge as athletes, it is extremely difficult to view our own progress objectively. Emotional reactions to the physical reactions during training and racing (and even during the off-hours) are normal and will never be entirely preventable, which makes keeping an eye on the bigger picture very challenging. This is why, as an athlete, I always work with a separate coach when I am doing structured training. The ability to see the workout, complete the workout regardless of feel, and then essentially move on from the workout (particularly if it didn’t “feel” the way I wanted), is a valuable thing.

3.     Coaching provides a training plan that is effective for the individual athlete. This is the primary reason you will hear many coaches decrying what is known as “pre-fab” training plans, because we see that these plans’ ability to create improvement is vastly limited by their lack of attention to the intricacies (current fitness level/schedule/outside commitments/mental and emotional condition) of the individual athlete. We’ve probably seen a lot of athletes either get injured or fail to reach their goals in attempting to follow these plans. A large part of a coach’s job is to provide the load and goal-specific fitness the athlete requires, within a schedule that is both possible and sustainable for the individual athlete. What if athletic history and availability for training indicates the athlete isn’t capable of the load required for the proposed goal? In this case, it is the coach’s job to provide the athlete with an honest assessment of this fact, and potentially recommend either a different goal, or a different timeline.

One challenge I have run into on this front is coaching in the team environment with daily team sessions – it has to be said that it can make it more challenging to address individual needs, but of course the counter-argument is that it allows the coach to have eyes on the athletes, and it provides the athlete with added motivation in the form of teammates to push and encourage them during tough sessions.

A brief note on this topic for athletes: Athletes with aggressive goals and/or limited flexibility in training availability should anticipate paying more for this benefit as the coach will be required to make more adjustments throughout not just the season, but on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, as well as needing to spend additional time prescribing daily recovery techniques, nutrition, hydration, hours of sleep, etc. to ensure the athlete can quickly and effectively recover from a higher level of stress. I have found with some athletes – even utilizing a very efficient system and almost a decade of experience – that I can spend 5-7 hours a week making these adjustments for a single athlete. That can add up to 20-28 hours a month if you do the math, and if you consider a typical entry-level coaching coast of about $150/month, that is $5.35 to $7.50/hour just for weekly adjustments (not including adjustments/updates to the macro plan throughout the month), which of course is not sustainable.

4.     Coaching identifies and makes plans to efficiently correct key weaknesses. Coaches, through experience and education, have the knowledge to identify weaknesses that may limit and athlete in his/her ability to reach a specific goal. Specific weaknesses may be more or less important to specific goals – this is very important! Spend too much time identifying and addressing a secondary limiter to the detriment of a key limiter and it can sabotage the athlete’s ability to achieve the goal. It is impossible to correct every weakness in a single season, so selecting the proper areas to focus on is a crucial part of the coach’s role.

5.     Coaching helps the athlete stay in the budget. What? Yes. A large part of the triathlon coach’s role is guiding the athlete in the purchase and use of equipment and other resources. The list of things you can spend money on in this sport is endless (gear, performance testing, travel, races, nutrition, computerized bike fits, etc.), and it is very easy to waste valuable resources on a “cool” or “trendy” item, only to learn it is either not relevant, poorly researched/executed, or not key to the athlete’s primary goal(s).

Coaches – you must know what is out there and how beneficial it is (or isn’t) to your athletes and their individual goals. I have met coaches who think that the retail portion of the sport is “below” them – this could not be further from the truth. The purchases your athlete makes directly impact their ability to perform, as well as their budget for other items that may be more helpful to their goals. I am always pleased (and somewhat relieved) when athletes enter our store with a list of specific items from their coaches that are a part of their training and racing strategy.

6.     Coaching goes beyond assigning workouts and strategy. Here is where coaching moves from science into the realm of art. Beyond knowing the basics of sport science and having a passion for helping athletes reach their goals, the most valuable skill a coach can have is the ability to “breathe” the athlete and effectively communicate with him/her. What does it mean to breathe the athlete? This phrase I picked up courtesy of Coach Ahmed Zaher, and it means getting inside the athlete’s head and seeing the world and their experience of the sport the way that he or she sees it.

Breathing the athlete is a skill to be developed. Some coaches come by it naturally, though there is always room for improvement. Coaches who tend towards empathy in general will have an easier time with this. Coaches - practice empathy, especially with individuals who you do not naturally “click” with. It will make you a better coach, especially if you learn to combine it with objective analysis. When a coach is breathing the athlete, he or she will be more likely to assign workouts and strategies that are both possible and sustainable for the individual, and will also communicate the goals of these sessions and approaches more effectively. Effective communication goes hand in hand with breathing the athlete. Another recommendation for coaches is to practice anticipated athlete conversations in advance to determine the effectiveness of your communication approach. Oftentimes, if you know the athlete well, you can identify conversational challenges in advance simply by having the conversation prior in your own mind.

7.     Coaching provides not just a physical, but a mental strategy. Part of breathing the athlete is identifying mental and emotional limiters, and ways to address them if they are going to keep the athlete from his or her goal, or from having a sustainable experience in the sport. “Mental toughness” and “grit” are key phrases we hear in the sport today, but how do we develop these aspects? Part of coaching is providing the athlete with the necessary tools (such as positive self-talk, visualization, etc.) to develop these skills as needed. This is potentially one of the most difficult aspects of coaching, as it can look very different for different athletes.

8.     Finally, coaching provides a relationship. Humans in generally are driven and supported by relationships. Good coaching creates a relationship that drives both the athlete and the coach. Endurance training comes with many ups and downs, and a trusting and positive relationship can carry individuals through the downs, and make the ups more rewarding, as they are shared with someone who fully understands and appreciates the work that was done.

I firmly believe (and have often seen during my own years in the industry) that an intelligent coach with less experience who is passionate, hard-working, has access to knowledgeable mentors/resources and is actively investing in a healthy, professional relationship with his or her athletes can be almost effective as (if not more effective than) a more educated/experienced coach simply because he or she will not stop in the pursuit of understanding how best to help those athletes achieve their goals.

One note for specifically coaches on a primary challenge of developing these relationships. Ultimately – this is why we do what we do. There is no greater feeling than watching your athlete cross the finish line as he/she achieves the “big goal,” and knowing you were an integral part of that journey. However, when a coach becomes deeply invested in an athlete’s development and success, it can be very difficult if/when that relationship is ended. This means finding a sustainable way to invest in your athletes, without giving more of yourself than you can continue to give to your athletes as the years go on. The relationship component of coaching is key, and giving too much initially can ultimately lead to burnout in the long run, which will negatively impact your future athletes. Invest wisely.

A final note – all of this is merely one coach’s opinion. Coaching isn’t always pretty, and it is never perfect, but in my experience a healthy coach/athlete relationship, backed by knowledge and hard work, can lead ordinary humans to do extraordinary things. Most importantly, we learn to do these things in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable. Working with a coach should make you more confident and healthy, and it should keep the sport fun (especially for age groupers, but I suspect this idea can be applied to elites, too). So if you’ve considered coaching in the past, but never taken the plunge – perhaps 2018 is the year you sit down with a local coach and at least examine what it might look like. And to my fellow coaches – I hope that you will continue to learn and grow in your pursuit of excellence as athletes continue to trust you with your health and goals.