Question:

Anyone else using freeweights and more powerlifing-specific lifts (benchpress, deadlift, powercleans, jerks, squats) )moreso than machines? I added them in earlier this season and it seems to be helping more than the machines were.  Of course im more familiar with those lifts and ahve done them throughout most of my adult life.  Im just curious since many of the weightlifitng posts involve machines not freeweights. Ive been cycling heavy/light days and taper weeks the same as i  do my tri training and it seems to be working very well.  And my legs have actually responded well to the squats and stiff-legged deadlifts more than they did to machines.  But i dont go wild with pushing heavy weights either.

Response:

I do majority of my leg workouts with weights (squats and lunges etc).  Find I respond well.  I do mostly free weights for upper body as well.  Everyone is different though.  I just prefer the "feel" of free weights. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone else using freeweights and more powerlifing-specific lifts (benchpress, deadlift, powercleans, jerks, squats) )moreso than machines? I added them in earlier this season and it seems to be helping more than the machines were.  Of course im more familiar with those lifts and ahve done them throughout most of my adult life.  Im just curious since many of the weightlifitng posts involve machines not freeweights. Ive been cycling heavy/light days and taper weeks the same as i  do my tri training and it seems to be working very well.  And my legs have actually responded well to the squats and stiff-legged deadlifts more than they did to machines.  But i dont go wild with pushing heavy weights either.

Response:

I agree, nothing is the better then the feel of real weights. Besides if your doing machines your not working your joints, with weights you have to balance them, which strenghts your joints.

Response:

i use free weights almost exclusively.  and contrary to most of the advice i see posted on tri cites, i lift for mass gain and body-building. and the effects are not only felt, but seen as well.  triathletes need to remember that gaining significant bulk simply won’t happen with all the cardio work.  so power lifting and body building will not weigh the body down.  however, muscle will taper, tighten and harden.  and the strength gains are well worth the effort. so back to your question, though i’m by no means a free-weight snob, it is what i use.  i have a para-body smith machine that i wouldn’t trade for anything. throw some iron.

Response:

Question:

Swigue, 1. I think you could afford to eliminate 2-3 of your lunchtime walks without adverse effects.  Instead, try to slowly lengthen the time you walk in the morning on Tuesdays and Fridays, for example.  3 workouts a day, regardless of their intensity, is tough on anyone and even many advanced athletes don’t do triples.  You would benefit more, cardiovascullarly and fat-burning wise, by walking longer once than walking shorter twice. for example, with a 4 week plan, all things staying the same –  your tuesday walk could go to a hour in week 1.  your monday run could go to 3 miles in week 2.  your tuesday walk goes 1hr 15 in week 3.  week 4 you back off and actually cut your longest distance in half. as for swimming and weights – you’ll get a variety of answers for this, but this is primarilly an aerobically oriented newsgroup, so here goes – when you lift weights, there’s a fine line between lifting too little and lifting too much, in relation to your other workouts. If you kill yourself lifting upper body on Monday, you’re going to be sore when you swim on Tuesday.  Same for lower body and walking or running.  I would say, for long term planning, lift within reason. That is, enough to put some effort into it, but not so much that your neck muscles are popping through your head, Conan-style. Example training – if your max bench (1 time no help) is 200: 1 x warm up set 12 x 60-65% (120-130) 8-10 x 65-70% (130-140) 4-6 x 70-85% (140-170) every month or so pick a day and recheck your max.  This kind of training gets you fit.  Maxing out every day, for what you want to do, does not. For cycling, worry about it when you know where you’re going.  You could do a sprint this summer no problem. Good luck. Marty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I originally posted this in misc.fitness.misc, but I thought people here might have more experience….. Well after failing in my fitness attempt last fall due to grad school tests and applications (though jumping through hoops is exercise I guess), I have decided to give it another go. I’d appreciate some feedback, especially from people who do or have done a similar program to this. My fitness level: I am 209, 5′11" 23% BF according to the online calculators. 26 yrs old. My goals: Get my weight down a bit maybe 180ish eventually, get in better cardio shape, hopefully do a sprint triathlon in 10-18 mos. My current plan (3.5 weeks into it) Monday  AM run 15 minutes intervals 2 miles PM lift: bench, dips, tri pulldowns Tues    AM walk briskly 45 minutes  PM Swim: currently 5×200 freestyle Wed     AM run as above PM lift: pullups, deadlifts, barbellcurls,        shoulders Thursday AM walk                    PM Swim Friday   AM walk                    PM Squats, Calf raises Sat.     AM swim I also go for a good paced brisk walk every weekday on my lunch break usually about 45 minutes to 1 hour. And I walk 20 minutes to and from work (moderate pace though) Questions: 1) Am I doing too much? for a relative beginner 2) How do others work in swimming, running and lifting? I love swimming and don’t want to give it up. I feel likea  trooper when I get out of the pool. I like lifting too. Running is running…though intervals make it more interesting for me. 3) What would be a reasonable caloric intake for this program? (I realize it is rough as you don’t know my intensity 4) Any other suggestions/comments? Keep in mind that my goals are to get stronger, in better cardio shape, and resultantly to lose weight. The sprint tri would be an added bonus, but I don’t want to drop any exercises (lifting) to train for it. I want a program that allows me to lift fairly heavily(pullups, squats, deadlifts) run and swim. I’m going to deal with the biking in a couple more months. Has anyone done something similar to this?   Thanks! Swigue

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My qualifications for answering are: I started from sitting on the couch about 3 years ago, 6′4, 265 lbs, 40 yrs old, 80 bpm resting heart rate. Now 43 with 55 bpm resting heartrate, 240 lbs and looking to shed 15 more this winter. Now doing Olympic length Tri’s & 1/2 marathons. General comments: 1. Target doing a Tri sooner, especially if you start with a sprint. Your 26 for God’s sake, run like the wind child. 2. Learn about heart rate monitoring. 3. Running should cycle between intervals, long aerobic runs, mid length anerobic runs with short recovery runs in-between if possible. 4. Constantly increase duration/intensity (within HR targets) until you hit a wall then back off for a week or two, then build up again, about 6-8 week cycles. 5. Three things for improved biking, ride, ride, ride. You are NOT doing too much, (IMHO) but your body will tell you if you are. If you can’t get to sleep, are over fatigued during the day, etc. Those are signs of over training. Go for it. BW

Thanks Bill. I would love to do a tri sooner, I have to find out where (keep your fingers crossed)I am going to grad school first. I’ll look into it as soon as I know which state I’ll be in. Heart rate monitoring….as in what my max heart rate is? Target zones? I’ll figure this out. My running program was a recent addition. (last week) I was just doing good paced walks before that. I am planning on bumping them up once I get some stamina back, that’ll probably be a few weeks though. I’ll try the cycles like you said. Right now my body is still in shock from all the exercise I think. I am hoping that that will go away with time. Biking: I live in Boston and it is freeze my ass off cold here now. Running/walking outside is hard enough, I don’t really see myself cycling outdoors til it gets a bit warmer. I go to the Y and their stationary cycles are pretty crumby not to mention that I can’t stand being on the thing inside for an hour. No I think I’ll wait til it warms up a bit here. Thanks for your advice Bill , and congratulations on your progress. I hope I’m there in 3 years! Anyone else have any advice on my working the swimming running and lifting? I guess one of my questions is that they seem to interefere with each other. Ex. I swam today after lifting yesterday, my shoulders and chest were still sore from lifting, while I got in my required distance I was a bit sloppier than usual. Is this a function of the newness of my routine or a problem with my program?

Response:

Thanks Marty! Cutting the lunch walk and upping the mornings makes sense to me. I think that it’ll probably take me a few more weeks of tiredness and soreness before I figure out how much is too much with the lifting. I put in a full week this week with my first week of running and today I am dragging. I figure I will take 2 days off and hopefully feel better come Monday. Thanks for your help. -Swigue

Response:

The reason I suggest learning about HRM is it will give you insights to the amazing physiology of our bodies and how to best build endurance, etc. Way too much to discuss here. If you want to read up on it here are some of my favorite links that have some good info. No affiliation on my part, just stuff I found over the last few years. http://www.aibf.com.au/funstuff/healthfitness.htm#ATZ http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/gf_guide2.htm http://primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm http://www.stevenscreek.com/ (cool online calculators) BW – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My qualifications for answering are: I started from sitting on the couch about 3 years ago, 6′4, 265 lbs, 40 yrs old, 80 bpm resting heart rate. Now 43 with 55 bpm resting heartrate, 240 lbs and looking to shed 15 more this winter. Now doing Olympic length Tri’s & 1/2 marathons. General comments: 1. Target doing a Tri sooner, especially if you start with a sprint. Your 26 for God’s sake, run like the wind child. 2. Learn about heart rate monitoring. 3. Running should cycle between intervals, long aerobic runs, mid length anerobic runs with short recovery runs in-between if possible. 4. Constantly increase duration/intensity (within HR targets) until you hit a wall then back off for a week or two, then build up again, about 6-8 week cycles. 5. Three things for improved biking, ride, ride, ride. You are NOT doing too much, (IMHO) but your body will tell you if you are. If you can’t get to sleep, are over fatigued during the day, etc. Those are signs of over training. Go for it. BW Thanks Bill. I would love to do a tri sooner, I have to find out where (keep your fingers crossed)I am going to grad school first. I’ll look into it as soon as I know which state I’ll be in. Heart rate monitoring….as in what my max heart rate is? Target zones? I’ll figure this out. My running program was a recent addition. (last week) I was just doing good paced walks before that. I am planning on bumping them up once I get some stamina back, that’ll probably be a few weeks though. I’ll try the cycles like you said. Right now my body is still in shock from all the exercise I think. I am hoping that that will go away with time. Biking: I live in Boston and it is freeze my ass off cold here now. Running/walking outside is hard enough, I don’t really see myself cycling outdoors til it gets a bit warmer. I go to the Y and their stationary cycles are pretty crumby not to mention that I can’t stand being on the thing inside for an hour. No I think I’ll wait til it warms up a bit here. Thanks for your advice Bill , and congratulations on your progress. I hope I’m there in 3 years! Anyone else have any advice on my working the swimming running and lifting? I guess one of my questions is that they seem to interefere with each other. Ex. I swam today after lifting yesterday, my shoulders and chest were still sore from lifting, while I got in my required distance I was a bit sloppier than usual. Is this a function of the newness of my routine or a problem with my program?

Response:

I originally posted this in misc.fitness.misc, but I thought people here might have more experience….. Well after failing in my fitness attempt last fall due to grad school tests and applications (though jumping through hoops is exercise I guess), I have decided to give it another go. I’d appreciate some feedback, especially from people who do or have done a similar program to this. My fitness level: I am 209, 5′11" 23% BF according to the online calculators. 26 yrs old. My goals: Get my weight down a bit maybe 180ish eventually, get in better cardio shape, hopefully do a sprint triathlon in 10-18 mos. My current plan (3.5 weeks into it) Monday  AM run 15 minutes intervals 2 miles PM lift: bench, dips, tri pulldowns Tues    AM walk briskly 45 minutes  PM Swim: currently 5×200 freestyle Wed     AM run as above PM lift: pullups, deadlifts, barbellcurls,        shoulders Thursday AM walk                    PM Swim Friday   AM walk                    PM Squats, Calf raises Sat.     AM swim I also go for a good paced brisk walk every weekday on my lunch break usually about 45 minutes to 1 hour. And I walk 20 minutes to and from work (moderate pace though) Questions: 1) Am I doing too much? for a relative beginner 2) How do others work in swimming, running and lifting? I love swimming and don’t want to give it up. I feel likea  trooper when I get out of the pool. I like lifting too. Running is running…though intervals make it more interesting for me. 3) What would be a reasonable caloric intake for this program? (I realize it is rough as you don’t know my intensity 4) Any other suggestions/comments? Keep in mind that my goals are to get stronger, in better cardio shape, and resultantly to lose weight. The sprint tri would be an added bonus, but I don’t want to drop any exercises (lifting) to train for it. I want a program that allows me to lift fairly heavily(pullups, squats, deadlifts) run and swim. I’m going to deal with the biking in a couple more months. Has anyone done something similar to this?   Thanks! Swigue

Response:

My qualifications for answering are: I started from sitting on the couch about 3 years ago, 6′4, 265 lbs, 40 yrs old, 80 bpm resting heart rate. Now 43 with 55 bpm resting heartrate, 240 lbs and looking to shed 15 more this winter. Now doing Olympic length Tri’s & 1/2 marathons. General comments: 1. Target doing a Tri sooner, especially if you start with a sprint. Your 26 for God’s sake, run like the wind child. 2. Learn about heart rate monitoring. 3. Running should cycle between intervals, long aerobic runs, mid length anerobic runs with short recovery runs in-between if possible. 4. Constantly increase duration/intensity (within HR targets) until you hit a wall then back off for a week or two, then build up again, about 6-8 week cycles. 5. Three things for improved biking, ride, ride, ride. You are NOT doing too much, (IMHO) but your body will tell you if you are. If you can’t get to sleep, are over fatigued during the day, etc. Those are signs of over training. Go for it. BW – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I originally posted this in misc.fitness.misc, but I thought people here might have more experience….. Well after failing in my fitness attempt last fall due to grad school tests and applications (though jumping through hoops is exercise I guess), I have decided to give it another go. I’d appreciate some feedback, especially from people who do or have done a similar program to this. My fitness level: I am 209, 5′11" 23% BF according to the online calculators. 26 yrs old. My goals: Get my weight down a bit maybe 180ish eventually, get in better cardio shape, hopefully do a sprint triathlon in 10-18 mos. My current plan (3.5 weeks into it) Monday  AM run 15 minutes intervals 2 miles PM lift: bench, dips, tri pulldowns Tues    AM walk briskly 45 minutes  PM Swim: currently 5×200 freestyle Wed     AM run as above PM lift: pullups, deadlifts, barbellcurls,        shoulders Thursday AM walk                    PM Swim Friday   AM walk                    PM Squats, Calf raises Sat.     AM swim I also go for a good paced brisk walk every weekday on my lunch break usually about 45 minutes to 1 hour. And I walk 20 minutes to and from work (moderate pace though) Questions: 1) Am I doing too much? for a relative beginner 2) How do others work in swimming, running and lifting? I love swimming and don’t want to give it up. I feel likea  trooper when I get out of the pool. I like lifting too. Running is running…though intervals make it more interesting for me. 3) What would be a reasonable caloric intake for this program? (I realize it is rough as you don’t know my intensity 4) Any other suggestions/comments? Keep in mind that my goals are to get stronger, in better cardio shape, and resultantly to lose weight. The sprint tri would be an added bonus, but I don’t want to drop any exercises (lifting) to train for it. I want a program that allows me to lift fairly heavily(pullups, squats, deadlifts) run and swim. I’m going to deal with the biking in a couple more months. Has anyone done something similar to this?   Thanks! Swigue

Response:

Question:

Hi, I’m doing a sprint triathlon on Sat. June 2 (swim 750m/bike 20km/run 5km). I’m wondering what training to do the day before, if any? Usually I go on a long bike ride on Fridays, but I don’t think I want to do that the day before the triathlon. Do people generally do no training the day before, or just a short workout of an activity that will be done in the triathlon, or something unrelated, like aerobics? Thanks, alabina

Response:

Usually i like to do a short ride before an olympic distance tri. Nice an easy, for about 40 minutes. Typically I do this in the morning. Then in the afternoon I do a easy swim for about 10 minutes or so. Definitely no running, it will wear to much on your body before the race. One thing triathletes tend to do to much of is stay on their feet to much, especially if there is an expo. Before the Columbia tri last week, I remember the night before the race it felt as if I did a tri that day and that was from walking around way to much. Hope that helps. Chuckie G. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m doing a sprint triathlon on Sat. June 2 (swim 750m/bike 20km/run 5km). I’m wondering what training to do the day before, if any? Usually I go on a long bike ride on Fridays, but I don’t think I want to do that the day before the triathlon. Do people generally do no training the day before, or just a short workout of an activity that will be done in the triathlon, or something unrelated, like aerobics? Thanks, alabina

Response:

I like to do 8 – 10 100 yard strides: starting slowly and increasing to about 90% by the finish.  Get the workout done quickly and get off of your feet.  Use either Thursday or Friday to make sure your bike is technically sound… and smile and have fun! I’ve got links to pre-race activities on my web site at http://dschreiner.freeservers.com/

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m doing a sprint triathlon on Sat. June 2 (swim 750m/bike 20km/run 5km). I’m wondering what training to do the day before, if any? Usually I go on a long bike ride on Fridays, but I don’t think I want to do that the day before the triathlon. Do people generally do no training the day before, or just a short workout of an activity that will be done in the triathlon, or something unrelated, like aerobics? Thanks, alabina

Response:

I generally take the day off two days out. The day before I usually do a short (20 min.) run and swim some drills and a few 50’s or 100’s at race pace. Of course differant things work for differant people. B.Oliver

Response:

rest and take the time out to enjoy some quality time with your partner, who most likely will be dragged along on race day to watch you enjoy yourself! Nothing else you do for exercise will make much, if any at all, difference at the last minute. LW

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m doing a sprint triathlon on Sat. June 2 (swim 750m/bike 20km/run 5km). I’m wondering what training to do the day before, if any? Usually I go on a long bike ride on Fridays, but I don’t think I want to do that the day before the triathlon. Do people generally do no training the day before, or just a short workout of an activity that will be done in the triathlon, or something unrelated, like aerobics? Thanks, alabina

Response:

Charles Nice finish at Columbia, by the way. Will we see you in Massachusetts this year? Eric Averill Bay State Triathlon Team

Response:

Question:

When doing laps in a pool is it best to look down at the bottom or out in front of you and should the head be under the waterline or in line with the forehead?

The better question is which head position allows YOUR body to achieve weight balance.  If you need to kick hard to keep your legs from sinking, your head may be too high. When I am doing 500 meters/yards repeats, I try to get the waterline about in the middle of my head.  If I am sprinting (200s or less distance), I will lift my head a bit such that the water level is on the forehead; in this position, the kick is required to be stronger in order to keep the legs up and the body flat (i.e., causing minimum drag).  However, in this position, I will be using more energy than I will want to expend in a triathlon of international distance or langer. IMO, the secret of swimming in triathlons is doing what is necessary to minimize drag, thus allowing the most speed while minimizing unnecessary energy expenditure. Bob Williams 55-59 Severna Park, MD

Response:

you should be looking forward at a 45 degrees angle; the waterline is in line with the hairline (unless you’re bald ). i like to check my head position by watching my arm stroke as i swim. if i can see the catch and pull phases, it’s okay. HTH, -stephan

Agreed. Somewhere I read that this position provides the most minimal drag in the head area as well. Keep the forehead at the waterline.                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

Where your head/neck feels comfortable.  in the old days, swim coaches used to force keeping the head up or water line above your eyes, etc.. not anymore.. When doing laps in a pool is it best to look down at the bottom or out in front of you and should the head be under the waterline or in line with the forehead?

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Response:

When doing laps in a pool is it best to look down at the bottom or out in front of you and should the head be under the waterline or in line with the forehead?

Response:

you should be looking forward at a 45 degrees angle; the waterline is in line with the hairline (unless you’re bald ). i like to check my head position by watching my arm stroke as i swim. if i can see the catch and pull phases, it’s okay. HTH, -stephan — stephan mantler: endurance sports maniac    reality is in fact virtual.

Response:

Question:

Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

Response:

Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile?

It’ll build up the kicking muscles, and TI recommends them for their balance drills,  but kicking with fins is different than without. Competitive swimmers have trouble in SCUBA classes because they are used to kicking at a higher frequency, which is inefficient with fins (ever see a fish’s tail move that way?)  The converse is true as well; as a diver, I had a problem with kicking huge, slow foot strokes from the hip, with my knees straight, when I started swimming laps.

Response:

John, Definitely sounds like a pair of fins could help you some.  You just want to be sure you don’t get addicted to them cuz they really do make you MUCH faster.  Without seeing your kick we can only speculate why you go backwards but typically it has to do with ankle flexibility. Swimmers tend to have extremely flexible ankles while runners have stiff ones. Fins can help develop ankle flexibility and give a feel for what proper kicking should feel like.  Mix in some fin kicking with your regular kicking and when you go finless try to mimic the sensation you have when you kick with fins. By the way, as a triathlete you probably don’t want to be spending that much time kicking anyhow.  The kick should be used to help balance your stroke and not so much to propel you.  Save those legs for the bike & run!!! Good luck! -hug – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

Before you buy.

Response:

If you get fins, I would suggest getting something extremely stiff and short. I personally use some boogie board or surf fins, which give added power, but still require the fast kick. Just remember the long flexible "training" fins are really flexible and facilitate the bent knee type of kicking.

Response:

John, Kicking with fins will, over time, benefit your kick.  However, the key to unleashing kicking power is in increasing your ankle flexibility.  Point those toes, and stretch those muscles out every day.  Check out Haydn Wooley’s articles on this very subject at www.xtri.com.   I had the same problem you describe, but I have worked on my flexibility as well as including kicking a lot with fins (blue zoomers), but the stretching has made the most difference, by far. Al Lyman – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

Response:

It’ll build up the kicking muscles, and TI recommends them for their balance drills,  but kicking with fins is different than without. Competitive swimmers have trouble in SCUBA classes because they are used to kicking at a higher frequency, which is inefficient with fins (ever see a fish’s tail move that way?)  The converse is true as well; as a diver, I had a problem with kicking huge, slow foot strokes from the hip, with my knees straight, when I started swimming laps.

FWIW, kicking from the hips w/ straight knees is exactly what my swim coach is trying (with limited success) to get me to do, although at a higher frequency and smaller amplitude

Response:

i’m sure this has been addressed/ asked many times, but does anyone have a good mail order/ shop aource for zoomer fins? thanks!

Response:

http://www.swim2000.com/ http://www.usms.org/ i’m sure this has been addressed/ asked many times, but does anyone have a good mail order/ shop aource for zoomer fins? thanks!

–  Gus Coll                     o    "Life is short.                   __o       </_    Learn fast!"     /o__       _ <_     __/      

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

Fins will help ankle flexibility by adding resistance and making you point your toes more. They will also help keep your feet on top of the water and give you the sensation of moving faster through the water. Stay with the short, stiff Zoomer-type fins, though, instead of long dive fins. You want to be able to still flutter kick and you don’t want so much propulsion that your stroke can’t pull through the water.Still rely on your hands and arms for propelling yourself through the water. Feel the resistance and work on your stroke, just using the fins for balance and to push yourself a little harder. Check http://www.totalimmersion.net and http://www.zoomers.net for more info. cheers, Andrew — Andrew Peabody/Karen Fisher Coconut Grove, FL

Response:

Well you’ll be happy to know that Terry Laughlin, of Total Immersion fame, reckons that all sub-elite swimmers should do one of two things with their kick boards: 1. Use Fins  or  2. Throw them in the garbage bin. — MB (always uses fins for kick-board drills)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

Response:

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for posting. My ankles are probably very stiff. What I am hearing from ya’ll is that Fins might help loosen my ankles up a bit, along with some specific stretching. I will try adding some finned kick drills to my swim workout over the rest of Jan and through feb to see where that gets me. I have to say that by and large I use my arms most of all and will depend on my wet suit to keep me mostly in the correct position. But I also want to be as efficient as possible (not to mention going backwards or dead slow during kick drills is really embarassing:) I’ll post how this helps (or doesn’t) end of Febuary. John Before you buy.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy.

You can always try vertical kicking.  Go to the deep end of the pool, cross your arms across your chest and stay as straight as possible. Then you start kicking to keep yourself afloat( think of a bouy bobbing in the water).  If you are not able to stay in place without moving, you are not quite balanced vertically..  The secret to doing this well is a small, compact, high frequency kick. When you get profecient(sp?) at that you can vary it many ways.  1) you can raise your hands out of the water, kind of like signaling for a touchdown.  2) do the touchdown sign but put your hands together like the "A" in the song Y-M-C-A   Both of these methods place more weight pushing yourself down into the water, and require a stronger kick to stay afloat. Good luck Steve Before you buy.

Response:

Yes, wear ‘em sometimes. But not always – you must learn to apply what happens with them on to what is happening when you take ‘em off. Fins can be a big help with improving stroke technique, ankle flexibility (and kick efficiency), and in just having some fun zooming around the pool. Mat Mathew Luebbers About.com Guide to Swimming http://swimming.about.com bbs:  http://www.delphi.com/ab-swimming newsletter: http://swimming.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm Remember – consult a physician before beginning any fitness program. BE A MEMBER: Become a member and receive benefits like free email, shopping discounts and more: http://membership.about.com/create-member.htm AFFILIATE YOURSELF: Get paid to send traffic to your favorite About.com GuideSites. http://affiliates.about.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All, I’ve been working on getting upto speed for sprint distances this summer. My Spinning and running are coming along fine, but I have never been a great swimmer. One of the biggest problems I have is that I have extreme difficulty kicking. In fact, when using the kick board there are times when I will literally end up going in revese despite the fury of my kicking. I have seen others using fins to kick with, but I have hesitated to do this because it seems very much like cheating. What do ya’ll think? Is there any real benefit to using a pair of fins for awhile? John West Before you buy. You can always try vertical kicking.  Go to the deep end of the pool, cross your arms across your chest and stay as straight as possible. Then you start kicking to keep yourself afloat( think of a bouy bobbing in the water).  If you are not able to stay in place without moving, you are not quite balanced vertically..  The secret to doing this well is a small, compact, high frequency kick. When you get profecient(sp?) at that you can vary it many ways.  1) you can raise your hands out of the water, kind of like signaling for a touchdown.  2) do the touchdown sign but put your hands together like the "A" in the song Y-M-C-A   Both of these methods place more weight pushing yourself down into the water, and require a stronger kick to stay afloat. Good luck Steve Before you buy.

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Question:

Friends, if you are going to IMS I would like to exchange tips regarding cheapest airfare, hotels, bike carriers etc.  There aren’t seem to be many of us from the U.S.  Am I wrong?  Som.

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Friends, if you are going to IMS I would like to exchange tips regarding cheapest airfare, hotels, bike carriers etc.  There aren’t seem to be many of us from the U.S.  Am I wrong?  

I’m going, but I only know of one other U.S. triathlete going. I seem to recall about 35 went last year.  I may not be much help on cheap airfare, etc. I’m using frequent flyer miles on American to take my wife and our baby there (direct flight from Chicago), and frequent hotel points to stay at the Zurich Marriott. I think the latest pre-race packet from the IMS people suggested that ample hotel space would be available. They’re very helpful; you could call them direct. Looking forward to a great race. Ray

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Question:

c) Handlebars: For elite and junior competitors in Triathlon and Duathlon World Cup and World Championships, the following rule on handlebars will take effect on June 1, 1997: (Note: This rule will not apply to age group competitions or long distance events).   (i) only traditional "drop" handlebars are permitted   (ii) "Clip-ons" will be permitted provided they do not extend more than 15 cm beyond the front wheel axle, and they are not longer than the brake levers’ foremost line.   (iii) Straight forward clip-ons must be bridged, and must not carry forward facing brake levers.   (iv) No forward facing bar or gear shifters are allowed on the end of the ‘clip-ons’. The only exception will be grip shifters.   (v) elbow pads are permitted from http://www.triathlon.org/manuals/Comprul97.html Jeff

Response:

c) Handlebars: For elite and junior competitors in Triathlon and Duathlon World Cup and World Championships, the following rule on handlebars will take effect on June 1, 1997: (Note: This rule will not apply to age group competitions or long distance events).  (i) only traditional "drop" handlebars are permitted  (ii) "Clip-ons" will be permitted provided they do not extend more than 15 cm beyond the front wheel axle, and they are not longer than the brake levers’ foremost line.  (iii) Straight forward clip-ons must be bridged, and must not carry forward facing brake levers.  (iv) No forward facing bar or gear shifters are allowed on the end of the ‘clip-ons’. The only exception will be grip shifters.  (v) elbow pads are permitted

And this my friends is why I love being a junior duathlete.  In the event I decide to go to world’s I have to completely modify my handlebar/shifting/braking system (read: expensive). Drafting Sucks.  Keep tri-ing!

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Question:

According to my local paper, this Sunday NBC will be broadcasting the "Ironman Triathlon World Championships."  Can the word-police be far behind?

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According to my local paper, this Sunday NBC will be broadcasting the "Ironman Triathlon World Championships."  Can the word-police be far behind?

my paper say’s Triathlon: Ironman World Championship i wonder if this is "acceptable" tim hignett buaidh no bas

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Question:

…..back!    Normally I do not like to do this and since I live in Boulder I will get some crap for posting this, but what the heck. I just recently heard that Dave plans to race the 1996 Hawaii Ironman so I wanted RST to be in the know. I am very exited since the 4 times I have been in Kona I have never had the pleasure of watching Dave run back on the Queen K as I go out. He has not raced when I have. So cool! There may be more scoop later so hang on..   — Luis Vargas Visual Software Solutions

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I sure would like this to be true as I am a big fan of Dave’s, but with the race still 7 weeks off, alot is subject to change….especially with Dave.  He is well-known for his meticulous  training and preparation, in part because it’s his athletic nature and in part because of the enormous expectations weighing on him when racing IMH. If that training is not at the point he feels it needs to be, he is unlikely to race, sponsorship demands or not. His legend in this subculture will always be intact, he truly has nothing left to prove, but he still risks more from a marketing and reputation standpoint than the various 25 year-old German phenoms who, great as they are, have yet to win. Having said all that,  I believe that at age 43 he would have a better than 50-50 chance of being in the top 5 simply because of his enormous experience and drive. And there you go, I’ve just added to the expectation game.     His performance out there in 1994 remains one of the great unknown (outside of our triathlon world) stories in all of world-class athletics. Almost 41 years old, 2 children, 5 years away from the event…the "Man" indeed. (And his wife Anna must be a terrific story as well!) Keep us posted Luis! Mark      

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…..back!    Normally I do not like to do this and since I live in Boulder I will get some crap for posting this, but what the heck. I just recently heard that Dave plans to race the 1996 Hawaii Ironman so I wanted RST to be in the know. I am very exited since the 4 times I have been in Kona I have never had the pleasure of watching Dave run back on the Queen K as I go out. He has not raced when I have. So cool! There may be more scoop later so hang on..   — Luis Vargas

I heard the same thing on Friday 9/6 at Muncie.   I don’t know who it was that told me (in the lobby of the convention center), but he said that "only 30 people know this right now".   He probably told the next person, "only 31 people know this right now"…. Just George

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Hello, I am competeing in a biathalon in Central Park on Sept 22nd, consisting of a short 2.5 mile run, 12 mile bike, and 2.5 mile run.  I was wondering if anyone had any helpful hints or tips concerning any last two week preparations I should be doing.   I have no experience with these types of races and would welcome and appreciate any input. Thank you very much, in advance. John —                                 someone else might have                                 said to you."

Response:

…..back!    Normally I do not like to do this and since I live in Boulder I will get some crap for posting this, but what the heck. I just recently heard that Dave plans to race the 1996 Hawaii Ironman so I wanted RST to be in the know. I am very exited since the 4 times I have been in Kona I have never had the pleasure of watching Dave run back on the Queen K as I go out. He has not raced when I have. So cool! There may be more scoop later so hang on.. — Luis Vargas Visual Software Solutions

Check out Inside Triathlon HOme Page, they have more information on The Man and his quest.

Response:

With only a 2.5 mile run, the vast majority of the field will hit the T1 within three minutes of the leaders.  That usually makes for real mayhem on the bike course.  Depending on how strong a runner or cyclist you are, that should affect you approach to how much you exert yourself on each leg of the race. Good Luck, and congratualtions in advance on a personal best!  : )

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With only a 2.5 mile run, the vast majority of the field will hit the T1 within three minutes of the leaders.  

Either you have slow "leaders", or your "middle-of-packers" are truly awesome.  Figuring 4:40, or heck, even 5:00 miles for the leaders, being in a race where the "vast majority" run better than 6:00 miles would be pretty amazing. I think it’s safe to say it’ll be getting a lot busier in T1 about that time, but not *that* busy….. Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles

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: Either you have slow "leaders", or your "middle-of-packers" are truly : awesome.  Figuring 4:40, or heck, even 5:00 miles for the leaders, : being in a race where the "vast majority" run better than 6:00 miles : would be pretty amazing. I agree completely.  Most of our events around DC have 3mi runs, which the leaders usually do around 16 minutes, or 5:20 avg.  Middle of the pack seems to happen usually around 20:30-21:00 or 6:50-7:00 avg.  That’s only 4.5-5 minutes after the leaders.  I was always amazed that the middle of the pack is so quick, when in most road races the middle is much farther back in the 8-9mpm range. — Jason Mayfield     Arlington, VA http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa Sick & Twisted Site of the Day: http://dufus.westga.edu/~zooropa/sick.html "Do or do not, there is no ‘try’"  - Yoda     344 Days Until Ironman Canada

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writes: Either you have slow "leaders", or your "middle-of-packers" are truly awesome.  Figuring 4:40, or heck, even 5:00 miles for the leaders, being in a race where the "vast majority" run better than 6:00 miles would be pretty amazing.

Brain fart… I should differentiate between "the leaders" and the front of the MOPers.  It shows where I spend most of my time!  "Leaders" are in another galaxy.  In any case, with a 2 mile opening leg, I still think the mass of humanity will all hit T1 in a very narrow window.  Perhaps even three minutes?

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Run bike run sounds like a Duathlon to me.  At the very least spell biathlon without an "a".  My advice is to just have fun.   The ride around central park can be dangerous.  Watch out for pedestrians, joggers, roller-bladers, horses, etc.  

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Question:

: : As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department. : : TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE : : Work on technique as much as possible. Once you have sound technique : strength speed and endurance will come by (almost) easily. … : While I’m not disagreeing with you by any means (well maybe a little), PBS : had an interesting show on a while back when Mark Spitz was trying to make : his comeback.  They were talking to the flume swim analysts at the Olympic : training center and they commented the Mark Spitz had the best technique : of anyone they’ve ever tested.  However, they thought even in his hayday, : Mark couldn’t compete with the current world-class swimmers because he : lacked the STRENGTH they had.  They went on in conclusion to say that : strength is much more of a factor than originally thought. : Now many coaches may disagree with this assessment, but it definitely is : an interesting perspective on WORLD-CLASS swimmers.  For us mere mortals, : however; it still is TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE! : Pat I would agree that you do have to have more strength than I alluded to in my previous post. But when I know that I have to bike and run after the swim I want to come out of the water as fresh as possible. The best way to do this is to use as little energy as possible in the swim. That means being as efficient as possible in the water which leads back to technique. If I want to sprint, sure strength may overcome some technical flaws, but if you are going to swim 1.5-4 k you want to glide and use as little energy as possible. THus I would again emphasize that for a triathlete, especially a beginner emphasizing sound technique is much more valuable than emphasizing strength. : Hey Pat, : I agree with the mere mortal comment, I think we "mortals" have to realize : that what Pros do is not necessarily the best thing for us.  Usually when : beginning a sport, technique is the most important element, strength and : conditioning comes later.  Just a thought to avoid doing work! I would agree with this assessment. If you have a lot of power but poor technique you will tire easily. Whereas if you have good technique you will move with greater ease through the water. To do well in triathlons of course you must have both power and technique. What I would counsel any begining triathlete is to emphasize technique first and foremost. Once you have sound technique you can develop power and speed efficiently. If you have power and speed first it will be much more difficult to develop sound technique later. Another reason I would say emphasize technique first is to avoid repetitive use injuries, to some extent. If you have a lot of power and strength and bad technique, once you start doing 3-4 k workouts you may be putting a lot of strain on the wrong muscles for swimming. After a while this could lead to nagging injuries, that MAY be avoided with better technique. Especially if you are a new swimmer you have neither strength nor technique for swimming. With the correct technique you may still have sore shoulders but you won’t be putting any UNDUE strain on the muscles or joints. Cheers. Dave

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As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department.

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: As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department. TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE Work on technique as much as possible. Once you have sound technique strength speed and endurance will come by (almost) easily. If you don’t have sound technique you could fall into bad habits that are not easy to correct and may give you the impression that you are going slower and are weaker in the pool once you do try to obtain the correct technique.  Good technique can also help compensate for other shortcomings. Cheers. Dave.

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: As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department. TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE

Work on technique as much as possible. Once you have sound technique

strength speed and endurance will come by (almost) easily. If you don’t have sound technique you could fall into bad habits that are not easy to correct and may give you the impression that you are going slower and are weaker in the pool once you do try to obtain the correct technique.  Good technique

can also help compensate for other shortcomings.

I think Dave forgot to mention that "technique" is important … -Rolf — Rolf Arands, Ph.D.          |                             |

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: As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department. TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE Work on technique as much as possible. Once you have sound technique strength speed and endurance will come by (almost) easily. …

While I’m not disagreeing with you by any means (well maybe a little), PBS had an interesting show on a while back when Mark Spitz was trying to make his comeback.  They were talking to the flume swim analysts at the Olympic training center and they commented the Mark Spitz had the best technique of anyone they’ve ever tested.  However, they thought even in his hayday, Mark couldn’t compete with the current world-class swimmers because he lacked the STRENGTH they had.  They went on in conclusion to say that strength is much more of a factor than originally thought. Now many coaches may disagree with this assessment, but it definitely is an interesting perspective on WORLD-CLASS swimmers.  For us mere mortals, however; it still is TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE! Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : As a beginner triathlete I would appreciate any help in this department. TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE…TECHNIQUE Work on technique as much as possible. Once you have sound technique strength speed and endurance will come by (almost) easily. … While I’m not disagreeing with you by any means (well maybe a little), PBS had an interesting show on a while back when Mark Spitz was trying to make his comeback.  They were talking to the flume swim analysts at the Olympic training center and they commented the Mark Spitz had the best technique of anyone they’ve ever tested.  However, they thought even in his hayday, Mark couldn’t compete with the current world-class swimmers because he lacked the STRENGTH they had.  They went on in conclusion to say that strength is much more of a factor than originally thought. Now many coaches may disagree with this assessment, but it definitely is an interesting perspective on WORLD-CLASS swimmers.  For us mere mortals, however; it still is TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE! Pat Hey Pat,

I agree with the mere mortal comment, I think we "mortals" have to realize that what Pros do is not necessarily the best thing for us.  Usually when beginning a sport, technique is the most important element, strength and conditioning comes later.  Just a thought to avoid doing work!

Response: