Tri-Tips #1

For those just starting out in the world of triathlon it can be pretty intimidating.  Looking through magazines and seeing pros wearing pointy helmets, riding sweet bikes that weigh less than our morning coffee, and us just not really having a good idea of what's needed and what's not... it can make the whole introduction to the sport just a bit overwhelming.  Well hopefully I can help to ease your frustration by sharing my experience about some common questions that I've run into as I've progressed through the sport.

First of all, let me tell you about my first multisport race.  It was a duathlon.  I was just a guy who loved to ride and run. I hadn't yet even considered triathlon.  I was riding an old Puch, which had to have weighed close to 30 pounds (no joke).  I didn't know any better!  I ran and rode in soccer shorts and a cutoff T-shirt whenever I worked out, it just seemed like the thing to do?

So, I saw an ad for a duathlon (run, bike, run) and thought "that sounds like fun! I like to do both of those things!"  I signed up and was super excited until I showed up on race day.  Everyone (almost everyone) had sleek spandex suits, awesome bikes, nice helmets (some pointy), and they looked intimidating.  I almost drove off.  I parked though and figured screw it, I'll see what happens.  I lowered my behemoth of a bike to the ground, I was already wearing my race attire (tennis shoes, soccer shorts, and a cut off T) so I just hopped on the bike and went to the start line.  Oh yeah, and I had a mountain bike helmet, because I thought the other ones looked silly, I guess the visor seemed to make more sense to me at the time for road biking :(  lol!  Ok, so the race starts and ends.  I went just as hard as I possibly could.  I was passing people, being passed, but doing more passing than the latter.  I crossed the finish line and started to pack up and leave since I didn't have anyone at the race that I knew.  I figured I wasn't going to be making any friends in my current condition.

As I was getting into my truck a guy came over and said, "let me see that bike of yours, because I can't believe you were riding what I think you were riding."  So I got out and showed him, he chuckled when he saw it and said "I thought so.  Come on, I think I have a bike for you."  We walked back up to the tents.  On the way he told me he was the race director and informed me I finished 11th out of the 75 men in the race.  I was really surprised.  Then he showed me a nice Cannondale road bike he was selling for $650, I bought it on the spot and was so excited to have a nice bike!  I still have that frame today!  It's too sentimental for me to let it go.  I let my sister use it for a while, then she got a better bike and now I've got it back :)

Oh right, useful information huh?  Well that was to say that you can even have a bad first race experience like mine and survive to tell the story.  Everyone that I met at the race was really nice.  Nobody made fun of me (to my face) for my clothes or the antique that I was riding.  All I received was encouragement.  Which is what I love about all the races I've been to.

Every race I've been to has been a positive experience. Most people are there competing, but we all know the struggles of training and we all want to encourage anyone who is interested in it.  So don't be afraid to show up not knowing anything!  From what I've seen, other athletes are more than willing to help in any way that they can.  I actually met a long time training buddy at a race.  Anything can happen, just be open to it and have a good time!

If you're nervous about riding in a group of other cyclists then in a triathlon you're in luck.  Drafting is illegal in the majority of triathlons, which means you need to maintain about 2 bike lengths between you and the person in front.  So, the only time you'll be in fear of a group of bikes is close to the transition area when people are getting on and off.  If you want to get more comfortable at riding in groups, then look up some group rides in your area and go join them.  They're a lot of fun!  Note: if you have aero-bars installed on your bike please don't use them in the group setting full of cyclists.  The only time it's remotely ok is if you're leading out the front of the pack.  Other than that it's huge hazard and makes everyone around you nervous.  Just start in the back of the back and get comfortable riding close to the rider in front of you.  Then start working to riding up into the pack.  Pretty soon you'll find it to be comfortable and maybe even fun!

Speaking of Aero-Bars... they're not a required piece of gear to do a triathlon, especially a sprint.  I can say that they're awesome though.  They allow you to get REALLY aerodynamic and rest your upper body after the swim.  Since it's a non-draft sport then you need cut through the air as good as possible to not waste a lot of energy trying to overcome all of that unnecessary wind resistance you'd create hanging out in the drops or on the horns.  So, do you need them? No.  Do you probably want them? Probably, definitely, yes... especially in anything longer than a sprint distance. :)

Hopefully that was of some help!

Have a good weekend!

6.29.12 Strength Training

The Workout: 45 minutes of awesomeness with Rope in a Bag suspension straps!

Usually whenever I do strength training I just work everything during that workout.  I've never liked working one group and then another group of muscles.  I always leave feeling like I should/could have done more.  So, as I'm doing strength training I just work what I feel needs work.

If you've heard of TRX Suspension Straps, then these are really similar.  Similar and strong enough to justify their extremely reduced price tag of $30!  You can find them on Amazon here.

I can't even begin to describe how many workouts you can do with these things... ok let's try this.  Think a muscle group you'd like to work with it. Yep you can work that one.  Try thinking of another one... yyyyyyyyep! You can work that too!  See it's amazing!

YouTube some TRX Suspension videos to get to know these things a little bit if you're not familiar.

6.28.12 Swimming

The Workout: Swim 35 minutes @ MI

I know I've mentioned Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin to be a really good book and one that I really like and have used to make my crawl stroke more efficient.  In saying that, I don't mean to say that it is the ONLY or the BEST thing out there.  I've found it to work well with the way that I think and understand swimming.  I don't need to be the fastest swimmer in the water, I just need to have a very efficient stroke that gets me from start to finish in decent time, with as little expenditure of energy as possible.  That's what TI has done for me.  I had no formal swimming background before I read this book.

I just wanted to be clear and say that this is just one way and it may not work for everyone ;)

That being said.  The mechanics I learned years ago continue to come back to me and I'm making more gains in efficiency in the water, it feels really good.

6.27.12 Running

The Workout: Run 30 minutes @ MI

Ugh... what a run.  99F and humid.  Coming from up in the mountains last week at about 76F and not humid it was a shock to my system I think to get out in this terrible weather. The first mile wasn't bad, I was surprised when the Endo lady spoke into my headphones and said "one mile in 7 minutes 7 seconds."  I felt like I was running a lot slower. Mile 2 the heat started to get to me, and I helped a guy on the road who's motorcycle was broken down, so that little exertion didn't help much.  He was trying to push himself along with his feet and was making it nowhere fast.  So I turned around and gave him a push to his parking lot.  That's the little turn back you can see on Endo right at the beginning of mile 2.  2.5 miles came around and I wanted so desperately to walk, to stop, to be drenched by ice cold water, I didn't really care as long as I could collapse comfortably in a cool place.  It was terrible.

Working out doesn't have to be fun all the time.  You don't always have to have a good time.  It's what you do when you don't want to go on anymore that determines your resolve.  It reminds me of a quote I've heard "You can press forward long after you can't.  It's just a matter of wanting it bad enough."

I don't know who said it, but it's certainly true.  What kept me going was the determination to make a difference for the members of our armed forces.  I was thinking that it must be way hotter than this in the desert and I'm not even wearing a uniform, carrying 80lbs of gear, actively in danger of losing my life, and I know my nice air conditioned house is less that 3 miles away!  Plus they don't even have the luxury to contemplate quitting!  So, how could I NOT keep going?  (Perhaps to some that may sound super-cheesy, but it helps me to think like that.  Whatever keeps you going keeps you going! Share your inspiration if you like!)

I finished it up, the last mile was abismal, but I did it.  I set out to run 30 minutes, came home and collapsed comfortably in my nice cold living room.

My Favorite Things

In the years I've been training and racing, I've come across some things that I've found to be invaluable.  Maybe you know of or use them as well and you can totally agree with their inclusion in the list -or- maybe you've never heard of them and you'll be stoked to find something knew.  So, I'll be adding stuff on a weekly basis and I hope you find something useful.

Total Immersion (Terry Laughlin): I've never visited the website until just before this post in order to add a link to it, but I have read the book and it's been incredibly helpful in forming my most efficient crawl stroke.  Here's a link to the site.  Which I'll be exploring later as well!

Before the book I just hammered through the water and figured that faster arm rotation and more ferocious kicking was the ticket to getting through the water quicker.  Thankfully, before too long, I stumbled across this book and it opened my eyes to the proper mechanics of swimming.  He talks about it in a way that makes complete and relatable sense.  I can't say enough good things about it. 

Here a link to where you can buy it on Amazon.

Endomondo: This is a fitness app for Android and iPhone.  While cycling I used to use the Polar workout tracking software, it was nice to have all that information, but the interface was clunky and well... ugly.  Along comes Endomondo and it's a great all around fitness tracker that's simple to use and provides some excellent information.  

It will track almost every workout imaginable and stores them online in a calendar so you can see your history and track your progress in each particular sport.  You can also have friends on Endo and you can see how each other is doing and help encourage one another even during the workouts through "Peptalks." One thing I want to do is figure out how to make (or buy) a floating smartphone case so that I can track my swim workouts accurately using the GPS on the phone.  Oh yeah, best of all it's FREE!  There is a PRO version, but it doesn't have much more than the free.  I bought it just because I was so impressed with the free that I figured they deserved my money :)

You can send me a friend request on Endo (search Nate Borozinski)

Links for Endomondo:

Endomondo for iPhone

Endomondo for Android 

Endurox R4:  Endurox is a recovery drink with a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio.  This ratio of carbs to protein has been proven to;

-Increase Glycogen replenishment by 200%

-Decrease muscle damage by 50% and increase protein synthesis by 400%

-Extend endurance in subsequent workouts by 55%

That was straight from the website.  What it does is make you feel better and recover faster after workouts lasting longer than 45 minutes.  It's like magic, really.  

The first time I used it was after a 15 mile run I did with a running group that I had recently joined.  It was only the second run of that distance in my life and I had no idea what I was really doing.  I was training at only about 6 miles at the time.  So, we went out and ran 15 at a 7:30 pace.  I didn't bring any water or gels.  I didn't know any better.  I completed the run ate breakfast with the group and felt ok.  After I got home and showered, I laid down for a second and I was out.  I woke up a few hours later, tried to pry myself from the couch but just couldn't do it.  I fell asleep for another few hours and woke up upset that I was missing my weekend.  I didn't know what was going on.  I was really new to the world of endurance training.  I called my friend from the run and asked him for advice.  He said to go pick up some Endurox from the local cycling store.  Long story short, I got it drank it and began to feel better in about an hour. (It's best used within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.  I've learned to mix it in advance and have it ready and waiting for me when I get home from an intense workout.  Who wants to stand up and worry about mixing a drink when all you want to do is collapse?) I've not gone without it while training endurance since. I'll even mix it half strength and take it on rides instead of Gatorade or water sometimes.

Oh, I've tried all the flavors and Orange is my favorite!

You can get it on Amazon here.

6.26.12 Swimming

The Workout: Swim @ MI for 33 minutes.

I know I said I was going to post this weeks workouts today, but this week getting back from vacation has been so messed up that I'm just going to do what I feel like for this week and then start back into it on Monday.

Today's swim was really good though.  I feel like I've got a very efficient crawl stroke, but I've just got to build up to be able to maintain it for longer.  When doing it right I can just glide through the water, but as soon as I tire it starts to get and feel pretty sloppy.

The first few laps at the lake I maintained the crawl pretty well. Then I fell out of it. I've been taking short breaks usually when that happens to recompose, rest, and get back at it. However, this time I wanted to swim until I tired.  So I kept at it and switched to the breast stroke (which in my opinion is ok).  The only catch is that in a group/race you might accidentally "reach out and touch someone" with a kick or an arm... so the crawl is more pack friendly, but if you must switch strokes that's fine too.  I'm working up to be able to maintain crawl throughout the duration of the race, but if I need to I will switch to the old standby, even the sidestroke if I feel like.  My thought is that the crawl is obviously the stroke of choice, but as long as you're efficient and can make it through the water in a timely fashion, do as you please.  Nobody is going to fault you for it.

This leads me to my next post.  I'm going to introduce you to a few of my favorite things :)

6.26.12 Spinning

The Workout: Spin 60 minutes @ MI

Today's "ride" felt really good.  I felt really smooth and comfortable.  I was also getting out of the saddle every once in a while to give the legs and lungs a little surprise.

Much of my time was spent looking forward to my swim.