Post Season: Time to build new habits

Now that your race season is in your rear view mirror, it's time to focus on building a solid foundation for your next season of racing.  What you choose to focus on in the "off season" will directly influence your next season.  Many people approach the off season with goals of improving something in regards to their swimming, biking and running.  This usually takes the form of many hours spent doing drills, working on skills or building strength in the gym.  All of those things are important but they are only part of the picture.

What many people don't think about focusing on are the small daily habits that support your training efforts.  Things like sleep, prioritizing recovery and mobility.  These are the first things to fall to the wayside once training volume starts to ramp up.  I am 100% guilty of this, especially with mobility work.  I've made a promise to myself to make this a priority in my off season with the goal of developing this into a habit.  Here are some of my tips on tackling it all.

MOBILITY WORK

Utilize your down time

The biggest stumbling block people face is thinking they need to do an entire routine all at once.  That was where I struggled.  Now, I break it down.  I will do 5 minutes in the morning, then another 5 minutes at lunch.  Or, if I don't get the opportunity to do that, I will do it after dinner while watching a bit of TV.  There is absolutely no reason you can't foam roll and stretch while watching TV.  

Integrate it into another activity 

This was one of the best suggestions I've heard.   Add 5 minutes of mobility work to a dynamic warm up before a run or a ride and include some more in your post workout stretching.  Are you starting a strength program?  Doing a short mobility routine BEFORE you start lifting will help to prepare the body for additional load and will enhance movement function and overall performance.  It also helps to reinforce neuromuscular connections.  I will be working on two mobility routines, one for upper body days and one for lower body days that I will do before I lift any sort of weight at the gym.

RECOVERY

Stretching

So many people treat recovery as something secondary.  The older you get, the more important recovery becomes.  I'm not just talking about taking a rest day.  I'm talking about post workout routines.  What you do / eat immediately after a workout directly affects your recovery and ability to perform your next workout.  

Many of us skip stretching.  I'm guilty of that from time to time.  Now I make sure I do at least 5 minutes of stretching post run BEFORE I even go into the house.  Because the minute I go inside, I will focus on something else.  Sometimes I will break my stretching out into chunks throughout the day.  If I know I'm going to be spending several hours sitting, I will make a point of getting up every hour to stretch for 5 minutes or so.  The most effective time I've found to stretch is actually in the evening before I go to bed.  Stretching before bed helps your body enter a relaxed state more quickly and stay in a deeper sleep for longer periods of time (sleepadvisor.org).  And we all know that a good night's sleep is one of the most important keys to recovery.   

Once again, you can do this on the floor in front of the TV so there is no excuse.  You can find a great series of stretches here

Hydration

This is the one I struggle with the most.  I can go for hours without drinking any fluids.  When I worked in an office, I used to have a pitcher of water I'd keep on my desk and make a concerted effort to go through that pitcher twice during the day.  Now I'm not always sitting down at a desk so my hydration has become much more sporadic.  But guess what?  There's an app for that.  Just like food tracking apps, there are water tracking apps.  I'm using Water Reminder but there are SO many options available.  I like the graphics, simplicity of use and the fact that it tracks ALL your beverages, not just water.  There is also a hydration tracker on Garmin Connect but I haven't figured how to use it yet.  By using this daily, my goal is to stay on top of my fluid intake.

SLEEP

Post season / off season may seem like an ok time to be a little lax with your sleep habits but I would argue that it's even MORE important to make sure you're getting quality sleep.  Weeks of poor sleep leading up to when you resume a regular training routine will leave you feeling flat and fatigued before you even get started.  

Sleep is an area that many people struggle with.  Life stress and environmental stress can play a huge role in the quality of your sleep.  All too often we are glued to our phones right up until we go to bed.  And we even sleep with them beside our bed.  More often than not, we have TV's in our bedrooms, which is another source of stimulation.  Sometimes our bedrooms become dumping grounds for laundry that's been folded but you didn't have the energy to put away so it's still sitting in a pile on a chair or on your dresser.  This mess can also create feelings of stress.  

There several things you can do to promote better sleeping hygiene which should ideally result in a better night's sleep.

1.  Ditch the phone and all electronics at least 30 minutes but ideally 1 hour before bed.  

2.  Use a proper alarm clock vs. your phone.  Keep your phone in a separate room.  I plug mine in the bathroom overnight.  

3.  Turn your bedroom into a sleep cave.  Cover up or remove any lights from electronics.  Buy black out curtains or use a sleep mask.

4.  Keep your bedroom free of clutter.  If your room is clutter free, you are less likely to be stressed by the piles of stuff lying around as you try to fall asleep.  A cluttered room can effectively clutter your thoughts.  

5.  Turn the temperature down.  Turning the temperature down in your bedroom helps to facilitate sleep.  Your body temperature naturally decreases as you get ready to go to sleep so making sure your room is on the cooler side helps speed up that process.  The ideal temperature is anywhere between 15 and 22 degrees celsius for adults.  

6.  Keep your bedtime consistent.  As with anything in life, consistency is key if you want to see improvement.  Our bodies like routine so create a bedtime routine and do your best to stick to it.

I've been making a concerted effort to cut out my screen time at least an hour before bed.  We already keep the temperature low and the bedroom dark which has helped immensely.  My bedtime is fairly consistent as well.  The other thing I've been doing before I go to bed is mixing a scoop of magnesium bisglycinate (I use Metagenics Cenitol) in a half a cup of ice cold tart cherry juice.  Magnesium is supposed to help you relax. Tart cherries are naturally rich in melatonin and they also contain good amounts of tryptophan.  The combination of the two has been so beneficial to my sleep, especially with my reduced training volume.

Off season is the ideal time to start working on the smaller things that can lead to big gains when you start to ramp up your training again.  The best way to create a new habit is to choose one thing and work on it daily until it just becomes a part of what you do.  I've found that scheduling it into my day made all the difference for me.  Once you've mastered that one small thing, move on to the next.   It won't happen overnight.  Changes, much like training effect, take time to produce results.  Stay consistent, be patient and the results will come.

Off Season Strength Training - Part One

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, chances are your triathlon season is done, or very close to being so.   Your weekly training volume should be decreasing as should the intensity of your workouts.    This lighter load in training volume is the perfect time to either increase your strength sessions, or, if you’re like the majority of triathletes I know, add it back into your routine.  

As I coach and personal trainer, I program strength work into all my athletes training plans.  I know when schedules get tight, it’s almost always the first thing to go but I cannot stress enough how important it is to maintain some kind of routine over the course of your entire season.  Done with proper technique, weight training will help keep you injury free, and will help improve strength, power and muscular endurance.  

Much like a triathlon training plan, strength work should also be periodized.  Off season is the time to start working on building strength for your following race season.  Once your build phase starts, your strength training plan should change again to allow for the additional training load.  And of course, during your race season, your plan should change again with a focus on maintenance.    I will delve into how to structure a periodized strength training plan in a future post.  For now, I’m going to focus on some of my favourite exercises.

LOWER BODY

Since running and cycling are essentially single leg exercises, it makes sense to do some of your off season training that way.    This way you work both of your legs individually and can focus on building strength equally.  When doing things like squats, you may think you’re working both your legs equally but I guarantee you that one of your legs will be working slightly harder than the other.  This is why single leg training is an integral part of a strength routine.   When I'm just getting back into the gym, I start with unilateral exercises to work on fixing any imbalances that I may have developed.  From there I will build into heavier lifting.

Form is SO important with all of these exercises.  As is mind muscle connection.   We often just go through the motion of the exercise without focusing on feeling the muscle work.   This is why I suggest doing all of these lower body exercises with body weight first so you understand the movement and can focus on feeling the muscles you are using.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to lifting weights but these exercises are my favourites for developing strength.  

Step up

These are a simple exercise that can be done on a box or a bench.    The surface should be stable and big enough for you to stand on.   You can do these laterally as well to change up your plane of movement.   I like these because they really help you focus on the push up / off.   I also like to add a knee drive on the opposite leg to mimic running stride.

Split Squat 

I used to do these with my foot elevated on a bench but was recently shown an alternate way that I find so much more effective and comfortable.  Instead of using a bench,  you use a Smith machine, lower the bar to just below knee height, grab the squat bar pad, wrap the bar and rest the top of your foot on that.  Doing that avoids the awkward twisting of your foot and toes that usually happens when you use a bench.  

Note:  Don't look at the ground when doing this, look ahead!

Lateral lunge  / Reverse lunge

Strength training provides the perfect opportunity to change up how we move.   I think it’s so important to include movement in alternate planes, especially in off season strength work, which is why I love lateral and reverse lunges.   Everything we do is done in the sagittal plane so moving in alternate planes challenges other muscles that we don't normally use.

Single leg deadlift (RDL’s) + traditional deadlift

The single leg RDL is a great exercise to work on balance and stability as well as targeting your posterior chain.  I do these without weight to start and gradually add weight as my form improves.  I would be remiss if I didn't include barbell deadlifts as well.  When done correctly, they are fantastic for working your entire posterior chain.

Single leg squat + barbell squat 

A quick search on You Tube will bring up a million different variations of single leg squats.  My suggestion is find one that you can do with proper form and do it.   The same goes for barbell squats.  Your ankle and hip mobility will dictate what you're able to do.

UPPER BODY

Swimming isn’t the only activity that requires upper body strength.  Think about how much time you’ll spend hunched over in your aerobars in an Ironman. What does your form look like at the 20 mile mark of a marathon? If you’re like the majority of the population, your shoulders are slumped over and your form has gone to shit.   This is why training your upper body is just as important as training your lower body.  

And just like your lower body, you will probably find that you have imbalances in your upper body as well so working on building strength with single arm exercises is a good way to start your strength training program.  

Again, proper form is crucial.   Always focus on good posture.   Keep your shoulders back and your chest lifted.   That way your core will also stay engaged.

Single Arm Row (cable or dumbbell)

Personally I prefer using a cable machine for these as I feel I have better control of the time under tension than with a dumbbell.

Single Arm pull down (cable)

This is a fantastic exercise for your lats.  If you do this correctly, it should mimic the pull phase of your swim stroke.  

Push Press

This is an explosive, compound movement that works both upper and lower body.  It's definitely one that should be perfected at a lighter weight before progressing to a heavier weight.   

Chest Press (single arm dumbbell) 

Doing a single arm dumbbell chest press really allows you to feel the engagement in your core because of the imbalance it creates.  It's as much about training your core as it is about training your chest.   The great thing about doing these unilaterally is that you end up working both sides of your body.   If you're pressing with your right arm, your left obliques will fire to help stabilize your torso.

Once you've managed to develop fairly equal amounts of strength on both sides of your body, you can progress to more traditional lifting like deadlifts, back / front squats & bench press.

If you're new to strength training, I would strongly suggest hiring a good personal trainer / strength and conditioning coach so you have someone watching and correcting your form.  Because if you're not doing these right, then you defeat the purpose of the exercise and, you may even get injured.

Now that you have some ideas as to what to do in the gym, stay tuned for my next post in the series:  Periodizing your strength plan.

Question:  Do you strength train throughout your race season?  If not, why?

4 Reasons Triathletes need a Road Bike

I'm of the belief that you can never have too many bikes.  A quick look around our garage is evidence of that.   If you are familiar with The Rules, then you know the correct number of bikes one should own is always n+1.  If we had more room, I think there's a good chance we'd have more bikes.

When I started in multi-sport back in 2003, I bought a $500 used road bike.  It didn't quite fit me but it did the trick.  After a few races, I knew I wanted a triathlon bike (aka a TT bike).  Especially since I was planning on doing Ironman.  So after my first season of racing, I sold my $500 road bike and bought myself my first triathlon bike.  Ironically I didn't end up using that bike for my first Ironman, I ended up using a road bike with aerobars because I was totally freaked out about not having enough power to climb on my TT bike (I did Ironman Lake Placid).  Yup, after I bought that fancy new TT bike, I ended up buying ANOTHER road bike about 6 months later.   Do you see a pattern here?

I kept that road bike until 2015 when I sold it.  I put a LOT of kms on that bike.  I looked forward to riding it at the end of every triathlon season.  It signified riding for the sake of enjoyment vs. having to ride with a specific purpose.  I purchased another road bike just before I sold that one.  It may surprise you to know that I do about 70% of all my riding on that bike.   Yup, 70%.   I'm chalking that up to riding with a cycling club, although I've done a fair bit of indoor riding on it as well.

So, why do I think you need to hang on to that road bike?

1.  Position.  The geometry on a road bike is much more upright than a TT bike.  Spending all that time in aero (forward flexion) isn't always the best if you have any sort of lower back or neck issues.  

2.  Bike handling skills.  Yes, TT bikes are meant to go fast in a straight line but that doesn't mean you should neglect learning how to ride a bike.  In my experience, better bike handling skills generally equals more confidence on the bike.  This can translate to faster bike times simply because you're not afraid to descend, or you don't need to unclip to turn around a pylon in a race.  Road bike geometry allows for much better handling across the board from cornering to climbing.

3.  Develop better all around leg strength.   TT bikes put you in a more aggressive, forward position.  So you are situated on the nose of your saddle vs. sitting ON your saddle.  This changes the angle of your hips into a more quad dominant position.  That's not to say that you're not using your hamstrings BUT, one of the important things on a TT bike (aside from aerodynamics) is to help save your legs for the run.  By utilizing your quads more, you "save" your hamstrings for the work they're going to have to do on the run.  On a road bike, because you're in a more seated position and your hip angle isn't as closed in, you will effectively use more of your leg muscles while riding.

4.  Safer to ride in groups.  See #2.   Because road bikes handle better and lack aerobars, they are much better suited to group riding.  And when I say group riding, I mean riding in a pack.  I know most triathletes don't ride in a pack but we do ride in groups, especially in the off season.  Have you ever tried drafting off someone in a group ride on a TT bike?  I did once and it was terrifying.  on my road bike, I can ride beside someone comfortably and not feel like I'm going to swerve into them if I take my hands off my handle bars.  There is a reason most cycling clubs don't allow TT bikes on club rides.

So all of you folks that are thinking about getting rid of your road bike when you upgrade to a TT bike, you may want to think twice.  Your trusty road bike deserves just as much love as your shiny new TT bike.

~ Coach PK

Maintaining Fitness in the Off Season

For many beginner triathletes, the off season is a funny place. What does off season mean?  Do you stop training?  How much rest is too much?  How do I structure my training?  These are some of the questions I've gotten as a coach and I will do my best to tackle them in this post.

I know when I started out in triathlon, after my last race of the season, I stopped training completely for at least a month, probably longer.  I had no fall races planned and I thought because I was relatively fit, I could stop all activity and pick up where I left off.  HA.  Was I ever wrong.  You know that saying Use it or Lose it?  That's exactly what happened to me.  I didn't have a big fitness base at the time so taking over a month off resulted in some serious deconditioning.  I would stay that when I got back to regular activity that I was starting from square one but it was pretty close.  It usually takes about 7-14 days for endurance to start to decline so bear that in mind when taking time off.  The theory is the bigger the base of fitness you have, the longer it will take you to become deconditioned.   So seasoned athletes can afford to take a bit more time off without losing too much fitness.  Beginner athletes shouldn't take too much time off if they want to maintain a good measure of fitness.

How much time is enough? 

How much time "off" depends on the length and intensity of the last race of your season.  The shorter the race, generally the faster you recover.   If you've done a summer of sprint racing, then I'd suggest a week to 10 days off any structured swimming, biking or running for you to relax and regroup.  That may not be necessary for you to fully recover physically but you may need to mentally recharge as well.  If that means sitting on the couch for a week binge watching Game of Thrones, then so be it.  After that getting back to some kind of regular activity is key to maintaining your fitness over the winter.

For myself, I always like to take at least 5-7 days off completely after a major event like a marathon or a half ironman.  That doesn't mean I'm sitting around on the couch.  I still like to move my body so I will go for a walk or do some gentle yoga.  If I've run a marathon, I find one of the best things for my legs is swimming.  Recovery varies by individual.  Some people take longer to recover, others take less time.  Men tend to recover faster than women and the younger you are, the faster you recover.  So us old broads really need to learn to listen to our bodies, ha ha.

Structuring Your Training

As I mentioned in this post, this is the time of year where you focus on improving your weakest link in the sport.  A typical training week in season looks something like this:  Swim 3x a week, run 3x week bike 3x a week.  In off season for me, it looks more like this:  Swim 4x a week, bike 3-4x a week run 2x a week.  Running is hardest on my body so I prefer to do less of it.  That is just enough to maintain a decent amount of running specific fitness, especially if one of the runs is a long run.  Swimming is my weakest link so I'm adding a 4th swim that is all technique and drill focused vs. volume.   And it's now cyclocross season so I will be doing one ride a week like that and then ideally 2-3 more easy rides.

Off season isn't the time for high volume or a lot of high intensity.   My training volume in the off season is about 1/2 to 2/3 of what it would be during my race season.

Integrating Strength Training

This time of year is the best time of year to bring regular strength training back into your training as well.  You don't need to spend hours in the gym.  Two 30-45 minute sessions a week is great.  If you can do three times a week that's even better.  Start by working on muscular endurance with lighter weights and higher reps, and build to working on strength and power with heavier weights and lower reps or some plyometric work.  In the off season I like to do my weight workouts after a short run or ride.  The cardio element can be your warm up so you are ready to tackle your weight workout.  I have some weights in my basement along side my indoor trainer so when I'm done my ride, I can start my weight workout.  It's the most effective use of my time.

Staying Motivated

Over the years I've managed to become fairly self motivated in terms of my cycling and running.  Swimming is where I have a hard time.  Knowing that, I joined a Masters swim club.  If there is any sport that you have a tough time getting done on your own because you either 1) don't enjoy pushing yourself in that sport or 2) you're not sure what kind of workouts to do, then I'd highly recommend you join a training group.  The Toronto Triathlon Club offers coached swim sessions across the city and there are various Masters groups as well.  If the thought of spending solo hours on the trainer isn't appealing, there are plenty of places to ride inside with other people.  There's Watts Up in the West End, Dig Deep Cycling Fitness uptown and The X3 Lab in the east end.   If none of those are convenient, there's always ZWIFT. which is social in it's own way.

Alternatively, you could always hire a coach to help you take the guesswork out of your off season planning and to help you make the improvements you're looking for leading into your next season of racing.

On that note, I do have a couple of openings for coaching as of November 1st so if you're interested head on over to my coaching site and take a look around.  Shoot me a note if you have any questions!

Thanks to all the folks that responded to my IG stories question in regards to posts they'd like to see.  This was the first one and I'll be putting together more over the coming weeks!

Happy Friday!

~ Coach PK

When Life Gives You Lemons

I've been really enjoying my down time but I had planned on getting back into the swing of things this weekend.  That was until my body had other plans.  

Last Friday I emailed my chiro / ART guy to fill him in on how Lake Placid went and to say Thank You.  I said something like "Since I won't need to come in and see you any time soon...." yada yada yada.   The following Monday, I was back in his office.  Yup.  I totally jinxed myself.  

What did I do?  Well preliminary results say that I have ischiogluteal bursitis.  What the heck is that?  

A bursa is a fluid filled sac that is situated between the tendon and the bone and it helps to reduce friction between the two.  When a bursa is subjected to repeated stress it will swell and get inflamed.   Ischiogluteal means that this bursa is in my glute situated near the ischial tuberosity, which are essentially your sit bones.  Your hamstring muscles originate at the ischial tuberosity.  This is where I tore my hamstring last year.  Not fun.  The hamstring tendon, also originates at the ischial tuberosity.  The bursa in question is located in between the tendon, my pelvic bone and three small muscles in my glute:  the piriformis, the obturator interns and the gemellus superior.

As you can see, there are a lot of things around this bursa that when they get overworked, can cause the bursa to become inflamed.   Truthfully I'm not surprised this happened.  I've put a lot of stress on my glutes recently, especially with the addition of teaching a lower body conditioning class.   It was getting ready for that class that actually brought me back into my Chiro's office.  It was a very simple move, I was bent forward with my legs split, like I was getting ready to do a split squat and I was trying to find comfortable footing for a standing bent over row.  I found it and then pushed off to stand up again and that's when I felt my glute spasm.  It hurt so much I couldn't put any pressure on it.  I could walk but it was awkward.  I definitely couldn't go up stairs.  So that afternoon I found myself back at Pivot.  I was instructed to not do anything, except to get an ultrasound, ice, rest and take some anti inflammatories,  until we had a better idea of what was going on.  

So, what to do with all my non workout spare time?  Well let's see:

*  SLEEP IN!  

*  Stay up later than normal reading because I don't have to get up at stupid O'clock.  I managed to finally finish "How Bad Do You Want It" which is amazing considering I started it a month ago.  Lately it's taken me almost 6 months to read one book!  I've now started this.

*  Spend my mornings cooking.  Well, I did that one morning.  I made sweet potato breakfast cookies AND french toast.  

*  Go out with girlfriends you haven't seen in ages and have ice cream

*  Focus on my mobility work.

*  Spend more time focusing on building my business and working on my blog.

*  Be grateful that this happened AFTER my last race of the season.  

I was originally told I'd need to take 2-3 weeks off everything except swimming and pool running.  I took most of the week off with the exception of swimming this morning .  I'm seeing my Chiro again today at lunch and we'll figure out a game plan for my rehab.  At least I know by the time I get back to regular activity, I will definitely be very well rested! 

Life may have just handed me a lemon, but I'm making some pretty awesome lemonade.

Happy Friday!

~ Coach PK 

Tri Talk Tuesday - A Quick Guide to Indoor Cycling Options

Now that November is here, I think it's safe to say that almost everyone in the Northern Hemisphere has probably taken the majority of their cycling training indoors.  The mornings are too dark and cold for my liking and the evenings aren't much better so I've started frequenting my "Pain Cave"on a more regular basis.   This is exactly why Cynthia, Courtney and I thought that indoor cycling would be a great topic for this months Tri Talk Tuesday.  I'm going to delve into the different types of trainers available and the pros and cons of each as well as other options for indoor cycling that don't involve spending long hours alone in your basement.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere chances are you spend the majority of the winter months with your bike on some kind of trainer.   There is something out there for every budget.  I'm going to start with the pricier options first.

Electronic Trainers (a.k.a "Smart Trainers")

For the longest time the Computrainer was the be all and end all to indoor cycling training (it came out in 1986!) and it's still the most widely used system in most indoor group cycling facilities.   This device essentially simulates riding outside.  In the most basic sense, a Computrainer is a trainer (with a flywheel) that is connected to a software program.  You have the option to ride one of the many courses in the Computrainer database or you can chose to ride in ERG mode which, according to the Trainer Road web site is "like loosening your grip on the reins of the horse you're riding.  You basically give control to your trainer/horse and simply ride."  Erg mode sets the resistance for you and it's based on your FTP so you need to know that number before you start to ride. If you choose to ride a course, you don't need to know your FTP, you can just ride.  The Computrainer will give you power, speed and cadence (if you have the optional cadence puck).  It won't give you heart rate and since that is something I always train with, I wear my Garmin, set on indoor cycling mode.

Computrainer

 There are other electronic / computerized trainer options available now.  Ones that are compatible with MAC, which is kind of a big peeve of mine with the Computrainer.   It's P.C compatible only.

The other two popular options are the Wahoo KICKR and the Cycle Ops Power Beam Pro.  I know a few people who have the KICKR and really like it.   The interesting thing about the KICKR is the fact that you don't use your back wheel on this trainer.  You take it off and the bike gets mounted on the gearing of the trainer.  This saves you from the annoyance of having to put a trainer tire on your back wheel so you don't burn through a good tire.

Pricing:  ranges from $1200 - $2000 depending on the model and accessories you choose.  The KICKR is the cheapest of the three but that's still a fair bit of money to spend on a trainer.

Pros:  Simulates riding outside, ability to train with power without having to purchase a power meter, really quiet

Cons:  Price and if you're a MAC lover and want a Computrainer, be prepared to factor the cost of a P.C. into the price.  With the KICKR you have to remove your back wheel to use it.  There are several other electronic trainers on the market, these are the three that I'm familiar with.

DC Rainmaker did an excellent comparison chart of all the electronic trainers he's reviewed.  You can read it here.

Manual Trainers (a.k.a "Dumb Trainers")

By manual I mean powered strictly by you - it's not hooked up to a computer (although with some trainers there is the option to ride online programs, which I will discuss later).

There are 3 types of "manual" trainers:  fluid trainers, mag trainers and rollers

1) Fluid trainer:  A fluid trainer uses fluid to build resistance against the wheel of your bike.  A fluid trainer requires a bit of a warm up period to get the fluid moving so when you first start riding it generally feels a bit easier.   The fluid becomes harder to push through the harder you pedal.  Fluid trainers generally give a more road like feel than a mag trainer.

Pros:  quiet, reliable, cost
Cons:  can't ride with power (unless you have a meter on your bike already), can't ride courses unless you're hooked up to a training app, can be prone to leaking due to expansion and contraction of fluid when heated.

Cost:  between $300-$600 

Kurt Kinetic Fluid Trainer

2) Mag Trainer:  These trainers use the repelling force of similar poles of magnets to create resistance.  Magnets are placed in a configuration that exploits their ability to repel each other, and that is what creates the work load for the rider.

Pros:  Cost, quiet
Cons:  resistance has an upper limit, prone to breaking, can't ride with power (unless you have a meter on your bike already), can't ride courses unless you're hooked up to a training app

Cost:  between $200-$400

3)  Rollers:  These are going to be the most challenging to use of all the trainers listed.   Rollers are just that:  a frame that has 3 rollers attached horizontally into a frame.  Usually one at the front and two at the back.

Your bike doesn't mount into anything so this is like riding on the road except you're not moving forward.  Riding rollers requires balance and concentration.  There is no zoning out on these things.  If you want to improve your core stability while on the bike, these are what you want.

By placing magnets in a configuration that exploits the magnets ability to repel each other, Mag trainers create a workload for the cyclist. - See more at: http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2011/02/bike-trainers.html#sthash.53Ya2FRd.dpuf

By placing magnets in a configuration that exploits the magnets ability to repel each other, Mag trainers create a workload for the cyclist. - See more at: http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2011/02/bike-trainers.html#sthash.53Ya2FRd.dpuf

By placing magnets in a configuration that exploits the magnets ability to repel each other, Mag trainers create a workload for the cyclist. - See more at: http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2011/02/bike-trainers.html#sthash.53Ya2FRd.dpuf

Pros:  cost, improve balance & pedaling efficiency
Cons:  difficulty of use, potential for injury if you fall off, mad balance skills required

Cost:  usually between $200-$400 but there are a couple of newer options that are around $900

Trainer Apps:

This is a whole new category of awesomeness that has become available to the basement bound masses.  One of the big draws is that they can provide a social aspect to a relatively solitary activity.  These have really come into their own in the last couple of years and there are SO many out there with so many different features and costs, it's difficult to know where to begin.  Thankfully there's DC Rainmaker, who actually took the time to delve into 20 different apps and what each one offers.  You can read that article here.   The ones I see a lot of people using are ZWIFT and Trainer Road.  I have yet to try either of them out but will probably give both of them a test run at some point this winter.

Cost: around $10/month

Indoor Group Cycling:

I'm not talking about spinning.  Spinning has it's place but if you're a triathlete or a cyclist, nothing beats the comfort of your own bike.  Enter the Indoor Group Ride.  People have been getting together to train in garages and basements for ages.  Some entrepreneurial folks took notice of that and started creating specific places that you could go with your bike and ride with like minded people.  99.9% of this type of group cycling is done on your own bike on a Computrainer.  Some places will put up a course and you ride it for the duration of the class.  Others will have a specific workout that you do and others look to the long term and design a program that provides you with a periodized training plan.  There are a few places that I know of in Toronto that offer these types of group cycling classes. 

West End:  Watts Up Cycling 
I'm currently testing the Watts Up Home Cycling program and will review that in a week or so. 

East End: Gears Leaside

Personally I'd rather have some company for a 2 hour ride vs. sitting in front of the TV in my basement.  That's one of the reasons these classes have become so popular.

Cost:  $40/class to $300+ / a month depending on how many times a week you want to ride.

With so many options for indoor cycling these days, there is bound to be something that works for you.  Many of these trainers can be found used through your local classifieds, tri group or ebay.  My hubby got his Computrainer on ebay at a fraction of what it would have cost.  So it pays to look around!

Next months Tri Talk Tuesday will be on December 7th and the theme is Christmas gifts for the triathlete in your life (a.k.a things to put on your Christmas list!)

An InLinkz Link-up

Tri Talk Tuesday - OFF SEASON

 Welcome back Tri Talk Tuesday peeps!  We're now back to monthly posts since most of us are heading into our off season.  Which is why Courtney, Cynthia and I thought it would be great to chat about the Off Season.   So, that's what today's theme is!

The off season is different for everyone.  Some people take a few weeks off, some people take a few months off.  The length of time I take off depends on how much I've raced and when my first race of the following year is.  I haven't raced as much as normal this year and I have some things I need to work on before I start ramping things up for 2016 so, I'm going to walk you through my off season plans for this year.

I have one race left on the calendar this year and that is the Scotiabank Half Marathon.  Once that race is done, my off season officially starts.   Normally after a half marathon I'll take a week off running and then gradually ease back into regular running the week after.  This year, I plan on taking 3-4 weeks off running completely.  I had a lot of knee problems and other issues that I've been working through all year so I want to give my body a break from the pounding.

What am I going to do in it's place you may wonder?  This is what I've mapped out.

Week One Post Scotia:

Swimming, yoga, massage.   There will be some running on the Saturday after Scotia as I am a Mizuno Run bird at the Toronto Women's 8km.

Week Two Post Scotia:

Swimming, yoga, strength training & a re-introduction to my basement pain cave & computrainer.

Week Three Post Scotia:

Same as above with a focus on cycling drills.

Week Four Post Scotia:

Same as above with the re-introduction of running.  Short easy runs, focusing on form and drill work.  That will probably be what the majority of my off season looks like.  I'll start to build my volume up again in mid December but for a good two months, I'll be keeping things short, sweet and easy.

The off season is also a great time to reflect on your season and focus on things you would like to improve on for next season.   I have a few things I need to work on.

1) Improve my flexibility and my strength and really get that mind body connection when it comes to certain muscle groups that haven't been working the way they should be.  I've finally recruited my glutes for the most part but my hips still need a bit more stability.  My core is a lot stronger but I need loosen up my t-spine to help with my rotation when I'm swimming and I need to learn to engage my lats more.

2)  Find some more power on the bike.  I was catching glimpses of it this year so I know it's possible.   I think with a focus on some basic form and pedal stroke work, I can find that power.  I also need to tweak my bike fit a bit so that should help.

3) Work on my running form.  I did this at the start of the year and found it helpful.  Everything went sideways when I started training for Eagleman and my form work took a back seat.  This is the time of year to make that part of my routine.

4) Work on my mental game in the water.  I need to get comfortable being uncomfortable in open water.   A lot of it has to do with breathing and some of it has to do with the fact that I'm a bit of a headcase.  I think the two things kind of go hand in hand in terms of trying to fix.  I may actually enlist the help of a sports psychologist to start and go from there.

So that's what my 2015 Off Season looks like.  Head on over to the link up and check out all the other Off Season posts.  Next months topic will be cycling training.  I'll be talking about specific workouts you can do indoors to work building strength so come back for that on November 3rd!

Tell me what your off season looks like!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tri Talk Tuesday: Off Season

Oh Heyyyyy.

Guess what's back?  Yup, it's Tri Talk Tuesday!  And, the lovely Courtney and Cynthia have asked if I'd like to co-host.  So of course I said yes!  Instead of a weekly post, we're keeping it to once a month on the first Tuesday of every month.

This months theme?  The Off Season.  Which is totally appropriate for about 90% of the people that read this blog because WINTER IS COMING and that means no more racing.  It also means most of us get relegated to the indoors.  Booooo!

As much as I love to race, I also enjoy the off season.  It gives me a chance to rest and recover.  It also gives me a chance to shift my focus to the little things that I don't always have time to focus on while training and racing.   I know many people are at a loss when their season ends but that doesn't have to be the case.  There are plenty of things to do in the off season.

1.  Lift Heavy and Lift Often:   My favourite things to do in the off season is strength train.  I strength train year round but in the off season I tend to lift heavier.  When you're not racing, your body can take the extra physiological load.  There are so many benefits to lifting and off season is the best time to really get into it.  It's a great way to develop strength and power for all three sports. 

2.  Drills, Drills & More Drills:  Off season is the best time to work on technique.  Your workload is less, you don't need to go hard so take the time to incorporate drills into your workouts.  There are fabulous drills for swimming, cycling and running.  Regular technique work will help improve efficiency and that will help improve performance. 

3.  The Weakest Link:  Most of us age group triathletes have ONE weak link in the three sport chain.  Take the off season to put more time into that sport.  Mine is swimming.  If I could practice open water swim year round, I'd have it made but alas, I am relegated to a pool for 9 months out of the year.  So, I swim 3-4 times a week in my off season.

4.  It's the Little Things:  This almost goes hand in hand with number one.  As much as I love lifting heavy, there has to be a focus on the smaller muscles and range of motion as well.  I've learned this the hard way this year.   Too many dominant large muscle groups can cause a whole lot of problems.   So while I'm still lifting heavy, I've also added pilates into my life.  It focuses on little movements that don't seem like much but add up to a lot.  It takes care of most of the smaller muscles I neglect when lifting and it helps increase my range of motion.  It also helps you become very aware of how your body moves which is something I never really thought about while I was training.  I'm definitely paying much more attention to my form which is never a bad thing.

Is there anything you'd add to this list?

An InLinkz Link-up

Not That I'm Counting or Anything....

But it's been just over two weeks since I've run.  Do I miss it?  Kind of.  But I have to admit, I'm enjoying the free time.  In all honestly, I'm feeling a little bit of fear in regards to running.  Could I go out and run right now?  Absolutely, my legs feel like a million bucks.  Would it be pain free?  I don't know.  I'd like to think so but I'm not 100% sure.  If it's not, I know I'll be really upset.  Not to mention frustrated and worried.  That's what's keeping me from stepping out.  Oh and the fact that I promised myself I'd take more than a couple of weeks off.  I don't like to break promises, even if they are ones I've made to myself, ha ha.

On the plus side, the over use symptoms have gone.  I don't have any soreness or tightness in my knees any more.  Going and up and down stairs is a breeze.  For the most part.  I'm still having that weird sharp-ish pain upon extension.  I never know when it's going to happen, it just does.  So, just because my legs feel great, doesn't mean it's time for me to lace up my shoes just yet.  There's still some work to be done, starting with my first pilates session this coming Wednesday!

I had a 90 minute massage / ART session last Thursday that actually left me a bit sore BUT, feeling much more limber.  Until I went and slept funny on Thursday night, woke up Friday feeling a bit tight through my shoulders then somehow managed to pinch a nerve in my neck while combing my hair in the shower.   It wouldn't be the first time that sort of thing has happened to me.  Friday was tough as I couldn't turn my head to the left and certain movements really hurt.  I stretched and put heat on it Friday night and changed my pillow to something more supportive.  I got up at 4:00 am and took a Robaxacet.  That seemed to help.  So, I went out for a 60km bike ride.  That did NOT help.  I felt ok after the ride but by the end of the day on Saturday my right side was in a lot of pain.  I had hoped to swim or do something on Sunday but it was spent lying around in my pj's with the heating pad on my neck.  I did some moderate stretching, had a hot bath, took another Robaxacet and then proceeded to scour the Ironman website for a 70.3 to do next year.

Clearly I have a problem.

But we all know that...that's why this blog is subtitled: Adventures of a Racing Junkie.  

Anyway, now that things have gotten back to some semblance of normal at work, I've eased back into my regular routine.   Here's how last week went down:

Monday:  2400m swim - first one in 10 days and I didn't drown!
Tuesday:  90 minutes strength & mobility.
Wednesday:  1950m swim.  I died. 
Thursday:  90 minutes strength & mobility
Friday:  was going to swim but opted to sleep in.
Saturday:  60km bike ride.  Beautiful day for a ride but wow, did it ever hurt.  That's what happens when you take 3 weeks off!
Sunday:  OFF

Total time:  7h 8 minutes.  Not bad!  I usually aim for 8-10 hours of physical activity a week so I'm not too far off.   If we have more weekends like this past one, I'll be spending some quality time with my bike.

The all important coffee stop!

Perfect day for a ride!

How was your week of workouts? 

Rest: It's Part of the Program

I knew this past week was going to be busy but I figured I'd probably be able to get a swim and a weight workout in towards the end of the week.  What I didn't count on was getting hit with a cold.  Nothing like getting sick on day one of a 4 day location shoot.  Ugh.  Any plans I had for working out went out the window.  Which is probably just as well because I put quite a beatdown on my legs in last week's half marathon and honestly think my body needed the rest.  I made it through the week thanks to Benalyn Cold & Flu.  I was still blowing my nose and sneezing on the weekend but I felt much better energy wise.  Even so, I opted to take the full week off.  Yup, you read that right.  I did NOTHING.  Nada.  Despite the fabulous summer like weather.  I can honestly say I didn't even FEEL like doing anything.   I actually enjoyed lazing around.  I even went clothes shopping in a real store (not online!).  It was a lovely weekend and I didn't really miss the fact that I didn't do anything physical.   

Clearly I'm in need of a bit of a break. I think all this uncertainty with my knees has really done a number on my head and my mojo.  I've opted not to run for the next several weeks to just let my knees settle down.  I'm still going to swim and lift weights.  Cycling is a maybe, it will depend on my knees.  I'm also going to go to a few yoga classes and finally get some pilates in my life.  So it's not like I'm going to be doing nothing.  That would not be a good thing.  I need some form of movement in my life.

I will also have time to actually cook real food.  I need to undo the damage done from the last two weeks.  All of my days had a lot of this (not always a bad thing):

Some of this (unfortunately for my waistline)

And there was a little bit of this later on in the week.  Again, not really great for the waistline but whatevs.  Everything in moderation, right?

I made it back to the pool this morning and surprisingly, I didn't die.  I actually felt pretty good, maybe because we were using fins.  We'll see how I do on Wednesday!

How was your week of workouts?  
Do you take time off a certain sport in your off season?  
How much time do you take off?

Making The Most of Your Off Season: Hit the Weights

Racing season has come to a close here in Canada.  That officially means it's OFF SEASON.  I don't know about you but I love the off season.  Some people dread it but I look at it as an opportunity to work on things that need improvement.  Not only is it a chance for your body to rest and recover but to re-build as well.

It's also a great time to work on strength and technique.  If you remove the physiological stress of racing, you should be able to add a third or even fourth weight workout into your training routine.  That's what I've done.  During racing season I lift twice a week, as basic maintenance.  I probably lift about 50% of my one rep max during my weight workouts because I'm also doing other hard workouts so I don't want to tax my system too much.

In the off season, you're generally in maintenance mode (i.e few hard workouts and no racing) you should be able to increase your weights to lift much heavier or add that third day of lifting in.  Why do this you may wonder?  How will it benefit me come race season?

Let me count the ways!   Here are my three favourites:

1.  Strength training will help make you faster.  Not to toot my own horn but, I am a good example of this.  I've been going to the gym for years but I never really did any sort of heavier lifting.  I avoided the squat rack like the plague and instead chose to do a lot of functional exercises with lighter weights.  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for those but if you want to work on building speed, don't be afraid to make friends with the squat rack.  It wasn't until I started an actual lifting program in late 2010 that I actually began to see results both in the way my body looked and performed.   Fast forward 3 years and my times have continued to drop, despite getting older.  I'm chalking it up to the fact that I take advantage of my off season and lift heavy which in turn, has allowed me the strength to really push myself.  Strength training increases your leg strength and improves your bodies efficiency to use energy and oxygen.  According to Charles Polloquin "Increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently is a primary goal of endurance training, and it is measured by VO 2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake. Simply, if you can decrease the amount of oxygen needed to run at a certain speed, you’ll be able to sustain a fast pace for a longer time and likely be able to run faster overall."

2.  Strength training will make you leaner.  Contrary to popular belief, you WILL NOT GET BIG.  You'd have to be in the gym pretty much every day and eat nothing but chicken breast and spinach.  Oh and you'd have to cut out the endurance training....like THAT'S going to happen.  Strength training helps decrease body fat which will result in a leaner you.  And leaner = lighter and lighter = faster.  See a pattern here?

3.  Strength training can help prevent injuries.  This alone is probably the best reason to hit the gym.  I'm no doctor but I'm sure that many running injuries could be prevented with a good strength training routine.  Almost everyone has one side of their body that is stronger than the other.  If you incorporate single leg work into your strength training plan, you can work at building up strength in your weaker side, resulting in a more balanced, efficient stride.  

For even more reasons to hit the gym you can check out Charles Polloquin's 10 Reasons here as well as Running Competitor's reasons here.  The Running Competitor article also has several links to various exercise programs that are beneficial to runners.  Win / win!

Do you strength train?  If so, do you change things up in your off season or do you continue with your same routine?