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Learning From Championsby Gordo Byrn
This week I am going to share ideas, some unconventional, that caught my attention as we rolled through camp. ++ Workouts Here are some key sessions that I picked up:
Interestingly, most of the elites train alone, or in small groups, to resist the urge to race in training. That said, I was left with the impression that the speedy elites do a lot of work in their Threshold Zone on the bike. This is because... ++ "Race Pace" They are surprisingly open (nothing was off-limits). A few times Craig mentioned that the secret comes from his preparation, not his workouts. He also said that his training performance (how fast he goes and how much he does) is a source of mental strength. But what is race pace for them? Obviously it is a lot faster than you and me. But... what is the relative intensity? In listening to them, I'd say that it is a Threshold effort on the bike. To put that in context: that's how a Sprint Tri feels to a novice; an Olympic Distance feels to an experienced agegrouper and a fast Half Ironman feels to an athlete with my background. However, it probably doesn't "feel" that way to them. Embrace the pain - Chrissie's #1 tip was keep your training week simple and consistent. Her #2 tip was learn how to hurt - to embrace the pain. In the context of powermeters/heart rate monitors... I know how racing feels, I don't need anything to tell me. ++ Competition For many of us, that might not be possible (we have to sign up many months in advance). However, if you want to beat another athlete then learning about them is a great way to improve your chances. Perhaps that's why we have so many Kona contenders in town this year! ++ Running Biomechanics Stretching - he mentioned that many coaches are saying DON'T stretch the calves, hammies and external rotation of the hip. DO open up the front of thigh and hip flexors. [G Note - I'll add that eccentric exercises are highly valuable for areas of personal weakness on the back of the body] Impact - focus on where, not what, is hitting the ground. Bobby showed a lot of heel strikers and observed that many athletes are running fast with heel striking. The key is cadence and foot strike at the base of your Angle-of-Attack (calculated as the line through your shoulder/hip/knee/ankle). Injuries - many running injuries come from the bike. ITB issues, in particular, rarely resolve by stopping running and riding more! Athleticism - keep your athleticism! Be wary of becoming a single plane athlete (riding on a trainer, running on a treadmill). Maintain your movement skills and ability to function in multiple planes of movement. ++ Training Load Craig was asked how many six (plus) hour training days he did when preparing for Kona. He told us that every day was a six-hour day! He also shared Mark Allen's advice that extending the longest days to his race duration (eight to nine hours) helped his performance. Chrissie made the point that being the best that she can be is 24/7. Her entire life is built around her personal mission. That said, she was extremely generous with her time and gave us one of the best talks I have ever heard from a professional athlete! I doubt that Chrissie, Craig or Matt could tell you their exact load -- they are more focused on getting the work done than creating the perfect log. That said, they did mention some workout data so they are paying attention. ++ So what did I learn that will help my own training? I'll share five tips: Bike Feel - understand how your personal race pace feels on the bike. Because my absolute work rate is high, I'll need to break that work up into segments. Swim Start - I was greedy at the swim start last weekend and tried to gap Chrissie... then I mentally cracked and she gapped me! I need more practice in strong swimmer races. Run Form - before working on my speed, I need to improve my cadence and body position. Bobby mentioned that it takes at least five years to become a strong runner. Strength before speed. Load - In 70.3, I want to race as fast as the best women in the world. Their training load is well above mine! To be fast at the end of the year, I'll need to consider how to ramp up specific load. Anaerobic Endurance - my 70.3 race is about being able to lock in my Threshold zone for 90K. That's my prime fitness component. In a group environment, I end up giving myself FAR more anaerobic work that is required for my goal race - given all the camps we offer, I'll need to improve my pace discipline (which was lacking at times this past week!). Thanks to everyone that helped us with Boulder 2010 - we'll be back the same week next year.
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