Snow and how to deal with it.

If you have spend every year of your life in exotic and warm places and probably can't relate to the headline, good for you! The rest of us have to figure out what do you do when snow impacts the possibilities for training outside. I live in Upstate New York, and here we get so much snow that cycling outside is impossible, and occasionally also running becomes difficult.

Swimming is great for the Winter, since you can't put in long hours on the road, it allows you spend more time working on your technique in the pool. CrossFit is also just about optimal for the Winter, it builds strength and improves flexibility. The nature of a CrossFit workout makes the recovery time rather long, but since you don't spend a lot of time on the road, and more importantly don't get very tired from high intensity running or biking, the extra recovery time is not a problem.

My primary goals of 2011 are in the late Summer, which means that the training now is mostly base training, that is, continuous training at a low to moderate intensity. Since the pace is relatively moderate, it is possible to continue running outside even though there is a bit of snow on the ground. The treadmill is a possibility, even though I only use it if snow forces me off the roads. I find it very boring, especially when you're not doing high intensity work.

The really tricky thing is to keep the bike training going during the Winter. There is no doubt that keeping the biking going over the Winter improves your level during the Summer substantially. The second best investment I ever made for cycling (after my bike...) is my CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer. It is really quiet, smooth and comes with a lifetime warranty on the roll. However, even a good trainer doesn't change that riding indoors is about as boring as it gets. I don't have the patience to just ride a steady pace for the duration of my workout, so I try to mix it up with some intervals, even when I am doing an endurance ride. I just make sure to stay within the heart rate zone. The trainer is excellent for developing power, so often I ride at a slow cadence for 4 times 5min with equal recovery. It is also fun to do 2 or 3 times 15min where you try to go as fast as possible between two different heart rates (e.g. 120 and 144), the trick is to not go above the upper heart rate, and also not below the lower one. A more intense workout I really like is the Wien's 20-40's: Do 4 or 5min hard and at the start of every minute you increase the intensity for 20s. By the end of the last 20s you are working very hard. You can repeat this two to four times.

Training during the Winter is never going to be as fun as training when it is warm and sunny outside. But with a little thought and imagination, training during the Winter can be quite fun, and very effective. It helps tremendously to have a long term goal to work towards, it makes you much more motivated to do the necessary work.

I signed up for the Rev3 half Ironman race in Portland, OR, on July 10th. I am very excited, and really looking forward to both the race itself and the training to get ready. Portland, OR, is such a cool city, and to have a big triathlon race in downtown is awesome. And spending a few days there before and after the race will also be a lot of fun. The course description sounds great: A swim in the Willamette River, a hilly bike loop South of the city and a half marathon through downtown Portland. I am particularly excited about the fact that the bike course is hilly, that should suit me well.

The Portland race is organized by Revolution3, which is a competing race series to the WTC Ironman and Challenge series. I think it is beneficial for the sport to have several competing organizers of long distance triathlons, it should increase quality and race experience. When you look at what you get for your entry fee at the Revolution3 race, there is no doubt that the participants have benefited from the competition between the different organizers. Revelolution3 has an excellent athlete transfer and withdrawal policy, and a race shirt, a finisher shirt, and a towel is included in the price. Of course, the participants' satisfaction is mainly determined by whether the race is well organized or not, but this is a very good start!

http://www.rev3tri.com/!/portland/registration.htm

From runner/cyclist to triathlete

Triathlon is a new sport to me, I started three months ago! I have been running since 1993, and ran track until 2003 when I got injured. I bought a bike for cross training, and immediately fell in love with cycling. My training partner also convinced me to start swimming, so I swam for half a year until my shoulder started hurting. I didn't swim again until 2010. For the past few years my focus has alternated yearly between cycling and running, and I realized that to improve either, I have to choose one and eliminate the other. I can't see myself doing that, and last Summer I started reading about the new Ironman (I'll call it Ironman, even though it's not WTC) in Copenhagen. It really intrigued and fascinated me, and I soon realized that the Ironman is exactly the long term goal I need.

In August when the cycling racing season was over, I started swimming and CrossFit. I seriously lack upper body strength, since I haven't used my upper body for anything more strenuous than writing on a chalk board. After three months of CrossFit training I am convinced that it is the best off-season strength training for endurance athletes. It builds functional strength and improves flexibility and range of motion. Sure there are some exercises I could well live without, but as a whole, it's great.

After having been swimming for a few months, I am certain that the most difficult thing to deal with mentally when cyclists and runners turn to triathlon is the swimming. Why would a good runner or cyclist force himself to paddle around in a pool with awful technique and no upper body strength when he could be running or riding and having a blast? That was what happened to me in 2003, of course the mild inflammation in my shoulder wasn't the real reason I stopped going, the reason was that I was an awful swimmer. The difference this time is that I have a specific goal and, more importantly, that I actually have started to like swimming. I need to improve my swimming a lot, but I consider that part of the challenge!

New blog, new coach, new goals...

Hi All!

Welcome to my blog!

I have been a competitive endurance athlete (first running and later running and cycling) for many years, but this is my first year as a triathlete. My goal is to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman and this blog is about that journey. I recently started working with a coach, and I am excited to see how that goes. This is the first time I have somebody to direct my training, and I hope the added structure will show in the results next Summer. My goals for next year are the American Zofingen Duatlon (middle distance) and one of the Portland, Boulder or Timberman half Ironman competitions, as well as other smaller duathlon, running and cycling races.