Most people come into duathlons and triathlons from a single sport discipline. They are either swimmers, cyclists or runners. There are very few pure triathletes. Duathlons and triathlons generally favour runners. The way these two events are set up, give runners the edge over swimmers and the cyclists. A good example is to look at ITU triathlons and Ironman events, where the the event is typically won on the run.
Running after two disciplines is tough. People getting off the bike often speak of a sensation known as "jelly legs" where you legs wobble as you descend off the bike and you feel your knees buckle under the weight of your body. The effect of "jelly legs" often prevents you from running well after the bike because your legs and hips are tight from maintaining a single position on the saddle during the bike. The way to counter this effect post-bike is to do what is know as the "brick workout".
A brick workout is simply a bike-run workout. I have had people ask me how long should a brick workout be? Typically, research shows that you need not spend too long running after coming off the bike for your body to adapt to the effects of the "jelly legs".
I do a lot of my brick workouts on a bike trainer as I feel the bike trainer allows me to focus on my cycling form and cadence which are very important. I am not a pure cyclists so I tend to embrace the multisport theory of slow twitch muscles on the bike (slower cadence, 90 rpm and big chain ring) and fast twitch muscles on the run. That way, I don't overexhaust one group of muscles. I understand that if you come from a pure cycling background, you will generally favour high cadence on the bike but do try the above system and see how it works for you.
Below I will share some sample workouts that I do personally when I am training a brick as well as some tips for beginners to ensure you perform well in your next event.
Sample brick trainer workouts (cycling in big chain ring):
20 minutes warm up spin
10 minutes cycling
5 minutes running
10 minutes cycling
5 minutes running
10 minutes cycling
5 minutes running
10 minutes cycling
5 minutes running
10 minutes cycling
5 minutes running
10 minutes cool down spin
The above brick workout teaches the body to shift quickly between two disciplines. If you are a beginner, start with 2 sets in small chain ring and try to work your way up to 5 sets in small chain ring. You can advance to big chain ring only after you have mastered 5 sets in small chain ring. DO NOT forget the warm up and cool down.
Sample brick workout (cycling in big chain ring):
30km bike ride
10-15 minutes run off the bike
Tips for beginners:
1. Do a nutrition and hydration "dress rehearsal" during your brick training.
This means, try to eat and drink whatever it is you intend to consume for the event during your brick training. It is a very good simulation for your body to adapt to that. NEVER consume things you have never tried before on event day. The results could be disastrous.
2. Train as close to race time as you can.
Try to train your bike and run as close to your actual race start time as possible. If you know your run will take place during a very hot period of say 10am, then try to do some simulation runs at a similar hour. Heat greatly affect our performance so you need to train your body to adapt to that.
3. Train in your race gear.
If you plan to buy a new trisuit or shoes for the event, then make sure you take them out on a few trial runs before wearing it for the event. Wearing new things for races can results in painful blisters or chafing.
For more in-depth information on brick workout, visit this link. All the best for your next event!
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tips for running your first 10km race
Pre-race
Try to eat a light breakfast at least 1-2 hours before the start of the race. This keeps your body's energy high. A normal race breakfast for me would be multigrain toast with peanut butter and a banana. You can take cereal or muesli bars but always remember to read the nutritional labels. A lot of cereals or muesli claim to be healthy options but are in fact loaded with tons of sugar! If you are watching your weight, you need to watch your sugar intake. Remember not to try eating anything new on race day. It could lead to stomach problems.
During race
I am going to break down this segment into a few different parts.
Pace
A lot of newbies make the mistake of going out too fast at the start of the race. I understand that the start is very exciting and the adrenaline in your blood just wants to make you shoot off. However, starting too fast may result in a painful finish. After 2-3km, your body discovers that it has started to fast but you have used so much energy that you have nothing left for the rest of the race. Remember to stay calm and ALWAYS run at your own pace!
Target time
By now you should have run a sufficient number of training runs such that you should have an idea what your pace is and approximately how long it should take you to run a 10km race. Set a target time for yourself and use that to pace yourself to the finish line.
Hydration
Hydration is very important for good running performance. Try to drink at every water station. Stop, grab a drink, walk and take sips. Aim to drink just a portion of the cup. A full cup of water may be a bit too much and running with sloshing liquid in your stomach can lead to a side stitch.
Post-race
Walk/jog 5-10minutes to cool down and then stretch all the muscle groups. Check out this link for the top ten running stretches:
https://lornpearsontrains.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/running-stretches.jpg
The body needs good quality food to recover well after a race. The most critical window is 30 minutes after a run. Aim to get some good quality protein and carbs into your body. The easiest way to do this is to grab a glass of low-fat chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie.
Happy running!
Try to eat a light breakfast at least 1-2 hours before the start of the race. This keeps your body's energy high. A normal race breakfast for me would be multigrain toast with peanut butter and a banana. You can take cereal or muesli bars but always remember to read the nutritional labels. A lot of cereals or muesli claim to be healthy options but are in fact loaded with tons of sugar! If you are watching your weight, you need to watch your sugar intake. Remember not to try eating anything new on race day. It could lead to stomach problems.
During race
I am going to break down this segment into a few different parts.
Pace
A lot of newbies make the mistake of going out too fast at the start of the race. I understand that the start is very exciting and the adrenaline in your blood just wants to make you shoot off. However, starting too fast may result in a painful finish. After 2-3km, your body discovers that it has started to fast but you have used so much energy that you have nothing left for the rest of the race. Remember to stay calm and ALWAYS run at your own pace!
Target time
By now you should have run a sufficient number of training runs such that you should have an idea what your pace is and approximately how long it should take you to run a 10km race. Set a target time for yourself and use that to pace yourself to the finish line.
Hydration
Hydration is very important for good running performance. Try to drink at every water station. Stop, grab a drink, walk and take sips. Aim to drink just a portion of the cup. A full cup of water may be a bit too much and running with sloshing liquid in your stomach can lead to a side stitch.
Post-race
Walk/jog 5-10minutes to cool down and then stretch all the muscle groups. Check out this link for the top ten running stretches:
https://lornpearsontrains.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/running-stretches.jpg
The body needs good quality food to recover well after a race. The most critical window is 30 minutes after a run. Aim to get some good quality protein and carbs into your body. The easiest way to do this is to grab a glass of low-fat chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie.
Happy running!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Which 2XU range suits you most?
I tend to get all confuse and undecided over which range of product to choose when I want to buy gears. And what do I do when I faced with this kind of situation? I tend to go for the cheapest option...
Yes, I am very careful with spending :P Alright, stingy if you want to be mean
Am I choosing the correct product for my activity? This is what prompt me to research for more information.
The Findings
If you browsed though 2XU product, you'd have notice they have various range of the 2XU product. They uses different technology for specific reason. Here I have compiled some of the information from my research. They help me understand 2XU better. I hope they help you too.
Competitive range, offering normal apparels without compression feature. The name of the product usually comes with the name COMP for example Comp Tri Short, Comp Tri Top, Comp Tri Suit. I used to mistaken Comp for compression, but apparent that is not the case. Remember this, Comp stands for Competitive.
Endurance range are apparels made for longer triathlon races. They are usually priced higher than the competitive range.
2XU Compression range comes with the word COMPRESSION like Compression Shorts or Long Sleeve Compression Top. Usually, product in this range uses the 50D/CK fabric. The 50D/CK code means it is using a 50 denier elastomeric yarn and CK means Circular Knit technology.
To go one step further from compression, 2XU has come up with the Elite Compression range. The Elite Compression is a technology combining a new generation 70 Denier fabric with the existing high power 50 Denier fabric The new generation 70 Denier fabric is claim to have 15% more support and 25% more power than the 50 Denier fabric. It's easy to guess the name of fabric they use for the Elite Compression, 70D/CK.
Thermal version of the popular 2XU compression tights is only suitable for use in cold weather. Having a weather like Malaysia, we would never need this range at all.
New in 2011
New for 2011, 2XU introduces an entry-level tri short that still holds plenty of performance-oriented features. The Active Tri Short features 2XU’s new SBR NEO SKIN fabric, which utilizes Creora® elastane yarn for comfort and durability.
Comparison:
Comparing products like 2XU Comp Tri Shorts and 2XU Endurance Tri Shorts, you can conclude that the latter is built for longer trainings/races and hence would have a slightly higher price than the former. To go one step further than the 2 mentioned above would be the 2XU Compression Tri Shorts which is tri pants with "Compression".
2XU has different size charts for Compression range and non-compression, so make sure you refer to the right chart when you do your purchase :-)
Yes, I am very careful with spending :P Alright, stingy if you want to be mean
Am I choosing the correct product for my activity? This is what prompt me to research for more information.
The Findings
If you browsed though 2XU product, you'd have notice they have various range of the 2XU product. They uses different technology for specific reason. Here I have compiled some of the information from my research. They help me understand 2XU better. I hope they help you too.
Competitive range, offering normal apparels without compression feature. The name of the product usually comes with the name COMP for example Comp Tri Short, Comp Tri Top, Comp Tri Suit. I used to mistaken Comp for compression, but apparent that is not the case. Remember this, Comp stands for Competitive.
Endurance range are apparels made for longer triathlon races. They are usually priced higher than the competitive range.
2XU Compression range comes with the word COMPRESSION like Compression Shorts or Long Sleeve Compression Top. Usually, product in this range uses the 50D/CK fabric. The 50D/CK code means it is using a 50 denier elastomeric yarn and CK means Circular Knit technology.
To go one step further from compression, 2XU has come up with the Elite Compression range. The Elite Compression is a technology combining a new generation 70 Denier fabric with the existing high power 50 Denier fabric The new generation 70 Denier fabric is claim to have 15% more support and 25% more power than the 50 Denier fabric. It's easy to guess the name of fabric they use for the Elite Compression, 70D/CK.
Thermal version of the popular 2XU compression tights is only suitable for use in cold weather. Having a weather like Malaysia, we would never need this range at all.
New in 2011
New for 2011, 2XU introduces an entry-level tri short that still holds plenty of performance-oriented features. The Active Tri Short features 2XU’s new SBR NEO SKIN fabric, which utilizes Creora® elastane yarn for comfort and durability.
Comparison:
Comparing products like 2XU Comp Tri Shorts and 2XU Endurance Tri Shorts, you can conclude that the latter is built for longer trainings/races and hence would have a slightly higher price than the former. To go one step further than the 2 mentioned above would be the 2XU Compression Tri Shorts which is tri pants with "Compression".
2XU has different size charts for Compression range and non-compression, so make sure you refer to the right chart when you do your purchase :-)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Some useful triathlon tips
Updated July 4th 2012.
I haven't been a triathlete for very long, but while doing my first triathlon in PD last year, I did learn quite a few things that I thought I should share.
Useful to own a race number belt
If you do not own one yet, it is probably the best investment you can make for a triathlon. It makes it a lot easier to do away with safety pins and well, it is complicated when a swim is involved and you need to pin on a bib that is made of paper. Update 14 Mar 2013: RunnersUnite now selling our very own Race belt at RM20 only. Contact us to get one today!
Potentially a life saver
Take off cap right after exiting swim
When exiting the swim, I start taking off my swim goggles and swim cap. Believe me, I've seen quite a number of folks exit on the bike with swim caps still on their heads. In our hot weather, it's not a good idea to have something made of silicon or rubber on the top of your head while you bike.
Tape your gels to the top tube
Although I own a tri top that has rear pockets with plenty of room for my gels and other nutrition, I normally tape my gels to my bike's top tube. This makes for much easier access than to reach back to my rear pocket for them. I also make sure I tape them in such a way that when I wish to have one all I need to do is rip it off and stick it into my mouth. Beware, if your gel is on the slightly watery end, it may end up squirting all over your top tube. I use Gu, so they stay pretty much in the packet until it's in my mouth. I save the rear pocket of my tri top for gels during my run.
Hydrate early in the bike
I try to eat and drink as much as I can in the first half of the bike. That's because I don't want to start my run with water swishing all around in my stomach. If I addressed my hydration and nutrition in the first half of the bike, then by the time I complete the bike, most of my hydration and nutrition would have been absorbed by body and I can start the run full of energy. This is not to say that I try to cram everything into the first half of the bike, but I just drink and eat more. Towards the end, I still hydrate by sipping on my drinks.
Water is your friend
I know a lot of runners turn triathlete have plenty of reservation about dousing themselves with water in fear of getting their running shoes wet but if you are starting your run at 9.30am, it might be really, really helpful to be dousing yourself with plenty of water to bring your core temperature down. When your body heats up, your legs slow down.
Put sunglasses on before helmet
I'm not a particularly fast triathlete so I start my run pretty late in the race. Thus I run with my sunglasses. I normally put on my sunglasses before putting on my bike helmet. There is a reason for this. During T2 (bike to run transition), I just want to get my helmet off, my running shoes on and off I go! If you put you sunglasses over your helmet, that would mean you would need take the sunglasses off, then the helmet and put the sunglasses back on again.
Put run stuff into a plastic bag
After the bike, you want to make it out of the T2 transition as soon as possible as every minute in a sprint or OD counts. It helps to put all your run stuff like cap, water and gels in a plastic bag so you grab them as you run out and slowly put them on or consume them as you run.
I haven't been a triathlete for very long, but while doing my first triathlon in PD last year, I did learn quite a few things that I thought I should share.
Useful to own a race number belt
Potentially a life saver
It is also worth investing in some laces that are made of bungee cord-like material so you can yank on your shoes before run and simple pull and tighten your laces. Hassle free and there will be no worries of laces coming undone during the run. There are many brands out there now but I use Speed Laces and Lie Wei uses Lock Laces.
Update 10 Jul 2013: RunnersUnite now selling our very own Lock Laces at RM26 only. Contact us to get one today!
When exiting the swim, I start taking off my swim goggles and swim cap. Believe me, I've seen quite a number of folks exit on the bike with swim caps still on their heads. In our hot weather, it's not a good idea to have something made of silicon or rubber on the top of your head while you bike.
Tape your gels to the top tube
Although I own a tri top that has rear pockets with plenty of room for my gels and other nutrition, I normally tape my gels to my bike's top tube. This makes for much easier access than to reach back to my rear pocket for them. I also make sure I tape them in such a way that when I wish to have one all I need to do is rip it off and stick it into my mouth. Beware, if your gel is on the slightly watery end, it may end up squirting all over your top tube. I use Gu, so they stay pretty much in the packet until it's in my mouth. I save the rear pocket of my tri top for gels during my run.
Hydrate early in the bike
I try to eat and drink as much as I can in the first half of the bike. That's because I don't want to start my run with water swishing all around in my stomach. If I addressed my hydration and nutrition in the first half of the bike, then by the time I complete the bike, most of my hydration and nutrition would have been absorbed by body and I can start the run full of energy. This is not to say that I try to cram everything into the first half of the bike, but I just drink and eat more. Towards the end, I still hydrate by sipping on my drinks.
Water is your friend
I know a lot of runners turn triathlete have plenty of reservation about dousing themselves with water in fear of getting their running shoes wet but if you are starting your run at 9.30am, it might be really, really helpful to be dousing yourself with plenty of water to bring your core temperature down. When your body heats up, your legs slow down.
Put sunglasses on before helmet
I'm not a particularly fast triathlete so I start my run pretty late in the race. Thus I run with my sunglasses. I normally put on my sunglasses before putting on my bike helmet. There is a reason for this. During T2 (bike to run transition), I just want to get my helmet off, my running shoes on and off I go! If you put you sunglasses over your helmet, that would mean you would need take the sunglasses off, then the helmet and put the sunglasses back on again.
Put run stuff into a plastic bag
After the bike, you want to make it out of the T2 transition as soon as possible as every minute in a sprint or OD counts. It helps to put all your run stuff like cap, water and gels in a plastic bag so you grab them as you run out and slowly put them on or consume them as you run.
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