The Spinervals SUPER 6! It's Awesome, It's FREE, It starts JAN. 2, '12!!

Welcome to The Spinervals Super 6.  Why is it called the Super 6? Because by following this training regimen over the next 6 weeks you’ll discover a new level of fitness and be on your way to achieving all of your personal fitness goals and objectives in 2012.   6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS = RESULTS! 

Workouts will be posted daily on the Spinervals Facebook page and target the needs of the triathlete, cyclist and general fitness enthusiast including suggestions for bike workouts, running workouts and cross-training sessions for strength and flexibility development.   PLEASE NOTE: THIS WORKOUT REGIMEN IS NOT DESIGNED FOR BEGINNERS. YOU NEED A SOLID BASE OF FITNESS PRIOR TO STARTING THE PROGRAM. 

The plan is designed to include from 1-2 hours of training during the weekdays, a long weekend workout and a day off, totaling 11-15 hours of training per week.  There are also a few ‘wildcard’ days and workouts where you can add some variety to the schedule, or even take an extra day off if needed.  You’ll do some benchmark testing near the beginning and again at the end of the program in order to measure your progress. The overall flavor of this 6-week block of training is aerobic base and technique development, with a weekly dose of interval or tempo work... to keep it real! 

AS WITH ANY TRAINING PROGRAM, IT’S IMPORTANT TO MONITOR YOURSELF AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  Go easy or take an additional day off as needed. Stay healthy and injury free.

Triathletes will notice that there are 3-4 days of aerobic foundation run workouts planned each week.  Some more experienced triathletes may wish to add another run each week to the plan or boost volume and/or intensity.  Non-runners are asked to substitute other means of low impact cardio training (i.e. elliptical machine, rower, stair-climber, etc.) in place of running.  And who knows… maybe this will encourage some athletes to add running to their fitness routine and try a tri! (Sorry, swim training was not included in this plan. We have lots of event specific training plans available for triathletes, including Ironman plans. Go HERE, http://www.coachtroy.com/products/department27.cfm, To learn more.)

We’ll be using heart rate and/or power to focus on various energy systems, so familiarize yourself with our training zones found HERE (http://www.spinervals.com/public/department110.cfm).  It’s up to you to choose your daily sessions (or do them all!) to suit your particular athletic needs and goals.  You can receive the added benefits of having workouts delivered daily to your inbox and to log your training progress by registering for a FREE Training Peaks account attached to me as your coach.  Click the following link or paste it to your browser in order to download the plan to your trainingpeaks calendar, starting Mon. Jan 2, 2012:    https://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans/purchase.aspx?p=28161&af=coachtroy&cid=338046
(Note: If you already have a trainingpeaks account, you can purchase the plan for FREE and then apply it to your calendar. Contact TrainingPeaks customer support if you have any technical website related questions.)

Each day, you’ll train according to the workout plan.  And to keep it fun while being accountable to your plan and the other athletes from around the world joining you, you’re encouraged to log your workout comments each day on the Spinervals Facebook Page.  There’s nothing like sharing your results and accomplishments in public to keep you honest and on track!

And since research has proven that people who attach themselves to social groups and events tend to ‘stick’ with things longer and enjoy the experience more, I encourage you to get at least 3 of your close friends to join you in doing the program. Sure, it’ll be challenging at times … and that’s when you might need some camaraderie in order to get the workouts done.  After all, misery loves company!  So, enlist 3 friends to join you by forwarding them this information. Who knows, it might just help them change their lives for the better!

Here’s a list of the recommended workouts videos in my training series for this 6-week phase of training.  Daily optional workouts are recommended for your convenience, in case you don’t have the recommended title. (Members of Spinervals.com receive a 20% Discount on all DVD purchases. Go HERE , http://www.spinervals.com/public/10.cfm ,  to learn more and save some dough.)

Spinervals Competition Series: (Catalog link HERE, http://www.spinervals.com/products/department12.cfm)

5, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28,  30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39

Strendurance 12-Week Progression (http://www.spinervals.com/products/department14.cfm)

Flexible Warrior Athletic Yoga - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (http://www.spinervals.com/products/department6.cfm)

At the end of the Super 6 Program, you’ll find that your overall fitness level is rockin’ and you’ll be ready to attack a more specific “pre-competition” phase of your training progression as the indoor training season starts to come to a close.  Oh, and be on the lookout for a continuation of the Super 6!! 

Good luck and get on it!

- Coach Troy

www.coachtroy.com

P.S. If you are a participant in the 32-Day Challenge, you need to consider taking a day or two OFF after the last workout in the challenge to regroup and get ready for the Super 6 phase of training.  I would suggest 48-72 hours of 'easy exercise' for most athletes prior to jumping back into a new regimen. Good luck!!

Disclaimer: This and all training programs can be dangerous to your health if you are inadequately prepared to do them.  See your doctor and get his approval prior to starting this training regimen. By participating in this plan, you do so at your own risk and release Troy Jacobson and affiliated companies and persons from liability.  

Improve Your Cycling Efficiency to Ride Faster

"Efficiency and energy conservation are keys to faster cycling." 

Have you ever experienced riding behind an accomplished road cyclist or mountain biker and marveled at the smooth, effortless and fluid manner in which they pedal the bike? As with anything in life, those who excel in a particular area make it look "easy," and we tend to forget the hours and hours of time and effort that went into perfecting their craft.

To the average person, pedaling a bike might seem like an activity that requires little skill or technique development. This is far from the truth, however, for the competitive cyclist or triathlete who depend on efficiency and energy conservation in order to generate maximum velocity at the lowest possible metabolic cost.

As with any skill set, the more you practice good form and technique and ingrain those movement patterns into your neuromuscular pathways, the more you are likely to perform at a higher level on race day. There are several things to think about when the goal is to improve your cycling efficiency. I've listed a few of them below for your consideration.

1. Bike Fit: The lightest, coolest and most expensive bike on the block doesn't mean a hill of beans if it doesn't fit you properly. Saddle height, fore and aft position, reach to the handlebar, cleat position on your shoes and even crank length will all play a factor in your pedaling efficiency.
     
2. Aerodynamics vs. Power: This is an age old question that all triathletes must deal with at one time or another. Cycling fans might remember Miguel Indurain (i.e. "Big Mig") time trialing in the TDF(Tour de France) on his steel Pinarello bike almost looking as if he was sitting upright on his aero bars. On the other end of the spectrum was Hour Record Holder, Chris Boardman, the creator of the now-banned "superman" position, which stretched him out on the aerobars as if he were flying, cutting a hole in the wind while low to the ground. Big Mig chose to produce more power instead of trying to get his 6'2" frame lower to the ground in an aerodynamic tuck; whereas Boardman leveraged his smaller stature and flexibility to maximize his aerodynamics. During your bike fit, determine what's best for you in terms of power output and comfort or aerodynamics.
     
3. Cadence Range: Let's face it... some athletes are "mashers" and some are "spinners." Research shows that most inexperienced cyclists tend to pedal bigger gears at lower cadences in contrast to more experienced riders who tend to pedal at higher cadences (85-95 RPM or Revolutions Per Minute). Former TDF champ and Team Telecom Rider, Jan Ullrich of Germany, was famous for mashing a huge gear-inch as he blasted to 30+ mph average speeds during Time Trials, earning him the description as a "Diesel Engine." Seven-time TDF winner, Lance Armstrong, proved that riding with an exceptionally high cadence of 100+ RPM was a good way to race a bike and win. Different athletes, different riding styles. I encourage most athletes to find a middle ground and typically, a cadence range of 80-90 RPM works best as a "sweet spot."
     
4. Drill, Drill, Drill: Perfect practice makes perfect. Every time you go out for a ride, think of good form. Focus on a fluid pedaling action with a relaxed upper body and a flat back. As the road tilts up or as you ride into a head wind, think about pulling back and up a little more, using the entire pedal stroke, which serves to unweight the opposing leg. Allow for your knees to track naturally over the pedal spindle and not to splay out. Incorporate high cadence drills of 20-30 seconds at 110+ RPM into your weekly training plan. Get very comfortable riding on your aerobars for hours on end.

I encourage every serious cyclist and triathlete to invest time and energy into improving their technique and efficiency by using the ideas listed in this article. You'll be very pleased with the results come race day!

Train smart,

Coach Troy

For several excellent indoor trainer cycling workouts designed to improve skill and technique, check out www.spinervals.com and in particular, Spinervals 38.0 - Develop Technique and Power

Life Time Chicago Tri Race Report | Add this race to your Bucket List!

Getting ready to enter the water in Wave #46 with
Female and Male 25-29 age groupers at the 2011
Life Time Chicago Tri!

The 2011 version of the Life Time Chicago Triathlon is in the record books.  I had the opportunity to race it this year, the first time since 1994, and wanted to share my experiences and thoughts in this race report.

About 8500 people competed in the event, including an Olympic distance race (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), a sprint distance (.5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 5K run) and even a kids tri.  Taking place in downtown Chicago along Lakeshore Drive, the venue is amazing as you race with Lake Michigan on one side and the cityscape on the other.  Athletes from around the world come to experience the world class event as well as the world class city.

The Olympic Distance is part of the Life Time Triathlon Series, the Race to the Toyota Cup, and is stop number five in the 7-series race. It attracts the very best professional and amateur athletes in the sport as they compete for money and prestige.  The largest in the series with 8500+ athletes, it’s also one of the largest triathlons in the world. (www.chicagotriathlon.com)

One of the many highlights of the weekend is the expo, which takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Chicago Hilton.  One of the largest consumer tri-expos anywhere, it’s a great opportunity to get great deals on tri-related gear and to speak with manufacturers reps and other industry insiders. 

I decided to race Chicago as a tune up for Kona.  Due to some personal issues and nagging, minor injuries, I hadn’t been able to race as often as I would have liked this summer, so this was my last chance to get rid of some “race rust”  before toeing the line in Kona in early October.  I was excited to race again and test the legs in competition.

About a week before the race, I got an email from Life Time Fitness’ PR department ace, KJ, that they wanted me to do a live interview for the local Chicago ABC affiliate at 8:50 am on race morning at the swim start.  This meant that I’d have to be bumped from the elite division start at 7:20 am to wave 46, combining 25-29 yr old men and women, at 9:20 am.  I knew the course would be very crowded at that time and race conditions would change, but duty called and I had to put my own personal race goals to the side in support of my employer.  After all, Life Time Fitness has 9 health clubs in the Chicago market and owns the race series… I was more than happy to contribute in any way I could and do my part.

All bikes needed to be racked before the Sprint race started at 6 am, and that meant you had to have your bike set up and vacate the transition area by 5:45 am.  8500+ bikes in one transition area is an amazing sight to see!  After racking my Kestrel 4000, I went back to my hotel room to relax a bit before my interview was to take place at 8:50 am.

The weather conditions on race morning proved to be challenging. While the temperatures were great (mid-70’s) with clear sunny skies, the waters were very rough due to high winds, which also affected the bike leg.  After my 3 minutes of fame on ABC Chicago, I quickly slipped into my TYR wetsuit and stood in the corral with my wave, wave 46/ Men and Women AGE 25-29.  One of the women looked at me, probably wondering to herself, “What’s this old dude doing here?”, and said to me, “Don’t be rough with us girls.”.  I smiled and then responded politely, asking her not to be rough with me.

Lake Michigan was like a washing machine as waves went off like clockwork every 4 minutes.  At the gun for my wave, I went out pretty hard to try and establish position quickly. The swim takes you along the sea wall, so your spectators can walk by you as you make your way along the course. I could see Jen and Stacy Keifer of Keifer Swim Wear, female overall winner of the sprint race, cheering me on. 

Being in wave 46 was a bit of a challenge for me, as I anticipated it would be.  Even in the swim , by far my weakest leg, I had to swim over, under and through (two head on collisions) seemingly dozens of slower swimmers from the waves in front of me.  It was brutal and I’m sure that, along with the current and choppy waters, did nothing to speed up my swim time.  In any case, it is what it is and I exited the water to run the 450 yd. sprint to T1 where I quickly found my bike among the masses.

The 40K bike takes you on the inner lanes of Lake Shore Drive and is quite interesting.   Most of the road is newly paved, making for comfortable and fast riding, with only a few exceptions and rough areas with potholes.  Contrary to other USAT sanctioned events, here you ride to your left and pass on the right.  Many people on the course followed this rule loosely, and I found myself yelling “on your right”  literally hundreds of times, usually thanking people as they moved over and I rode by.  On a couple dangerous occasions, the rider must have thought I said “move right” and started to nudge me into Lake Shore Drive Traffic … scary.   And once, as I rode past an athlete and courteously cautioned her, "on your right", she yelled after me, “F-you, A-hole”!  I rode away from her as fast as I could!

Stiff cross winds, head winds and weaving in and out of other riders made for a challenging bike ride and I was happy to enter T2 unscathed in about 1 hour. I was also happy to have not witnessed any crashes by my fellow competitors.  I found my rack in the far reaches of the huge transition area and headed out on the 10K run.

It was starting to heat up a bit, but it was still comfortable, especially compared to Tucson weather.  I often wondered what it would have been like to start early in the day with the elite wave. In any case,  I felt strong on the run, but again found myself weaving in and out of other competitors through some of the narrow paths of the run course, encouraging some of the athletes who looked like they were having some difficulty.   I had my heart rate monitor on and was pleased with my effort as I was tagging a steady 5:50 / mile pace with a HR of 165-170.  I also took a moment or two to enjoy the incredible crowds and views of the water and the city… amazing!

Once I crossed the finish line, I was happy with my effort and quickly found Jen waiting for me.  We had a bite in the VIP area, said hello to the JANUS and other Life Time Fitness folks and enjoyed watching and cheering for other athletes finishing on a gorgeous yet challengin Chicago day.  My motor ran well that day, and despite not racing with the elite wave early in the morning, I was pleasantly surprised by finishing 6^th Elite (time adjusted), posting the fastest amateur bike split and 4th fastest run of the day.  Yipppeee, Mission accomplished…. Race Rust is gone!

I want to congratulate the many first timers out there for taking the plunge into the choppy Lake Michigan and finishing the race.  And hats off to the top pros in the race to the Toyota Cup who showed us how fast people can really go.  Well done!

The Life Time Chicago Triathlon is a race that every triathlete needs to put on their bucket list.  Racing in a major U.S. City is a great experience and really makes you appreciate the logistical challenges encountered by the race organizers.  For the experienced triathlete, it’s a great race to challenge yourself against top level competition and for newbies, it’s an awesome opportunity to enjoy a big city triathlon experience.  Put it on your calendar for 2012 and I'll see you there. (Register and get more info at www.chicagotriathlon.com)

Train Smart, 

Coach Troy

Coach Troy is the Head Triathlon Coach for Life Time Fitness. To learn more about Life Time, visit www.lifetimefitness.com. 

Three Breakthrough Strategies to Set your Ironman PR!

I often feel that your first Ironman is the best Ironman racing experience you'll have throughout your racing career.  You have no lofty expectations other than to finish and since you don't yet understand or have experienced how badly you might feel during certain stages of the race, your naivete and ignorance help you get through the bad spots. First times for almost anything are usually always memorable, especially when it comes to ultra endurance sports racing.

As you dive further into the sport, you start developing expectations of yourself based on previous results, as do your friends, family and training partners.  You begin to analyze every detail of your training plan, race and nutrition strategy and figuring out ways to shave a few minutes off here and a few minutes off there.  Your fitness evolves quickly and you go faster as you build more aerobic base, lean down, muscle up and get dialed in on all of the latest "Go fast!" equipment.  After several years of steady, purposeful training and with around five or so Ironman distance races under your belt, you "get it" and you start to see the fitness improve at a slower rate as your results begin to level out in your "home range" of a few minutes. Sure, conditions on race day will always change a result, but the athlete who consistently finishes at around 11 hours has discovered their "Home" and will always be finishing around that same time... unless they do something extraordinarily different.  The same principle applies to even the top tier athletes.

There's a definition of insanity we all need to remember..."Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  If you're ready to break through your plateau and go to another level of performance, it's time to do something different, NOW!

Barring the unrealistic notion for most age groupers of quitting a high paying job, packing up the family and relocating to Boulder to train 'full time' with the sport's best, I have compiled three key ideas that might just help you experience a breakthrough to the next level.   (CAUTION!: The ideas expressed here are only for experienced Ironman competitors and should not be attempted by athletes new to the sport or without an appropriate training base.)

The Breakthrough Strategy Three Pack

1.  Run 7-10 Times a Week:
Frequency counts when it comes to endurance sports training. Just ask the top world class runners who run two and three times a day during certain stages of their training cycle, logging weekly mileage totals of over 120 miles.  Experiment with committing 2-3 weeks in a row with running shorter workouts of 20-40 minutes, but lots of them, including a couple days a week of "double runs" (one in the morning and one in the evening.).

2. Ride 15-20 hours in a Week:
As with the running Breakthrough, the same can be applied to cycling. If you can find the time, ride 3-4 hours daily at an aerobic endurance (zone 2-3) pace for 3-4 days in a row, take a day or two to recover and then repeat. Do this same routine one to three more times consecutively and you'll see why pro riders use stage races to 'race' themselves into peak form for the Grand Tours like the TDF.

3. Taper Longer and Harder:
I know this isn't as extreme sounding as the first two Breakthrough Strategies, but it's incredibly effective nonetheless.  Most triathletes go into their key Ironman race overly tired and feeling flat, especially the busy age group triathlete over the age of 35 who is starting to battle with father time.  Try to extend your taper a week more than normal and cut back on weekly volume more too.  It's no wonder that many athletes feel 'peaked', not on race day... but the week after the race.

Try to incorporate one or more of these three ideas into your Ironman training plan and let me know how it goes.  Remember that sometimes it's important to shake things up.  I have a strong feeling you'll experience a breakthrough performance!

Good luck and train smart,
Coach Troy
troy@coachtroy.com

Troy Jacobson is the Offical Coach of IRONMAN, the Head Tri Coach of Life Time Fitness and the creator of the Spinervals Cycling video series. A former pro triathlete in the 1990's whose "home base" was around 9 hours at the Ironman Distance, you can learn more at www.coachtroy.com

Insanity... Redefined. The Leadman Tri EPIC 250

"The greatest failure is the failure to try."

- William Ward 

(American Writer, 1921-1994)

Inaugural Leadman Tri EPIC 250 Trophy

Triathlon is a tough sport, no matter what the distance, and Ironman Hawaii has become the standard measure for extreme, one-day endurance sport challenges.  Now, there's a new kid on the block that takes the cake as the ultimate one-day ultra-distance race in which only the toughest survive to cross the finish line.... The Leadman Epic 250 (5K swim, 223K bike, 22K run).  This is a story of my personal experiences at the inaugural event that took place in the Nevada desert on May 15th, 2011.

I'm not 'green' when it comes to ultra-distance racing.  I did my first Ironman-distance race in 1990, the brutally hilly Lake Sunapee Ultra Distance Triathlon in New Hampshire.  So hilly was this race in fact that the run finished at a ski resort.  My second Ironman - distance was Ironman Hawaii in 1991.  The event lived up to it's reputation with the heat and the extreme winds providing the challenge, along with the long gradual 'false flats'.  Baking under the sun on the lava fields of Kona in the Natural Energy Lab portion of the run will always give me nightmares.  I've done Ironman Kona 7-times to this point.

In 2001, I did a short lived race called the Mohican Pineman, in Ohio. This small Ironman distance event included the most challenging bike leg I've ever experienced in an ultra-distance tri. The hills were steep and non-forgiving.  It's no wonder this race disappeared... it was just too hard.

Overall, I've competed at a fairly high level in 15 Ironman-distance events in my 20+ yr. career and in over 25 "half distance" races.  To date, I've never experienced an event as challenging as the Leadman Epic 250.

The concept is interesting, conceived by the Athletic Events Division at Life Time Fitness.  That is, create a one-day event in which just making it to the finish line is the primary goal for most people, focusing on the swim and bike legs and without the demands placed on the body of running a marathon.  It makes sense, because as anyone who trains for Ironman or marathons can attest to, your always walking that tight rope of injury.  This is especially the case for the typical ultra-distance endurance sport athlete who tends to be a little more 'mature', in their late 30's, 40's and 50's.  Now that you have some of the background, let's get into race specifics.

Swim start area, Lake Mead.

The host hotel and event registration was located about 30 minutes (Green Valley Resort) from the race site near Boulder City.  The night before the race, everyone gathered at the pre-race party at a restaurant near the hotel and enjoyed a carbo loading dinner of pastas and potatos.  Pros and age groupers alike attended the dinner.   Tri-Industry vets including Dan Empfield of Slowtwitch.com fame, Jan Caille (Race Director of the Chicago Triathlon) and Seton Claggett, owner of Trisports.com were there as well (Dan and Seton did the half and full distance, respectively). The mood was light, calm and enjoyable.  After all... we were all part of this new experience, and it felt more like and event than it did a race. 

The race started at 6 am on Saturday morning at Boulder Beach in Lake Mead.  With only 49 hardy souls competing in this first - ever event (Full, Half and Relay's combined), the atmosphere was very relaxed.  The transition area included astro-turf and chairs in the changing tents for each athlete. The race announcer was Jerry McNeil, an encyclopedia of athlete information, and he did a great job of adding color to the race commentary.  The pro list included Ironman Champion, Jordan Rapp, one of the top cyclists in the sport, as well as Matt Lieto.  On the women's side, Hillary Biscay and Shanna Armstrong, both former Hawaii Ultraman competitors/winners, were there as well as upstart and top IM 70.3 racer, Angela Naeth and veteran Ironman distance pro, Tara Norton.

The swim began with a mass start of all athletes in both the half and full distance.  The views of the mountains were breathtaking as the sun was slowing rising, and after the playing of the National Anthem, a calm filled the air as we all felt that we were about to do something special.  The canon fired.

Exiting the water.

The lake was calm with water temps around 68 degrees, perfect for a long sleeve wetsuit.  The swim course, dictated by the National Parks folks, was complicated with several turns (almost like a 'Z') and included two loops for the full distance athletes in which you had to exit the water after the first loop for a quick 'medical check' in which they asked how you were feeling before you jumped back into the water.  I exited the water after the first 1.55K (just over 1.5 miles) in around 40 minutes. I felt ok, but knowing that my typical swim workout is only around 1250 yds (or about 20 minutes), I was a little bit concerned about my stamina for the second loop.  I just focused on staying with a good rhythm and tried to maintain my form and must say that I was both pleasantly surprised and happy to exit the water in just over 1 hr 22 minutes.  

T1. 138 miles to go!

In the changing tent for the swim to bike, I took my time and put on socks, cooling arm sleeves sunblock. It was going to be a long day of cycling, so it didn't make sense to be too hurried.  I hopped on the bike and started out of transition up to the main road out of the park... a hard climb to start after a 3.1 mile swim!  I had my new SRM powermeter and JOULE computer installed on the bike, but it wasn't working properly.  I could see only my watts, and I was at 300-320, so I immediately dialed it back to a more modest 250 watts.  139 miles (some people measure 142 miles at the end of the bike) was a lonngggg way to ride.... something I've never done in training or a race! My strategy... have patience... be smart... don't die.

I started eating and drinking immediately on the bike because the energy required for a 5K tempo swim is considerable.  Knowing that I've struggled with cramping in the past, I had over 30 MetaSalt capsules with me, as well as several bars and gels stuffed in my jersey pockets.  

The bike course was beautiful with mostly smoothly paved roads and started off with a slight tailwind in the 'cool' morning as the temps hovered in the upper 70's.  I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course, but I had heard rumors of the long flowing climbs and descents.  I monitored my output during the gradual climbs using my perceived effort and my power meter... keeping it dialed back below 280 watts and with my cadence in the mid-80 range.  

The bike course was very lonely and challenged your ability to stay focused on this long day. With so few competitors and with such a tough terrain, things spread out very quickly.  Aid stations were a welcomed site every 15 miles or so, as were the USAT Race Officials on their scooters, as well as the race photogs and the few spectators who went out on the bike course to see their athletes race.  Long descents at 35 mph flowed into equally long climbs at 15 mph.  The day was heating up and the winds were starting to pick up as we headed north to the Valley of Fire.

At around mile 60 and now over 4.5 hours into the race, the layers start getting peeled off slowly and surely.  What started out as having high energy and being in a good mood starts to nose dive slowly as the blood sugar destabilizes, the heat picks up and your body becomes generally uncomfortable at all levels.  That, plus knowing that you're not even half way through the bike plays games with your mind. It's time to start digging into your 'suitcase of courage' at this point.

As I enter the Valley of Fire (A state park), I'm so impressed with the beauty of my surroundings but focused on my 'gauges' and keeping myself together.  The first significant climb is about 1/4 mile long at around a 16% grade. I stood to climb as my worn down quads (and very sore knees) barked at me with huge loads of lactic acid burn.  I was burning my matches, and still had many more miles to go in the Valley of Fire with these short but steep climbs before the turnaround.  I saw Jordan Rapp in the lead heading back at this point and was extremely impressed with his riding abilities.  Matt Lieto was not too far behind him at this point, but looked a little tweaked (he ended up dropping out due to 'exhaustion').  

Once out of the Valley of Fire (thank you Lord!), it was back to the gradual false flats and extended climbs.  Unfortunately, the course profile had us going uphill more on the way back... into a stiff headwind!  You see, the slight tailwind in the morning had increased intensity as the day wore on and began blowing steadily stronger and gusting.  I was grinding the uphills in my small ring / 25 going 12 mph and going downhill at times only slightly faster.  Life was not good, especially with a disk wheel as the bike was all over the place.

Temperatures were riding into the mid-90's and I started feeling twinges of cramps starting to happen in my inner quads. I'd been following my electrolyte and nutrition regimen pretty close to plan, consuming my metasalt capsules like Pez and drinking as much as possible, and was frustrated by my body starting to let me down.  I noticed that whenever my power crept over 270 watts on the climbs, I'd start to feel the 'twinge' of a cramp coming on... so I kept my climbing power in the 250 watt range to play it safe.  Turned out to be a smart move.

As the winds picked up even more, I hit mile marker 100 on the bike. It was sort of a sinking feeling knowing that there was another 40 or so miles of suffering to endure before hitting the run.  At mile marker 110, I thought that the Ironman bike would be over in a couple miles.  I hit the 112 mile point in over 5 hours 30 min... my PR on the bike at Ironman Canada, a mountainous course, is 4hrs 45min. Ugh.  The biggest fear I had was going into full-on cramp mode and once your in it, it's hard to escape. I was riding with that fear the rest of the way and slamming 3 metasalts at a time every 15-20 minutes, hoping to keep my shit together until the run.

T2. Glad that's over with!

Once I hit mile 130, I was just pissed off. The wearing down of the day's effort was taking it's toll on me and as anyone who does this stuff knows, you get irritable and a little angry.  I was mad at the wind, the heat, my bike, my legs, the race director for creating this god-aweful bike course and the VP of Athletic Events at LTF, Ken, for 'suggesting' that I do this damn race. :)  I kept it steady and tried to remain focused on my cadence. I finally hit the bike to run transition with a  7 hrs 14 minutes (19.1 mph) bike split. Get me off this f'ing bike!

I was stiff and my knees hurt so much. I felt my age and wondered how I was going to run 14 miles.  I sat in the transition tent and the volunteer did a great job helping me get my run gear on.  I shuffled out of the tent and my left knee forced me to limp/jog out of transition.  I wasn't going to quit, so I wondered if this run would cause me long term damage to my knee.  (My years of playing football and wrestling as a kid through college and then my years of triathlon racing/training have taken their toll on my joints).  Who cares, I thought..."this is Leadman and it's about persevering and getting to the finish line at ALMOST any cost."  The first part of the run out of transition was uphill and about 1/2 mile, similar to the old start out of T2 at the Kona Surf in Kona... for any of you who remember that.  Not fun and I shuffled slowly.

Limping out on the uphill shuffle to Boulder
City

Once up the hill, you go onto a path for the point to point run that ends at the finish line in Boulder City. Again, to add insult to injury at this point, the wind was a headwind as you ran up this gradual uphill grade.  It wasn't super steep, perhaps only 2-4%, but at that time of the day and with so many hours of swimming and cycling in your legs, the effort was significant.  I stopped at the aid stations to take my time and drink while taking my metasalt capsules.  I was so crusty with dried salt, it was unbelievable to me. Fortunately, the cramping situation was still under control.

The run wound up to the Hoover Dam area as we ran through the tunnels on the rocky trail of the out and back portion. The views were spectacular, when I took a second to enjoy them periodically.  After over 8 hours of racing in the heat and wind, I finally had to stop and pee. NOT GOOD! Despite my efforts to consume upwards of 50-60 fl oz / hr on the bike , I was sooo dehydrated.  The dryness of the desert and the winds suck the moisture out of you like as vacuum. It's incredible.

Once back on the pavement and concrete, we continued to wind our way uphill to Boulder City. The uphill grade and the headwind was relentless and it was difficult to really stride out... I'll call it the Leadman shuffle, as it was more of that than a run.  At mile 13, you could look up and start to see the area of the finish line.  Unfortunately, it was up a hill that I thought was just a cruel joke placed there by the race directors and that someone would come up to me and say, "Just kidding! You don't have to run up there... run down this hill instead!".  Nope, most of the final mile was uphill, damn them! I continued to shuffle. My run time, 1:52:31 (8:12 min./mile)

I crossed the finish line in 10 hrs 33 min 24 sec, good for 3rd overall.  It was the hardest race I've done in my life in terms of course terrain and the elements.  

Stick a fork in me... I'm done!

I want to thank my girlfriend Jen, for her unconditional support throughout the day and during my training. I wouldn't have attempted it without her being there.  I also want to thank Chuck (aka Chuckie "V"), a fellow pro competitor from the 90's who raced head to head with me on many occasions, for his support on the course as he cheered for his athlete and winner of the female div. (And 2nd OA), pro Angela Naeth.  Finally, I want to congratulate everyone who had the guts to take on the Leadman on short notice (the race was announced about 8-weeks ago!), and especially those who crossed the finish line.  It was an EPIC Day. Congratulations! 

I'm so proud to be a LEADMAN now. It's a new badge of courage that everyone passionate and dedicated to the sport of triathlon must have on their list of accomplishments.   I hope that you become one someday too.

Best wishes,

Coach Troy

Dried salt on back and shorts at finish line.

For photos, complete race results and other information, visit www.leadmantri.com

Ironman Training Tip | 10 Weeks until Race Day!

Training for an Ironman is really a year-round process. The best athletes commit several years to perfecting their 'craft' before reaching their true potential.  Long course endurance athletes need to develop their physiology to handle the stresses of training and racing the Ironman (or other long distance tri's) and it takes time and patience.


In this short video, I talk to my athletes as if they are 10-weeks from race day and discuss the need to develop a consistent weekly pattern of training, as well as to monitor themselves carefully for signs of over reaching and over training.  It's a delicate balance between pushing to achieve your potential and getting sick and injured.  Sometimes, it's better to toe the line healthy and slightly undertrained than to be on the edge and overcooked!

I hope that you can use this tip and the many others out there that we offer when navigating the rough waters of Ironman distance training and racing.  If you'd like more information about my affordable 16-Week Ironman Distance and 70.3 Training plans leveraging the TrainingPeaks coaching platform, click here.  Feel free to email me your ideas, fears or thoughts at troy@coachtroy.com.

Train safe and Train smart,

- Troy
www.coachtroy.com

Smart Run Techniques for Faster Times

QUESTION FOR THE COACH:  Most people I train with say that 180 strides per minute is the optimum stride rate while running long distances. Whenever I check my cadence I'm usually between 150-160, and I've had trouble finishing off the final miles of my marathons strong. I'm wondering if my cadence might be what's holding me back and what I can do to pick it up. A few guys have recommended plyometrics and water jogging -- do you think that would help? 

COACH'S RESPONSE:

This is a great question and addresses a very important issue for the triathlete when it comes to the run leg  (especially long course racing) and that’s the overall economy and efficiency of their running form. 

Unlike ‘open’ running races, triathlon runs are done on tired legs with waning energy reserves.  Even the best triathletes in the world, who are running 2:41-2:50’s (Male) and 2:53-3:00’s (Women) marathons at Ironman are well off their potential open marathon times due to this fact. Foot strike, posture, arm swing and stride rate are all factors when it comes to one’s running economy and their importance is magnified when running off the bike in a triathlon.  As you improve each of these technique variables, you’ll be able to run faster while using less energy. 

Stride rate is of particular importance because it’s indicative of one’s overall running form.  Athletes with ‘loping’ running styles tend to have a lower foot strike frequency, taking longer strides and tend to get more ‘air’ (bounding) between each footstrike meaning more energy is going vertically as opposed to horizontally.

On the other hand, athletes with higher foot strike frequency in that 180 +/- range, tend to be more forefoot strike oriented with greater horizontal velocity (as opposed to vertical bounding), take shorter strides and have better posture.  Ultimately, their more efficient form yields faster overall running spilts on fatigued legs.

There are several ways in which to improve your running cadence.  National Run Training Director for Life Time Fitness, Rebekah Mayer, recommends incorporating ‘stride outs’ into your running program once or twice per week.  This involves warming up for 10-15 minutes, performing some dynamic stretches and run drills then doing a series of 6-12 100 Meter runs where you gradually build speed throughout each effort until your running at around 95% of your maximum speed while focused on executing perfect form. Another means to achieve a greater footstrike cadence is to run on a treadmill once or twice a week at your aerobic pace and to set your incline at 3-6%.  Focus on taking shorter, quicker steps as you run uphill, counting your footstrikes and making a conscious effort to nail that 180 stride per minute range.  Start with doing this for only a few minutes and progress to more as your technique improves. 

Last but not least, anyone who does my Spinervals workouts knows that I’m a huge proponent of developing the ability to spin the pedals smoothly at a high cadence of 90-100 rpms.  I believe, as do many other coaches, that your ability to spin quickly and smoothly on the bike translates to a higher, smoother and more efficient leg turnover on the run too. 

Give these ideas a whirl, improve your footstrike cadence and you’ll likely run your Ironman marathon PR this season! And for more insights on how to run a faster Ironman marathon, read this article HERE.

Good Luck!

-       Coach Troy

Troy Jacobson is the Official Coach of Ironman. A former pro in the 1990’s, he’s back to racing again as a Master’s athlete and set his marathon PR at 2010 IM AZ with a 2:59:55 incorporating the techniques described in this article. For more info, visit www.coachtroy.com

Training for The Leadman Tri Epic 250

Ah, yes. The thrill and challenge of training for a long course endurance event. Will someone please knock some sense into me and stop me from doing this Leadman thing?! Just kidding.  I think it's hard-wired into me since I did my first IM "distance" tri over 20+ years ago at the age of 20.  Anyone remember the Lake Sunapee Ironman Distance Triathlon?  What a great New Hampshire based race back in the late 1980s and early 1990's!  Hilly and brutal, but great nonetheless. I won it overall in a time of 9 hrs 46 minutes along with a check for $1000, which I think I spent on beer when I got back to college the following week.  That was back at a time when there were only a few 'ironman' races in the world and it was rare to see someone with an 'M-Dot' tatoo. My how times have changed!

So now I'm getting ready for this new challenge, the LeadmanTri in Vegas. I thought I'd share some of my training log notes with you for a peek behind the curtain. Please keep in mind that the way I train for an event is often times different compared to the way I might train someone else.  In other words, "don't try this at home" and "do what I say, not what I do." ;)

Here goes (starting Mon. March 7th):

Monday: Bike 1 hr easy aerobic (zone 2), run 30 minutes aerobic (road, slightly rolling hills.), swim 1250 yds (technique and some paddles)
Tuesday:  Bike 70 miles (approx 3.5 hrs) aerobic endurance ride, steady pace on road bike. Stretch cords, 4 x 25 reps
Wed: Swim 2500, Run 45 min., aerobic effort with 6 minutes of hard tempo (first 'hard' running since IMAZ last year)
Thurs: 1 hr easy spin (legs were sore from the run!), 30 min easy aerobic run, 1250 straight swim
Fri:  Swim 2000 yds (got humbled by 'real swimmer' lapping me doing kick sets, yikes! ;)., 1.5 hr aerobic bike (first ride on tri bike since IM AZ. Felt awkward as expected, gotta tweak position.), 30 min. easy run
Sat:  3 hr aerobic bike (on tri bike, z2 and some z3 muscle endurance work. Bike is feeling better already), 4 mile easy aerobic run

I've been putting in regular 10-12 hour weeks all winter after IMAZ (working with some knee pain) so this was a bump up to around 15-16 hrs (including tomorrow, Sunday).  I will likely peak at just around 16-18 hrs of training over the next couple of weeks with the cycling and tri camps coming to town.

Although I do have a general sense of weekly training volumes and what I want to accomplish, I do what I call "Intuitive Training". In other words, I listen to my body and train day to day according to how I'm feeling that day, but within the general parameters of my weekly goals.  I have found that I'm no longer able to handle lots of high volume training days  (100 mile bike rides tire me out and bore me to tears), and am most effective training as if I'm preparing for an Olympic distance race, even when doing longer stuff.  I try to train almost every day of the week and let fatigue or work commitments (travel in particular) dictate when I take a day off from training.  I also believe that success at triathlon is based on your year-round commitment to swimming, cycling and running and not simply on what you do in your build up for your 'big race'. Your 'aerobic base' is something you constantly need to build and maintain.  Oh, and quality is key...but not too much of it, especially if you are an 'aging' athlete.  I've found that 10-15 minutes of high intensity training in a workout (per sport) usually does the trick without wasting you or making you too sore to train the following day. Small but frequent doses.

So there you have it!  For Leadman, I'll do a handful of 3-4 hr rides and perhaps, if my motivation and time allows, a 5-7 hr ride... but I doubt it.  For the 3.1 mile swim at LM, I might work up to a 4000 yd workout to build confidence, but given my history of disliking swimming, I'll probably stick to my shorter sessions.  I've found for myself that big workout days are not the key to successful long distance racing...rather, it's the cumulative effect of training day after day, week after week, month after month , etc followed by a long and disciplined taper.

I'll keep you posted on my progress as I tackle this season. I hope you glean a thing or two you can apply to your own training plan! And if you're interested in signing up for coaching with either me or one of my associate coaches, go to my website here.

Train smart,
Troy

Playing with Pain!

Frozen peas on my bad knees for 10 minutes
after my run.

Ugh, does it ever seem like a chore just to get out of bed in the morning?  What about standing up to get out of a low sitting chair?  If you are a competitive athlete, you deal with the consequences of pushing your body beyond its normal limits everyday. For those of you with the attitude that you’d rather “wear out than rust out”, keep reading.

I grew up playing football.  From the age of 10 through my freshman year in college, I spent the fall and winter months on the practice field and playing games.  While many practices were focused on teaching the fundamentals of proper tackling and blocking techniques at ‘half speed’ (not full contact), most were at full speed with ‘live’ drills and scrimmages.   Games were “all or nothing” physical confrontations with the other team’s players.  And even though we were well protected with helmets and pads, minor injuries were a common and expected outcome of playing football.   As a little kid, you learned quickly that you needed to ‘play with pain’  (minor pain, not serious injury) to gain the respect of your coaches and your teammates.  The kids who couldn’t handle it either sat on the bench or were quick to quit football and join another sport.  Mental toughness, focus, discipline and the importance of teamwork were attributes drilled into our little brains.

When I finally ended my football playing days after my freshman year in college at a Division II school, I jumped right into triathlon.  I learned quickly that many of the same skills I had learned being a “hard-nosed” football player (a term used for being tough on the field) could be applied to the competitive triathlete.  To race well, you need to drive yourself during training, tolerate various levels of physical discomfort and train when weather and other conditions are not ideal. (Who likes diving into that cold water for swim practice at 5 am or heading out for a cold, wet training run?).   You also have to deal with a slew of aches and pains that might force a ‘normal’ personal to call-in sick and stay in bed all day.  This is what I consider playing with pain… working through minor aches and discomforts in order to continue progressing your fitness to that next level.  The question every triathlete driven to succeed needs to ask themselves is “how much pain is too much pain and when does pushing through pain actually create additional problems?”.

Unfortunately, there are no black and white answers to this question as it must be dealt with on an individual basis.  To help arm you with bigger decision making muscles, I’ve asked for some feedback from Dr. Mark Klion, a multi-time Ironman finisher, Orthopedic Surgeon and creator of the BodyWorks MD Injury Prevention and Treatment DVD Series and Tony Schiller, a former pro and top Masters triathlete. 

Let’s face facts; young athletes have it easy.  You used to be a young athlete, so you know what I mean.  They can load huge volumes of training on their bodies and adapt quickly with little or no repercussions.   A young athlete can even get away with having poor technique and avoid injury, but this all changes as an athlete ages.  As noted by Tony Schiller, older athletes (we’ll say 40+ for the sake of this article), don’t have that same luxury.  Even though the aging athlete still thinks they are 10, 15 or 20 years younger and might even feel that way, their bodies tell a different tale (not to mention the mirror).  As such is the case, the aging athlete must work harder to avoid injury by changing their perception of how much volume and intensity to incorporate into their plan while also focusing more on good biomechanics.  Tony said,  “... the biggest mindset change you (the aging Masters athlete) need to make is from a "volume-based" workout schedule or plan to a "recovery-based" workout plan. This goes against everything we've always done. You still can outline your ideal volume planner, but give it far more time to achieve than your past schedules allowed. Then humble yourself by not carrying it out in a pre-set schedule of days/weeks/months. Instead, let your body dictate its own schedule based on when it's recovered. In other words, the 100 mile ride you might have done while tired and sore at age 30 gets delayed as many extra days as are needed until your fatigue lessens and your energy returns.”   

This is a great prescription for reducing your chance of incurring a debilitating and season ending injury. But what about the normal, day to day aches and pains that most every serious, hard training athlete must endure regardless of age?  Using my own example, I am aware that every run I take can be the one where I land funny and tweak one of my (bad) knees or get an awkward strain in my hip.  Post workouts, especially long or intense sessions are almost always followed by residual soreness in various areas of my body for the following 48-72 hours.  How do we manage these consistent and minor, yet potentially devastating aches and pains?

Dr. Mark works with competitive athletes from various sports at all levels. One of his ‘red flags’ to look for is swelling in the injured area. Swelling indicates the surrounding tissues are damaged and likely requires immediate attention.  In most cases, trying to ‘train through’ pain that causes swelling is a very bad idea and can only lead to further complications down the road.  On the other hand, discomfort that lessens after warming up might be a sign that one can continue with their training, but only at a lower intensity and by taking precautions like running on a softer surface or spinning a lighter gear on the bike.  It’s my experience, both as a coach and as an athlete dealing with discomfort from training, that most of these nagging “ouches” ebb and flow depending on the day and how hard the training has been over the past 48-72 hours.  Following the good doctor’s advice, I have found that icing the affected area for 10-15 minutes several times a day (never applying ice directly to the skin!), elevating the limb, using compression technology, light post workout massage, strengthening the surrounding muscle groups through resistance training and taking ibuprofen as needed (or with a prescription from your physician to knock out inflammation) all keep the machinery in good working condition. And don't forget stretching for greater flexibility. A good pre and post workout stretching routine is a must for any serious athlete. (A topic for another article. In the meantime, check out our series of Flexibility Videos.)

Based on the valuable insights given by Dr. Mark and Tony, I suggest that all athletes look carefully at their training plan and make sure there are rest days and lower intensity ‘active recovery’ days scheduled throughout, and frequently.   Also, especially in the case of the aging athlete, consider hitting your weekly training volume goals over a 10 or even 14-day period, rather than the typical 7-day cycle.  Add an extra day or two of recovery training after a hard session.  Train intuitively and don’t just finish a workout in order to be able to log the miles for the sake of logging miles.  If you feel like you need a day (or few days) of rest, it’s probably because you do.  And don’t over race.  Listen to your body because it’s always going to tell you something.

Also, spend more time working not only on your conditioning, but on your technique in each sport. By doing so, you’ll improve your efficiency of movement and will use less energy to cover a given distance. This is especially important to the Ironman and other long distance endurance athletes.  Remember, it’s not just about how big your engine is and how much horsepower you can produce … it’s how you use it, so developing better technique and efficiency is a key to success.

In summary, all competitive athletes must learn to deal with some level of pain and discomfort. This means ‘playing with pain’ much of the time.  The smart athlete plays with pain, but also does everything possible to manage it and to minimize its negative consequences on their health and performance.

I want to thank Dr. Mark and Tony for their contributions to this blog.  If you’re injured, were injured or are planning on becoming injured some day in the future, check out his line of DVDs at www.bodyworksmd.com.  And if you’re a stud triathlete who lives in the upper mid-west, just know that if you’re beat by a man almost twice your age, it’s probably Tony. Learn more about him at www.tonyschiller.com

Good luck and train smart,

Coach Troy

www.coachtroy.com

LeadmanTri Epic 250 & IRONMAN

The other day I registered for the Leadman Epic 250K Tri in Vegas in mid-May. Here's the link for any of you fellow type 'A's out there who wish to give it a shot, http://www.leadmantri.com/

As some of you know, I have worked for Life Time Fitness, a large publicly traded health club company (NYSE: LTM, www.lifetimefitness.com) going on 2.5-years now in the capacity of head triathlon coach. Life Time is run by a true visionary who seems to have a crystal ball when it comes to forecasting trends in the health and fitness industry.  The LeadmanTri Life Time Epic 250 is his brainchild and promises to give long course endurance athletes an alternative to the very popular Ironman distance.  We'll see over the next few years if the athletes 'vote with their feet' and give this new concept a shot.  I feel that this new distance and the Ironman distance can compliment one another and together, bring even more athletes into the world of ultra distance triathlon racing.

What makes it unique compared to the ironman distance?  The distance of this event includes a 5K Swim, 223K bike and a 22K run.  For those of you rushing to the google metric conversion calculator (I did!), that's a 3.1 mile swim, 138.56 mile bike and a 13.67 mile run.

Let's analyze the potential race times for the pro Ironman distance athlete should they attempt to race the Leadman.  By going through this drill, you'll start to see STRIKING similarities in the energy (and time) needed to complete both distances.

First, a 'good' pro (let's call him Racer X) can race an Ironman in just under 9 hours. We'll say 8:50ish, for the sake of this article (all values are approximate). This could translate roughly to a 54:54 swim (~1:18/100 yd pace) - 4:52:10 bike (~23 mph pace) and a 2:59:00 run (~6:50 min/mile pace).  Include two 2-min. transitions and you've got ~8:50:07 at the finish line. Now, let's extrapolate those same paces (this is questionable however as the athlete would like modify pace in each leg, but serves to illustrate a point) to the LeadmanTri 250K under similar conditions.

3.1 mile swim in 1:10:55 (~1:18/100 yd pace) - 138.56 mile bike in 6:01:27  (~23 mph pace) and 13.67 mile run in 1:33:24 (~6:50 min/mile pace) for a total time of ~8:49:48.  WOW!!!

Racer X
Ironman Time:  8:50:07
LeadmanTri Time:  8:49:48

Of course, the strategy in racing a Leadman might be somewhat different than racing an Ironman in that the savvy Ironman athlete knows that one must be more conservative on the bike if they wish to hold pace through the last 6-10 miles on the run.  Many Ironman races have been won or lost in that last 5K when the wheels are falling off and the stronger runners take the top podium.  My guess is that the competitive long course triathlete will need to push the pace on the bike and risk 'blowing up' in that last hour in order to hit the run in contention for the win. Also, the run, given it's shorter distance, will likely be taken out much faster and at a higher percentage of lactate threshold then when running the marathon in an Ironman, but this all remains to be seen as race strategies for this new distance will evolve over time.

For the age group athlete, since so many overall finish times are slowed by the 'ironman shuffle' in the second half of the marathon, I would anticipate overall finish times at Leadman to be perhaps a little faster given the longer bike and shorter run (i.e. not enough run left to 'bonk' and on)... but all of this is speculation at the moment.  Apparently, the Leadman course and conditions in Vegas will make it very challenging.

The interesting and appealing thing about this new Leadman distance, as compared perhaps to the Iron distance, is how much less it'll (potentially) contribute to the wear and tear of the athlete, due mainly to the shorter run distance.  As anyone who does Ironman distance races knows first hand, the training for the marathon and then the actual race day itself can take an incredible toll on the body in terms of the pounding, sometimes lending to overuse injuries and overtraining.  From a recovery standpoint,  the IM distance race itself can take literally weeks (months?) to recover from when you've 'gone to the well' in those last 8 miles of the marathon.  Resuming steady training takes at least a couple of weeks post IM and racing again with any good form (at least for the Age Grouper) might take as long as a few months.  Add to that the focused preparation for the Ironman distance and the long(er) miles of run training involved (and the related pounding), age group athletes doing IM tend to race less often in the course of a season and just train, train and train.

I see the new Leadman distance as a way to test your long distance tri racing prowess and even use it as a training race for a key Ironman distance race without 'beating yourself up' with excessive run mileage.  Even though the swim and the bike are considerably longer compared to the IM distance, the potential negative implications on the body (from the running leg) are lower.  And from a competition standpoint, while it's true that the strong swimmer/cyclist will have an advantage perhaps over the strong runner (due to the shorter run, relatively speaking), all athletes still need to race smart by managing their nutrition and pacing or the extra miles will turn the run into a 'walk', regardless of one's fitness and experience.  After all... ultra distance endurance events always reward the 'smarter'  and more patient athletes, not necessarily the stronger ones, right?

So, I'm doing this inaugural Leadman Tri for a few reasons as listed below:
1. It's a great challenge and a unique format.
2. Life Time puts on a great triathlon experience for the racers and their families / supporters.
3. I get to crank up my cycling miles without worrying about doing over-distance or higher volume running, thus avoiding potential run related injury early in the competitive season.
4. I anticipate being able to recover in only a few weeks after the event (due to less run recovery) and be 'race ready' again quickly thereafter.
5. It fits well into my schedule this season in preparing for Ironman Hawaii in October, giving me a 'dose' of ultra-distance racing without the recovery time required after running a marathon.
6. It's 'cool' to be involved in a first-ever event.
7. I broke my collarbone and a couple ribs last year at the Leadville 100 Mtn bike race, a close cousin of Leadman Tri... so I need to conquer at least one of these darn 'Lead' races!

If you're interested in taking on a new and unique challenge this May, join me and a hand full of other pioneers in racing the Leadman Tri Epic 250.  It might be one of the coolest and toughest things you'll ever do.

And if you're interested, in a future blog report I'll let you know more about my Leadman training experience and how it might compare to preparing for an Ironman.  Check back soon.

See ya!
- Coach Troy

Ironman AZ Preparation Update

A quick update on the life of this endurance sports coach. :)

North Tucson road to nowhere.

Well, Ironman Arizona is creeping up ... just over 2 weeks away. YIKES! I have been swimming for a couple of weeks now with about 8 workouts under my belt since getting the go-ahead from the doc after my collarbone repair surgery (and about 10 wks out of the water).  My workouts consist of 1000-1500 yds of mostly 'steady' swimming. I started doing some 100 tempo efforts in the past few workouts... man, I am sssllloooowwww.

I took about 5 years off from swimming and got back into it in March of this year.  I got myself back into decent shape, hitting about 24 minutes for the mile and 30 minutes for the 1.2 mile in my events earlier this year.  I've never been a super swimmer, probably because I've never made the sincere commitment to become one.  Why? Because I've never really enjoyed swimming all that much. I like the feeling of finishing the workout :), but I get bored easily and most of my career training the swim, even as a pro, consisted of 1000-1500 yd workouts with a few masters workouts now and then sprinkled in for some speed/tempo.  Even with minimal swimming,  back 'in the day', I was able to go 26-28 min. at the half IM,  58-60 min. in Kona and even posted a 56 min. swim at IMLP one year! I still don't know how I managed that!

So, I'm an underachiever when it comes to the swim leg of the triathlon and always have been.  It's ashame really, and one of my only regrets that , as a younger athlete... I didn't focus more on the swim and turn myself into a sub 55 min. IM swimmer. Had I done that, I probably would have been 'in the hunt' in major events because I could pretty much bike and run with most of the contenders, with the exception of the top tier guys.  But once you're off the back and 'miss the train', you're working alone and it's tough to make up any ground at that level.

Now as a masters athlete, I found this year that I'll give up 2-4 minutes to the top masters swimmers in the Olympic and Half IM distances.  That's close enough to be a contender if my run is strong, which it seemed to be this year.  IM AZ might be a different story however!

My biggest concern for IMAZ is the toll the swim will take on me in terms of fatigue.  I need to be patient, and remember that my fitness and endurance on the swim is insufficient to take it out hard from the gun.  I need to line up with the 1:10-15 hr swimmers, and try to get into a pack and swim comfortably.  If the day goes well, a 1:10 might be in the cards.

Going into the bike, I need to be mindful of the matches I burned in the swim, and go out easy and start hydrating and eating immediately.  I know I'll be tempted to drop the hammer (I remember the good ole days of being able to split sub 4:45's!) , but know in my gut that's suicide.  A conservative bike will hopefully get me to the run with a few matches left over... where the carnage will begin.

My running fitness is good, despite my 3 weeks of power walking after my injury and surgery. :)  I did some long runs of 2 hrs recently, but my body felt like it was falling apart, so I decided to back it down and toe the line in good health but not in perhaps the best marathon shape.  I have lots of aches and pains, probably from the years of abuse I placed on myself as a high school football player/wrestler (and some college) and then 12 solid years of serious tri racing, including 15 Ironmans, several marathons, dozens of half IM's and lots of training miles.  It all catches up to you and everyone has to pay the piper some day.  Geez, if I feel this way at almost 42, how am I going to feel when I'm in my fifties?

In general, my 'engine' is strong, and if my chassis can hold it together, I could have a solid race performance. My 4:11 at IM 70.3 Racine earlier this season showed me that I may still have the mojo to race a competitive Ironman and perhaps finish in the 9:30 - 10 hr range. The question will be how much my recovery from the injury has impacted my endurance and lactate threshold after so many weeks off from training... and how my reoccurring leg cramp issues get resolved on race day.

In any event, I cannot tell you how happy and grateful I am to even be considering racing in 2 weeks! When I crashed at Leadville, broke the collarbone badly and fractured the 2 ribs (they still hurt, btw!), I was pretty bummed...thinking my season was OVER.  Even if IMAZ turns out to be 'one of those days', it'll still be a blessing to participate.

Thanks for your support.  Train safe and train smart.
- Troy

Recovery Report & Setting Goals

The road to recovery from my bike crash and surgery is coming along! Yesterday was a breakthrough day as I did a 50 mile road bike ride then ran 5 miles in the 100 deg. southern Arizona sunshine and heat. It felt great! I can tell my fitness took a few steps back, but it felt so good to get on the bike outdoors. And my run, even though the broken ribs still made things difficult, felt stronger and faster since I started running again last Wednesday.

I almost started to entertain the idea of starting IM Wisconsin this coming weekend, but then reality set in... I can't swim yet! Then I thought, "maybe I can swim with one arm and kick?". I then probably have enough base fitness to get through the bike/run in a respectable time. Hmmm.

Nah, I need to step back and let the body heal for a few more weeks before placing it under high stress levels/ workloads. I am planning to be as ready as possible for Ironman AZ, which is in less than 11 weeks now. If I can get back into the water in 2-3 weeks, I should be ready to go. I know my form won't be at peak, but I'm ok with that...just being able to participate will be a blessing!

I don't know about you, but for me ... having a goal is essential. When I crashed out at Leadville, I immediately knew that IMWI was out of the picture. Initially, I thought the entire season was over with, but decided to entertain the thought of getting ready to participate in IMAZ in late Nov. That goal gave me the 'push' do what I could to maintain fitness and get 'back on the horse' as soon as possible. Now, it's starting to feel like that racing IMAZ, and even regaining enough form to do well, is a strong reality. Ah, the power of setting goals. :)

Train smart,
Coach Troy

Day 3 Post OP Report

Morning! Just a quick update. Today is day 3 after collarbone repair surgery and things seem to be going well. I have minimal pain, managed with just ibuprofen during the day and a prescription pain med. before bed.

Yesterday (day 2 post-op) I got out in the hot Tucson sun and walked for an hour and then spun easy on the lifecycle at the club for 20 minutes. It felt good to break a sweat and to get the motor running again. The crappy thing is that I can feel my hard earned fitness from training in 100+ deg. heat, tempo runs, hill repeats, hard interval swim workouts, etc., slipping away. Ugh. I know it'll eventually all come back however... with the right amount of hard work once I'm 100%.

The worse part for me right now, in terms of discomfort, is my rib! My left side was so traumatized by the impact, it still hurts to breath deeply, sit up and do anything else that engages my core.

I feel so badly for my friend and colleague from Life Time Fitness, Gary Werning. Gary crashed hard descending Power Line at Leadville and was Life-flighted to a shock trauma unit. He's recovering due to his personal strength and support from his family and friends, but it won't be easy as his head injury could have long term implications. My prayers go out to Gary and his family.

Injuries are part of sports participation. When we challenge ourselves and push our bodies to our limits, we sometimes go a little too far. Everyday that we are healthy and can use our bodies the way we want to without restrictions or limitations, is a good day... and a blessing! Go take advantage of your health and have a good swim, bike or run.

Train smart,
- Coach Troy

Just getting back from clavicle surgery and loopy on anesthesia and pain meds. According to the doc, it went well, although it was a little more severe than anticipated with chunks of bone in there in addition to the dislocation. I am waiting for the pain meds to wear off so that can feel the full brunt of the operation, NOT!

I'm out of commission for a few days (docs orders), but can hopefully start light running again in 3 wks and sit on the trainer for light work in a day or two. Too much vibration won't allow the bones to set with the plates/screws. I might be pushing it to think I can do IMAZ in 12 wks, but we'll see!

My ex-wife, Brook, and kids will be helping me recover over the next few days and my parents come in over the weekend for even more support. I'm extremely fortunate to have such a great support network during my time of need. Thanks family!

Also, again - thank you everyone for your well wishes. My friends, colleagues, customers and athletes are my 'extended' cyber family, and I really appreciate your positive notes and goodwill. The endurance sports community is full of classy, caring and wonderful people!

Train smart and don't go over your handlebars :)

Coach Troy

As a triathlon coach, I get the opportunity to meet interesting people and train in incredible places. The month of June has been a busy one with lots of travel, racing, camps and other events.

I've spent the last 10 days mostly in New York, starting with the Lake Placid camp. I still have great memories of riding my bike with the campers over the Adirondack mountains. Then, I was invited to do a special fitness blogger event on behalf of Iron Girl (as the Official Coach) with an editor from Fitness Magazine in Manhattan. It was pretty interesting and a great way to communicate via online social networks. You might be able to see parts of the video blog soon on www.irongirl.com

Then, it was out to Long Island for a 2-day private training camp with a few triathletes from that area.... a great experience.

The only problem with traveling in and around NYC by car is the traffic! Take my word for it, you don't want to be heading over the Verrazano Bridge on a Friday afternoon at rush hour! :)

Next up for me is Minneapolis on July 11th and working the expo, then racing the Life Time Fitness Triathlon. If you're in the area, drop by my booth to say hello!

I want to wish all of you doing Ironman CDA GOOD LUCK this weekend. Be patient, be tough and execute your plan.

Train smart,
Coach Troy