Tri Spotlight: Cycling

ONLY A MONTH TO GO, PEOPLE!!! There are four more weekends left till we all meet on the shores of Lake Summit at Camp Green Cove.  If you haven't registered for the triathlon yet, you gotta get on that.  $85 for the advanced morning tri, $80 for the novice afternoon tri, $130 for both.  We really need to see more numbers on our registration list, so if you're already registered, convince your athletic friends and family to take the plunge and do the team relay with you! You could only do the activity you feel most comfortable with if you wanted! The team relay is $125.

So now that the marketing pitch is taken care of, on to training tips. This week's area of concentration is on the cycling component of the triathlon.  Mountain Medley's advanced race is a unique triathlon in that it combines Sprint distances with Olympic distances in that the swimming portion is a sprint distance (800 m), the running portion is an olympic distance (10 km), but the cycling distance is much shorter than that of the typical triathlon you see in competitive races (roughly 10 km)*. Right away most regular cyclists have an advantage with the quick interlude between being in the water and being on their feet.  For some beginner triathletes, though, 6 miles on a mountain bike can still sound intimidating.  Here we'll cover basic safety tips and considerations when racing on an off-road trail, as well as pertinent exercises that will whip your butt into bicycling shape.

BIKE BASICS

First, you want to be prepared for the terrain of the trail.  Camp Green Cove claims 800 acres of trails that range from easy to difficult riding.  Road bikes and single-speeds (or "fixies") are typically not conducive for these kinds of trails because the tires on these bikes don't have a width that covers enough surface area to grip the ground efficiently.  However, you could easily switch out your road tires for mountain tires, depending on the size of your frame.  Your local bike shop can help you make these adjustments if you wish to add them.

♀*Helpful hint:  If you're buying a bike for this race you could look for a lighter frame to cut back on drag. But in general you can cut a lot more weight with tires. You can maybe save a pound or two with a different frame. You can save at least that with good tires, which are way cheaper.
Important to note: If you do not own a mountain bike, or cannot get one before the race, there will be rentals available on the day of the race for a nominal fee.

Pedals are another important component to your cycling experience. There are three basic types of pedals to consider: basic, cages (or clips), clipless.  There are benefits and cons to all the above, so I'll break it down as best as I can. 

Basic, flat on both sides, makes a great transition for those who want to hop right off their bike and onto the trail to start running in the same shoes they rode in.  Pro is that it is convenient and low-maintenance. Con is that you are solely pushing down with your feet to propel the bike, so it is not the most efficient option.  

Cage pedals

Cage pedals are exactly as they sound: rider slips her foot into straps or toe clips attached to the pedal to allow for pulling up with the thighs on steeper grades.  This is a cheaper alternative to clipless pedals, so you don't have to go out and spend extra money on both new pedals and cleats.  It also alleviates the amount of work your hamstrings are doing, as your quadriceps are helping you pull through.  

Clipless pedal

Clipless pedals are what is most recommended by avid triathletes, however they're the most cumbersome choice in a triathlon.  A "clipless system," as it's known as,  is a misnomer since the rider actually does clip into the pedal with special cleats that have a latch installed on the bottom of the shoe.  It allows the rider to use the whole leg to push and pull the pedal through each stride and conserves energy this way.  However, the con for both the clipless and the cage pedal is that there is the likelihood of falling over with your feet still latched into the pedal; believe me, it's a very real likelihood, and yes, it is as embarrassing as you think it would be when it happens to you. When- not if. 

Again, the people at your local bike shop would have the best advice for you since they can take into consideration size, price, and what you already have to work with.  

Another helpful hint: If you are renting a mountain bike during the race, they will more than likely only have basic pedals available.  If you prefer to ride in cleats or a clip system, you should bring both the shoes and the pedals with you to change them out.    

EXERCISES!
If you're like me, you started training for this triathlon a month and a half in advance and are dedicating every minute you can find to fit training sessions in between a full-time job and your mandatory beauty-sleep regimen. (Ahh, who are we kidding; beauty's for the birds.)  So when time is of the essence, those 1-, 1.5-hour long practices are golden and really all you need to keep yourself alive during the 6-mile loop.
Along with integrating hill work-outs into your bicycle training sessions, it is important to incorporate high-intensity intervals throughout each practice to build endurance. Focus on the following strengths individually for one hour straight, all while bringing in hills and power-surges every now and again:

- Power: your intensity
- Endurance: how long you can sustain your intensity
- Threshold: how fast you're going
- Strength: building your muscle mass to endure hills and to increase your power throughout the ride.

Begin and end each of your workouts with a 5-10 minute cool-down so you limit your chances of injury.  If you're spinning in-doors, focusing on each of these concentrations for a solid hour should be easy to monitor as you can set the workout to a desired resistance. But don't lean too heavily on those spinning classes to get you prepared for September. Your body needs to know how to respond to the jagged topography of a trail; just as you shouldn't rely solely on a pool to prepare you for open water, make sure you hop on a bike and cruise around nearby trails once or twice a week.  As we get closer to the day of the race, I'll brow-beat you more to make sure you're getting outside in preparation.

BIKE SAFETY
First and foremost: WEAR YOUR HELMET every time you train outside. Helmets will be mandatory on race day, so it's good practice and just common sense.
Secondly, this might also seem like common sense, but it's a factor that most (ahem, yours truly) overlook when amp'd to get out and practice: make sure you're comfortable.  Remember that nightmare scenario from last week about "crothitis" and "saddle sores?" Yeah, they're real things. Very, very real, and very very miserable. These conditions can come about when riding with a maladjusted seat or when the frame is too tiny.  If you're too close to the frame, you're putting more weight directly on your seat; when you're too high up, injuries to your knees occur since you're overreaching to get the full efficiency in each stride.  If you have any doubts about the measurements of your bike, take it to a bike shop and they'll set you straight.

That's all I have for now. Amp up your workouts if you feel sluggish! And if you're feeling at all downtrodden about next month, thinking that you won't be ready in time, just pick yourself up anyway and get out there. There will be no self-fulfilling prophecy of "I can't do this" while I'm around. If you're looking for comraderie and support from your fellow triathletes, visit our Facebook group, Mountain Medley Triathlon, to post questions or concerns or words of encouragement.

And if you know of anyone who is thinking they miiiight want to sign up, tell them about our Lite Tri! Half the distance and cheaper! Or they could even make their own relay team and do one of the three sports.  It's for a great cause, and it's going to be a great time. Spread the word! And as always, happy trainin'. :-)


*Standard distances for a sprint triathlon and olympic triathlon taken from Sunrise Cyclery's "Triathlon FAQ" page on their website. This page also has great advice for the beginner triathlete looking for equipment tips.
♀* Tip was given by Chris Mayhew of JBV Coaching. Great resource for tips on how to train by very competent and experienced trainers. Contact him today for advice!

Week 2 of Training

One week has passed since I've begun my training for the Mountain Medley Triathlon.  In that time I've run a total of 12 miles, biked a total of 25 miles, and swam for a total of 200 meters. (Hey, you gotta start somewhere.)

I want to share with you a few amateur tidbits I've picked up over the last week through my meager training experience thus far. Please don't read any of this information as the final word on triathlon training because I'm not a professional trainer, and I'm most certainly not a professional triathlete. But those of you who are beginners and are desperately looking to an equally lost, equally sadistic soul for guidance, I think you can trust my words. At least to give you some sanity and some peace of mind in your process. So without further ado, my instinctual, sage wisdom -- for free!

 Keep these three rules in mind
and you'll be winning races in no time! 

Rule One: Remember what you're getting yourself into!! Really, though, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, obviously you know that this full triathlon is a 800m swim, a 6-mile bike-ride, and 10K run. It's on the website, on the pamphlets - you get it. You might be able to bike 10 miles, no-hoh sweat. You might even be able to run 6 miles, no sweat! Both of those activities, for me anyway, might take an hour each to finish. But when it comes to putting them together, you cannot be so egotistical. You forget that you have to put them all together. At least... it slipped my mind, anyway.
So yesterday I practiced, as I do, and I did some hills on the bike. Five times up a hill, back down, and then back again. Five times. And it was brutal. But just to see how it felt, I took off my cleats, put on my running shoes and took off on a relatively flat grade. Oh. My word. That was the moment I doubted my decision to sign up for this event. Immediately I thought, "I need to tell Noelle right now that I need to do the mini triathlon because there is NO way I'll be able to handle all this at once." I had only biked but a mile, but the minute my leg muscles readjusted to standing, I thought my legs were going to throw in the towel without warning - it was a worthless effort. Why was I even attempting to move them?? I should have been walking. I should have been sitting, honestly.
But I kept going, just to see how it felt. And it's funny how much your body can adapt. A few yards out I fell into a pace. Not a fast one. But it was a pace. And it was comfortable. And I was able to keep going a little bit further, keeping the pace. And then after a mile I turned up a hill to go back home, and at that point, it truly was time to turn in. Humility learned.


Rule Two: Show up in one piece. After all, you paid for the race - might as well be able to see it through, right? This entails stretching at least 5 minutes before and after you do any practice.  Also, when you're training to put these activities together, whether you're biking after swimming, or running after biking, or any combination of the above, remember to keep your form. Don't flail your arms, don't let your feet clobber the ground beneath you. You'll hurt your knees that way. Make sure you're maintaining bodily integrity throughout the duration of your training. What I mean by that is, have control over your body. It helps you stay present throughout the duration of your training, and it'll be easier to monitor your progress when the form stays the same.

Rule Three (and this is the most important one): At the end of the day, after you train, regardless of how long you were out, or far you went, or how much effort you felt you put in, be so proud of your accomplishments. You have the confidence to do this. And you have the will-power to do it. Clearly you do, you're training for it after all! Don't put yourself down ever - be thankful and be grateful for any amount of energy you put forth. Because if you really want it, you'll do it. That's how it goes. Don't worry too much about meeting a personal record, or worry that you might be at the tail end of the pack come Race Day. Show up feeling positive and the rest will sort itself out as you go.

In summation, yesterday was great. Even though the biking was brutal, and that the third hill felt more like the third ring of Hell, and the running looked more like limping, it was great. I went inside dripping with sweat, bright red, and looked at the clock: 7:06. I remembered I had only left at 6:20. Meaning that was only 40 minutes worth of work. And I'm looking at a race that might take up to three hours to finish. Crrrrraaap.