CF Update:08/08/03

CF Update: 08/08/03

Hi,

Training for Kona is in full swing. Check out my and Jon’s training logs and be sure to read Jon’s report of Adam’s Crazy A$$ Epic Ride, from last weekend. 135 miles with over 14,000 feet of climbing and just over 9 hours in the saddle.

Congratulations
Congrats to Tim Hudson and John Thomason for good finishes on a very bad day at IMLP. Rain, rain, rain. For a good laugh (as always) read Tim’s race report. New TC athlete Chris Whyte put his first sub 5:00 half at the Troika Half, while Haroon Said flew the colors at the London Olympic Tri.

Crucible Fitness Ironman Training Camp – Florida
When: 12pm, Friday, Sept 26 to 1pm, Sunday, Sept 28.
Where: USAT National Training Center, Clermont, Florida, with easy access from Orlando International Airport.
What: Ironman specific training camp, including coach-led rides and runs on the Great Floridian Triathlon course, swim/bike/running form clinics, as well as lectures on all aspects of Ironman-distance training and racing.

Cost: $395 per person, $350 before August 15.
Sign-up today at Active.com.
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Announcing – CF.com Store
I’m now selling Polar heart rate monitors, Timex Bodylink systems, and Team Crucible gear through the website. Take a look and you’ll find my prices are very, very competitive.

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E-Tips’s
If you have not done so, I highly recommend you sign up for Ultrafit’s E-Tips newsletter. Some excellent writing every month by the top coaches in the cycling and multisport. Here is my article from this month’s edition:

Racing Inside the Box
The most successful Ironman athletes are not necessarily the most fit, but rather the ones who execute the best. Remember this: “When the gun goes off, your fitness is merely a vehicle you drive 140 miles to the finish line.” Good drivers execute well. The key to proper execution is maintaining your focus throughout a very long day.

Begin the race within your Box. The boundaries of this Box are defined by the events you can directly affect in the short term. Within this box, continually assess your situation and adjust your performance according to real time conditions. Your primary goal for race day is to show up to mile 18 with as big a Box as possible. In the swim, the Box is about eight feet by three feet: the area your body occupies on the water. Stay in this Box and focus on your stroke technique.

On the bike, the Box begins at your front wheel and extends 30-40 minutes into the future. Within your Box, continually assess your pacing, heart rate and perceived exertion. Also, pay very close attention to your gut and your bladder. Bloating is a signal to bring your heart rate down so your body can process your fuel. An empty bladder is a sign to hydrate more.

Keep your run Box as big as possible, two to three aid stations. Continually assess the situation and make adjustments. Show up at the mile 18 station in a big Box and then just continue to execute, slowing down less than the other guy.

Thoughts on cycling cadence
I’ve been asked to coach the team trial squad of a local cycling club. I have the squad doing low cadence repeats, to develop their ability to push a bigger gear. This has created some interesting discussions on cycling cadence.

Low Cadence: Shifts the workload from your aerobic system to your muscular system

Pushing harder on the pedals, more force applied
Uses larger percentage of fast twitch fibers, which are used in forceful contractions.
These fibers burn through glycogen more quickly than slowtwitch fibers, therefore low cadence cycling can deplete your muscles of glycogen faster than higher cadence.
However, low cadence cycling is easier on your aerobic system, theoretically, and is usually associated with lower heart rates.

Higher Cadence: shifts workload from muscular system to aerobic system.

Uses slowtwitch vs fast twitch muscles, therefore easy on the glycogen
Increases heart rate, a little.
Theoretically, allows you to adapt quickly to running of the bike, as your legs are already used to pedaling at 90-95 rpm, which is also ideal running cadence.

Other

Cadence is highly trainable. You can adapt to a high or low cadence on the bike much more quickly than on the run.
Stronger, more experienced cyclists are comfortable at wide range of cadences.
You can use the points above to shift the workload from muscular to aerobic systems, in order to achieve certain training effects, or to address real time situations during a race.

Past updates archived here. If you have found this information valuable, please forward it to your friends and training partners, encouraging them to sign up on the homepage to receive these updates directly.

Thanks for your continued support,

Rich Strauss
www.cruciblefitness.com
A Joe Friel Ultrafit Associate