Should I Race or Should I Go?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Lots of food, football and this year my daughter, son-in-law and 1 yr. old granddaughter will be with us in Spencerport, flying from Portland, Oregon. My oldest daughter flies in Friday night from Alabama, so the clan will all be together, which doesn't happen much anymore.

Tradition also has it that Jan and I run the Race with Grace 10k on Thursday morning. I have run the race 18/21 times, missing it for a trip to Disney, a winter storm and the birth of Ellowyn(grandchild). Last night a winter storm hit the east coast, giving the Rochester, NY area around 8 inches of wet, heavy snow and making traveling a hassle. At 9:20am tomorrow the Portland crew arrives after flying all night, first landing in Newark, NJ, then on to Rochester. The RWG begins at 9am.

Jan has already said she is skipping the race to meet them at the airport. I have permission to race, since I would be home shortly after 10am, probably around the same time as the Portland crew. But is running a race the right thing to do? This classic song by "The Clash" seemed to fit into my thought process, though they are talking about a slightly different relationship issue. (you can click off the ads in the video)

Triathlon Speed Part 3

In the book, "Faster: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed", the author uses scientific research from studies done around the world to help athletes go faster in triathlons without taking out a second mortgage.

Now we concentrate on the run, the last part of the series.
Want to get faster?  Lose weight, your own body weight. This will help on the bike and the run. Don’t spend $3000 on a bike to save 2-3 pounds, go on a diet, eat less and healthier and lose the same or more, for free.  This will also change the rate at which your body generates and expels heat, giving you a faster run time (p141).
The past three days I ran 19 miles and lifted weights. I gained 2 pounds! Not the result I was seeking.
Sure the wonderful coconut frosting birthday cake I ate might not have been the best for dieting. Thinking back, Saturday, after an 8 mile run my lunch consisted of a huge piece of cake, but I did drink water with it. That may not have been my best choice for a meal. Maybe I should follow the advice of Barefoot Pete who told me, "Mike, why don't you try fasting for one day a week?" when I complained about being 10+ pounds over race weight. I seem to be able to fast for about 2-3 hours, then I start eating again. I'm pretty sure that isn't what Pete meant.
Anyhow - more free speed; Don’t overstride, aim for 180-190 strides per minute, for most runners this mean having a shorter stride. There will be less vertical force used, less braking force and less time on the ground, all of which make you a faster, more efficient runner – for free! A slow cadence puts a lot of force on your joints and slows you down.

There you have it! Some great ideas to get faster in your next triathlon without spending much, if any, money. Swim technique, a decent but not the most expensive, wetsuit; learn to bike aerodynamically, research and choose the best clincher tires, maybe buy an aero helmet; and, finally, learn to run without overstriding and having a quicker stride rate. Oh, and for most of us, lose weight. 

Triathlon Speed: Part II

In the book, "Faster: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed", the author uses scientific research from studies done around the world to help athletes go faster in triathlons without taking out a second mortgage.

Now we concentrate on "The Bike".

Of course you can spend untold fortunes buying a light, fast bike (a bike is not fast though, the rider makes it fast –bikes just sit there without someone pedaling).  So – work on your engine, this only costs time.
Also, and most important, work on being aero throughout the race, down on the bars.

Not satisfied? Then spend a little money by getting an aero helmet, a relatively cheap method to decrease drag. Helmets with shorter tails and steeper taper angles are the best. (p92). Secondly, research tires, there is a significant difference on rolling resistance between clincher tires. It’s really where you can get the most bang for your dollar (p.106). The best tire can save you about 60 seconds over a 25 mile race, doing an IM – that’s 4:30 saved just by having the right tire. Remember, the time saved is also energy conserved for the run. Tire pressure is also important, aim for 110psi, any higher and the ride will get bumpy and diminishing returns in rolling resistance.

Disc wheels, depending on wind direction, can be more aerodynamic, but how much money do you want to spend? This is about spending the least to get the most, not looking cool with the shiniest equipment.  

Drafting on the bike, in most triathlons, is illegal, it does give a huge advantage (think Peloton at Tour de France), so forget that technique. The author does strongly suggest getting a Power Meter for your bike, the most effective method of training and measuring your effort during a race. Power Meter’s cost a few hundred though, so it may be out of reach for some people.

 

Red Bull Biking Competition

This was filmed with a GoPro camera attached to the biker. It is amazing. I guarantee this is a sport I won't be attempting anytime soon.

Improve Your Triathlon Times!

In the book, "Faster: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed", the author uses scientific research from studies done around the world to help athletes go faster in triathlons without taking out a second mortgage.

This will be a three part series. Also - interested in predicting your IM finish time? Go here.

For the swim there are two methods that cost little or nothing to go faster.  During the race draft off another swimmer, staying to the side and about mid-body (your outstretched hand should be equal to their armpit).  You need to be within about 1.6 feet of the other swimmer if in open water. Your drag is reduced about 40% using this method, which saves considerable energy.  During a race it can be difficult to stay consistently within 1.6 feet of another swimmer, but even if you can stay within 3 feet you will save 20% of your energy. Studies show in a 750 meter swim this will have your heart rate 10 beats a minute slower and save on lactate acid building up, a significant advantage when you change to the bike phase.

Two, try and swim at 80-90% effort, not 100%. Studies show swimmers at 85% are faster in the run phase than those swimming at 90-100%. Those athletes who swim at 85% finish about 1:45 faster than the higher effort swim group. (p.33).

If you are spending money, a wetsuit decreases drag by 10% for most triathletes. Swimmers with better form swim faster with wetsuits that are sleeveless, pokey swimmers like me need the buoyancy from having sleeves and the loss of flexibility doesn’t matter as much as being higher in the water. With a wetsuit the stroke cadence decreases by 14%, lactate by 47% and heart rate by 11%, which improved cycling efficiency by 12%. (p. 37).

If you must spend money to try and swim faster, spend it on learning better form by taking lessons and buy a lower cost wetsuit, not the most expensive version you can find. 

Gourley, Jim. Faster: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed.  Velo Press. Boulder, Colorado. 2013.

Another List

The Sals team is very fond of lists. If I could stay awake long enough I would watch Letterman just for his top 10 list every night. Here's a list my siste sent me. You might see yourself in one or 20 of them.

Adult Truths

1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Scary Neighborhood" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Barefoot Jesus?

Please tell me this isn't our own Pete Leonard from Spencerport, New York? Oh, wait, this man couldn't have been Pete, he only made it 11 miles, Pete would have finished. Plus this runner has much more upper body muscle than our Pete.(kidding).

John McEnroe?

I hated watching John McEnroe play tennis. Hate may be a strong word. I enjoyed watching when other players beat John because he was such a snot out on the court. Screaming at umpires, linesmen, his opponent, himself, it was always quite a show.
Sunday I turned on the television coverage of the NYC Marathon and who was one of the announcers? McEnroe. For running. Now John has become an excellent tennis announcer, but marathon running? Really, are we the only sport that needs outside assistance to be relevant? Fifty thousand people in the race isn't enough? I think out of 3 hours on television maybe 30 minutes was actually devoted to seeing the elite racers.