Question:

I think what were all really talking about is personal preference and personal riding style.  I ran with STI’s and C2’s but noticed that on slightly rolling hills i wouldnt get out of aero to shift and as result would stay in the same gear that was too large and suffer through it.  Now running bar end, shifting through the mountains is a little more difficult but I prefer the bar ends due to being in the aero position more during a race and wanting to be in that "perfect" gear.

Response:

Todd: You may get several differing opinions on this because there really isn’t just one best set up. I personally prefer to have bar end shifters on my aero bars. I tend to race in the flat to rolling terrain in the Southeast US. I prefer to remain in an aero position as much as possible. This set up allows me to switch easily and often to optimize my cadence and power output. If I rode more in hilly terrain I might consider using STI shifters on the drops rather than bar ends. The theory, which I don’t really prescribe to, is that if you ride in the hills you are shifting more often while off the aero bars. If you are sitting up and sliding back on the saddle to get more leverage, the STI shifters are easier to use. For me personally, when I am sitting up and climbing, I don’t tend to shift all that much. Certainly some of this is a function of being a long time rider of a forward geometry triathlon bike. I am quite comfortable in an aero position. I rarely get off my aero bars and sit up to get more leverage while climbing. I prefer to stay aero and spin up most of the hills in this part of the country. If I have to get off the aero bars to get more leverage, I am rarely changing gears. So the key questions you might ask yourself are 1) what kind of terrain are you riding in, and 2) what kind of bike are you riding. If you are riding a more traditional geometry road bike in hilly terrain, you may prefer to go with STI. If you want to set up a Tri-bike up for the aero position, use bar ends and learn to spin up the hills in your aero position. That is my preference. YMMV — Stewart Cox

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi!  Newbie triathlete here. I am going to be buying and setting up my first tri-bike in the next few months.  I’ve noticed that the gear shifters can either be on the drops or on the aero-bars.  Which is best in general.  I have no idea what types of triathlon events I’ll be entering so I don’t know if there are many turns, etc…just want to get an idea on the best general setup. Thanks! Todd

Response:

Good advice.  I agree with Todd completely. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Todd: You may get several differing opinions on this because there really isn’t just one best set up. I personally prefer to have bar end shifters on my aero bars. I tend to race in the flat to rolling terrain in the Southeast US. I prefer to remain in an aero position as much as possible. This set up allows me to switch easily and often to optimize my cadence and power output. If I rode more in hilly terrain I might consider using STI shifters on the drops rather than bar ends. The theory, which I don’t really prescribe to, is that if you ride in the hills you are shifting more often while off the aero bars. If you are sitting up and sliding back on the saddle to get more leverage, the STI shifters are easier to use. For me personally, when I am sitting up and climbing, I don’t tend to shift all that much. Certainly some of this is a function of being a long time rider of a forward geometry triathlon bike. I am quite comfortable in an aero position. I rarely get off my aero bars and sit up to get more leverage while climbing. I prefer to stay aero and spin up most of the hills in this part of the country. If I have to get off the aero bars to get more leverage, I am rarely changing gears. So the key questions you might ask yourself are 1) what kind of terrain are you riding in, and 2) what kind of bike are you riding. If you are riding a more traditional geometry road bike in hilly terrain, you may prefer to go with STI. If you want to set up a Tri-bike up for the aero position, use bar ends and learn to spin up the hills in your aero position. That is my preference. YMMV — Stewart Cox Hi!  Newbie triathlete here. I am going to be buying and setting up my first tri-bike in the next few months.  I’ve noticed that the gear shifters can either be on the drops or on the aero-bars.  Which is best in general.  I have no idea what types of triathlon events I’ll be entering so I don’t know if there are many turns, etc…just want to get an idea on the best general setup. Thanks! Todd

Before you buy.

Response:

An additional consideration is your handling requirements.  I have to cycle through a good bit of busy city traffic to get to the "wide open spaces".  Riding on the aerobars is not the safest way to navigate in such conditons — you have much more control with a wider grip (i.e., on the drops or cowhorns). From a personal preference standpoint, I’d vote for STIs.  I had been a die-hard bar-end-shifter guy for about ten years.  Then in July I got a new bike that came with STIs.  I thought I’d swap them out fairly quickly.  But after just a few rides, I knew I’d never go back — just bolted on some C-2s and plugged the ends (gotta stay legal, y’know). Maybe I’d go back if I lived along the coast and did nothing but sprints.  But my terrain is more than rolling, my traffic tends to get busy, and my mileage is long. Just another data-point for your consideration. – Bruce in Atlanta Before you buy.

Response:

The decision seems to be tending back towards STI at the pro level, and I am not talking about draft legal triathltes, either.  I had STI, went to bar end, but feel most comfortable there.  I’ve decided to build two bikes, one for road riding (especially for group rides where they won’t let you ride with aero bars), the other for triathlons.  STI coupled with the aft riding position is great for climbing and technical stuff, and the bar ends and forward position are best suited for triathons. Have fun either way– go fast! Before you buy.

Response:

Hi!  Newbie triathlete here. I am going to be buying and setting up my first tri-bike in the next few months.  I’ve noticed that the gear shifters can either be on the drops or on the aero-bars.  Which is best in general.  I have no idea what types of triathlon events I’ll be entering so I don’t know if there are many turns, etc…just want to get an idea on the best general setup. Thanks! Todd

Response:

Question:

I have 3 weeks of vacation starting around 22nd of March 2000. Where is the best place in USA to get prepared for next summer triathlons? That means a nice climate, a lot of hills for the bike training, forests for running? Gerry

Response:

I have 3 weeks of vacation starting around 22nd of March 2000. Where is the best place in USA to get prepared for next summer triathlons? That means a nice climate, a lot of hills for the bike training, forests for running? Gerry

I haven’t been there yet (will be in May), but San Diego seems to offer the perfect weather for triathlon training. It’s usually around 75F (25C) all year long, with not much rain all year. OTOH, it’s a meteorologist’s worst nightmare…endless sunny days are very boring to them.                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMCAL, IMC Y2K IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

Sounds great!  But is there hills? Gerry – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have 3 weeks of vacation starting around 22nd of March 2000. Where is the best place in USA to get prepared for next summer triathlons? That means a nice climate, a lot of hills for the bike training, forests for running? Gerry I haven’t been there yet (will be in May), but San Diego seems to offer the perfect weather for triathlon training. It’s usually around 75F (25C) all year long, with not much rain all year. OTOH, it’s a meteorologist’s worst nightmare…endless sunny days are very boring to them.                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMCAL, IMC Y2K IMC’99: 10:45:03          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

Response:

Sounds great!  But is there hills? Gerry

Yes you’ll find hills there and trees.  But if you’re looking for a nice cool dense forest you’ll be a little disappointed.  Hard to find it all and still be sure of good weather to take advantage of it everyday. Yakabo Before you buy.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sounds great!  But is there hills? Gerry Yes you’ll find hills there and trees.  But if you’re looking for a nice cool dense forest you’ll be a little disappointed.  Hard to find it all and still be sure of good weather to take advantage of it everyday. Yakabo Before you buy.

Hi, This used to be a ride that I enjoyed. Its been 10 years since I lived in San Diego but I did live there for 28 years.  I used to ride my bike up Highway 67 through Ramona andSanta Ysabel(where there is a bakery named Dudley’s) to Julian. You will have to check out a map to see if the road is still named Highway 67.  My memory might have failed me.  Santa Ysabel is all of about three buildings so you cant miss the bakery.  Out of Julien going into the desert there is a steep switchbacked downhill.  Riding back up the hill is definitely a challenge.  We used to spend the night at a campground in the desert called Butterfield Ranch.  Someone had to drive and tow the travel trailer for the overnight. A ride from the coast to Julian and back would be about 70 miles with about 4000 feet of elevation change.  Hopefully, the traffic is not so bad now that all the fun has been taken out of it. Chip

Response:

Question:

This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  I felt fine during and after a 20 mile run but bonked on a 40 mile bike (the heat was a factor on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison

Hi Alison, first loosing salt, sweat and minerals is individual. It depends on your shape (condition), temperature (wheather), clothing … A general rule might be, that you don’t have to add salts to your drinks, when your workout is about 2-3h. But you should add them afterwards. BUT if your competition/training is more than 2-3 hours, you have to feed with minerals (Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) or you’ll loose performance. The longer the workout, the more NaCl will get lost – absolute. That means if you loose 10l of sweat, you also loose ~400mmol Na. That means a 70 kg weight person gets rid of about 35% of his extracellular Na-stock. Summary: additional salt (in drinks…) should equal NaCl loss. Dependent on the situation, a drink should include 0-4 g/l NaCl. Adding NaCl is necessary, if you have lost more than 3 l of sweat. Source: Fluid reception and sports (Fluessigkeitsaufnahme und Sport), P. Schuerch, Bern. Contributions to Sportsmedicine, vol 37. happy race C. —  Christoph Schneider  Institute for Molecular Biotechnology  Beutenbergstrasse 11  P.O. Box 100 813, D-07708 Jena, Germany  http://www.imb-jena.de/~csc/

Response:

In a previous race in Muskoka, my first ever long race I got of the bike and at 1km in the run my quads siezed up on me. AA friend passed me and I told her my quads were aching. She gave me some salt packets and told me at the next station put it in my gatorade and it will help. I did this and immediately my pain went away. I just completed my first half-ironman at Tupper Lake in 91 degree weather and used salt at every water station in my drinks and I now swear by it. No cramping at all. Hope this helps Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  I felt fine during and after a 20 mile run but bonked on a 40 mile bike (the heat was a factor on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  

When it’s *really* hot, I’ll add a pinch of table salt to my Cytomax and/or Metabolol for long rides or for races.  Some people swear by salt tablets, but this simple (and cheap!) solution works for me.  Got me through the hell that was Ironman Canada last year, when the sight of salt-encrusted bodies out on the bike course was extremely common.  Man, that was just murder last year!  Still, I preferred that heat to the chilly drenching we suffered in ‘97….. Anyway, just $.02.  Oh, and who told you not to ingest additional salt under these circumstances?  I can’t help but feel that they must not be very experienced at going long in very hot conditions…. — Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "Real triathletes don’t draft." http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie *New to triathlon?  Check out Hulaman’s Simple TriTips:  http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/tritips.html    

Response:

The correct link is http://www.ultrafit-endurance.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Alison, I’ve become convinced that there’s no adequate way for an endurance athlete to adequately maintain proper sodium balance in the heat of summer training without supplementation. I sweat so profusely during long rides on really hot days my blue shirts and black shorts turn white. I have been recently supplementing my sodium/electrolyte intake with Succeed tabs, at www.ultra-endurance.com . They’re capsules, don’t mess with my stomach, and I have definitely noticed an improvement in my hot weather performance, and my quads don’t cramp up at the end of a hot, humid, 100 mile bike ride. There was recently an article in Triathlete mag or Inside Tri (can’t remember which one) that clinched this issue for me. Mike This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  I felt fine during and after a 20 mile run but bonked on a 40 mile bike (the heat was a factor on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Alison: Of course, salt/sodium replacement needs vary for each individual.  I like Tricia’s idea of adding salt to your drink – that, of course, depends on hwo much salt is already in your drink. Anyone who tells you that you should not replace the sodium you are sweating out is an idiot.  Ever heard of hyponitremia?  It’ll cramp you up and take you down in a long race. I train in a cool climate, and don’t have to deal with the heat much. But, I do race in the heat (ie, CA).  I’ve come to swear by salt tabs. In a half, I’ll eat 3-5 during the ride and 1 or 2 more during the run – I’ve worked it out that that’s what my body needs, based upon what I eat/drink and what I weigh.  I double that for a full.  Basically, just pop one in every 45 minutes while riding and every hour while running (or, more frequently if I feel any sort of cramp). Bloating is also a key indicator of sodium loss.  If you start bloating, you’re likely dehydrated and shutting down.  If you don’t get it under control, your race is history.  At times like that, it’s hard to force down liquid.  In those situations, I find the salt tabs irreplaceable. Experiment on long rides and see what happens before it counts. Scott Powell Por Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info …..on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison Summary: additional salt (in drinks…) should equal NaCl loss. Dependent on the situation, a drink should include 0-4 g/l NaCl. Adding NaCl is necessary, if you have lost more than 3 l of sweat. Source: Fluid reception and sports (Fluessigkeitsaufnahme und Sport), P. Schuerch, Bern. Contributions to Sportsmedicine, vol 37.

An important point here is to check the sodium content of your drink before adding salt – know how much is already in there.  All the sports fluid replacements I have seen include on their nutrition information labels their sodium and potassium content per serving.

Response:

This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  I felt fine during and after a 20 mile run but bonked on a 40 mile bike (the heat was a factor on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Alison, I’ve become convinced that there’s no adequate way for an endurance athlete to adequately maintain proper sodium balance in the heat of summer training without supplementation. I sweat so profusely during long rides on really hot days my blue shirts and black shorts turn white. I have been recently supplementing my sodium/electrolyte intake with Succeed tabs, at www.ultra-endurance.com . They’re capsules, don’t mess with my stomach, and I have definitely noticed an improvement in my hot weather performance, and my quads don’t cramp up at the end of a hot, humid, 100 mile bike ride. There was recently an article in Triathlete mag or Inside Tri (can’t remember which one) that clinched this issue for me. Mike

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is a question for fellow heavy sweaters: I’m finding that when I go on long rides and runs (3+ hours), I’m losing lots of salt–there’s a literal and liberal sprinkling all over me.  I’m getting mixed info about how I should handle the loss–some folks have said to to add sea salt to my Cytomax, others recommend just eating pretzels and still others say NOT to ingest additional salt (because it’ll just make me thirsty and I should be getting enough from my Cytomax and gels).  Any nutritional advice, experience or evidence?  I felt fine during and after a 20 mile run but bonked on a 40 mile bike (the heat was a factor on that ride–it was over 100 degrees, so it’s not clear that salt loss was the issue).  Thanks in advance!  Alison Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

Question:

Hi, I am looking for sites which offer training plans for triathlon/ duathlon. Does anyone have an idea where I can find these? I don’t want to pay tons of money. What I want is just information on training aspects. Regards Hardy

Response:

  A recent post on rst FAQs follows.  You might find some help there.     ** Frequently Asked Questions about Triathlon** This FAQ by Gail DeCamp, Ruth Kazez, and Jim Casey. /* I’ve made a few changes here; comments welcome */ The #1 most frequently asked question on this NG is: "How do I train for a triathlon?" Unfortunately, it’s not really possible to answer that in a single posting. The following URLs try to answer it, and other questions. The official RST FAQ is at: http://www.interactive.net/~troehr/tri-faq.html These websites are also good for beginners: http://www.hulaman.com/triathlon/tritips.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/e/x/exk7/TriBasics.html http://w3.one.net/~triweb/trifaq Books _Swim,Bike,Run_, by Glenn Town, Scott Tinley, & Todd Kearney. _The Essential Triathlete_, by Steven Jonas _Triathlete’s Training Bible_, by Joe Friel Other Resources A triathlon club in your area is a big help. Find them in your local newspaper’s sports or weekend entertainment sections in major cities,  or go to the local specialty running or cycling store. When you want to buy equipment, find a triathlon club, or find information about upcoming races or clinics, you may have more success at a specialty store dedicated to running, swimming, or triathlon than at a sporting goods store. —–end of FAQ—— – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am looking for sites which offer training plans for triathlon/ duathlon. Does anyone have an idea where I can find these? I don’t want to pay tons of money. What I want is just information on training aspects. Regards Hardy

Response:

Question:

The first race of the L.A. Triathlon series at Bonelli Park is on April 11.  A sprint with rather odd distances – 500 yd, 24k, 4k.  I signed up to do it as a warm-up for Wildflower.  Anyone else going to be there? And you guys in the 35-39 age group: I see Paul Huddle signed up for WF long course but not as a pro.  Looks like you’ll have a livel rabbit to chase. Larry

Response:

I heard the water was pretty cold for a warm-up. Considering a new wetsuit. Proportions are a bit bike-heavy, I’d say. Andrew Duncan 35-39 http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~aduncan

You’re right the water for the April races is usually a bit cold (60-62) degrees. Wetsuits definitely recommended. I wouldn’t say it is that bike-heavy though. Most sprints are 10-15 miles. It is the nature of that course that dictates the distances. By the way the May 23rd date at Bonelli will also be the second stop on the 1999 USTS Series, with a pro race following the completion of the age groupers. For more info go to http://trievents.com. Hope to see you there. Mark Rinaldi Inland Inferno Triathlon Club http://members.aol.com/infernotri/home.htm

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Question:

Hello,   I have some questions on speeding up my running that I hope some of you can answer.  First a little background: I have dropped about 3:00 from my 10k time (46:22 – 43:22) over the past two years, but I would like to drop it by alot more (my roommate runs a 38 minute 10k!) I do very little interval training. Sometimes I will go to the track and do 400m intervals in about 1:25-1:30, which is the same speed as two years ago!   My question is how to incorporate intervals of different length (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, …).  I was thinking about doing shorter intervals (100m) to build up some speed and then moving on to longer intervals (400m, 800m).  Can anyone provide advice about this or maybe a good book?

Response:

snip I do very little interval training. Sometimes I will go to the track and do 400m intervals in about 1:25-1:30, which is the same speed as two years ago! My question is how to incorporate intervals of different length (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, …).  I was thinking about doing shorter intervals (100m) to build up some speed and then moving on to longer intervals (400m, 800m).  Can anyone provide advice about this or maybe a good book?

The best way to race faster is to run faster  You can do this with intervals at the track, pickups (or fartlek) on your normal training run, or any other method where you force yourself to run faster than normal. Intervals are very popular but I’ve never liked them, especially after a few years on a track team :,) .  They can be very effective, but I think you need to run the interval at a pace where you think you’ll be racing.  You are currently racing at about a 7 min mile, and you are doing interval training at a sub 6 min mile.  How long can you hold the 1:30 pace?  If you can hold it for a couple miles, try racing a 5k at that pace.  If you can hold it only for the 400m, then I would suggest a more comfortable pace and gradually work down. Instead of doing intervals, I try to do local races on the weekends.   This time of year may be tough if you live in the cold, but short weekend races are great for speedwork.  For me, the competitive atmosphere is a great motivator for the undesired fast pace.  Or, on one  or two of your weekly runs, try running sections of it faster than normal and don’t slow down to a pace slower than normal after the fast section.  Remember, the goal is train your body to run faster. I don’t know what else to say.  I try to run hard almost every time out, unless it’s a longer than normal run.  If I feel good and strong, I’ll run as fast as I can.  If I feel bad, I’ll work to maintain my usual pace.  Gradually, my faster pace ends up being my comfortable pace and then I’m a faster runner! Geez, sorry to go on and on and on and.. — Tod Meinke All comments and opinions expressed are those of my employer and not my own.  Please sue them and leave me out of it.

Response:

To run faster in a 10k situation, you need to teach your body to function more effectively just below your anaerobic threshold (AT).   AT is a point, as I am sure many have read, where your capacity to diffuse lactic acid accumulation effectively with Oxygen (O2) is no  longer able to keep up.  This pace, or just below it, is the ideal pace to run a 10k race at.  A 5k race is run slightly above this point. To elevate the AT one must train at or above this pace for extended periods of time.  A good way of improving might be to take your average pace per kilometer, say for example 04:00min/km, subtract say 3-6 seconds from this,  or 3:57-3:54, and run LONG intervals at this pace.  By long I mean 800m-2000 m repeats.  Don’t go crazy.   You probably don’t want more than 3000m-4000m of hard intervals in the beginning, and certainly wouldn’t really need more that 6000m to improve.  Try something like the following: warmup:  1600 m (1mile) SLOW jog stretch 2×1000 m on 3:58, recovery 400m cooldown 1000-1600m jog Total,  hard stuff 4400 m, with recovery, warmup and cooldown,  11.2 km (only 40% of the workout is spent above AT;  This should be no more than 10-15 % of your weekly total) Note that this is an early preseason workout, not part of the  base season where you should emphasize long slow distance (LSD), and informal speedwork (fartlek), with the occasional tempo run. I hope this helps. Dave

Response:

First of all evaluate your speed doing a CAT TEST: you run a 3k on track at constant but maximal speed and sprint the last 200 meters… then you could prepare with a 4 weeks cycle to increase your maximal aerobic speed and 2 3-weeks cycle for specific training on a 10k… for example training 5 times a week the first cycle to increase the aerobic max speed would ook like this: mon:     rest             rest              rest             rest tuesday: 45′ endurance    45′ endurance     45′ endurance    45′ endurance wednesday 30′ warm-up+    same but 10×400m  same but 8×500   samed but 10×500m           tech + 8×400m                        R:1′20”           R:1′ thursday  1h endurance    same              same             same friday    rest            rest              rest             rest Saturday  30′ warm-up+    same but 10×200m  same             same           tech+8×200m           R:30” Sunday    1h endurance    1h15′ endurance   same             same for the 2×3 weeks specific training the main components are series that look like 3-5x (1000m R:1′30”- 500m R:3′) splitting the distance this way allows you to run faster… the times you run your series depend on your cat test but 1′20”/400m as you said, if you run 43′/10k is definitely too fast and you probably take too much rest between each 400m… 1′20”/400m corresponds to 10′35” on the CAT TEST that is a sub-36′ 10k… do the test on track and I’ll give you the times… This method on 10 weeks is quite efficient, I used it. 2 years ago my PR was 35′50”, last year 33′18” and this year 31′41”… In case someone needs more info about this, I can send the times to be run after the CAT TEST and the 10 weeks training… Francois — *** Any opinion expressed above is strictly my own. *** Disclaimer: I said this. My company didn’t.

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Good points Chris! It’s ironic how training tends to evolve to a common denomintor over time. Your running program sounds an awful lot like mine – a balence of tempo, hills/intervals and LSD( the runs not the drugs ; -) ) The only diffrence for me is that in the run up to an Ironman I do a number of 2-3 hour runs. The recent reaserch that I was refering to was done on the Kenyan’s in their pre-Olympic training last year. They found that that few of the kenyans do any formalized interval training as we know it. The bulk of their training consisted of hills, hills and more hills and extened tempo/fartlek sesions that saw them spend  long periods of time(15 -20 min.) at or near their anarobic thresholds, which for them would have been about4:20 – 4:30 mile pace! No wonder they look relaxed when they are running only 5:00 miles in a marathon. Steve

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a little remark is that for a 10k you run above your AT which is your max speed for a semi-marathon… For a 10k (on road at least) you also need to increase your aerobic max speed and lactic capacity… running at your AT is more a semi-marathon and marathon approach… — *** Any opinion expressed above is strictly my own. *** Disclaimer: I said this. My company didn’t.

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Eat porridge

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Was that a 10K on it’s own or in the context of a 1.5/40/10 triathlon. Either way the foundation of your quality training should be hills and trying to spend a reasonable amount of time each week at or slightly above your AT threshold. In training for 10k events and longer, recent reasearch has called into question, the value of doing any intervals of less than 3 to 5 min. in duration. It takes a few min. for your metabolism to stabilize at your AT. Intervals slightly above and tempo runs slightly below AT should bring your times down. If this is for a 10K in a triathlon then you will have to do this "off the bike" . Before a running interval work out ride the bike hard for 20 – 40 min., to simulate the fatigue of cycling 40km. – Steve

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I don’t know exactely what the original post was so this may be a little off base but here i go.  The best way (well maybe not the best, but the way i do it anyhow) to run intervals.  As a 800 meter runner I tend to do them very fast and usually only about 6 repeats.  This may be a bit dated but I seem to remember someone saying at one point that you should run intervals to end up with about 400 meters further than the race distance and do them either at race pace or slightly faster.  Now, this may not be so applicable for tri’s, I do duathlons in the summer and fall (track in the spring)  but it seems to me like if it works for me in the half (1:56 PR) it should increase your speed at any distance. WARNING: if this is completely and totally wrong (i don’t think it is) someone PLEASE say so.  I would hate to see some guy out there doing quarters at 65 for no practical reason other than that I said it would help improve speed. -CaptainTri Drafting Sucks.  Keep tri-ing!

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Either way the foundation of your quality training should be hills and trying to spend a reasonable amount of time each week at or slightly above your AT threshold. In training for 10k events and longer, recent reasearch has called into question, the value of doing any intervals of less than 3 to 5 min. in duration. It takes a few min. for your metabolism to stabilize at your AT. Intervals slightly above and tempo runs slightly below AT should bring your times down. If this is for a 10K in a triathlon then you will have to do this "off the bike" . Before a running interval work out ride the bike hard for 20 – 40 min., to simulate the fatigue of cycling 40km.

While I agree that a hill foundation for 10K running is a good idea, I disagree that the interval distance needs to be greater than 3-5 minutes. I would say that you should mix your distances in different track workouts.  For myself (I’m most competitive in the half-ironman, with a 4:12 PR, including a 1:22 half-marathon in there), I recommend three focused runs per week:  One tempo run, consisting of about (for 10k training) 75% of your goal race time to be at race pace.  One long run, at a VERY EASY pace.  My LSD days find my HR at around 130, even though I race at about 170-175.  Gradually build up your distance to about an hour-and-a-half.  Any more than that is really uneccesary.  That’s as far as I normally go, even in training for the half.  The third focus run should be a track workout.  These days should alternate between longer distances one week to shorter distances the next.  I would often do mile repeats (up to 6 at a 5:20 pace) with a 400 jog between on week, and 400’s and 800’s the next week (alternate each 4 times at the same pace – 5:20min/mile).  You might cut that in half for 10k training.  However, I would stress that focus and consistancy are where the improvements will come from.  Get out there when you don’t want to.  That’s what makes the difference! Train Smart to Race Fast! -chris Chris Ramsey Boston, MA

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Question:

: that it is OK to start late in life (I am now 39), and still have : hopes of finishing a marathon. OOooh! Take it easy on the running!  You’re almost halfway dead! jg

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in May/97. Thanks for the inspiration, Ann Ottawa, Canada – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have been reading rec.running for the past year, and have benefited enormously from the many words of wisdom offered here. Thank you all! Posts from first-time marathoners were specially meaningful for me, since I was training for my first marathon. It was great to realize that it is OK to start late in life (I am now 39), and still have hopes of finishing a marathon. So in the hope that this will help inspire someone else, I wanted to report that I completed my first marathon last weekend (Columbus Marathon). It took me 5 hrs 11 mins, but I did it! I was on a pace to finish in 4 hrs 50 mins until mile 21, when I started getting cramps and had to alternate running and walking the rest of the way. I have already started planning for my next marathon, with a 4hrs 50 mins goal. Happy running, –ashok krishnamurthy

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I have been reading rec.running for the past year, and have benefited enormously from the many words of wisdom offered here. Thank you all! Posts from first-time marathoners were specially meaningful for me, since I was training for my first marathon. It was great to realize that it is OK to start late in life (I am now 39), and still have hopes of finishing a marathon.

<snipped Congratulations!  Hey, I didn’t do my first marathon until  I was 40. I figured I was old enough to try one then.  ;-} Now I’m trying to get an Ironman tri in before I’m 50…… tick.. tick.. tick…tick… TriBop WebRunner Running Page — Southeast USA Race Calendar 200+ listings. Beginner’s FAQ, Software Download the WebRunner Racing Utilities   http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html

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| Mike Tennent writes:

| Congratulations!  Hey, I didn’t do my first marathon until  I was 40. | I figured I was old enough to try one then.  ;-} Same here. | Now I’m trying to get an Ironman tri in before I’m 50…… | | tick.. tick.. tick…tick… I did my first 100 mile race at 50. It was my way to celebrate my birthday. How’s that for sick and twisted. I can assure you that age is a tiny factor, it’s the time to get those looooong runs, bikes and swims that is the most demanding. After the proper training(some impossible to quantify concept) the race is almost anti-climactic. The best of luck. GO FOR IT! — Doug Freese  All opinions are mine. IBM Tele: 8-293-8098

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Freese) writes: | Mike Tennent writes: | Congratulations!  Hey, I didn’t do my first marathon until  I was 40. | I figured I was old enough to try one then.  ;-} Same here. | Now I’m trying to get an Ironman tri in before I’m 50…… | | tick.. tick.. tick…tick… I did my first 100 mile race at 50. It was my way to celebrate my birthday. How’s that for sick and twisted. I can assure you that age is a tiny factor, it’s the time to get those looooong runs, bikes and swims that is the most demanding. After the proper training(some impossible to quantify concept) the race is almost anti-climactic. The best of luck. GO FOR IT! — Doug Freese  All opinions are mine. IBM Tele: 8-293-8098

I agree with you Doug, after you start training for a long distance event, the distance does not seem "as" dominating.  I was scared to death my first ironman triathlon, but after a couple of hrs. found myself having much fun.  I hope to tackle some ultras in the upcoming yr. seeyatmk bradenton,florida http://www.netcom.com/~skee/tmk.html

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I did my first 100 mile race at 50. It was my way to celebrate my birthday.

I did 50K, solo, at the local high school track on my 50th birthday (1986.)  At the time I was running about 10 miles per week due to injuries. I started at 05:00 in the dark and finished before 11:00.  I had to walk the last five miles. When the sun got up the temperature was over 90 degrees F. —Al Hromjak

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I did my first 100 mile race at 50. It was my way to celebrate my birthday. I did 50K, solo, at the local high school track on my 50th birthday (1986.)  At the time I was running about 10 miles per week due to injuries. I started at 05:00 in the dark and finished before 11:00.  I had to walk the last five miles. When the sun got up the temperature was over 90 degrees F. —Al Hromjak

On a similar note, I ran the Houston Marathon as a birthday present to myself a week after my 26th birthday. It ended up being my fastest marathon. I had a great time thinking about my life as the miles/years went by. Andrew Heiz

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I did my first 100 mile race at 50. It was my way to celebrate my birthday.

What a great way to celebrate.  Congratulations. Would be interested in your reflections along the path. — In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer-rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic,  est. 1975

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have been reading rec.running for the past year, and have benefited enormously from the many words of wisdom offered here. Thank you all! Posts from first-time marathoners were specially meaningful for me, since I was training for my first marathon. It was great to realize that it is OK to start late in life (I am now 39), and still have hopes of finishing a marathon. So in the hope that this will help inspire someone else, I wanted to report that I completed my first marathon last weekend (Columbus Marathon). It took me 5 hrs 11 mins, but I did it! I was on a pace to finish in 4 hrs 50 mins until mile 21, when I started getting cramps and had to alternate running and walking the rest of the way. I have already started planning for my next marathon, with a 4hrs 50 mins goal. Happy running, –ashok krishnamurthy

Congrats on your first marathon, welcome to the marathon tribe.  :) seeyatmk bradenton,florida http://www.netcom.com/~skee/tmk.html

Response:

I have been reading rec.running for the past year, and have benefited enormously from the many words of wisdom offered here. Thank you all! Posts from first-time marathoners were specially meaningful for me, since I was training for my first marathon. It was great to realize that it is OK to start late in life (I am now 39), and still have hopes of finishing a marathon. So in the hope that this will help inspire someone else, I wanted to report that I completed my first marathon last weekend (Columbus Marathon). It took me 5 hrs 11 mins, but I did it! I was on a pace to finish in 4 hrs 50 mins until mile 21, when I started getting cramps and had to alternate running and walking the rest of the way. I have already started planning for my next marathon, with a 4hrs 50 mins goal. Happy running, –ashok krishnamurthy

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Question:

Yeah, but isn’t one of the things about Clinton is that he went to great lenghts in the 60’s to avoid draft. I would then conclude he is anti-draft. On a related matter, Skylands Tri this weekend will be held in CLINTON, NJ…. and that will be totally without draft!  :-) TriRef

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Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.  Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.  I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.  

Clinton Pro-draft?  After 4 years of being accused of draft-dodging? I assume Kemp is pro-draft, tho, since he was in the NFL. ;-} Mike Tennent WebRunner Running Page — Southeast USA Race Calendar 200+ listings. Beginner’s FAQ, Software Download the WebRunner Racing Utilities   http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.  Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.  I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.   You’ve got to be kidding. Drafting is a concept that is brought about by the RightWingers like Dole. The big companys that make profit off of ‘made for TV’ draft legal tris, are lining the bank accounts of the right. Clinton is definately not pro-draft, he believes that all are entitled to race independently with out having to run with the pack.   No Drafting, No Dole, No Way.

I’m with you TriDog!  Dole has been trying to draft off the Religious Right and their Bigoted agenda this entire campaign.  Let’s keep him out of office and keep drafting out of the government!

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Yeah, but isn’t one of the things about Clinton is that he went to great lenghts in the 60’s to avoid draft. I would then conclude he is anti-draft.

Bill didn’t draft in the 60’s, nor did he inhale, but what about Hillary? She’s the one who keep’s saying "it takes a village."  Some of those draft packs are about the size of a small village.  Seems to me the Clinton’s basic philosopy of "from each according to ability, to each according to need" is right in line with a pro-drafting stance.  Now Dole, on the other hand, is clearly against drafting, at least in the amateur ranks.  As a seasoned Washington insider, he knows that blatant high-performance sucking up should only be attempted by professionals.  And his deep commitment to the scientific method, as demonstrated by his courageous stand on tobacco addiction, shows he won’t be fooled by any "Zone" diets. A vote for Dole is a solid vote of confidence in the future of triathlon. The Carmel Group "Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win."  R.A.H.

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Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.  

Dole wants to return to the past before the days of aero-bars! — Steve Patt  Stevens Creek Software  The Athlete’s Diary & Bookstore  WWW: http://www.stevenscreek.com  FTP: ftp.stevenscreek.com  1-800-TA-DIARY

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Remember before the last election when Perot was demonstrating his prediction about the economy and Mexico and all that by making great big ugly sucking noises.  He sure was against any kind of draft.  And we know for sure that Clinton knew better than to get swallowed by the pack.  That just leaves Dole as Less’ henchman.  Into the sin bin he goes. Ruth Kazez

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Clinton Pro-draft?  After 4 years of being accused of draft-dodging? I assume Kemp is pro-draft, tho, since he was in the NFL. ;-} Mike Tennent Actually I think we can assume that Kemp is anti-draft too.  He avoided

military service in 1961 with a ‘bad shoulder’.  The same year he QB’ed the Chargers to a Division championship. Augie Calabrese

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – says… Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.   Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.   I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.   You’ve got to be kidding. Drafting is a concept that is brought about by the RightWingers like Dole. The big companys that make profit off of ‘made for TV’ draft legal tris, are lining the bank accounts of the right. Clinton is definately not pro-draft, he believes that all are entitled to race independently with out having to run with the pack.   No Drafting, No Dole, No Way. I’m with you TriDog!  Dole has been trying to draft off the Religious Right and their Bigoted agenda this entire campaign.  Let’s keep him out of office and keep drafting out of the government!

Oh my, it’s an election year again, when the posts stretch and groan to include some sort of political agenda.  Must we?  Isn’t the whole Les vs the world thing enough for the gentle readers of r.b.t.? Also, it’s a regional thing.  Let’s give our overseas (and even our "driveable") neighbors a break. And besides, I don’t think Clinton is going to want the word "draft" to come up one way or another….  ;^) Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles

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Let it be known, that Slick Willie is definiatly not pro-draft, he is however a pro draft dodger!!                                     _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / Tri-On The only legal draft should come from hops and barley. WEB (Robert Webster) Waukegan, IL

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Clinton says that we have to look towards the future, the future might be drafting to make it more interesting for t.v.  Dole says we have to look towards the past, in the past we didn’t draft, VOTE DOLE (or buchanon as a write in). -Cheers

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If you really want to avoid riding with the pack, vote for Perot.  No drafter, he.  He even rides a different course than everyone else! As for me, I’m voting for Bill.  He may not have followed all the rules when he avoided the draft, but at least he seems to enjoy the race, unlike Dole.  That’s why Ruth says we should be racing anyway! –Lee ("Vote early and often") Crumbaugh

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Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.  Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.  I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.  

Response:

Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.  Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.  I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President.  

You’ve got to be kidding. Drafting is a concept that is brought about by the RightWingers like Dole. The big companys that make profit off of ‘made for TV’ draft legal tris, are lining the bank accounts of the right. Clinton is definately not pro-draft, he believes that all are entitled to race independently with out having to run with the pack.   No Drafting, No Dole, No Way.

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I always believed there was too much politics in Triathlon.  Now I’m sure of it – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Am I the first to notice this? I thing the number of drafting incidences and draft legal races increased significantly over the last four years while Bill Clinton has been in office.  Back when we had Bush, there the good old Bud Light series was going strong and the ITU world Champs were "offically" draft free.  I believe the last year of BLTS was 1992, about the same time Les first saw the Tour de France on TV and said, "Look at all those French people lining the roads to see the pack go by!!"  Yes, I think that it is our duty, first as Americans, second as Triathletes, to vote Bob Dole for President. You’ve got to be kidding. Drafting is a concept that is brought about by the RightWingers like Dole. The big companys that make profit off of ‘made for TV’ draft legal tris, are lining the bank accounts of the right. Clinton is definately not pro-draft, he believes that all are entitled to race independently with out having to run with the pack. No Drafting, No Dole, No Way.

– Louis J. Savastani "Do no eat thy neighbor’s wife’s popcorn"

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Question:

Well let’s see-    He finished 4th overall, looks comfortable, has a forward position, and flat back. Needs a mojo somewhere, but otherwise seems to work. Rich

Response:

I am slow to reading the August Triathlete, so pardon me if you have already tossed yours, but check out the photo of Tim Watson’s bike and position on page 32. What bike is that? And what kind of drop does he have from the saddle to the bars? I find it hard to believe had can crank 40K like that. Brian Sullivan

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His bike is a Javelin. I don’t know what the drop is between bars and saddle.  It seems he is kind of defeating the purpose of aerobars.  You could drive a truck through the space between his head and forearms. . .

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Question:

Hi! In many endurance sports exists a one or two hour record. Most popualr it’s in cycling. Is there such a record in Tri (1h = 20min each event; 3h = 1h each event)? Would be interesting I think. Stefan

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    I have a mountain bike that I would like to use in a triathlon. Does anyone have suggestions on little things I can to make it quicker on the road?

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