SPIN YOUR HEART OUT
Jarrett Pflieger
After a brief hiatus, we are excited to announce our spin classes will return on a regular schedule. We will start with two classes a week and add more as they grow in popularity. The first class will be every Tuesday morning (tomorrow) at 6:00 a.m. and the second will be every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.
The classes are open to Triathica members and non-members. Members with a basic membership and non-members will only be charged $10.00 and $15.00 respectively ($5.00 discount). Discount packages are available as well.
If these days and times don’t work for you let us know. We want to have classes whenever it works best for the majority of our athletes. Remember, a Triathica spin class isn’t just any spin class. Our state-of-the-art CycleOps 300PT indoor cycles allow you to train with power (watts.)
One of the best features on CycleOps 300PT is that it has a built in Powertap in the rear hub. What that means is that you will be able to see how much power you are producing, measured in watts, at any time during your workout.
Measuring power is the most objective form of monitoring a cycling workout. In the past, heart rate training was the norm. There is definitely a benefit to HR training, but many outside factors can affect heart rate such as fatigue, time of day, altitude, supplements, and hundreds of other things. To get a true picture of your effort, you need to train with power.
When you know exactly how hard you pushed in any given workout, you know exactly what you need to do next time to get faster. It doesn’t make sense to lift weights without knowing how much weight you are lifting, so don’t ride an indoor cycle without knowing how much power you are producing. Continuously challenging yourself is the only way to get better.
Training out on the road is great, but how good of a workout to you really get? Stoplights, cars, tail winds, downhills, flat tires, and pedestrians can all get in the way of a good workout. Indoor cycles give you the ability to train efficiently without variables. You will work just as hard, if not harder, in a one-hour session on our CycleOps bikes than multiple hours out on the road. If you truly want to improve your cycling skills, or just have a fun workout in a group atmosphere, come check out our spin classes.
Triathica offers four main types of spin classes each with different variations: endurance, speed, power, and recovery. Each workout focuses on different aspects of a well-rounded cyclist.
To reserve your spot in a class, please call 949.273.6223 or email Jarrett@triathica.com. You can also enroll online at www.triathica.com.
DEALING WITH INJURY
Ron Saetermoe
Have you ever heard the expression “There are two kinds of cyclists: those that have crashed and those that will crash”? Not a happy thought, but probably true.
And just like bike crashes, injuries are bound to happen – especially as you age. I’m 53 now and have had a number of athletic oriented injuries, including:
- Rotator cuff surgery (left side)
- Rotator cuff injury (right side)
- Broken ribs (bike crash)
- Achilles micro-tears (see below for the solution to this one)
- Stitches in my right leg (got cut off by a car)
- Hernia surgery
- Shin splints
Of course, in addition to these injuries I’ve also experienced the usual aches and pains of training and competition. The key is how you deal with these injuries. Deal with them correctly and you’ll be back in the game as soon as possible. Deal with them incorrectly and you may be out of the game permanently.
Being competitive, we all become anxious when we’re injured. We want to get back out there and train with the same intensity that we did prior to the injury. We all know it’s a mistake but we make it nonetheless.
Here’s what I’ve learned over the years. Talk to everyone. You’ll ultimately find someone that has probably had the same injury as you and they can give you ideas on how to deal with it. For example, a couple years ago I was suffering from severe pain in my left shoulder. The problem was just from years of swimming with poor form (the old YMCA method of swimming). The pain became so severe at times that I literally couldn’t sleep.
I found a great orthopedic surgeon that pumped my shoulder full of cortisone a few times (miracle drug) and for a few months the pain would subside. I did eventually have the surgery and have been swimming pain-free ever since (albeit with less mobility).
After the surgery (after race season of course) I gave the shoulder the necessary rest by concentrating more on my cycling (which I needed) and now I’m totally recovered.
Perhaps the king of recovery is my good friend Russ Jones. Russ was an Olympic hopeful back in 1984 and probably would have gone on to represent the U.S. in the marathon. His PR (personal record) was 2:17. Not bad for a guy that’s never even visited Kenya.
Anyway, Russ was hit by a car and had his first, of many, knee surgeries. Since then he’s had numerous surgeries on both knees and most recently on his foot (he has a tendon from a cadaver – “dead man walking”). The point is that Russ is excellent at limiting, or changing-up his workouts when coming back from an injury. One of his favorites is “pool running.” Essentially you run in chest-deep water so there isn’t much impact.
Russ will be one of our Orange County representatives at the Sprint World Championships next month and is nursing a back injury now. He knows that if he continues his therapy and limits his training he will be ready for Australia. He also knows that if he pushes it too hard he will probably take longer to recover. Russ is currently under the care of Julia Juliusson (PT) and Dr. Sam Sunshine (sports physician) and is recovering well.
From a personal standpoint, I’ve been dealing with a chronic Achilles problem for over 10 years. I’ve seen a number of doctors and physical therapists and nothing helped . . . until I saw the miracle worker . . . Dr. Sam Sunshine. Sam had an idea that since the Achilles doesn’t get much circulation that if we increased it perhaps the micro tears would heal faster. He prescribed a ¼ nitro glycerin patch daily (up to 12 hours) until the pain subsided.
I was a bit concerned about using nitro (keep away from flames) but within two weeks the pain was gone! That’s right, gone! After dealing with numerous doctors, PTs, and hours of therapy and stretching, the pain was gone. If you’ve ever experienced something like this you know how life changing it can be.
Everyone gets injured but dealing with it properly can get you back on the road faster.
To sum up:
- Talk to everyone about your injury.
- Get help from someone that knows.
- Change up your training.
- Don’t start back too soon.
Cheers!
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (week of August 10th)
All of our group workouts are free to all members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of August 10th
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Big Corona near the lifeguard station next to the jetty
Day: Wednesday, August 12th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops around the buoys
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, August 15th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 loop around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, August 16th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Big Corona – Corona Del Mar From the 405 N take the Jamboree Road Exit Make a left at Jamboree Turn left at Macarthur Boulevard Turn left on to CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway Turn Right on Marguerite Turn right on Ocean Boulevard Turn Left at Breakers Drive Turn left to stay on Breakers Drive |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the 5 Freeway: Exit Bake Pkwy and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Pkwy South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building |
RACE REPORT: PETERS CANYON TRAIL RUN SERIES
Jarrett Pflieger
I really like trail runs, but they sure can be painful.
I had to go to the 3rd and final race in the Peters Canyon Trail Run Series to man the Triathica expo booth. I thought I might as well get a training run in so I signed up right before the race.
After speaking with a few people at the expo, I headed over to the starting line about five minutes before the race start. I managed to squeeze in about 30 feet back from the start and felt a little awkward being the only one wearing a tri top and tri shorts. Oh well, at least I looked cool in my Triathica gear.
The horn sounded, and we were off…not quite. The guys in the very front were off, and for most of the people in front of me it was more like a mosey. I don’t have anything against slower runners, I’m not very fast by any means, but it doesn’t make sense to me to go to the front of the pack if you are running a 10 minute mile pace or slower.
It took me over a quarter mile before I could get past everyone blocking the way and settle into my pace, after that it was smooth sailing…and then there were hills.
I had been warned that the course was hilly, this warning proved to be an understatement. The first mile or two were cake, then it was one monster hill after another. I told myself I would not walk so I had to power up all of them. These were some of the longest and steepest hills I’ve seen on a trail run. I sometimes will run Whiting Ranch in Foothill Ranch, but Peters Canyon makes Whiting look like a leisurely stroll through the park.
I did a good job keeping my pace and keeping my heart rate where it needed to be to keep from blowing up. A neared my max of 180 bpm a few times going up some of those hills, but I was able to recover on the flats and downhills before the next hill.
Im 6’1” and 185 so I don’t do too well going up hill, but down hill is a different story. I saw a lot of people struggling on the down-hill and using their quads to keep their speed down. My quads were much too tired for that, so I have this technique where I just turn my legs into limp noodles and let gravity do its thing. It was scary at times flying down these rocky dirt paths, but I passes a lot of people using this method. It is a little dangerous, but it allows me to go faster and use less energy.
After a series of roller coaster troughs and peaks, I neared a turn where a guy was shouting, “Its all downhill from here.” I was relieved at first, but my downhill method is very pounding so I was hurting a bit on this long descent.
Once I reached the bottom of the hill it was mostly flat ground back to the finish about a mile away. There was one guy a few hundred meters in front of me, so I picked up the pace a bit. He seemed to do the same, so I only gained a little ground and ended up finishing alone with no race to the line.
I ended up in 17th place overall and my time was 34:38. I was just under seven minute/mile pace which I was very happy with for how hilly the course was. I definitely need to do more hill repeats in training. Come on out to Triathica for free Sunday runs at 7:00 a.m. We usually go through Whiting Ranch, but will switch it up periodically.
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #6
Kelli Whittaker
Corrinne had her doctor’s appointment this past Thursday and they took the cast off! Her wrist is still broken, but now she has a plastic brace that she can take on and off. She explained, “The plastic brace is so much better. It’s pretty comfortable and it allows me to work out.” Thursday was her first workout after the injury and she rode the OC Triathlon course on a CompuTrainer at Triathica. She said, “The workout felt good. I was slower than usual and noticed that I got tired pretty quickly, especially on the hills, but I was just happy to be back.” She didn’t eat much before her workout and really noticed the difference. Corrinne said, “I had no idea how much nutrition can play a role with your physical ability. I feel like if I would have ate and given my body the right fuel I would have done better.” She feels like the CompuTrainers are building back her confidence on the bike, which is something that she really needs right now.
Corrinne went to Catalina this weekend and planned on running some of the trails and doing some swim workouts in the ocean. She really isn’t wasting any time getting back into the swing of things! She is still determined to race in the OC Triathlon on September 27th and Corrine and Pete both just signed up for the California half Ironman in March 2010.
Pete also had a busy week, although he says, “Training without Corrinne is very different and I hope that she will be back at full strength soon.” His back has been bothering him, so he has been focusing on getting himself back to full strength. The chiropractor has been a big help and he explained to Pete that taking preventative measures with your health, especially when you are working out hard, is important for success.
Pete likes having the 9-week training plan that was provided by Triathica at the training camp and feels like having the guidance has really helped him see results. Pete says, “It (the training plan) has given me the ability to mix up the workouts because every workout is a little different. The swimming aspect of the workouts have been very challenging and they have made me step up the intensity.”
He is participating in the Camp Pendleton Triathlon on Saturday and is excited about the race. He says, “It will be a good practice run for the OC Triathlon. I’m really going to focus on my transition times and on my speed in each event.” Pete is very excited about his progress and can’t wait for the OC Triathlon on September 27th and for the half Ironman in March 2010. This week Pete dropped his time on the CompuTrainer by several minutes on the OC Tri course and was very excited about the improvement.
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing.
TIPS FOR TINY TRANSITION TIMES
Jarrett Pflieger
What if there was a way to shave seconds, or even minutes, off your race times without doing a thing to your current training regimen? Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong.
Practicing and mastering transitions is by far the easiest way to shave time off your triathlon races. With how competitive age group racing has become, even a few seconds could be the difference between a medal around your neck, or a sour taste in your mouth. Lets look at five things you can do to speed your way through T1 and T2 and gain time on your competition.
Transition tip #1: Practice!
It does not matter if you know exactly what to do and have ran through it 1,000 times in your head. If you are in the middle of a race with your heart pounding out of your chest, nerves racing, and blood pumping, 95% of the time you will screw up something if you do not practice it.
You need to practice unzipping and pulling off your wetsuit in a fatigued state, taking your bike/run shoes off and on, putting on your helmet and sunglasses, getting on and off your bike safely and quickly, etc. Even simple motor tasks become difficult when you are under pressure. Developing muscle memory through practice will make it second nature for you to perform these tasks in any situation, even under extreme stress.
Transition tip #2: Lube up
If you are wearing a wetsuit in your race, which you should be, it is very important to be able to take it off quickly in transition. If you struggle to get the thing off, it will negate any advantage you gained in the swim by wearing it.
Put some Body Glide or baby oil around your calves/ankles as well as your wrists/forearms. This will help the wetsuit slide off your body without you having to struggle. Don’t be the person wiggling and thrashing around on the ground after they fell over trying to get their feet out of the wetsuit. Along with lube, a proper fitting wetsuit is also important.
Transition tip #3: Place equipment properly
If you are one of those people that bring a king size beach towel and have all your stuff strewn all over, just stop it. You only need something about the size of a small workout towel for your gear. Having everything compact and close together will eliminate wasted time searching and moving around to get things. Your fellow racers will thank you too.
Your towel should be organized like this from top to bottom:
-Running shoes with socks (optional) on top of your shoes. Not wearing socks will save a few seconds, but don’t do it unless you have been trained without socks without any problems. If you wear a hat during the run, place it on top of your shoes so it’s the first thing you put on. If you wear a nutrition belt you can put that on top of your shoes also. Just make sure the straps are wide open so all you have to do is grab, wrap, and snap. Some people put their race belt on under their wetsuit so they don’t ever have to mess with it.
-Cycling shoes (if you don’t strap them to your bike) with your helmet resting on top with straps pulled out and fully extended.
-Sunglasses and race belt should go inside your helmet in a position that makes them easy to put on without fumbling around.
Some people put their helmet on top of their bike. This works well, until the person next to you bumps the bike rack or your bike and your helmet falls off and rolls away from your transition area.
Transition tip #4: Clip your cycling shoes into your bike before the race
Disclaimer: This is the tip that requires the most practice to truly master. Please do not attempt unless you are confident in your athletic ability and bike handling skills.
The technique of having your bike shoes already clipped in before the race will save time by allowing you to just put your helmet on, grab your bike, and go. You will run out of transition barefoot, mount your bike, and pedal with your feet on top of your shoes. Once you get moving on a flat stretch of ground, well clear of the mount line, you can bend down and strap each foot in. Make sure there are no riders around you and you are not on an uphill or steep downhill section. If you have to ride a while before you find a good flat stretch of ground, no problem. You’re still gaining ground on people trying to put their shoes on in transition and run with their clunky cleats.
To keep your shoes from dragging on the ground, put a thin rubber band through the loop on the heel of one shoe and hook it to your quick release lever on the rear wheel. This will keep your shoes in a fixed position until you start pedaling and the rubber band snaps.
Transition tip #5: Don’t sit. Stand or kneel.
The goal in transition is to save time; there is no place for sitting in a race. Sometimes standing can also be difficult when you’re tired and/or dizzy after the swim. When you dip your head down to put your shoes on and pick up any other gear you need, a massive head rush may ensue and you could end up taking an unintended nap for a bit.
An alternative method is to get down on one knee like you are proposing to the bike rack, place your first shoe on the front foot, then switch and do the same to the other side. You will need to put another towel in front of your transition area to keep your knees from getting scraped up.
Hopefully these several tips will help you save some time in transition and give you a small edge. If you’ve ever tried to run someone in your age group down at the finish, but can’t quite bridge the gap, a few seconds saved in transition could have made the difference. These are not the only time saving strategies out there. Feel free to be creative and experiment in training to find what works for you. Happy training and racing!
TRYING NEW STUFF
Ron Saetermoe
Where would we be if we never tried new stuff? Back in the dark ages, that’s where. Triathlon is one of those sports where many people are trying new stuff to gain that competitive edge . . . and I’m one of them.
Of course, you never want to try new stuff on race day; although we seem to repeat this mistake again and again. The time to try it is during your workouts and determine whether you think it will work on race day.
For example, a couple issues ago we did an article on Larry Davidson’s Ironman nutrition. I tried his secret elixir (Infinit) in practice and used it during the Vineman 70.3. I loved it and will now incorporate its use in my longer workouts and races.
I broke the rule recently, accidentally. I had Dan Plummer of Wheels on Wheels transport my bike back from Santa Rosa (great service by the way) and picked it up at Edge Cyclesports (great bike shop by the way) and let it sit the entire week. I often lose the love for my bike after a competition. Anyway, I didn’t get around to washing out my aero bottle, which I normally do in my dishwasher.
So while getting my stuff packed for the Pacific Coast Triathlon Saturday evening I noticed my dirty aero bottle. Since the dishwasher was empty I decided to wash it by hand (here’s where the mistake happened). I washed it out the best I could with soap and water and mounted it back on my bike.
Sunday morning I filled the bottle with water (I only use water in sprint distance races) and I was ready to go. Wrong!!! With the first sip I realized I’d made a BIG mistake . . . apparently I didn’t rinse the spongy thing well enough and the water tasted like dish soap!
What to do? I’m riding as hard as I can and I’m sweating like crazy. So I keep drinking. You can probably guess what happened next . . . yep, I’m spitting up soapy water.
This is just another example of not trying anything new when racing. Here’s one potential innovation in triathlon nutrition I think we can take off the list.
Cheers!
FREE GROUP WORKOUTS (week of August 3rd)
All of our group workouts are free to all members and non-members, so come on out!
We want everyone to enjoy our group workouts but we should clarify the intent. The intent of the group workouts is to “workout.” Yes, it includes a social element. Yes, your Triathica host is happy to give you tips. But please be aware that everyone there is attempting to get a workout in at his or her own pace. If we all go at the slowest person’s pace many people won’t be getting in a proper workout. We will attempt to pair you up with another athlete so you’re not left alone.
Week of August 3rd
Event: Group Swim
Place: Triathica flag at Big Corona near the lifeguard station next to the jetty
Day: Wednesday, August 5th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Planned Workout: 1 – 3 loops around the buoys
Event: Group Ride
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Saturday, August 8th
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Planned Workout: 1 loop around Santiago Canyon
Event: Group Run
Place: Triathica HQ
Day: Sunday, August 9th
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Planned Workout: 9 miles through Whiting Ranch
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Big Corona – Corona Del Mar From the 405 N take the Jamboree Road Exit Make a left at Jamboree Turn left at Macarthur Boulevard Turn left on to CA-1 Pacific Coast Highway Turn Right on Marguerite Turn right on Ocean Boulevard Turn Left at Breakers Drive Turn left to stay on Breakers Drive |
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Triathica – Triathlon Training Center From the 5 Freeway: Exit Bake Pkwy and head east for about 4 miles Make a left on Rancho Pkwy South Turn right at the 3rd driveway 2nd building on your right Triathica is in Suite B on the right side of the building |
PETE & CORRINNE UPDATE #5
Kelli Whittaker
Another busy week for Pete and Corrinne “training like triathletes” at Triathica.
Pete says, “the biggest update of the week for me is that I have a race plan to closely follow now. I am looking forward to executing the swim, bike, run and strength training over the next 9 weeks.”
Pete worked out a lot this past week but says, “my favorite workout has been riding the course on the CompuTrainer and monitoring my progress through the report system. Looking at my previous results helps me to fine tune my pedal stroke and improve my Watts per Kilogram ratio.” He attributes his continued improvement on the bike to the data he can view during and after a CompuTrainer workout.
Unfortunately, Corrinne had a rough week. She went to Camp Pendleton on Tuesday to ride the Camp Pendleton Triathlon bike course, but on the ride she took a bad fall and broke her wrist. She said, “the fall was disappointing, but I got lucky that it was only my wrist. When I fell there was a lady that was walking by that helped me up, she took me to her house and actually drove me all the way back to San Clemente where I had parked my car because I couldn’t ride back.” When Corrinne got back to her car she realize that her car had been broken into and her wallet had been stolen. Corrinne said, “it was just a really bad day, but I am not going to let it get me down. This experience reminded me that the kindness of a stranger can really make a difference and I gained a new friendship with the lady that helped me.”
Corrinne was unable to train the rest of the week, but says that next week she will start riding on the CompuTrainers. She believes that “it’s a set back but its not going to defeat me. I am just going to get right back into it. This accident really made me take a step back and realize what I want and come up with alternative ways to make sure that I’m still successful”. She is not going to be able to race in the Camp Pendleton Triathlon coming up in a few weeks, but she said that she is still determined to compete in the Orange County Triathlon at the end of September. That is determination at its finest! Her next doctor’s appointment is this Thursday and she hopes for good news.
Pete says, “Corrinne’s accident makes me sad, but I know that she is going to bounce back, she is determined and I will help her in any way possible.”
Check back next week to see how Pete and Corrinne are doing on their road to triathlon glory.
WETSUITS
Ron Saetermoe
Occasionally someone will ask me about wetsuits. You know, what type, what brand, whether to wear one for a particular race, etc. Having done over 100 triathlons I certainly have an opinion on the subject.
First, I strongly believe that everyone should wear a wetsuit if the race is wetsuit legal. The USAT guidelines state that everyone may wear a wetsuit if the water temperature is 78 degrees or below. You are welcome to wear a wetsuit if the temperature is 79 degrees to 84 degrees but you won’t be eligible for awards. Anything 85 degrees or over, no wetsuits are allowed.
Therefore, if the water is 78 or below I’m going to wear a wetsuit – even a short sprint. The reason is that you are so much quicker in a wetsuit. Wetsuits help keep you “on top” of the water more which will make you faster. Of course, you also have to deal with taking it off in T-1, but if you’re well practiced, you’ll more than make up for the additional time in transition.
For those that aren’t strong swimmers, wetsuits can (and should) give you more confidence. Have you ever tried swimming underwater in your wetsuit? If not, try it sometime. You’ll pop back up like a cork!
Second, make sure you have a triathlon wetsuit. It’s quite amusing to see people wearing their body boarding, surfing or even their SCUBA wetsuits. These aren’t made for our sport and restrict your arm movement.
Third, it really doesn’t matter what brand you get. The main concern is whether it fits or not. It should be snug but shouldn’t limit your breathing or choke you around the neck. Too loose and water will get in and slow you down. If you try one brand and it doesn’t fit just right, try another. With so many choices you’ll find one that fits.
Fourth, I like the full-arms style of wetsuits. I used to have a long-john style, which means it had full-length legs but no sleeves. I thought the long sleeves would limit by stroke but they don’t. In fact, according to the manufacturer (Quintana Roo), the long sleeves actually help you go faster because it increases the water your arm “catches” as you pull through.
Finally, triathlon is a very mental sport. If that carbon fiber frame makes you think you’re going faster, you do. If your new running shoes make you think you’re going faster, you do. And if your wetsuit makes you think you’re going faster, you do.
