Chicago Triathlon Expo Coupon!
As the triathlon season continues and most of you have done one of more races so far, it’s now time to give some thought to your “A” priority race and look for some ways to improve one of your events. If you have decided that you can “shave” a few minutes off that swim to set you up for a Personal Best, then this article may be for you.
In previous articles, I have discussed making your stroke more efficient by incorporating stroke drills into your routine. Additionally, I have given some tips and strategies to surviving and succeeding in the open water portion of your race. This month we are headed back to the pool to tackle a part of the swimming workout that most of us avoid as much as possible. I am talking about adding some kick sets to your swim training. Before you groan too much, believe me I have heard all the arguments for not including kicking in your workout:
1.I am a triathlete and do not need to kick
2.I am saving my legs for the bike and run portion of the race
3.My wetsuit will more than make up for not kicking
…and the list goes on. Every one of these arguments has been uttered by both triathlete and coach and I have even heard a segment on the Endurance Planet podcast talking about kicking being a waste of time for triathlon training. Well, I am going to disagree with that philosophy and say that combining kick sets with your weekly pool workouts will enhance your training.
Here is the philosophy: Kicking while in the pool is going to help reinforce that correct body position we are trying to achieve with the hips and legs closer to the surface of the water and giving us that feeling of swimming downhill. Secondly, kick sets either with or without a board are going to force us to engage our core. The act of kicking properly directly engages the muscles of the core to drive the kick and keep our body in the proper position. Thus, kicking can increase our core strength, which can reap benefits in our stability for cycling and running. Finally, a good kick set will not only work the core muscles but will also build both aerobic and muscular endurance. So, what is wrong with a workout that helps core muscle development while also building aerobic and muscular endurance. The answer: Nothing.
Putting it into practice: Now that we realize that adding kicking to our swimming workouts has significant benefits; let’s look at a couple of examples of kick sets that you can add to your weekly workouts.
Kick Set #1
With a board, kick 200-300 yards continuously; focus on engaging your core muscles and driving the kick from the upper core and hips. Kicks should be quick and shallow with the feet remaining close to the surface of the water. There is very little knee bend in this type of kicking and the end of the kick there is a snap of the lower leg, similar to kicking a football or soccer ball. Toes remain pointed at all times. I recommend that you use swim fins, if you have them, when first starting out. The fins will give you increased propulsion while most importantly, cause your feet and toes to point properly and increase your ankle flexibility.
Kick Set #2
With a board, kick 5x50 yards with a 15 second rest interval. Unlike Set #1, this set is designed to increase the Heart Rate slightly and work some aerobic endurance along with strengthening the core muscles. Remember to “snap” the kick at the end and keep the toes pointed throughout the kick. Once again, I recommend the use of swim fins when first doing this set.
Add one or both of these sets to your weekly pool workouts and you will see an increase in your core strength and stability while also building efficient body position for swimming and aiding in your aerobic and muscular endurance. Until next month, enjoy your training!!
Coach Mike is a USA Swimming and ASCA Certified coach and the Director of Swimming at Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Mike at Mike@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.
As a client of Break Through Multisport, you are familiar with TrainingPeaks™ as the online website used by your coach to post your workouts and where you can record your workout data and give feedback to your coach. Your basic TrainingPeaks™ account gives you the ability to: log your workouts and meals, track daily metrics (weight, sleep, stress...), track weekly goals, upload data from over 70 training devices, share workouts, and configure the way the data is displayed. If you opted to upgrade your account to a paid premium account, you have some more advanced features. As a busy endurance athlete, you may barely find the time to complete your workouts and log them, let alone use all the features that TrainingPeaks™ offers to you. So, as a long time user of TrainingPeaks™ as both an athlete and a coach, I would like to share with you some tips to help you set up your TrainingPeaks™ account so that you can, not just more effectively and quickly log your workouts, but also make other parts of your life easier, such as help you track equipment and share your workout results with your friends.
Tip #1: Connect your Devices
TrainingPeaks™ allows you to upload data directly from over 70 training devices directly into your account. If your device is supported by TrainingPeaks™, connecting your device and using this feature is the quickest and most accurate way to log your workouts. The TrainingPeaks™ device manager will download data from your device, and then allow you to add your workout comments, select the workout type, upload it to your TrainingPeaks™ account, and possibly clear your device. It automatically matches and posts your data directly into the workout that your coach has listed in your training calendar based on the workout type (run, bike, etc).
Step 1 – Figure out how to connect your device to your computer – the most common connections are USB, IR, or Serial. This may require purchasing a connection device, but it’s worth it! You may need to install software that comes with your device to get it to connect properly, but keep in mind that, afterwards, you won’t be using the device’s program to upload your data.
Step 2- Download and install the FREE TrainingPeaks™ Device Manager software from the website, and set it up to link to your device(s) and TrainingPeaks™ account.
You can also directly upload the device data file from your computer into TrainingPeaks™ in the journal view of your workout, without the device manager. This is a great option if you are using someone else’s computer. This also works for Computrainer™ classes. After you are done with your class, ask your instructor to help you get your data file for that class, then you can either save it to a USB drive and upload it at home, or if the Computrainer™ computer has an internet connection, you can log onto the TrainingPeaks™ website and upload it right there.
Tip #2: Track your Equipment
TrainingPeaks™ allows you track the mileage and age of your running shoes and bikes. This is a great way to simplify your life and to help you determine when to get new running shoes or schedule regular maintenance for your bike.
Step 1 – Enter your equipment in your account under the Equipment tab of the User Settings section. You can enter running shoes and bikes. Don’t forget to select your default shoes/bike that you use most often.
Step 2- When you log your workout, TrainingPeaks™ will automatically select the default equipment for your workout, but if you chose to ride your road bike instead of your normal triathlon bike, don’t forget to change the equipment for that workout from the default to the one that you used.
TrainingPeaks™ will automatically keep track of the mileage on your shoes/bikes based on the workouts you log online. At any time you can check the mileage of your equipment, by looking under the Equipment tab of the User Settings section.
Tip #3: Set up Email Alerts
TrainingPeaks™ also can be set up to send you daily reminders about your workouts for the day. This is great if you remember that you need to run after to work, but don’t remember all the details. Instead of breaking away from work to log on to the TrainingPeaks™ website, it can automatically email you every day the workout details.
Step 1 – Select this setting under the Account tab of the User Settings section.
Tip #4: Share with your Friends
This tip is more for fun, but also helps you share your workout or race data with your friends in an easy way.
Step 1 - Select the workout/race you would like to share with your friends on the TrainingPeaks™ website, and open it in journal view.
Step 2 – Select the Share & Export option (top right corner). It gives you the option to share the website link to your workout via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
These tips are just a few things you can do on TrainingPeaks™, beyond logging your workouts. I hope these tips help you use some of the technology available at TrainingPeaks™ to simplify your life, allowing you more time to focus on your workouts, while also providing key feedback to your coach that will help you reach your training goals.
Coach Laura is a USA Triathlon Certified coach and an Assistant Coach at Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Laura at Laura@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.
Amy Burnstine had a great race day at the Spirit of Racine half-ironman distance race where she set a new Personal Record at the half-ironman distance by a whopping 45 minutes! Way to go Amy!!!!!
By Laura Koerner, USA Triathlon Certified Coach
By Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN
Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, C-ART
Limit 1 coupon per person, restrictions apply. Expires August 31st
10% OFF
The information contained in this newsletter is the opinion of Ryan Riell and Break Through Multisport on endurance training, racing, and nutrition. These points are suggestions on how to train and not recommendations for athletes. Any article on the Break Through Multisport website may be reprinted into a paper or online newsletter for your NON-PROFIT club or organization, so long as Ryan Riell and www.BreakThroughMultisport.com are credited. If you do reprint or link to any Break Through Multisport material, please send a courtesy email to Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com. For medical advice, and before starting a strenuous training program, consult with a physician.
Whether you are preparing for your first triathlon or you are an experience Ironman, the Triathlon Swim Program is for you. Come join Break Through Multisport and other like-minded athletes in a relaxed and fun, yet structured swim program designed to improve your overall swimming technique, capacity, endurance, power and speed.
The Triathlon Swim Program includes two (2) pool swims per week and free admission to the Open Water Swim Program every Wednesday morning at the Ohio Street Beach. Every workout will be guided by a USAT Certified or ASCA Certified coach.
Every workout will have time dedicated to each of the following:
Drills and Technique
The beginning of each workout is dedicated to working on drills and swim technique. Each swimmer will be evaluated individually in order to prescribe the proper drills to benefit them the most.
Individual Lessons
During each workout, each athlete will receive individualized swim evaluations and instruction to include above and under-water video analysis.
Workouts
Each swim workout will be designed and written for each athlete individually, based off of where the athlete is in their training and the specific race they are preparing for.
Video Analysis
Each swimmer will receive bi-weekly above and underwater video analysis in order to truly see what is really taking place under the water.
Read what a Triathlon Swim Program member had to say about the program:
“The short time with you has changed my world. I can now swim as far as I like, breathe from both sides, can feel when I'm swimming incorrectly, and am happy, comfortable and ever increasingly confident in the water.” by Jeremy B
SESSION BREAKDOWN
SESSION 3 (12 workouts; August 3- August 28): $159
All swimmers will receive a BTMS swim cap and water bottle.
If you have any questions, please contact Coach Ryan.
Each calorie has a job. The Carbohydrate calorie is the fuel calorie; all it is meant to do is give you energy…that’s it. I refer to it as the gasoline of our body. The Fat calorie is the insulator; it is meant to protect our organs from damage and is very important in our nervous system. The Protein calorie is what I call the construction worker calorie. It provides the structure in which our body is made of. It helps build not just our muscles, but our skin, hair, nails, eyes, organs and helps make hormones and enzymes. Being that protein is not the calorie for fuel, it’s the calorie for structure, and we don’t store it in our body well. Meaning you don’t bulk up by eating a lot of protein. Our body will use what it needs, then send it to the kidneys to get rid of the rest “unused” protein.
Protein Intake
As endurance athletes you are concerned with getting enough of carbohydrates, but don’t skim on the protein. Protein is essential to rebuild muscle that was broken down during exercise. It also helps to optimize carbohydrate storage. The recommended amount of protein for an endurance athlete is 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body or .5-.75 grams of protein per pound. The higher range is if you are in a high intensity part of your training. See the chart below to determine your protein needs. Vegetarian athletes can get enough protein to satisfy their need, but they need to be knowledgeable of non animal sources of protein and how to combine food to get the most out of their foods
Weight (pounds)Protein (grams per day)
100-11950-80
120-14960-90
150-16975-100
170-18985-115
190-20995-125
Sources of Protein
Make sure to get your protein from lean fat sources. Such as 93 percent fat free ground beef, sirloin cut steaks, chicken without the skin on, or grilled not fried fish. (Salmon and herring are high fat fish, but they have omega 3 and 6’s which helps prevent against cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, as well as many other health benefits.)
High protein sources
Food Grams of Protein
Chicken breast, small 4 ounces 30
Lean Meat 3 ounces21
½ can Tuna (3.25 ounces)20
Fish, 3 ounces 21
Meat, fish or poultry 1 ounce7
Egg 7
Egg white 4
Tofu, 4 ounces 7
Lentils, ½ cup 7
Baked beans ½ cup 8
Milk, yogurt 8
Cheese, 1 ounce 8
Cheese 1 slice 6
Cottage Cheese, ½ cup
Low Protein sources
½ c starchy vegetables (corn, peas, etc)2
Bread 1 slice 2
Pasta, 2 ounces 8
Rice, 1/3 cup 4
Fruits and watery veggies0-1
A good goal for intake of protein is to have some with each meal. Having a good amount of protein will help you recover better as well as ensure your muscle is being repaired properly.
Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN is a registered dietitian who works with endurance athletes. Dina owns DMA Nutrition Inc. a private practice nutrition consulting company. You can reach Dina at dina@dmanutrition.com or www.dmanutrition.com or call her at 847-581-1160.
Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, cART is a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer who has experience working with the highly trained athlete, as well as the weekend warrior She is the facility manager of the Bridgeport Accelerated Rehabilitation Center, as well as a treating therapist specializing in advanced certifications such as Active Release Technique and Graston Technique. She uses her manual skills to successfully rehabilitate her patients and quickly get them back to where they need to be. You can reach Liz at: lyerly@acceleratedrehab.com or call her at (773) 254-5250.
Program runs from Monday, August 3rd through Friday, August 28th.
Every Mon, Wed and Fri from 5:30AM to 7:00AM
By Mike Koerner, USA Swimming and ASCA Certified Coach
Bring this coupon into the store to receive 10% off everything in the store except bicycles, power meters and wheels.
August, 2009
Volume 2, Issue 8
In This Issue:
Free Training Resources
TrainingPeaks Tips
Protein Power
Get a “Kick” Out of Swimming
SPONSOR of the Month-
Element Multisport
10-15% OFF
Athlete of the Month
Break Through Research Foundation
Training Videos
Sports Hernia
Triathlon Swim Program
Groin pain can be caused by soft tissue disruption (damage e.g. by tearing) that affects an area of the groin near the genitalia, known to physicians as the 'inguinal region'. This tissue disruption is commonly called a sports hernia (though it is not a true hernia) and the medical term for it is an 'inguinal disruption'
Symptoms:
•Pain in the lower abdomen often radiating into the inner and upper thigh.
•Perineal pain (i.e. pain in the area between genitalia and anus) and in men, testicular pain can be experienced.
•Pain varies from being diffuse (i.e. spread across an area) to being severe and sharp.
•Pain is usually initiated by running, accelerating, changing direction and kicking.
•Pain is also caused by coughing, sneezing or abdominal exercises which increase pressure in the abdomen.
•Pain is felt after exercise and particularly when getting out of bed the morning after exercise.
Causes:
•Weakness of the abdominal and pelvic musculature.
•Stiffness of the hip joints and lower back.
•Poor flexibility of the hip musculature.
•Stressful running mechanics.
•Stressful 'normal' working practices involving heavy or difficult lifting could also contribute.
Other Injuries Causing Similar Complaints:
•pain originating from an injury in the lower back, one of the joints in the abdomen (sacro-iliac joint) or hip joints
•inflammation and/or irregularity of the joint (called the pubic symphysis joint) at the front of the pelvis where the two halves of it come together. This condition is called 'osteitis pubis'
•excessive mobility of the pelvic joints leading to inflammation and pain, called pelvic instability
•strain or tear of the abdominal (stomach) or adductor (inner thigh) muscles
•stress fracture of part of the pubic bone called the pubic rami
•nerve pain from inflamed or entrapped nerves in the area.
Diagnosis:
This condition needs a diagnosis via a combination of clinical tests often backed up by further investigations to count out other possible causes of pain in this area. It’s often difficult to diagnose a hernia, but rather it is determined that a sports hernia exists when all other diagnoses have been rule out.
Treatment:
Mild forms of sports hernia sometimes respond to treatment including:
•manual therapy to increase joint mobility, including Active Release Technique
•releasing techniques for tight muscles and fascia (the tissue that joins muscles and bone)
•rehabilitation and re-education to restore balance and strength to the pelvic musculature
•work to allow the nerves to move more freely (neural mobilizing techniques)
•graduated return to training and racing.
More severe forms require surgical repair by a sports, orthopaedic or general surgeon. The same therapy and rehabilitation principles and techniques will need to be followed after surgery. Unfortunately it is not unusual for some symptoms to persist at a lesser level even after surgery.
Prevention
•Avoid training errors, such as running on uneven surfaces, in inappropriate footwear.
•Have a biomechanical assessment.
•Warm up and stretch appropriately with particular attention the lower abdominal and hip musculature.
•Have an evaluation of muscle balance/imbalance and follow the exercise prescription.
•Make use of regular self and professional massage, especially Active Release Technique Providers
So again, it was too hard to choose just one athlete of the month, so again, we have four!
The Break Through Research Foundation has been created to pursue, conduct and report cutting edge research in swimming, cycling, running, triathlon and all other endurance sports!
Make sure to check out the BT Research page for some reviews of the most current scientific literature of the day, to see what opportunities there are to participate in a research study and much, much more.
Please check out the http://btresearch.blogspot.com for more!
Swim T1 Bike MPH T2 Run Total
31:22.8 4:41 03:18:18 18.6 04:02 02:19:02 05:59:24
The Break Through Multisport Blog is a feature that has been created for you the athlete!
The blog has been created for you the endurance athlete- it’s is the place to come to get updates, training tips, techniques and tactics in addition to what is happening in the endurance sports world!
Make sure to sign up for the Break Through Multisport Twitter feed! Our twitter feed is the full of training tips and notifications of updates to all the different Break Through blogs!
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Linnea Miller finished 2nd place in his age group at the Park Center Health and Fitness Sprint distance triathlon- check out the results:
Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Total
5:22 1:22 30:53 1:08 29.02 01:07:46
Break Through Multisport Inc. 1235 North Clybourn, #355 Chicago, IL 60610 (931) 220-7050
www.BreakThroughMultisport.com Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com
Limit 1 coupon per person, restrictions apply. Valid from August 28-29, only at the Chicago Triathlon Expo.
15% OFF
Bring this coupon to the Chicago Triathlon expo to receive 15% off everything in the Element Multisport booth! Coupon is valid only at the Chicago Triathlon expo and is not eligible for bicycles, power meters or wheels.
Chicago Triathlon Expo Coupon!
Kyle Miller finished in 8th place in his age group at the Park Center Health and Fitness Sprint distance triathlon- check out the results:
Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Total
4:38 1:41 28:45 0:48 25.2401:01:14
Tom Miller finished 2nd place in his age group at the Park Center Health and Fitness Sprint distance triathlon- check out the results:
Swim T1 Bike T2 Run Total
4:39 1:46 28:26 1:01 28.0701:03:57
It’s not often that an entire family participates in triathlon, let alone in the same triathlon. Not only did the Miller family (Tom the father, Linnea the daughter and Kyle the son) all compete in the same family, but they dominated it as preparation for the Great Floridian Iron-distance triathlon in October!
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