 Here’s a good indoor bike trainer workout for those winter months, or even during the racing season when you just need something different. Getting on to the trainer is the best way to keep your legs going through the year. Even if you can make it outside most of the time, rarely do we make the outdoor ride as productive as an indoor session. Time being equal, indoor will more than likely be more beneficial.
First, get your Heart Rate Monitor on and know your aerobic HR limit. You can get a very good approximation using the Maffetone formula. We put this up in an earlier post but there are many indepth methods for getting your precise number.
Continue reading Computrainer or Mag-trainer example workout
 I’m sure that most of us have used the spit trick to de-fog our swim goggles, but if you want a less bacteria laden, and loger lasting result there are alternatives. Scuba divers may be familiar with products such as Sea Drops, which are commercial anti-fogs that you can find at pretty much any dive shop. They work really well, but warn against use on swim goggles b/c of concentration levels and the close proximity to your eyeballs. Though one little bottle lasts forever, they are a bit expensive and can be a pain to get a hold of (esp. for time sensitive triathletes who don’t do special trips to town). Sea drops are essentially glorified soap, and simple, cheap, dish soap or Johnson’s baby shampoo work just as well. Put a couple of small drops on the inner lens of the goggle spread evenly with your finger and rinse WELL (especially if you opt for the dish soap). Avoid touching the lenses with your fingers after rinsing and keep them well sealed. You will have nice clear vision for your swim.
Continue reading Foggy Goggles?
 Saving time in transition can make a big difference to your overall day, but not if comes with the cost of discomfort later in the run. Elastic quick tie laces can help you get your shoes on very quickly. However, in order for the elastic laces to feel ‘normal’, there is a tendency to overtighten. This can lead to sore feet which become unbearable over the Ironman marathon. You may have been able to push through the discomfort on shorter races, or never even noticed during your long training runs, but feet are often more swollen on race day. At the other end of the spectrum, undertightening can lead to blisters, sloppy feet, and breakdown of form (especially after a few soakings at aid stations). A good alternative is to use the spring loaded plastic pincher thingy (technical term) on regular laces. The trick is to have your laces loose enough so you can slide your foot in easily. It is a little bit slower in transition because you have to pull the laces tight, but you don’t have to actually tie them, and you get your nice familiar feeling of snugness and comfort. 30 second lost in transition pales in comparison to minutes lost from sore feet on the run.
 Sometimes, the hardest part of a workout is getting out the door in the first place. Once that step is overcome it almost always goes better than expected. One trick if you are feeling particularly un-motivated is to simply get your kit on. Just commit to pulling on those run tights, suiting up in your bike shorts and leg warmers, pulling out your favourite visor. The simple act of getting dressed for your activity can prime you up just enough to get out the door. Besides, you feel like a goof sitting around in your run kit, and since you have it on… It works well for those super early morning swims too (you know, those ones where the gravitational pull of the warm bed, and perhaps your still sleeping partner is enormous!). Put your swim suit on right when you first get up. It makes it much harder to crawl back in bed. In the winter, when both before and after work training all seem to happen in the dark, the “I can’t find my lights” excuse can be powerful procrastination. Put reflective gear, bike lights, head lamp for running etc. in a bin by the door so you have no excuses!
If you really want to improve in triathlon, it is important not only to have some vague goal of “doing well” in your next race, but to write down specifics. When what you want to acheive is written out in front of you it solidifies your desire. You don’t have to save this exercise for big, long-term goals either. Writing down daily goals specific to your workouts (my goal is to focus on feeling the water and not dropping my right elbow at the catch; the goal is to negative split each lap but stay in aerobic zone 2 etc.. ) or even to things like eating habits at work (I’m going to eat an apple instead of a chocolate muffin from the cafeteria; I’m going to fill up my water bottle at least 3 times during the day) gives you a concrete sence of purpose and makes you more accountable. Stick your goals up with sticky notes where you will see them frequently and chek them off and congratulate yourself when you achive them. One of the most important goals you can set for yourself is a goal of self-acceptance. Dream big so that you keep the door open for doing big things, focus fully on attaining realistic best performance goals, and always remember that you are a valued and worthy human being – and will continue to be one quite apart from your athletic achievements!
This is the best way to glue a new tire and new wheel. There are some slight changes to think about it you’re using a wheel or tire that already has some glue on it. In that case, you could more than likely avoid the initial layer of glue. With a new tire and a new rim you should apply a very thin layer of glue to both and let it dry before putting on the fresh stuff and mounting. Basic steps are as follows:
Step #1: Stretch the tire – you’ll want to put the tire on a rim and pump it up. Leave it for a few hours. This will stretch it out and make it much easier to apply once you’ve got the glue on.
Step #2. Seal the valve extender – if you’re using a rim that needs a valve extension you need to make sure the connection between valve and extender is good. There’s nothing worse than trying to pump a newly glued tired only to find out the air won’t go in. Use plumbers sealing tape as shown and MAKE SURE the presta valve is OPEN. Twist it open hard and even apply a very small dab of glue on the tip to keep it that way.   
Continue reading Gluing a tubular
 A great way to speed recovery from a hard workout or race is to give youself the hot/cold treatment. 10 minutes in cold water, warm up for a bit, then get back in the cold water. If you don’t have the opportunity to have both hot and cold water handy simultaneaously just skip the hot water and use the cold. To make it really effective the water has to be painfully cold. You’ll get used to it after a few minutes. Dump ice in your tub, stand in the northern pacific ocean, perhaps a nearby lake. The cold and the hydrostatic pressure will do wonders to stop inflammation and decrease soreness.
Winter riding often means wet, gritty roads that can wreak havoc on your drive chain. It is important to give your bike a good rinse after each ride and to more thoroughly clean it at least once a week. Back in the day, we actually used to use diesel to cut through grease and clean the drive chain, but this is bad for the environment (lets drip petrochemicals everywhere!), questionable for your own health and that of the bike components, and creates disposal issues. Simple Green has a fabulous line of products that are non-toxic (MSDS sheets are provided for all of them!), biodegradable and work incredibly well. They have a “precision equipment degreaser” but their concentrated all-purpose cleanser also works really well for degreasing. We just spray this on the chain, spokes etc. spend some time with an old toothbrush and when you rinse, everything is shiny and new. If you really want to give your bike the royal treatment before a big race, find a shop with a solvent tank and have the mechanic give all the drive train components a soak.
 Breathing is something that we all take for granted, but supplying our working muscles with oxygen, and removing waste products is a critical part of any athletic performance. While racing we can sometimes do silly, subconscious things with our breathing. Shallow breathing, often in time with the peddle stroke or run stride (especially comon when one starts to feels stressed or in pain) can seriously hinder your performance by inadequately dilerivng oxygenated blood to those big leg muscles. Pay attention to your breathing and focus on taking deep, diaphragm breaths without totally relaxing and slowing down – this may take some practice! Also, while a ripped six pack may look hot, too much tightness in your abdominal muscles can actaully restrict your diaphragm, pull your posture forward and lead to breathing difficulties (especially as you transition from your bent-over bike position to the run). Be sure to counter crunches with exerciese that open up your chest and thoracic spine such as the yoga cobra pose.
 The Triathlete’s Guide To Mental Training (Taylor and Schneider, 2005) and several other mental training resources, including “In Pursuit of Excellence” by Terry Orlick (2007) identify FOCUS as one of the key aspects of the sport, of any sport. Focus doesn’t mean concentrating on one single thing for a long time, especially impossible in an Ironman, but it does mean keeping your mind on the most important things during all portions of your race. The four Ps can help you remember how to direct your focus. The first P is POSITIVE. Focus on positive things that will help your performance. Negative thoughts do not help you so learn to let them go when they pop up. The second P is PROCESS. Focus on what you need to do during the race, not on what may happen at the end of the race. Having an outcome focus (thinking of winning, losing, rankings or completion) means that you are no longer focusing on the things that will help you have aa great race – pace, exertion, technique and nutrition. The third P is PRESENT. Focus on what you can do at the present moment in the race. Ask yourself “How do I feel? Is my pace okay? What do I need to do right now?”. You can’t control the past, and you can only influence the future by being “here, now” and accountable for everything that is going on in the present moment. The fourth P is PROGRESS. Triathletes often compare themselves with other triathletes when their focus should be on their own improvement. It’s more important to see yourself progressing towards the goals that you want to achieve.
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As seen on: Ironman Triathlon Tips  |
Here’s a good indoor bike trainer workout for those winter months, or even during the racing season when you just need something different. Getting on to the trainer is the best way to keep your legs going through the year. Even if you can make it outside most of the time, rarely do we make the outdoor ride as productive as an indoor session. Time being equal, indoor will more than likely be more beneficial.
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