CF Update: 03/28/03

Uniforms

Are in.  I’m just waiting on the tri-shorts from Edge.  I hope to have them by the Cali Half next weekend.  If you have placed an order, I will mail them as soon as I have complete sets.  If you would like a Team Crucible uniform, write me.  Some good pics:  http://www.cruciblefitness.com/TeamCrucible/thecoaches/jon/log/rides/WF-camp/camp2/gallery.htm

I’ll get some better ones tomorrow and send them out next week.

 My new ride

Evidently when you turn 35 and age up to a new age group, you experience some mid life issues.  I solved mine with a trip to the local Honda dealer to pick up one of these:

I’m having a custom trailer built, so I can tow bikes and gear to races.  One word for Summer, 2004: Cross-Country Homestay J.  This pic is not worthy of my girl.  I’ll take a better one on Sunday.

Ironman Nutrition:  MUST READ!!  http://www.cruciblefitness.com/etips/IMNutrition.pdf

This article was a collaborative effort among the Ultrafit coaches.  To make the ideas more clear, it may be good to separate the nutrition guidance from the pacing and other guidance.  Yes, these are intimately related, but I would have used lots of tables and stuff if I had written it J.  For further clarification, read my Ironman How-To: 

http://www.cruciblefitness.com/etips/IMHowTo.htm

Fist Clinic notes:  http://www.cruciblefitness.com/etips/FIST.htm

Questions: Why does the 65 year old lady get a slack seat tube angle?
What empfield's articles have drilled into me was that open hip angle means you are in your aerobars longer. To get the open hip angle we go to a 78 degree seat tube.
How does it then follow that the 65 year old with tight hamstrings gets a slack seat tube angle. It seems she needs the 78 degree angle more than anyoen on the list.
How does greater knee flexion help someone with tight hamstrings?
I am missing this also. It seems that on a bicycle the knee angle and the hip angle are related. Won't putting the saddle lower actually make the hip angle more acute? The hips would be more smashed down onto the pedals making both the kneesand the hips flex more.

I'd appreciate clarification.

Rich: Using the components of the optimum tri position, imagine that you draw this person on a sheet of paper: knee angle of 145-155, right angles at the hip, upper arm/torso, and elbows. Turn the paper clockwise, so that the back is almost flat, or horizontal. You'll see that there is a significant seat to elbow drop. This is an "aggressive" position and is best acheived on a tri-bike (78+, short top tube). It is easier for an athletic (thin) and flexible person to assume this position than it may be for someone else. This position can place a lot of weight on the pubic bone and can therefore be less than comfortable, sometimes.

Now take your picture and rotate it counter-clockwise, so the back moves away from the horizontal. In order to retain the same picture on the bike, and retain the hip angle specifically, you would have to do two things: raise (and perhaps shorten) the stem, and move the saddle aft. As you do this, you begin to move away from a seat tube angle of 78 degrees, moving toward 76, etc. This position is what Dan would call a multisport position, as it is neither pure tri nor pure road. This is a less aggressive position and usually more comfortable, as the rider's weight begins to be supported by the sit bones.

Turn the picture counter-clockwise and, again, you will need to move the seat aft, the stem up and back. We are now getting much closer to a seat tube angle of 74 degrees. In addition, the stem is now so short that in order to retain the same 90s at the upper arm/torso and elbow, we would be better served to put on a pair of shorty bars, like Jammer GT's. At this point, the rider is better served by the geometry of a road bike, with shorty bars.

I think your confusion above may be in imagining our older lady on a road bike (74, long top tube) in traditional aerobars. Yes, in this case her hip angle would be very acute and her hamstrings would be stressed. The method I described above is much different.

Knee flexion. Stand up. Touch your toes. Are your hamstrings tight? Now bend your knees (lower the saddle, increase knee flexion). Do your hamstrings feel less tight?

I hope this helps.

Training for the IM run:
Rich: I’ve learned that for an IM, most of us should not touch traditional marathon training techniques.  These are quite effective at getting your marathon pace (MP) down to a faster pace.  However, the key to an IM run is not who runs the fastest, but who slows down the least.  To put it another way, the faster athlete is the one who can run at a higher percentage of their MP for 26.2 miles off of a 112 bike.  My experience, and the experience of other IM coaches, is that the key to sustaining a higher percentage of MP is:

1.        Showing up to the race with the appropriate type of fitness, formed by aerobic or AeT volume.

2.        Having a very solid race day strategy, that includes pacing, nutrition, hydration, etc.

3.        Being just plain old fashioned “hard,” as in stubborn, pig-headed, focused and tough.  The IM run is NOT beautiful or graceful.  At some point in the race, for everyone, it is a brutal exercise in punching your head through a wall. 

 The IM course is littered with 3:00 marathoners walking in 4:00-4:15’s, because they trained for a marathon, not an IM.  Again, it makes no difference how fast you are.  Rather, what counts is what percentage of this “fast” are you able to sustain off the bike. 

 Your suggestions in your last paragraph are very good and are basically what I did for Wisconsin.  However, we all should realize that any addition of intensity, both bike and run, applied within the context of IM volume increases the risk of overtraining and injury.  As your coach, it is my job to apply my experience and knowledge to each individual and make a risk/reward assessment, for each individual.  We are all different. 

 I would like to hear Jon’s thoughts on the subject.  Jon is on the edge of qualifying for Kona and I know he is doing some training that could be quite risky, given the discussion above.  However, he has essentially been “training to train” for 3 years, building himself to do the kind of things he is doing now.  His run training is at least 8 weeks ahead of where I am right now.

 Jon: The run is where I've suffered in both my IM races, I have an ok swim and a very solid bike. I used to also intensely dislike running, because it was hard, unglamorous and I was continually getting injured. All of those factors made it a mental challenge to train as I know I should.

IM-Cali: IM run training was far too much junk mileage and 'marathon' training, I ended up injured and hating life, I did make it through the IM run but it wasn't pretty.

IM-Moo: I trained like a marathoner, shoot I even ran a marathon early season as "training", did track work every week, also hard intervals and some very high mileage weeks, for me anyway (55 - 60 miles per week) neither method worked out for IM, Rich smoked me on the run at IM-Moo, yeah I cramped blah, blah, but I was still in all kinds of hurt that day. This year I wanted to focus on my run again but a little smarter. I realaliza that I've now been building a base for several year that I can build upon so my volumes may not be realize for everyone.

I started from zero fitness this year, seriously. The crux of my run training was to be frequency and technique, I looked for ways to prevent my running injuries, not by purchasing new shoes or orthidics but by changing my technique. I chose to try the POSE technique and purchased his video and book. I was also lucky enough to attend one of Dr. Romanov's clinics.

 My run this year started with 30 minute runs 4 days per week, each one focused only on running form, I was running 9:30 plus miles much of the time. I then added another 30 minute run which is the frequency I wanted to achieve. Once my body got used to the idea of running 5 x 30 min's I added 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes. Once I had a steady base going I swapped one 40 minute run for a hill run, then started to build my long run. So I had 3 x easy, 1 x hill and 1 x long.

Currently I still run 5 times per week but the volume looks much better, usually 2 x 7 milers, 1 x 5 miler, 1 6 or 7 mile tempo run (only about 3 miles are at tempo pace) and 1 long run of 15+ miles. So far I'm running well and staying injury free.  That was all a VERY LONG way of saying that I've changed the way I view the run, I never looked at technique as a running tool. In the past I'd ready lots of running books that focused on marathon running, we NOT running a marathon, we running 26.2 miles AFTER getting off a 112 mile bike ride.

I need to be strong for the run, that requires that I'm strong on the bike and get off without being trashed, then maintain a steady pace during teh run. You don't need a fast run in IM, heck 3:30 is smokin', just strong enough to maintain.

 I'll let you know how my training progresses but I feel that I'm on the right track.

Brandon: A few comments on POSE or as JP has called it "POSE-esque":
Working through injury this year left me with a decision... to focus on what I can do instead of what I can't. I can't do a 4:30 century this year but I can assess my limiters and take steps to improve those that I can. One of those is my run form. Like JP, I don't use POSE completely but I do implement the methodologies. I have noticed a gradual and steady improvement in my economy and more importantly perhaps... I am running pain free for the first time in years (no shin splints, less muscle fatigue). I have also stopped using orthotics as I felt that they were enabling bad form... now I am forced to run with good form. I started at 20 minutes and have built that to 1'50"....PAIN FREE! A few adaptations over the past 2 months:
-higher cadence
-shorter strides
-active recovery (I have noticed this perhaps the most. Every time I lift my foot it is rest)
-more lower leg strength. (I have also incorporated some isolated exercises with cords for my week ankles and calfs which have paid dividends)

Give some thought to your form if you have not lately. It's free and quite effective.

I, and the other Crucible Fitness coaches, thank you for your support.  Have a great weekend and train safe!

Rich Strauss