Hornet Juice

It always pays to work on your weakness.
While out cycling today I was thinking of writing an article on my favourite workout of the week, which this week happened to be a bike session. But as I was thinking about things I realised that the bike session I was thinking of was actually a session that was designed to work my weakness. I believe that working on your weakness is extremely important, in triathlon and in life in general. I have recently written some words about this concept for an article that will be appearing in an up-and-coming edition of the Australian Triathlon and Multisports Magazine so I thought that while the topic is on my mind I should write some words about it here too.

So today’s article is about working on your weakness with a workout of the week!

This week, my favourite workout was a ride of about 3 to 4 hours that featured both hills and wind. Once I was on the bike I decided that whenever I was going uphill I would ride super hard and whenever I was riding into the wind I would also ride super hard. If going downhill or with a tailwind then I decided I was allowed to take it easy.

Was the workout effective?
Yes, my legs were very sore the next day so I guess that counts for something!

Why do I like the workout so much?
I like it because it is free and flexible. I have written a fair bit now about the dangers that I see in getting bogged down in an overly specific and often repetitive training program. Sure, in triathlon there are some core sessions that need to be done but there is also the ability to mix things up. The beauty of the workout is that you can interpret it how you wish. You can decide how hard you want to ride and you can decide when. I just decided that it would be on the climbs and in the wind because I thought this would make for a challenging session. You can make your own rules as you go. Racing between street signs is another example that I have heard a few times.

Where does working on your weakness fit in?
Here is where it is different for everybody as we all have different weaknesses. But the concept of working on your weakness applies to us all.

One of my weaknesses is climbing hills at a really fast pace. I am a reasonably strong cyclist but I am not a particularly fast cyclist – there is quite a difference. I can comfortably ride a long and challenging hilly course at a steady speed. If given the chance I could do this all day and I often end up doing this in training simply because it is a strength of mine. It is common for us to enjoy our strengths, hence we work at them more than we need to. The problem with this is that it means that our strengths remain strong but our weaknesses remain weak. I admit that I do this kind of thing quite a lot but I know that it does not make for great training.

I think it is important to realise that working on your weakness does not mean sacrificing your strength. For most of us, our strengths are strengths due to who we are, physically and mentally. Provided you maintain some basic training then generally they will remain as strengths. So you need not worry about losing a strength to gain improvement in a weakness. I think you can keep your strengths, while at the same time improving on a weakness. If you think about it, this kind of approach can be pretty powerful!

One of my weaknesses is climbing hills at a really fast pace. I don’t have the top-end speed or intensity that a lot of my competitors have. In Ironman France I lost up to 7 minutes on the lead guys over a difficult 14 kilometre climb. That is 30 seconds per kilometre! This I think is a clear sign of a weakness.

So my workout of the week was challenging and enjoyable (in a crazy kind of way) but also it was a workout that focused on a weakness of mine.

So two real messages here. First, don’t be afraid to do some workouts that are a little different. Second, always try to work on your weakness. It will help you become a better all-round athlete.

Good luck!

Bill Scanlan is an elite triathlete with over ten years of racing and training experience. Bill has recently turned professional and is now aiming to compete at the highest level within the sport. You can contact him for coaching and other inquiries at bill@breakyourlimits.com or follow his journey at www.billscanlan.net.

Turn your training upside down to ensure that you can handle the surprises that crop up on race day.

The other day I was thumbing my way through a new book called ‘Run to Win – The Training Secrets of the Kenyan Athletes’. Perhaps I had it in the back of my mind that by reading this book my body would somehow morph from my slow and heavy white skinned body to that sleek and lightweight bodies owned by the types of runners that seem to sail along the ground at an effortless rate of knots. To date, this has not happened, I am still a heavy and slow white man but nonetheless it is a good read. The book explores some of the approaches to training that are used by the Kenyans and how they differ to the standard approaches adopted in the western world.

Generally, from what I can understand, the Kenyans train with less gadgetry, less precision, less structure, and less regimentation that do those of us from developed nations. I believe this is a good thing, as I have explained in another article of mine – ‘Triathlon Training on a Budget’.

Above all however, I pulled out one piece of advice that I thought was particularly valid to us who live in the modern day world of triathlon and endurance sport training.

The advice comes from Joseph Chelimo – a highly successful Kenyan coach. He explained that athletes on his program will get a broad indication of what it is they are doing on a particular day – only so they know where to go morning (to the track, or the hills etc). He does not tell his athletes what type of session they will be doing because he believes that athletes need to always be ready to take on whatever comes their way. This approach to training keeps up a constant element of surprise. This makes his athletes mentally strong and thus able to cope with the myriad of surprises that crop up on race day. And just think of this: Joseph obviously believes that there are a lot of surprises that crop up during a simple running race, so how many surprises must their be that crop up during a super long distance race involving three completely different sports and a myriad of equipment and nutritional aids!

I firmly believe in the approach Joseph uses for his athletes. I think that structure training programs have a place, particularly in our busy western world lives, but too much structure can be detrimental. Races inevitably bring the unexpected and we all need to know that we have the ability to cope with events as they occur. I have yet to complete a race that went completely to plan and don’t think I ever will.

So how do we, as busy and structured westerners, incorporate the element of surprise into our training programs?

This can be difficult. Most of us need to have some structure to manage our days and weeks amidst work, family and other commitments. And unlike the Kenyans most of us do not have the luxury to have a coach who can be with us each day to guide us through each session as it comes.

However, it can be done!

One approach that I adopt in coaching my athletes is to continually change the weekly workout mix and to try and insert new and challenging workouts whenever possible. This way I can avoid the common problem of athletes getting ‘stuck in rut’ amidst stale and repetitive training programs. If you do the same types of sessions at the same time of day on the same day of the week then you will eventually become very well conditioned to perform this type of training but you will not be conditioning yourself to the rigours of race day. I believe that there are both physical and mental benefits to be had by athletes who train under more variable training programs.

Another approach might be to schedule one session per week with a friend, or group of friends and then the night before the scheduled workout you can let one of your friends decide what the workout will be. Encourage your friends to be creative. There are plenty of options once you consider all the different types of workouts possible across the three disciplines of triathlon and not forgetting strength and core training as well.

The underlying message is to have some fun with your training. Mix things up, incorporate some surprise into your training, and you will become a better athlete.

Bill Scanlan is an elite triathlete with over ten years of racing and training experience. Bill has raced extensively in Australia, Asia and Europe. Through his travels and interactions with other athletes and coaches, and through his own coaching, Bill has gained a great deal of insight into what it takes to compete at an elite level while at the same time managing work, life and family commitments. Bill has recently turned professional and is now aiming to compete at the highest level within the sport. You can contact Bill for coaching and other inquiries at bill@breakyourlimits.com or follow his journey at www.billscanlan.net.

In my last post I looked at some of the scientific research on running off the bike. To sum up in a nutshell, researchers have found that amateur triathletes tend to suffer far more from poor running form than do their professional counterparts. Here are some ways that you can incorporate running off the bike into your regular training so that you can ultimately become a more efficient and faster triathlon runner.

Where to from here?

It is all very well to say that we need to run off the bike more to get better at it but actually putting more bike and run training into an already crowded weekly training schedule can be tricky.

The fundamental place to start is the long bike and run session. This is a staple for most triathletes so I will not dwell on it here other than to say that you should be running off your weekly long ride. Even a run of as little as fifteen minutes will get your body used to the transition between biking and running and have you hitting your stride sooner come race day.

When possible, I like to do my long bike and run session later in the day. I then have a small window of opportunity to recover during the night and the following morning I do my long run session with fatigued legs from the day before. Structuring my schedule in this way gives me two good opportunities to get some good practice in running off the bike. The first run practice comes immediately after my long ride and the second practice is done the following day.

If you cannot structure your weekly training schedule in this way then another option is to do a short but intense windtrainer session (it can be as little as thirty minutes) prior to heading out on your regular long run. The windtrainer session can be specifically designed to help improve your cycling but the real purpose of this type of session is to give you the opportunity to practice running with fatigued legs.

Something new

For most of us the long bike and run session is going to chew up a good portion of our weekends. A good way to get some off-the-bike running into our weekly schedule is to do a bit of bike and run circuit training. The essence of this type of training is simple: bike, run and repeat.

In recent months I have been lucky enough to be able to do these sessions at a dedicated gym with excellent windtrainer, treadmill and weight facilities but you don’t need to have all this. A windtrainer is perhaps the only piece of necessary equipment. A typical workout of mine starts with a bike and run warm up and then may look something like this:

• One set of squats
• Three minutes of low cadence strength work on the bike followed by one minute hard at a normal cadence
• One set of lunges
• Run with four sets of thirty seconds fast followed by thirty seconds easy

Normally I would complete around five circuits like this but you can tailor the session depending on available time and how fatigued you become during the session. Remember though that it is intended to be hard, so don’t pack it in too early. Also you can be flexible in terms of the specifics of what you do with the biking and running portions of this session. I have just given one example. The key is simply to get lots of practice in running with pre-fatigued legs.

A single session such as the one described above can be completed in less than one hour and within that hour you get five opportunities to practice your running after cycling. The beauty of doing the run part of this session on a treadmill is that you can concentrate on your form and efficiency. A good idea is get somebody to video you as well so that you can take a look at your own form to see if there is room for improvement. Take careful note of your form at the start of the session and compare this with your form toward the end of the session when you are more tired to see if there are any obvious changes.

You do not need a treadmill, nor do you need any weights equipment. Set your windtrainer up at a running track or even at home and simply bike, run and repeat. The variations on this type of workout are endless so you are sure to be able to design something that suits you, your environment and equipment that is available to you.

By regularly slotting these sessions into your schedule I am confident that you will be able to improve your race day performance when it comes to running off the bike. And this will pay big dividends in terms of your overall race performance.

Good luck and enjoy!

Bill Scanlan is an elite triathlete with over ten years of racing and training experience. Bill has raced extensively in Australia, Asia and Europe and has twice completed the Ironman World Triathlon Championships held in Hawaii. Through his travels and interactions with other athletes and coaches, Bill has gained a great deal of insight into what it takes to compete at an elite level while at the same time managing work, life and family commitments. Bill has recently turned professional and is now aiming to compete at the highest level within the sport. You can contact Bill at bill@ breakyourlimits.com or follow his journey at www.breakyourlimits.com.

Squats might seem pretty tame to the seasoned triathlete, but I’m here to tell you that they can make a huge difference in your pedal stroke, and therefore your overall performance. A lot of people tend to let their back slump in the saddle, and this disengages the glutes—an important ally in an efficient pedal stroke. By straightening your back as you ride, you will take a lot of the work off your quads and allow your glutes to step in and help out. That’s where squats come in. The traditional squat along with the dozens of variations are all good to target your glutes (as well as other vital muscle groups). You can stand against a wall, or walk slowly across a room, dropping into a squat with each step. If you want to step up the intensity, try using free weights or a medicine ball as you go. Try to do a squat that creates added benefits to your core by twisting between steps. Do as many repetitions as you can bear, and measure your progress as you continue week to week and month to month. You will be amazed how much stronger you will get, and how much better you will perform on race day. Squats might not be fun, but they will give you a competitive edge that’s undeniable!

You’ve seen exercise balls lying around the gym, sporting goods store and even the office. You might think it looks silly, but the exercise ball can give you some serious results. Here’s what you need to know about finding and using an exercise ball. Incorporating this fitness tool into your training routine will have you rolling towards faster PRs in no time.

First and foremost, you need to buy an exercise ball that’s right for you. Shorter people will want one in the 55 centimeter range. A tall person will find a lager exercise ball (65 to 75 centimeters) much more comfortable. You want to find a fit that allows your hips to rest even or just a little higher than your knees when you are sitting on the ball.

Once you have your ball, you can get a workout just by sitting on it, Your leg and core muscles will be engaged as you balance on your exercise ball at your desk, when you watch your favorite show, and of course when you exercise on it. Crunches, stretching and weight training can all be amplified by being done on an exercise ball. Google for specific workouts for your needs, be they core strength, flexibility or isolated strength training. (Or all three!) If you want more direction, look for training DVDs for exercise balls. They are very effective and lots of fun. Your kids might think it’s a toy, and that’s okay. You can always get a good workout goofing off with your biggest fans.

The ability to run off the bike is perhaps the most critical factor in triathlon performance. The idea of tearing a race apart with a blistering bike leg is appealing to many of us but the harsh reality is that the bike can only get you so far – T2 to be exact. The journey to the finish line will require a set of lightweight running shoes and a pair of legs with the strength to get you home.

Running well is a difficult activity in itself. Running well in a triathlon is even harder. Running is the only discipline in triathlon where our bodies are engaged in a full weight-bearing activity and as such the stresses incurred are significant. But most critically, it is the last leg of any triathlon and as a result there is a whole host of other factors that can potentially ruin an otherwise good race performance – fatigue, heat stress, dehydration, calorie depletion and general muscle stiffness and soreness to name but a few. In the text below I share a few ideas on how you can incorporate a stronger bike and run focus into your regular training routine. But first let’s take a look at some of the science behind running off the bike.

News from the lab

My interest to write this article came from reading a recent piece of research on how cycling affects running mechanics and economy.¹ Researchers from the Australian Institute of Sport and the University of Queensland recently did a study on a group of fifteen ‘moderately trained’ triathletes to determine whether running off the bike resulted in changes in running mechanics and economy as opposed to running fresh. The athletes were required to perform one fresh run to establish their running economy
and one transition run that was performed immediately after a high intensity cycling session on an indoor trainer.

The researchers found that running after cycling brought about a noticeable change in running mechanics in eight of the fifteen athletes tested. The athletes that did experience a change in running mechanics also experienced a loss of running economy. This was predominantly due to a more exaggerated heel strike action and an extended knee at the point where the foot strikes the ground. Both of these actions result in an increase in vertical ground reaction forces; a loss of forward energy transformation at the point of impact with the ground; and an increase in the metabolic cost of running.

So how can we counter these results and learn to run more efficiently after cycling? The short answer is simple: we need to specifically train our abilities to run off the bike. As triathletes we do not need to be good runners per se but we need to be good runners off the bike. We need to learn to be able to run after cycling in a way that is not dissimilar to how we would run were we running fresh. The only we can learn to do this is with practice.

There is research to suggest that elite triathletes may have mastered this art already. An earlier study that looked into running mechanics after cycling among elite triathletes found that for most elite athletes, cycling prior to running had little effect on running mechanics.² And another study that looked at the performances of both elite and moderately trained athletes found that it was the moderately trained athletes who suffered the most from adverse changes in run mechanics after cycling.³

These results are interesting for the age group athlete. There are few of us who have the training time required to gain the fitness of an elite athlete. But we do have the ability to improve our running skills so that, like the elite athlete, we do not suffer from unnecessary losses in running economy.

Bill Scanlan is an elite triathlete with over ten years of racing and training experience. Bill has raced
extensively in Australia, Asia and Europe and has twice completed the Ironman World Triathlon
Championships held in Hawaii. Through his travels and interactions with other athletes and coaches, Bill has gained a great deal of insight into what it takes to compete at an elite level while at the same time managing work, life and family commitments. Bill has recently turned professional and is now aiming to compete at the highest level within the sport. You can contact Bill at bill@ breakyourlimits.com or follow his journey at www.breakyourlimits.com.

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¹ Bonacci, J., Green, D., Saunders, P., Blanch, P., Franettovich, M., Chapman, A., and Vicenzino, B., 2010, ‘Change in running kinematics after cycling are related to alterations in running economy in triathletes’, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (13) pp. 460-464.
² Chapman, A., Vicenzino, B., Blanch, P., Dowlan, S., and Hodges, P., 2008, ’Does cycling effect motor coordination of the leg during running in elite triathletes?’ Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (11) pp. 371-380.
³ Millet, G.P., Millet, G.Y., and Candau, R., 2001, ‘Duration and seriousness of running mechanics alterations after maximal cycling in triathletes: influence of the performance level’ Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
(41) pp. 147-153.