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Getting Good at Resting...
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Wednesday, 03 December 2014 00:10
By Jason Gootman and Will Kirousis (usatriathlon.org)
Do you ever watch nature shows and notice how much time the wild animals sit around doing nothing? Do you ever wonder how your “lazy” house cat, Frisky, can jump 10 body lengths up onto the windowsill? Sure, his body is constructed for that kind of movement, but undoubtedly, what seems like “laying around all the time” is a big piece of why ole Frisky can do such stupefying physical feats. The best triathletes are like this too — they’re as good at resting as they are at working out, since rest plays a big role in the improvement process. It’s when you rest (and sleep) that your cells adapt to the demands of exercise and grow stronger.
Rest can be hard to define, but you know it when you experience it. You’re absorbed in a good book, watching a funny movie, laying in a hammock with your husband — and not trying to get anything done. You’re content just being there chilling out. Rest ...
Travel & Training Stuff...
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Tuesday, 02 December 2014 00:10
Improvised Training While Traveling...
By Heather Lendway (Heatherlendway.com)
Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to escape snowy Minnesota and head to Florida for the week to attend a work conference. Fortunately they had a fitness center with some weight and cardio equipment so my training wouldn’t be affected too much. The website for the hotel also advertised two “lap pools” but I wasn’t going to believe it until I got there to see for myself. One of the lap pools looked more like a large leisure pool; the second actually had two lane lines so it was somewhat legitimate. It was hard to tell for sure what the pool length was but I would estimate approximately 33 meters.
Adjusting my swim workouts for the unusual distance wasn’t too bad and made for another random week of swimming. If you’ve ever swam in a 25 yard or meter pool and then gone to a 50 meter pool, it typically feels like you’re drowning until you adjust. The first couple workouts I felt mostly like I was drowning in the pool, but it got better as the week went on....
Trainer Workouts That Don't Suck...
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Monday, 01 December 2014 00:10
By Susan Kitchen (usatriathlon.org)
Postseason or offseason has arrived. This is the training cycle following your last race of the year. Temps are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and many triathletes are turning to the bike trainer, a great tool to execute a solid workout, free of traffic lights, cars and worrisome weather. With a trainer, it’s just you, your bike, and a healthy dose of motivation. Rather than viewing your trainer workouts as a dreaded chore in the pain cave, think quality over quantity to make the most of your trainer time.
In the offseason, training stress is low, but it’s important to remember that quality winter training sessions establish the foundation for your next season. Focus on developing cardiovascular endurance, improving pedal stroke efficiency and building up bike-specific strength, and you’ll come into spring strong — and ready for a great season....
Goodbye, Steve.
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Sunday, 30 November 2014 00:10
By Triathlete.com (November 26, 2014)
Steve Hed, a relentless tinkerer whose innovations in aerodynamics and wheel design set industry trends for three decades, died Wednesday. He was 59.
Hed collapsed outside one of the HED facilities, the company he founded, last Thursday. CPR was administered on the scene and as he was rushed to the hospital. He was removed from life-support on Tuesday night and passed away Wednesday morning.
The all-caps HED logo became an icon of the cycling industry over the course of three decades. Hed’s toroidal rim shape set a new standard for wheel aerodynamics; his wider rims changed the trajectory of the entire industry; his one-piece aero bars were revolutionary....
The Purpose of the Off-Season...
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Saturday, 29 November 2014 00:10
“Resuming training too early is much like pulling an onion out of the garden and realizing it is not yet fully grown. One cannot put it back in and expect more growth!”
- Peter Coe (Coach of middle distance legend Sebastian Coe)
By Al Couzens (xtri.com)
The off-season or transitional period is probably the least understood training phase of the annual plan. Athletes vary widely in their interpretation of what the purpose of the off season is, and indeed if an off-season is needed at all. The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality is all too prevelant among the type A Ironman world. It is my opinion that this is a grave mistake and a mistake that can fundamentally limit the expression of your long term athletic potential....
