Question:

Check out www.extremetri.com they have a pretty good list of events that can be sorted in a lot of ways.  You do need to register (free) to use the calander. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi triathletes Due to an injury (contusion and following trochanter bursitis) I have been forced to cancell all my competitions this summer, among them Austrian Ironman. I wonder if there is any Ironmandistance competitions in September -October ? I have heard about one in Hawai, but I suppose it out of question… But really, is there any competitions in Europe in the autnum, I have heard about one on Ibiza (in october) ? Thank you in advance for good suggestions. Motto: Life is too easy without at least one Ironman / year. Petteri Gr

Question:

Does anyone know of any triathlon clubs in Tucson. I will be moving there shortly and look forward to finding some people to train with. Thanks,

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Does anyone know of any triathlon clubs in Tucson. I will be moving there shortly and look forward to finding some people to train with. Thanks,

Scott,   Check out the Multi Sport Madness tri club. You can contact them through The Multi Sport Training Co. at 882-4452 or you can contact me at B.Oliver

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Question:

Hi Guys! Hi Girls! I’m gonna have  My first  sprint  on july 30th… To be  honest I didn’t have much time  to train… Any one  have   any  suggestion on what  should I focalize  my trainings? How? thank you in advance  for  any suggestion!!! Bruno

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Bruno,  Welcome to the club.  I would suggest you check out hulaman.com for some general directions about training. You’ll get more there in a short amount of time then we could give you here.  You did not give much background … So, most of us found or continue to find the swim the most challenging.  Get in the pool and work towards establishing base — you’ve got to know you can do the distance.  For a sprint we’re usually talking 600-800 meters. Building base (endurance)on the bike and run is first step.  Work towards your race distances.  At least in the next couple of weeks try running after riding your bike. It may feel a bit strange to you at first.  Shorten your stride at first and you will gradually run into your normal pace and stride.  Strength, the ability to go after hills will come later.  Speed will come after that. Race day:  Get there early and identify yourself to the race director.  Either the RD or another triathlete will help you with how to position yourself for the swim start, rules, how to manage the transitions from swim to bike, bike to run.  Most triathletes love to share their knowledge, if you get there early enough they’ll get you oriented.  You may have a triathlon club in your area. Give them a call.  It helps to have someone to talk to face to face.  Spend alot of time reading the posts here.  Not everything will apply to you or any of this for that matter.  Pick out what seems to apply for your current conditioning, experience, and goals. Priorities:  Be safe.  This is the time to learn.  Give yourself a few triathlons to get accustomed to the experience.  Have a blast.  I’ll never forget my first one. * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping.  Smart is Beautiful

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I am a first year triathlete myself and my one BIG suggestion is do some BRICKS!!! Mainly the bike to run, because it is a very weird feeling in your legs getting off that bike and trying to run. You dont necessarliy have to do them race distance. For example, after your bike practice just jump off and go run a mile or so. This will really help you..trust me. Otherwise the main thing is just go have FUN. My first was a blast and I loved every minute of it. Also check out www.trinewbies.com and look at their discussion board. There are plenty of people there willing to help and offer suggestions. Before you buy.

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Question:

The final entry list for today’s Gulf Coast Triathlon is up at triflorida.com. Check back during race day for frequent results updates.  Final results will be online late this afternoon. CFT/Sommer Sports Official ChampionChip Race Timers for the GCT cftsommersports.com triflorida.com

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Just wanted to say a big thank you for getting your race results for all your races up so promptly. Whether I’m racing or just keeping track of results, you do a great job putting timely info on the web site. Cathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -The final entry list for today’s Gulf Coast Triathlon is up at triflorida.com. Check back during race day for frequent results updates.  Final results will be online late this afternoon. CFT/Sommer Sports Official ChampionChip Race Timers for the GCT cftsommersports.com triflorida.com

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Question:

The web site is www.ecochallenge.com It is not easy to enter this race.  As for most other big races, you have to qualify, and in fact some years the race is "closed", only allowing entry to teams to have previously participated. To train, just try the first day that usually occurs in the race. Most of the teams race continually for 24 hours with no sleeping. If you can’t handle that, then forget the rest of the days.  Most days the racers survive on at most 4 hours sleep for a week or more. Think about it seriously before you even attempt to train. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -x-no-archive: yes I just saw Dateline on NBC tonight and i was amazed and astounded. Their feature story was about this year’s Eco-Challenge. It took place in Morocco, Africa. Its about 350 miles long and you have to trudge through the sea, land, mountains, deserts and any other enviroments you can think of. You have to kayak, hike, bike, and most importantly survive. After seeing this program I have decided to make this endurance challenge 1 of my many goals in life. Anyone else planning on doing this? I think that’s the same thing as the Raid Galoises. They go to different places in the world each year. I think last year was in Borneo. There is a website somewhere… If I were your age, I would try to get in on that action also!

Tim Nelson Nelson Krynicki & Associates IT Recruiting 905-274-1917 fax 905-271-0759

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I just saw Dateline on NBC tonight and i was amazed and astounded. Their feature story was about this year’s Eco-Challenge. It took place in Morocco, Africa. Its about 350 miles long and you have to trudge through the sea, land, mountains, deserts and any other enviroments you can think of. You have to kayak, hike, bike, and most importantly survive. After seeing this program I have decided to make this endurance challenge 1 of my many goals in life. Anyone else planning on doing this?

I’m afraid that something like that is a bit beyond me, since I’d have to develop some specific skills (climbing, kayaking, etc) that I don’t have. And at 50, it gets tougher and tougher to learn new tricks. p.s. I’m almost 17 and I’m also planning on doing the ironman triathlon, every north american marathon, then move on to international marathons if I have time, win the lottery and being really happy!

That’s one heck of a list! I hope you’ll take your time and enjoy all the small victories <and even defeats along the way.  Stay with the shorter stuff for a while and work your way up.  Keep your dreams in sight and work at reaching them. I know another triathlete about your age with the same enthusiasm. You might enjoy talking with him. He’s already won some age group races and can probably identify more with you than us geezers can. <g If you email him, tell him Mr.Tennent says he should go to his room. <He’ll understand – it’s a continuing inside joke on rec.sport.triathlon. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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Doug Freese wrote, if you have unlimited $$$ support to allow you the time to train and your body has the resolve to withstand endurance(you have no idea at this time) and keep the women out of the picture, then we wish you the best of luck. I hafta ask…why keep the women out of the picture?

I don’t think there would be enough time to keep the relationship together. The balance of time would  lean to  training and less to the softer moments. Oh no honey, we can’t have sex/dinner/go to a movie/etc I have to…… I prefer less training and more, er, softer moments.  I can skip the bike ride for ……. — Caveat Lector!

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I try to watch this every year since it’s been on tv (Discovery channel airs quite a bit of it, I believe) I must say that goal-wise, this is the most appealing thing I’ve ever seen (for myself). I don’t know where one would start to train for something like this, the cost, etc., but I would like to find out.

try Http://www.adventureracing.org/index.shtml      it is a great site on adventure racing/training/calendar.                                         Iron Man is a no-go due to all that ocean swimming (sorry, I’m a definite victim of the movie Jaws).

there are several ironman distances in the USA that are lake swims now.   :0)                                         What’s the run in Death Valley called, btw?

Badwater Challenge,I think…?                               I was surprised that the Navy Seals group placed 17th, and failed to complete at all on the last challenge (calling for help on the ocean part of it, of all places).  I mean, they’re NAVY SEALS, for chrissake!!

People who don’t do a lot of kayaking/and or canoeing don’t place very high at that level of adventure racing.good luck in training.                   Randy+Sue IMF 99′

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Doug Freese wrote, if you have unlimited $$$ support to allow you the time to train and your body has the resolve to withstand endurance(you have no idea at this time) and keep the women out of the picture, then we wish you the best of luck.  

I hafta ask…why keep the women out of the picture?

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Doug Freese wrote, if you have unlimited $$$ support to allow you the time to train and your body has the resolve to withstand endurance(you have no idea at this time) and keep the women out of the picture, then we wish you the best of luck.   I hafta ask…why keep the women out of the picture?

Well; If you kept ‘em out of the picture for long enough, you’d go a few hundred miles over ungodly terrain to get one too…         -Tim

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I just saw Dateline on NBC tonight and i was amazed and astounded. Their feature story was about this year’s Eco-Challenge. It took place in Morocco, Africa. Its about 350 miles long and you have to trudge through the sea, land, mountains, deserts and any other enviroments you can think of. You have to kayak, hike, bike, and most importantly survive. After seeing this program I have decided to make this endurance challenge 1 of my many goals in life. Anyone else planning on doing this?

This is an admirable goal but to train for a multi day trek like the Eco_Challenge takes a great deal of time and sacrifice. Either get wealthy quick or convince  some loved ones to support you while you train. You will get a taste for endurance training  while preparing for an IM.  If you are working a job and possibly married with kids, there are not enough hours in the day  to train and be a spouse/parent/worker/.   OTOH, if you have unlimited $$$ support to allow you the time to train and your body has the resolve to withstand endurance(you have no idea at this time) and keep the women out of the picture, then we wish you the best of luck.   Mike T. can give some idea of the time it takes to prep for the "simple" Ironman. In my prep for a "simple" 100 I do long treks from 4-11 hours. — Caveat Lector!

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I just saw Dateline on NBC tonight and i was amazed and astounded. Their feature story was about this year’s Eco-Challenge. It took place in Morocco, Africa. Its about 350 miles long and you have to trudge through the sea, land, mountains, deserts and any other enviroments you can think of. You have to kayak, hike, bike, and most importantly survive. After seeing this program I have decided to make this endurance challenge 1 of my many goals in life. Anyone else planning on doing this? p.s. I’m almost 17 and I’m also planning on doing the ironman triathlon, every north american marathon, then move on to international marathons if I have time, win the lottery and being really happy! -H.Ong- NHS Track 200 :26,400 :58, 4×400, 800 2:19.3, 1600 5:45, 3200 XCountry-19:35 P-baller MiniMag#11115 MOG#441 "If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts." -Einstein "Being nice is always nice."

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Question:

I am doing Wilkes-Barre Triathlon (half iron) in August for the first time. Having never done the course before I have 2 questions. Is using a disc o.k. for the bike course and  is the water temp usually cool enough for wetsuits to be allowed. thanks, Tom

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The bike goes through the farm lands and woodlands so there is not much of a problem with cross winds. The disk should be ok. Well, I am speaking of the short course. I don’t know where the half goes so maybe bring both sets of wheels and ride it the day before to decide. The water temp is usually cold enough for wetsuits. Have fun. Cathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I am doing Wilkes-Barre Triathlon (half iron) in August for the first time. Having never done the course before I have 2 questions. Is using a disc o.k. for the bike course and  is the water temp usually cool enough for wetsuits to be allowed. thanks, Tom

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Question:

This excellent! But it’s moot if you don’t let the world know the law of the land. MAKE (sanctioned) race directors put a flyer with this in all race bags. No excuses! John Schiller Royal Palm Bch, Fl

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Charlie: Thank you for posting THE RULES. They seem straight forward and reasonable. As a 15 year veteran of well over 100 triathlons they seem to be fair and square to me. However, I am still a little bit confused about how you apply these rules in the early stages of the bike leg at Ironman Hawaii or Ironman Canada. How do the 300 – 400 athletes who exit the water within a minute or two of the one hour mark of the swim get themselves in a neat little line, all on the right side of the road with three bike lengths in between each of them, at virtually the same time? I have been in this situation a number of times myself at IMH and IMC and there is simply not enough room on the road to do this. Any suggestions. Steve

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Just a thought on conveying clearly to everyone the size of the draft zone: At the pre-race brief for last year’s Ironhorse Tri in Springfield, Illinois, the draft area was layed out with white paper taped to the floor of the gym (length and width). It really made a strong impression of the size of "the box" and clearly shows the large area of "three bike lengths" to old and new triathletes alike. Kudo’s to the Ironhorse crew, they run a great race too! Chris Mueller

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I have written what I hope is a simple and easy to understand summary of the position violations and how to avoid them.  This document will probably be available at many of the events that you race this coming season, as the original purpose of it was to go in race packets at events where there were no pre-race meetings.  Many of my colleages and other race directors urged me to make it available for everyone, so I distributed it at USAT Race Directors Conference and it was adopted for Officials to read at pre-race meetings.  By making it available to you, I hope that many of you will use it to avoid penalties at races where you compete this year.  So, here it is: A Message from the Head Referee Most triathletes come to races with only a rudimentary understanding of the rules of the sport.  Indeed, few have ever read through the Competitive Rules in its entirety.  In order to minimize misunderstandings on race day, I hope you will take the time to read the following summary of Position Violations which you probably know as the drafting rules. I have reduced the Position Rules to the following concepts which everyone can remember:         Ride on the right side of your lane.         Keep three bike lengths between yourself and the cyclist in front of you. Pass on the left of the cyclist in front, never on the right.         Complete your pass within 15 seconds.         If you are passed, you must drop completely out of the zone, to the rear, before attempting to re-pass. Remember you are racing in a USA Triathlon sanctioned event and there are trained referees on the course to ensure fairness in the competition.   There will be NO WARNINGS if you commit a foul during competition.   Triathlon is an individual event and you must take personal responsibility to understand the rules and avoid penalties.  At the end of the race all citations by the marshals are reviewed by the Head Referee who then decides if a penalty should be assessed.  The Head Referees ruling is final in the case of Position Violations and there are no protests or appeals of Position penalties.  The following violations are commonly cited by marshals:         Blocking – riding on the left side of the lane without passing.         Illegal Pass – passing on the right, or failing to drop back three bike lengths before re-passing.         Drafting – following a leading cyclist closer than three bike lengths and failing to pass or exit the draft zone within 15 seconds. Though Position Violations carry a time penalty for each occurrence, if you are cited for three violations, you will be disqualified. Always have your chin strap securely fastened!  The chin strap rule is the easiest to follow, but some folks always seem to forget – thats a DQ! Remember to treat other athletes, volunteers, and officials with courtesy and consideration.  Failure to do so is called Unsportsmanlike Conduct and you will be disqualified. All that being said, I hope you have a great race, lots of fun, and achieve all your goals. Hope it helps!  Good luck with your season. Charlie Crawford USAT Commissioner of Officials

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Question:

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see    the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]] – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am desparate for some help.  I have had patellar tendonitis now for 2.5 – 3 months..  I am an avid triathlete.  I just had major surgury on my right knee.  Now I am having the tendonitis on my left knee.  I assume that is from over compensation. I have done the rest, ice, massage, etc..  My medical doctor sent me for ultrasound and that made it worse from the wand going over the bone.  He then gave me a coritzone shot near the tendon.  At first it seemed to work. I went for a 10 mile bike ride and then ran about 1 mile the next day.  Now I have the pain again. Can anyone help or point me in the direction that someone could help me. My summer is pretty much lost and I don’t really see any light at the end of the tunnel.

A post from Sept/2003: I have been battling with this for several months now and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a remedy?. Im not sure about other people who have this affliction but I find that it not only affects the quad tendon but causes crepitus, cracking on leg extension and sometimes pain radiating down the shin – can anyone concur?. Would aggressive icing every hour be an idea?. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. cheers, Alex

check out:  http://www.mindfulness.com/of5.asp Compiled from two responses of mine to someone asking about  what  you asked about regarding the knee. Oz My folklore holds that if the fascia around a portion of one’s muscle is contracted, the muscle under that constricted sausage skin around the muscle can’t go through its range of motion.  So that when you stretch you can stretch and overstretch the good muscle fibers not under the contracted fascia.  If you overstretch that area, then the overstretched good muscle fibers join the muscle that is under the constricted fascia. Fascia letting go is similar to the feeling of when someone Indian burned your wrist by twisting it with their hands in opposite directions, like wringing out a washcloth. I use as my roller, a piece of inch PVC that’s about 16 inches long.  I can lay on it and gradually let the muscles of the quad sink into it. Take three fingers and push hard on  the shin bone and let those fingers slide down the shin bone hard enough that you can feel the friction.  You can actually work off some of the fascia that’s holding unnecessarily. To experience the tightness of fascia,  stand and rest the back of one of your hands on a table or desk.   Leave the hand open.  Push down hard on the back of the hand so that when you push your hand forward, it doesn’t slip because the skin is stuck between your  table/desk and you pushing down on the back of the hand.  With that pressure now, close your fingers slowly.    You now get a sense of how fascia can hold.  I have older people do this to their hands to loosen the fascia of the hand so the hand moves much more flexibly and easily. Regarding the rolling on the PVC, edge of a bench or just the hard floor, the idea is to get the muscle to let go and the fascia to release. Worked my my quads and IT Band last night as my back had that feeling that it was close to going into spasm.  Our bed has a wooden bench at the foot of the bed, so I can lay on the bed with my quads on the edge of the bench and feet on the ground.  I can go from side to side or slide down the entire way on one quad and then the other. Since I know the pain, I know the intensity that it will take to let that knotted area go. If you play with the rolling on the PVC,, or just use a hardback book under the quad as you roll the quad on the floor,   as it first picture, the weight is on one quad, and the weight can be increased depending on the weight being carried on the two forearms and the front of the foot of the leg on top. To help,  if you push the toe of the leg/quad on the book./PVC/hardfloor  into the floor for 3 or 4 seconds, you’ll feel the quad contract.  Hold it and then let it relax, often you can get it to relax even more.  I’ll do that 4 or 5 times. Also at times I’ll jiggle the foot, more like a slight tremor than jiggle, of the quad on the ground to help get the muscle to let go. Rolling on a weight bar, with or without weights would work just as well.  I also realize that in a gym, there are somethings like rolling on a bar with one’s butt up in the air that might be seen as suggestive,  e.g. the second picture.  One good place to roll the quads are on the edge of the concrete bench that is part of the concrete picnic tables found in many parks.  Forearms resting on the table, quads on the bench just above the knees so I can slide the quad/quads down the edge to loosen the quad. When rolling in the gutter, I’ve had people stop numerous times to see if I was alright.  That’s when I realized that you often don’t see a runner down and lying on the edge of a gutter and from the observer’s point of view, writhing in pain. One can buy the various size hard foam cylinders.  I am just too cheap or may be more creative to use whatever is around. In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975 Mindful Running:   http://www.mindfulness.com/mr.asp http://www.faqs.org/faqs/running-faq/

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I am desparate for some help.  I have had patellar tendonitis now for 2.5 – 3 months..  I am an avid triathlete.  I just had major surgury on my right knee.  Now I am having the tendonitis on my left knee.  I assume that is from over compensation.

Hi, I’m just getting over patellar tendonitis that my orthopedist determined came from a muscle imbalance in my upper leg. I went for physical therapy where the therapists worked on increasing my muscle strength in the upper leg and loosening my very tight muscles in the same area. I never stretched in the past but I do (or make an effort to) every day. I hate it but I hate not running too. I don’t understand how a muscle imbalance could exist but it did in me. If you aren’t stretching or cross training then it might be a good idea to give it a try. I’m starting my way back to regular running. Good luck, Andy

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I’m just getting over patellar tendonitis that my orthopedist determined came from a muscle imbalance in my upper leg. I went for physical therapy where the therapists worked on increasing my muscle strength in the upper leg and loosening my very tight muscles in the same area. I never stretched in the past but I do (or make an effort to) every day. I hate it but I hate not running too. I don’t understand how a muscle imbalance could exist but it did in me. If you aren’t stretching or cross training then it might be a good idea to give it a try. I’m starting my way back to regular running. Good luck, Andy

See a qualified chiropractor, he maybe able to help.

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I am desparate for some help.  I have had patellar tendonitis now for 2.5 – 3 months..  I am an avid triathlete.  I just had major surgury on my right knee.  Now I am having the tendonitis on my left knee.  I assume that is from over compensation. I have done the rest, ice, massage, etc..  My medical doctor sent me for ultrasound and that made it worse from the wand going over the bone.  He then gave me a coritzone shot near the tendon.  At first it seemed to work. I went for a 10 mile bike ride and then ran about 1 mile the next day.  Now I have the pain again. Can anyone help or point me in the direction that someone could help me. My summer is pretty much lost and I don’t really see any light at the end of the tunnel.

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<< wand going over the bone huh? _______ Blog, or dog? Who knows. But if you see my lost pup, bring him back! http://journals.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo                   \  - –  //

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The ultrasound wand.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – << wand going over the bone huh? _______ Blog, or dog? Who knows. But if you see my lost pup, bring him back! http://journals.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo                   \  - –  //

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello,         I recently developed tendonitis on the outside of my right knee. I had been running around 50 miles per week in the summer and through college cross country, and was tapering down to 35 for the winter months. No large increases in mileage, no trauma, but some pretty crowned roads (in Maine).  Since I got it, I have been running when I can (about 2 times a week, icing and taking anti-inflamms.  I just wanted to know if anyone has any hints/suggestions on how to overcome (heal from?) tendonitis. Specifically, would I be better served by stopping running completely? Could this ever go away?  Email replies, or to this group are fine. Thanks, Tyler Lupien My experience with tendonitis leads me to recommend that you religiously

follow the RICE system.  Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.  Also you should be able to tape the area to minimize movement.  Look for at least a two week down time if you are dedicated.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello,         I recently developed tendonitis on the outside of my right knee. I had been running around 50 miles per week in the summer and through college cross country, and was tapering down to 35 for the winter months. No large increases in mileage, no trauma, but some pretty crowned roads (in Maine).  Since I got it, I have been running when I can (about 2 times a week, icing and taking anti-inflamms.  I just wanted to know if anyone has any hints/suggestions on how to overcome (heal from?) tendonitis. Specifically, would I be better served by stopping running completely? Could this ever go away?  Email replies, or to this group are fine. Thanks, Tyler Lupien

Tyler,         Sounds more like Iliotibial Band Syndrome which can be caused by running on crowned surfaces. You can get some advice on how to deal with it under injuries on www.runnersworld.com. Hope this helps         Rob

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Hello,         I recently developed tendonitis on the outside of my right knee. I had been running around 50 miles per week in the summer and through college cross country, and was tapering down to 35 for the winter months. No large increases in mileage, no trauma, but some pretty crowned roads (in Maine).  Since I got it, I have been running when I can (about 2 times a week, icing and taking anti-inflamms.  I just wanted to know if anyone has any hints/suggestions on how to overcome (heal from?) tendonitis. Specifically, would I be better served by stopping running completely? Could this ever go away?  Email replies, or to this group are fine. Thanks, Tyler Lupien

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Question:

Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: Royal Military College of Canada Power = force * velocity. High cadence is high velocity, meaning low push. I must go at high cadence or I will burn out my legs and stress my joints (my subjective experience). Jeff PS cadence = 90-105 as my effort fluctuates. :      By definition, the most efficient cadence is one that results in the low est : energy expenditure (i.e., oxygen consumption) at a given power output. In gen eral, : this is quite low, around 50-60 rpm, even if one studies experienced cyclists . : Although the most efficient cadence tends to increase somewhat with increasin g power : output, even at high power outputs the most efficient cadence is less than 70  rpm. :      It is important, however, to make the distinction between what is most : efficient, and what is *optimal* in terms of performance. Experienced cyclist s : usually pedal at 80-100 rpm, or even faster (e.g., when sprinting). Laborator y : research suggests that this is an attempt to minimize the overall stress func tion, : or the integrated effort required by all of the muscles to produce a given po wer : output, even though it is less efficient. Performance studies on ergometers a lso : support the empirical observation that the optimal cadence (defined by the ti me : required to complete a given amount of work) is higher than the most efficien t : cadence. Thus, the suggestions you’ve been given regarding maintaining a rela tively : high cadence are good ones. You’re right, however, in thinking that the optim al : cadence probably varies from person to person. There has been some suggestion  that : this may depend on the individual’s muscle fiber type (relative proportion of  fast : and slow contracting fibers), but the data supporting this idea is pretty wea k. :      Since you have a cadence monitor, try concentrating on keeping your rpm’ s above : 80 for now, possibly a little slower on hills. You might also experiment to t ry to : determine your own optimal cadence. For example, you could try short time tri als at : faster or slower rpm’s, and see which results in the best time (and least res idual : leg fatigue for the run!). Altenatively, while cycling at a constant speed, v ary : your cadence by shifting up or down, and see what happens to your perceived e ffort : (your heart rate might go up with an increase in cadence, but this isn’t nece ssarily : a bad thing if it still gets you to the finish faster!). :      I hope this helps! : Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. : Exercise physiologist and big gear grinder :  

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     By definition, the most efficient cadence is one that results in the lowest energy expenditure (i.e., oxygen consumption) at a given power output. In general, this is quite low, around 50-60 rpm, even if one studies experienced cyclists. Although the most efficient cadence tends to increase somewhat with increasing power output, even at high power outputs the most efficient cadence is less than 70 rpm.      It is important, however, to make the distinction between what is most efficient, and what is *optimal* in terms of performance. Experienced cyclists usually pedal at 80-100 rpm, or even faster (e.g., when sprinting). Laboratory research suggests that this is an attempt to minimize the overall stress function, or the integrated effort required by all of the muscles to produce a given power output, even though it is less efficient. Performance studies on ergometers also support the empirical observation that the optimal cadence (defined by the time required to complete a given amount of work) is higher than the most efficient cadence. Thus, the suggestions you’ve been given regarding maintaining a relatively high cadence are good ones. You’re right, however, in thinking that the optimal cadence probably varies from person to person. There has been some suggestion that this may depend on the individual’s muscle fiber type (relative proportion of fast and slow contracting fibers), but the data supporting this idea is pretty weak.      Since you have a cadence monitor, try concentrating on keeping your rpm’s above 80 for now, possibly a little slower on hills. You might also experiment to try to determine your own optimal cadence. For example, you could try short time trials at faster or slower rpm’s, and see which results in the best time (and least residual leg fatigue for the run!). Altenatively, while cycling at a constant speed, vary your cadence by shifting up or down, and see what happens to your perceived effort (your heart rate might go up with an increase in cadence, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it still gets you to the finish faster!).      I hope this helps! Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. Exercise physiologist and big gear grinder

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Oh boy, been training for a month and half in the hilly terrain where I live and just started learning about cadence… would have saved myself a lot of burning muscle if I understood earlier!! My question is this- IS there a *most efficient* cadence?  Some tri books I’ve read say 80-85.  Bicycling Mags say up to 100.  My bike shop guy says 95.  Is it as personal and varied as heart rate figures??? I finally put a cyclometer on my bike (with a cadence sensor since I’m so new at this)- I’m ready to put it to good use…any advice??? 4 weeks and counting….. Roxanne Scott

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Dr. Coggan’s advice is very sound.  My only addition is to be careful not to live and die by your cadence meter.  It’s a useful training tool, but there are other ways to check if your cadence is right for you.  If you find you’re bobbing your head and upper body alot or your hips are rocking these are a good indication that your cadence is too low.  On the other hand, if your butt is bouncing on the saddle your cadence may be too high.  Granted, all these can also be caused by inefficient pedaling(just mashing the downstroke as opposed to even effort throughout the stroke), but they are things to watch for in any case.  I think that if you concentrate on the more important aspect of efficient pedaling then you will also find the optimum cadence. —    Stacy J. Hills    Code 8222, Bldg 116                  Phone: (401) 841-4504    Naval Undersea Warfare Center        FAX:   (401) 841-2223    Newport, RI 02841                    DSN:   948-4504

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Power = force * velocity. High cadence is high velocity, meaning low push. I must go at high cadence or I will burn out my legs and stress my joints (my subjective experience). Jeff PS cadence = 90-105 as my effort fluctuates. :      By definition, the most efficient cadence is one that results in the lowest : energy expenditure (i.e., oxygen consumption) at a given power output. In general, : this is quite low, around 50-60 rpm, even if one studies experienced cyclists. : Although the most efficient cadence tends to increase somewhat with increasing power : output, even at high power outputs the most efficient cadence is less than 70 rpm. :      It is important, however, to make the distinction between what is most : efficient, and what is *optimal* in terms of performance. Experienced cyclists : usually pedal at 80-100 rpm, or even faster (e.g., when sprinting). Laboratory : research suggests that this is an attempt to minimize the overall stress function, : or the integrated effort required by all of the muscles to produce a given power : output, even though it is less efficient. Performance studies on ergometers also : support the empirical observation that the optimal cadence (defined by the time : required to complete a given amount of work) is higher than the most efficient : cadence. Thus, the suggestions you’ve been given regarding maintaining a relatively : high cadence are good ones. You’re right, however, in thinking that the optimal : cadence probably varies from person to person. There has been some suggestion that : this may depend on the individual’s muscle fiber type (relative proportion of fast : and slow contracting fibers), but the data supporting this idea is pretty weak. :      Since you have a cadence monitor, try concentrating on keeping your rpm’s above : 80 for now, possibly a little slower on hills. You might also experiment to try to : determine your own optimal cadence. For example, you could try short time trials at : faster or slower rpm’s, and see which results in the best time (and least residual : leg fatigue for the run!). Altenatively, while cycling at a constant speed, vary : your cadence by shifting up or down, and see what happens to your perceived effort : (your heart rate might go up with an increase in cadence, but this isn’t necessarily : a bad thing if it still gets you to the finish faster!). :      I hope this helps! : Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. : Exercise physiologist and big gear grinder :  

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) As a relative newbie and inveterate reader, this is what I’ve understood so far… 80-85 is the most "efficient" cadence for flats, based on those using computrainers or other devices that measure watts/cadence/heart rate. Although it’s variable, it’s not variable by 20 rpms either way. Higher cadences (90 to 100+) are used by true bicyclists who don’t need their legs for a run after the ride.

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I have been experimenting with higher cadence, jumping from 80 to 95 in my training over the last month. My cycling has improved sharply, especially on rolling hills. When entering hills, I pull away quickly from riding partners who are hammering at lower cadence/tougher gears. So far, my brick workouts have not shown any negative effect on the run from the higher cadence on the bike. I will race with this riding style for the first time at FIBAR in September, and will really find out then how it works. Brian Sullivan

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As a relative newbie and inveterate reader, this is what I’ve understood so far… 80-85 is the most "efficient" cadence for flats, based on those using computrainers or other devices that measure watts/cadence/heart rate. Although it’s variable, it’s not variable by 20 rpms either way. Higher cadences (90 to 100+) are used by true bicyclists who don’t need their legs for a run after the ride.

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: Univ. Mich. Space Physics Research Lab Roxanne,    I read an excelent article in "Super Fit cyclist" August or July issue ( I t hink put out by bicycling Magazine about cadance). I actually bought it in a grocery  store in Boulder, CO but you might be able to find it. It was an article by some famo us cycling coach from Michigan. Basically the gist of the article is to actually deterimine your optimum cadence by several test rides using a heart rate moniti or and cadance monitor finding the best cadance based on the right gear and lowest hea rt rate. It is somewhat detailed and involves a couple time trials going in fixed gears. You probably couldn’t get the test done before your race but it would probably be a good thing to know for future races.    Being somewhat new to tri’s myself I really wish I would have preformed the test before my last race. I petaled at a high cadance 100 at the begining becuase my  legs burned at a low cadance (85-90), I probably kept this up for too long and the f ist half of my ride went slow and began to wear me down. At the turn around I went down to 90 rpms for some reason and my legs felt great and I cooked on the second half of the bike and made good time passing quite a few people going smoothly. I don’t thin k wind was a factor based on my speed relative to other people and the coarse. I avera ge 22 mph for 56 which I was very pleased with considering that I don’t have a 5000$ Zipp yet and 2-3 years under my belt.  Here is the problem, I got off the bike and m y legs felt like concrete and I had to walk almost all of the first 1.5 miles. I think  that it might be a problem specific to localized endurance of my calfs and ankles, s ince I come from a swimming background and have an aerobic system better than my littl e bird legs can handle plus they have to carry a bigger upper body. Maybe I just pushe d myself to hard not thinking ahead. My legs finally recoved and I was running continouly after mile 3 but it was 95 degress so more walking was inevitable. Anyway I am looking forward to preforming the test and doing some weight traini ng for my legs. Good luck in your tri’s. – Doug

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Question:

I use a Zipp 440 on the front and the only concerns I’ve had about it are braking and stability in cross-winds.

I have 440s on front and rear.   Love the wheels!  I can certainly feel the cross winds on the front, but all that is needed is to be a bit less relaxed with the aero bars. Breaking is noisy, and I have found that I have a tendancy to lock the back wheel easily (Shimano Ultegra brake pads).  They also really wear down the pads.  Haven’t been caught in the rain with them yet, so I can’t comment on how they perform under wet conditions. Another thing I really like is that they are quiet.  No more wind noise than my regular wheels. Plus they attract a lot of attention while sitting at the coffee shop . kbb Kim B. Blair, Ph.D.                     Senior Staff Scientist 1033 Massachusetts Ave                  (617) 354-3124 Cambridge, MA  02138                    (617) 491-4522 (fax)

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For time trials? Specialized tri-spokes and/or rear disk will be very hard to beat. I road race and ride crits on normal spokes wheels (when very hilly) or Campy Shamals when flatter. I love my Shamals – very, very strong. Easy to keep trued up (with Snap-on deep well 5.5 mm socket) and fairly light (install SRP Ti axles and cogset for killer set). For TT’s though the tri-spokes are hard to beat. Rockford, IL

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Also looking for aero wheelset.  Am leaning toward one of the Campy deep-dish models, probably Vento.  As best I can determine, Shamal technology trickles down the product line, with the lower prices of Vento being primarily related to the relative quality of the hubs used.  Vento uses 28 (?) spokes on the front, with Athena hubs.  There’s a slightly less costly model that uses Veloce hubs. Check out Triathlete Magazine of about 2 months ago for a thorough wind tunnel run down.  You’re on the right track though, as deep-dish technology seems fastest.

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I am currently thinking of buying an aero front wheel.  I already have a Zipp 440 on the back and am satisfied with it, however, there are some lighter or cheaper aero wheels available.   Do any r.s.t.`ers have experience of any of the following; Zipp 440 front Campag Shamal (this seems relatively cheap and light but how good is the quality?) Hed Campag Vento Campag Bora FIR deep rim if so, I would be keen to hear your experiences of them.  I want a deep rim, not a tri spoke. Lorna.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am currently thinking of buying an aero front wheel.  I already have a Zipp 440 on the back and am satisfied with it, however, there are some lighter or cheaper aero wheels available.   Do any r.s.t.`ers have experience of any of the following; Zipp 440 front Campag Shamal (this seems relatively cheap and light but how good is the quality?) Hed Campag Vento Campag Bora FIR deep rim if so, I would be keen to hear your experiences of them.  I want a deep rim, not a tri spoke. Lorna.

Lorna– I’m in the same position right now, looking to start upgrading my wheels and wondering what to buy.  I’ve asked around a bit, and I’m really leaning toward the Shamals.  A number of knowledgable folks have told me that it’s by far the "best bang for your buck".  And you can never go wrong quality-wise with Campy, that’s for sure.  A good friend who’s a bike shop manager has offered to lend me his Shamals for my next race (Vineman International, June 11), so I can give more of an opinion after that.  I’d be very interested to hear what other netters have to say.  I was wondering about the Mavic Cosmics, but they’re both heavier and more expensive than the Shamals. Just a semi-informed $.02….. Tricia — "’Be a terrific innovation if you could get your mind to stretch a little further than the next wise crack." "Y’know, I tried that once, but it didn’t snap back into place." —Katharine Hepburn & Eve Arden in "Stage Door" (1937)    

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I am currently thinking of buying an aero front wheel.  I already have

a Zipp 440 on the back and am satisfied with it, however, there are some lighter or cheaper aero wheels available.   Do any r.s.t.`ers have experience of any of the following; Zipp 440 front Campag Shamal (this seems relatively cheap and light but how good is the quality?) Hed Campag Vento Campag Bora FIR deep rim if so, I would be keen to hear your experiences of them.  I want a deep rim, not a tri spoke. Lorna.<<< I just bought a set of Zipps (440 front, disk rear), and am quite pleased with them.  When shopping around, I found all of the aero data on various wheel designs to be pretty confusing, and often somewhat suspicious.  In the end I decided to go with the Zipps because they were recommended as being the most durable and reliable of the various fast wheels available. If you’re going to sink some money in your wheels, then you really want something that is well made and will not crack, break, or go out of true. People I talked to all said that the Zipps fit this description.  Also, don’t forget to get high quality hubs.   Steve Irish

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I use a Zipp 440 on the front and the only concerns I’ve had about it are braking and stability in cross-winds. As for the braking, it brakes Ok, but it is rather noisy. Also, high speed braking — down a steep hill — is very noisy and I wonder just how good it would be in an emergency situation. Have no experience with braking in the rain. In strong crosswinds you do need to take some extra care. Steering is noticeably "squirrely."

| I am currently thinking of buying an aero front wheel.  I already have | a Zipp 440 on the back and am satisfied with it, however, there are | some lighter or cheaper aero wheels available.   | Do any r.s.t.`ers have experience of any of the following; | Zipp 440 front | Campag Shamal (this seems relatively cheap and light but how good is the | quality?) | Hed | Campag Vento | Campag Bora | FIR deep rim | if so, I would be keen to hear your experiences of them.  I want a deep rim, | not a tri spoke. | | Lorna.

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