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Please ignore previous URL, sorry. Even Infrequent Jogging Increases Bone Mineral Density in Men WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jun 28 – Men who jog as little as one to eight times a month have significantly higher bone mineral density (BMD) than men who do not jog, according to data from NHANES III, a nationally representative US survey. Dr. Anne C. Looker from the National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues collected data on total femoral BMD in 4254 men, 20 to 59 years of age, who had completed questions about exercise. The investigators found that 23.3% of the men in the cohort reported having jogged within the past month. Mean BMD was 5.0% higher among joggers than all nonjoggers and 7.7% higher among joggers compared with sedentary nonjoggers, the team reports in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Men who jogged one to eight times a month had higher BMD compared with men who did not jog at all, and those who jogged nine times or more a month had significantly higher BMD compared with men who jogged less than nine times per month. "Our data suggest that even a modest frequency of jogging is associated with higher femoral BMD and thus may provide some protection against osteoporosis and fracture," Dr. Looker and colleagues conclude. Am J Public Health 2001;91:1056-1059.

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Interesting article but there were studies 25 years ago that showed the same thing. Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Please ignore previous URL, sorry. Even Infrequent Jogging Increases Bone Mineral Density in Men WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jun 28 – Men who jog as little as one to eight times a month have significantly higher bone mineral density (BMD) than men who do not jog, according to data from NHANES III, a nationally representative US survey. Dr. Anne C. Looker from the National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues collected data on total femoral BMD in 4254 men, 20 to 59 years of age, who had completed questions about exercise. The investigators found that 23.3% of the men in the cohort reported having jogged within the past month. Mean BMD was 5.0% higher among joggers than all nonjoggers and 7.7% higher among joggers compared with sedentary nonjoggers, the team reports in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Men who jogged one to eight times a month had higher BMD compared with men who did not jog at all, and those who jogged nine times or more a month had significantly higher BMD compared with men who jogged less than nine times per month. "Our data suggest that even a modest frequency of jogging is associated with higher femoral BMD and thus may provide some protection against osteoporosis and fracture," Dr. Looker and colleagues conclude. Am J Public Health 2001;91:1056-1059.

Ken Parker Runner’s Web http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html A running and triathlon resource site

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Question:

I will be doing my first Half IRONMAN this May.  I’m not intimidated by the bike or the run.  Its the swim that has me bothered.  I know by the time May comes around I will have the distance (1.2mi) down and then some.  I am scheduling some open water lake and ocean swims.  How do I go about doing the ocean swim just for practice?  What precautions?  Any survival tips to think about?  How do you determine distance?  Should I swim parallel to the  shore?  You can see I have no clue.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

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Yup… here’s an article (beware, it’s kinda long) on the subject somebody posted here a while ago that offers lots of insight into surviving all kinds of surface conditions that you may encounter.  Swimming parallel to the shore-line makes the most sense to me. Enjoy. Ray Open Water Swimming Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University. In my many years in this sport, I have never seen any reasonably complete article in the magazines dealing with open water swimming (they seem to rehash the same basic stuff every few years).  A lot of them talk about how to draft, or tell you to look up every few strokes to stay on course, but very few seem to deal with the subject in much detail. So last summer, I started to gather my thoughts and experiences on the subject.  I finally got back to it just now.  Rather than deal just with racing in open water,  I have tried to deal with both swimming for fun and racing. I welcome all comments! (Did I forget anything? Am I completely off base?  Are there any other tips that you have found particularly helpful?)  Enjoy! John (who has plenty of experience as an involuntary bodysurfer) John Walker. Jackson & Tull Chartered Engineers, Seabrook, Maryland. Open Water Visibility of less than 2 feet.  No stripe to follow on the bottom. Unseen creatures lurking under you.  Seen creatures kicking you and flailing their arms all around you.  Choppy water trying to splash in your mouth on every breath.  Cold water.  Flotsam and jetsam…. I can’t understand why anyone would be concerned about open water. Seriously though, open water swimming can be a wonderful activity. Open water swimming is to pool swimming as trail running is to track running.  It is a chance to get out and simply enjoy your surroundings.  You can stretch out your stroke and get into a rhythm that you can’t achieve when there are walls every 25 or 50 meters. Get Comfortable Admittedly, it is important to feel comfortable in open water before you can really enjoy it.  And to feel comfortable, you have to understand what the water can do, what you can do, and have some confidence that you can handle whatever it throws at you.  Don’t go into the water with the attitude that you can depend upon someone else to bail you out.  Lifeguards, and other people, will do what they can to help you, but if seven other people also go in with the same attitude and have trouble at the same time you do…. Maintaining Your Composure In almost every pool I know, it is impossible to be more than 4 lane widths from a wall.  And with lane ropes installed, there is always something within an arms reach for support in case you get a mouth full of water.  That is not the case with open water. Swimming alone or with a small group, there is often nothing right next to you to hang onto. At least in races, there are usually lifeguards on rescue boards or kayaks nearby to quickly lend assistance. How far do you feel comfortable swimming without hanging onto something? Think carefully about that question, because the answer is very important. In the pool, do you grab the wall at each turn in order to get a little rest or a little more breath?  Can you swim longer distances without grabbing a wall?  Can you stay afloat while coughing from getting a mouthful of water, or do you hang onto the lane rope?  Can you keep swimming when you get a side stitch, calf cramp, or foot cramp?  Can you swim underwater for a few seconds without feeling claustrophobic? Although it is not uncommon for even very experienced swimmers to occasionally feel a little panicky in open water, panicking is about the worst thing you can do in open water (it isn’t recommended in many other situations either).  The biggest mental challenge to open water swimming is to maintain composure no matter what happens.  This may require doing some breaststroke, or even treading water or floating for a little while. I have always valued my life a lot more than staying with the pack, a fast time, or riding a great wave.  Find some way to keep afloat and to regain your composure.  With this mental security, you will at least enable yourself to enter another event at a later date.  With that in mind, I am not aware of any open water races that require you to swim any particular stroke, so do whatever stroke you feel most comfortable with. Don’t Swim Alone Even if you have tried to prepare for every possible problem, it is always possible that something unexpected will happen and you find yourself needing help.   That is not the time to be alone. If there are lifeguards, let them know your plans before you start swimming.  If there are no lifeguards, then swim with someone else (keeping an eye on each other and knowing lifesaving will both help).  Even if there are lifeguards, a partner will be able to get to you a lot sooner than a lifeguard. Make Yourself Visible Along those same lines, make yourself easy to see.  Not only will it help people find you if you need help, but it may also help boats see you and only come close instead of running over you.  Those bright swim caps they make you wear at races aren’t just for decoration!  The only times I ever wear a swim cap are in open water and cold water (like when the heater goes out in the pool). Navigation Can you swim in the right direction when there is no line painted on the bottom?  Most of the articles I have read on open water swimming deal with this issue by telling you to look up every few strokes.  Practice in a pool.  Try lifting your head up and looking at the end of your lane.  Lift your head at different times during your stroke and see what feels most comfortable.  With that accomplished, you have tackled the most important part of navigation in open water.  That is really all you need to be able to do, although there are refinements to help you speed up and make it easier. Refinements:  Looking up slows you down and tires you out.  If you can stay   on course, you will be much better off looking up every 20 strokes   as opposed to every 6 strokes.  But that is a big "if."  Not   looking up may speed you up, but that doesn’t do much good if   you start swimming in circles.  The classic solution to this   is to practice swimming a length of the pool with your eyes   closed.  The lane ropes will quickly make it apparent in which   direction you naturally veer.  Work to straighten out your   stroke. Know where to expect the buoy (I’ll use the term buoy, even though   you may end up using some other landmark) when you look.  It is a whole   lot easier to find the North Star if you start by looking generally   north.  Likewise, it is a whole lot easier to spot a buoy or   some other target if you generally look in the right direction   and know where to expect it.  During swim practices in the pool,   I look at the pace clock in the middle of swims.  Because I am   too far down the pool by my second breath off the wall, I get only   one chance to read it.  In order to get a good reading, I need to know   where I expect to see the second hand. Don’t look for too long.  If you don’t spot your marker (buoy)   quickly, take another stroke and look again then.  Or you may   have only gotten a glimpse of the buoy before you had to put your   face back in the water.  But this should help you spot it more quickly   the next time you look.  In choppy or rough water, you   may be in the trough of a wave in one stroke, making a buoy   impossible to see.  But two strokes later, you may be on the   crest and able to see for hundreds of yards.  Note also that even   though you may be on the crest of the wave, the buoy may be in   a trough.  Oh well, it is better to keep swimming in the direction where   you think the buoy is located than to stop until you sight it.   Although lifeguards swim with their heads up, we don’t have   to.  A lifeguard’s target is much more likely to disappear under   the water than a big orange buoy (and have greater consequences, too). Follow others.  If you are swimming with others, and they appear   to be swimming in a straight line, just follow them.  But even though   they will probably not intentionally veer off course, you should   still check periodically. Find things to the side that you can use as markers.  Although at   4.4 miles,  the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is one of the longer popular   open water swims, it is quite easy navigationally.  The swim goes from the   western shore of the bay to the eastern shore between the two spans of   the bridge.  I rarely had to look forward in this swim.  I saw the south   span whenever I breathed on my right and the north span when I breathed   on my left.  Likewise, you can use the shore to keep you on target. Use your imagination. There are lots of things around that can   help you stay in a straight line without looking up too often.   I have used the direction that the rays of sunlight are entering   the water to help me stay in a straight line.  It certainly isn’t   perfect, but if it allows me to look up only every 20 strokes instead   of 6, it is worth it. Don’t make big adjustments to your position.  If you find yourself   quite a ways to the side of the course, change your direction to   slowly move back.  Remember that the shortest distance from your   current position to the next turn is a straight line, no matter   where you are.  Don’t bother swimming straight back to the other   swimmers before heading for the next turn; just go for the next turn.   You really do not swim much further if you gradually move away   from the shortest path and then gradually move back.  On an out and   back 1.5K swim, you can swim over 40 meters to the side on each   leg of the swim, and

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One other warning:  Make sure you know landmarks past your route on both ends, i.e. farther than you plan on swimming out and back past your starting point.  On vacation in California I thought I’d get some practice in swimming across La Jolla Cove, but each time between wind, current, and surf wound up several beaches the wrong direction. My little two-miler became about a five miler.  It was fun, but not something I’d want to do again. Paul Berman

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…snip… One more thing – there will come a time when something "hits" you in the water. It may be a fish, it may be a piece of wood, or just seaweed. But it is absolutely freakin’ scary.  It’s tough not to panic, but you need to remain calm. Sometimes you have to admit defeat. There have been times I’ve been rattled enough after several "hits"  that I just came in to the beach and sat down for a bit to settle down. Don’t swim in open water if you aren’t thinking clearly.

Tell me about it!!! I once ran into a snapping turtle (~12 inches long) in a pond I was swimming in.  I don’t know who was more freaked out, me or the turtle, but it took me a good two weeks to stay calm when I hit things in the water. Pratigya Polissar

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I have one tip, and it has nothing to do with safety. Learn to close your mouth when you aren’t breathing.  The salt water will pucker you into total misery.

Another indispensable trick is to learn when NOT to take a breath. Sometimes the wave catches you wrong and if you take a breath you’ll choke and sputter. You need to learn to recognize that situation and adjust accordingly. One more thing – there will come a time when something "hits" you in the water. It may be a fish, it may be a piece of wood, or just seaweed. But it is absolutely freakin’ scary.  It’s tough not to panic, but you need to remain calm. Sometimes you have to admit defeat. There have been times I’ve been rattled enough after several "hits"  that I just came in to the beach and sat down for a bit to settle down. Don’t swim in open water if you aren’t thinking clearly. Mike Tennent TriBOP aka "IronPenguin" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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Learn to close your mouth when you aren’t breathing.  The salt water will pucker you into total misery. Rob who was a freshwater only swimmer until last summer.

This is very good advice…I had to drop out of the Martha’s Vineyard IM in 1994 because of severe spasms in my quadriceps muscles. Possible cause? I swallowed too much salt water during the swim, dehydrating me. I know it’ll be tough out there, especially if the waves are huge, but if you keep from swallowing too much salt water, you’ll be ahead of the game.                           |26      | IMC’96: 10:36:37          |   Fe   |   IMNZ, IMC ‘99 IMC’97: 10:42:53          |        |                  "THE BEST ELEMENT OF RACING"

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 How do I go about doing the ocean swim just for practice?  What precautions?  Any survival tips to think about?  How do you determine distance?  Should I swim parallel to the  shore?  You can see I have no clue.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

I always swim parallel , since that is usually how they’re held here in the southeast. It takes a while to get used to swimming in a "valley" and popping up on top of waves to spot the next buoy. Navigation is by hard the trickiest part. The larger the swell, the harder it is. You need to get out beyond the break point and stay out there to avoid getting rolled. My favorite trick here on St. Simons is to use the beach at the inlet. Our tidal change is dramatic, with a very fast water flow in and out of the harbor/river. I simply wade in and start swimming against the tidal flow. After 30 minutes (or whatever) I wade back out in the same spot. No walking back. <g Most beaches have some current you have to deal with and can dramatically change a mile swim into a 2 mile equivalent. How to measure? In unknown places, I’ll run the beach at an easy pace and interpret the times into distances. It’s all approximate anyway because of the effect of tidal currents. You’re better off just using time swimming and convert that to approximate distance for your log. Mike Tennent TriBOP aka "IronPenguin" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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Sounds like you will be swimming at the Gulf Coast tri ?? Expect some rough conditions. In my experience it has been. Navigation a big problem when swimmming up and down waves to a boat that is so far out. Gulf Coast is an out and back. When you make the turn around the beach will look a loooong way off from your vantage point so low in the water. Best thing in the ocean is to just keep swimming and don’t think about anything but what is above the water. You might even want to close your eyes if the visibility is such that it freaks you out as the bottom fades away and there is nothing but the fade into the distance blue with who knows what lurking. Gulf Coast, get a wetsuit. If not for the temp then wear it for the security it may give you in the open ocean. Ken

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says… I will be doing my first Half IRONMAN this May.  I’m not intimidated by the bike or the run.  Its the swim that has me bothered.  I know by the time May comes around I will have the distance (1.2mi) down and then some.  I am scheduling some open water lake and ocean swims.  How do I go about doing the ocean swim just for practice?  What precautions?  Any survival tips to think about?  How do you determine distance?  Should I swim parallel to the  shore?  You can see I have no clue.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

I have one tip, and it has nothing to do with safety. Learn to close your mouth when you aren’t breathing.  The salt water will pucker you into total misery. Rob who was a freshwater only swimmer until last summer. PS: the other discussions on safety are reasonable. — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www2.jps.net/~robbo

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 I hate to sound like a life guard here, but it would be advisable to not do your first few swims in open water alone. Remember the buddy system? Andy

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Jose, I would suggest you swim parallel to shore with a buddy. I t would also be best to swim when there’s a light to medium chop and use your wetsuit if you have one. You need to get used to the difference in stroke and body position while wearing a wetsuit. Additionally, you want to concentrate on navigating by picking a point on the horizon and checking your course every fifth stroke or so. I generally try to get out for an ocean swim weekly as we get closer to tri season. As far as Gulf Coast is concerned you should anticipate a rough swim particularly if there’s any wind – which there usually is. Also there’s a current that runs east to west which will take you off course particularly on the swim return. There are plenty on building to sight off of on the return but you can still be swept off course if you’re not paying attention. I can recall numerous people coming out of the water a quarter mile or more down the beach. Hope this helps. Cheers, Bernie Sher – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I will be doing my first Half IRONMAN this May.  I’m not intimidated by the bike or the run.  Its the swim that has me bothered.  I know by the time May comes around I will have the distance (1.2mi) down and then some.  I am scheduling some open water lake and ocean swims.  How do I go about doing the ocean swim just for practice?  What precautions?  Any survival tips to think about?  How do you determine distance?  Should I swim parallel to the  shore?  You can see I have no clue.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

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Well Paul, i think you might have say Italians are among the best riders in the world. Inspite of the 25th victory of "superMario" in the Giro,inspite of the victory in Paris-Roubaix, currently the world champion Laurent  Brochard and the ICU n

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Just in time for New Year’s I got them out! This year there are 3 versions: Standard, Metric and Time, basically just variations on a theme.  Also available is Sanjay Gupta’s great SERIOUS training spreadsheet for either the Olympic/Half Iron distance or the Ironman Distance. All are available, free of charge or advertisement at: http://www.accessone.com/~robb/trilog.htm Happy New Year! — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb To send me email, remove the nomorespam from my domain name.

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So far…looks great! Thanks for putting this together. Glenn

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Rob, These are great pieces of work – thank-you very much. — Slainte, Richard. Arran Triathlon Club – *the going got tough* – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just in time for New Year’s I got them out! This year there are 3 versions: Standard, Metric and Time, basically just variations on a theme.  Also available is Sanjay Gupta’s great SERIOUS training spreadsheet for either the Olympic/Half Iron distance or the Ironman Distance. All are available, free of charge or advertisement at: http://www.accessone.com/~robb/trilog.htm Happy New Year! — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb To send me email, remove the nomorespam from my domain name.

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Hey, I downloaded your spreadsheets. THANKS A TON. Wow, really nice spreadsheet and I appreciate very much being able to use it for free. I was just talking _today_ about how I needed to start logging my training. Super. Thanks. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Just in time for New Year’s I got them out! This year there are 3 versions: Standard, Metric and Time, basically just variations on a theme.  Also available is Sanjay Gupta’s great SERIOUS training spreadsheet for either the Olympic/Half Iron distance or the Ironman Distance. All are available, free of charge or advertisement at: http://www.accessone.com/~robb/trilog.htm Happy New Year! — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb To send me email, remove the nomorespam from my domain name.

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Thanks to Tridog!!   I used the 1997 version last year to track my races/training time and am thankful to have a new one for the upcoming year. ..Now who was it who said that nothing in life was free.  (O.K. no rhetoric, I’m aware of opportunity costs, blah, blah, blah) Dan T. — Aye Captain, Warp Speed Standing By… — New Warrior in the Tri-Tribe. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just in time for New Year’s I got them out! This year there are 3 versions: Standard, Metric and Time, basically just variations on a theme.  Also available is Sanjay Gupta’s great SERIOUS training spreadsheet for either the Olympic/Half Iron distance or the Ironman Distance. All are available, free of charge or advertisement at: http://www.accessone.com/~robb/trilog.htm Happy New Year! — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb To send me email, remove the nomorespam from my domain name.

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Question:

I am considering taking up cross country skiing for a new change in training and I am wondering what would be the best to take up.  Skating or the traditional style.  I am leaning towards the skating style as it looks like more fun and easier.  Any input would be great!   Thanks Todd

Skating is quicker to learn, and also good strengthbuilding. IMHO skating is the better for the triathlet. Regards Lars Norwegian skier and bicyclist

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Rick, I now live in Houston, but at one time wnet to school in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan and used to X-country ski extensively.  Skating on skis is not bad to learn and is a whole lot of fun once you get it down (Plus falling on snow hurts far less than falling on ice!!)  Skating has a beautiful elegence to it and it also very fun to watch.  I was once about 10K into the woods when Beth Heiden and her husband (He now teaches at the college) cam skating by me in perfect unison.  It was unbelievable to watch — they moved so effortlessly it looked like they were dancing.   Skating skiis are shorter and are only waxed for gliding.  Poles are longer than traditional. X-country skiing is definitely a good aerobic exercise, and one of the best ways to get out and enjoy nature!  There is nothing like being 10-20k out into the woods and hear nothing but your skiis, heart, and the snow falling.  Give it a try!! t… Question: I live in Dallas. We have snow once every other year or so. We dream of hills. We don’t ski around here. But we have girlfriends who ski and love it, and we don’t want them enjoying ski trips by themselves, or in the company of some gel-brained raccoon-eyed ski stud. We would prefer to be the one sharing the comfy couch in front of the fire in the rustic lodge. So we are trying to think of ways to stay fit and busy on ski vacations. We cannot take lessons all damn day.

<SNIP

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I am considering taking up cross country skiing for a new change in training and I am wondering what would be the best to take up.  Skating or the traditional style.  I am leaning towards the skating style as it looks like more fun and easier.  Any input would be great!   Thanks Todd

If your goal is fun cross-training, with some good carry over to your cycling (and you have regular access to groomed trails) then by all means go for the skating style.  If you plan to go knocking about off trail, though, then you should also learn the basics of kick & glide skiing.  Skating is fast, powerful, and a great adrenaline rush–especially during the learning phases when your ability to move forward rapidly outstrips your ability to turn or stop.  But it isn’t very adaptable to anything but wider trails which are either groomed or packed firm.  My guess is that if you like X-C skiing at all, you’ll end up learning both styles. (Oh, boy, more expensive sports toys for another season….). — Rick Teichler StorageTek Software Engineering (Louisville, Colorado) For Email replies, use:   teichler <at sweng <dot stortek <dot com

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Question: I live in Dallas. We have snow once every other year or so. We dream of hills.

My condolences. We don’t ski around here. But we have girlfriends who ski and love it, and we don’t want them enjoying ski trips by themselves, or in the company of some gel-brained raccoon-eyed ski stud. We would prefer to be the one sharing the comfy couch in front of the fire in the rustic lodge. So we are trying to think of ways to stay fit and busy on ski vacations. We cannot take lessons all damn day.

Sound logic. One option is snowshoeing. I did some while sneaking away from a conference in Utah last week. It was a blast. But we are not narrow, we try new things.

It’s not easy to sneak away on snowshoes, but… To wit: What is telemarking?

For some (those known as serious pin-heads) it is an ecstatic form of religion.  For most of the rest of us, it is simply another method of making turns on skis.  Using bindings that only hold the toe of the boot, the heel is free to rise up off the ski so that one ski can be behind the other.  It is a very graceful looking turn (at least, once the skill is mastered).  Think of the way most ski jumpers try to land their jumps–that’s what the basic telemark turn position looks like.  I think most people find that becoming proficient at telemark turning takes longer than acquiring equivalent skill doing parallel turns on alpine equipment.  As exercise, it probably hasn’t got the cross-training benefits a competitive triathlete would look for–but, lord, it is fun. Is that the traditional form of cross-country skiing?

The telemark turn evolved on the traditional cross-country ski gear.  Modern boots, bindings, and skis made for telemark enjoyment are much heavier than what most people would use for simple cross-country skiing. Is skating on skis any easier than skating on skates? (If it ain’t, them I’m sticking with snowshoes)

Do you mean easier in effort or in skill?  Skill-wise, I think you’ll find skate-skiing easier than ice skating. The skis are skinny, but they aren’t blades, so your ankles shouldn’t flop over on you.  You have ski poles which can be used for support and balance (although that’s not really what they’re supposed to be used for). Easier in effort?–No. For one thing, except when you have an ice storm in Missouri, skating rinks are built without hills in them.  Skate skiing also uses ski poles, so that your upper body gets a workout akin to swimming.  Hockey players use sticks, but not for propulsion.  (Snowshoes are fun, but there’s no downhill speed, and they don’t glide across level meadows either.) What kind of skis do you get? What are the differences in the skis and poles?

Don’t get any.   Sneak out to Colorado (one or two more Texans during ski season will never be noticed ) and RENT your equipment while taking an easy lesson or two. Find some inexpensive lodging in the Fraser Valley (Fraser or Granby), and then visit Devils Thumb Ranch or Snow Mountain Ranch for a lesson and equipment advice.  (Your girlfriend can satisfy her downhill cravings at nearby Winter Park). Find out what you like, with the recommendations of people who really know their subject, before you buy anything. X-C equipment usually rents cheaper than the downhill stuff, and "try before you buy" is the best advice I can give you–especially since you live where you won’t get weekly use from it. I’m asking these questions here because I don’t think I could stand the laughter on rec.skiing or whatever it is. We are accustomed to the laughter around here.

Yeah, I know–I read Molly Ivins. — Rick Teichler StorageTek Software Engineering (Louisville, Colorado) For Email replies, use:   teichler <at sweng <dot stortek <dot com

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I would say that you should take the lessons for the skate skiing. This will give you alot of info on technique and equipment and you would also have spent part of your day and can be exhausted enough to require a massage from your girlfriend. I live in CO, but am really a warm weather kind of guy. I tried traditional XC skiing and skate skiiing. Traditional is more demanding on technique, skating you can pick up qiucker. Unless you have the time to learn and then practice alot, I would go with skating. AND it will eat your lunch aerobically. I am pretty fit (hmmm?) and for me to go more than a kilometer skating is rare right now. At first you will be stopping for a rest every 100 yards, or less. Have fun, Texas babes.

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I am considering taking up cross country skiing for a new change in training and I am wondering what would be the best to take up.  Skating or the traditional style.  I am leaning towards the skating style as it looks like more fun and easier.  Any input would be great!   Thanks Todd

Todd, Either style will give you a good workout, especially in Calgary. I was told it’s best to learn traditional (classic) first before moving on to skating (freestyle).  Also, if you don’t want to deal with a lot of waxing, a cheap pair of waxless skis can give you a good introduction to the sport (though you may still need to apply some sort of glide wax for some snow conditions). I’m sure there are plenty of others out there who can give better advice than me – I’m in the market for the skating skis myself after a few years of classic skiing. Todd Jensen

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De-lurk mode on:

[snip] I was told it’s best to learn traditional (classic) first before moving on to skating (freestyle).  Also, if you don’t want to deal with a lot of waxing, a cheap pair of waxless skis can give you a good introduction to the sport (though you may still need to apply some sort of glide wax for some snow conditions).

[snip] Todd is probably right in that you will need know the basics in traditional XC-skiing even if you settle for skating. The problem is that the skis for traditional and skating style XC-skiing are quite different, with the skating skis shorter and stiffer. Also the shoes (well, what do you call skiing shoes differ. The shoes used for skating have support for the ankles, while this would only hinder when going traditional style. However, no need to panic. There are shoes (at least by Salomon) which can be used both for skating and traditinal skiing and if you decide to take up skating, you will be able to learn the basics of traditional XC-skiing with a bit shorter skis also. Personally I prefer skating because you are able to go faster and it gives the quads a better workout. Especially in hilly terrain. However, I am not so sure that it is easier to learn than traditional XC-skiing. You will probably be able to pick up the basics pretty fast, but to learn an efficient skating technique will take some time. The good news is that you will get a good workout while learning. Finally, if you settle for skating you will get by with a lot less messing with wax. For me, this is an issue as I rather spend my time skiing than waxing my skis. Of course, you can/should also wax your skating skis, but this is only to lower the friction in order to make you go faster. In traditional style XC-skiing you have to use wax to get some "traction". Hope this helps! niclas —

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Now skating skis are typically a bit shorter, and narrower than classical skis. They are almost completely different ins structure from classic XC skis, although some crossover skiis are made. The poles are longer. That’s about all I know.

There are classical skis that are just as narrow as skating skis — classical racing skis.  Classical skis vary a lot in width, from wide back country skis to narrow racing skis.  Skate skis are all on the narrow side — for racing or high-performance on groomed trails. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I would say that you should take the lessons for the skate skiing. This will give you alot of info on technique and equipment and you would also have spent part of your day and can be exhausted enough to require a massage from your girlfriend. I live in CO, but am really a warm weather kind of guy. I tried traditional XC skiing and skate skiiing. Traditional is more demanding on technique, skating you can pick up qiucker. Unless you have the time to learn and then practice alot, I would go with skating. AND it will eat your lunch aerobically. I am pretty fit (hmmm?) and for me to go more than a kilometer skating is rare right now.

Taking lessons is a good idea.  But you shouldn’t view skating as necessarily very physically demanding.  Because it was popularized as a racing technique most people try to muscle through skating.  But if you have very good technique (particularly good weight distribution) you can learn how to skate at all kinds of intensities — from very light to very heavy.  Lessons will help. JT

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 I have skied both classic and skating for a while now (amassing 4 pairs classic skis and 4 pairs skating skis) and have to say  that both styles really go hand in hand. From the balance and weight transfer from the classic to the aerobic and upper body strength of skating you really get fantastic workouts. I would really say to any beginner skier however that nothing succeeds likes lessons and rentals. You will get better and enjoy the whole experience so much more if you are not foundering. The quality workouts come from being able to sustain the speed over a variety of terrain.  Anyways, it’s better than being on a windtrainer anyday. Also in the Tahoe region there are a lot of great races that you can get in on for both classic and skating, both short 10k and longer marathons. I hope you stay with it, you will enjoy the variety it gives to your workouts. Lynne Mac

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I tried traditional XC skiing and skate skiiing. Traditional is more demanding on technique, skating you can pick up qiucker.

I respectfully disagree with this. Traditional is a very natural motion for runners to pick up, whereas skating requires alot of coordination and balance. I’ve done both, and find traditional is ALOT easier to master. I do agree with Treemoss’ comment (not shown) that skating is much harder than traditional aerobically speaking. -Rolf — I am Iron Mac.            The Ironman is over in the blink of an eye.                                                    Enjoy it! IMC’94/14:07    IMC’95/11:59    IMC’97/12:12    IMC’98/Confirmed

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There is a beauty to both forms of XC skiing.  As with anything requiring a new skill, time and practice is required.  Just as you spend time perfecting a swim stroke you should also spend time learning a ski technique.  There is really no reason to put down one style over the other.  Both are beautiful to do and to watch done well. Lynne Mac

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: I respectfully disagree with this. : : Traditional is a very natural motion for runners to pick : up, whereas skating requires alot of coordination and : balance. : : I’ve done both, and find traditional is ALOT easier to master. : I do agree with Treemoss’ comment (not shown) that skating is : much harder than traditional aerobically speaking. : : -Rolf I think that this is from a technique deficit. <sorry! I’ve never seen you ski Skating is by far a more efficient technique <when done correctly. When the skating revolution began, it was thought that the classic style would never be used again until people realized that it gave consistantly higher heartrates during training. I think that classic is more aerobically demanding, while skating requires more muscular strength. My .02. jw — Ride the fast parts fast, slow parts slow, sometimes the slow parts fast…but NEVER ride the fast parts slow!

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Question: I live in Dallas. We have snow once every other year or so. We dream of hills. We don’t ski around here. But we have girlfriends who ski and love it, and we don’t want them enjoying ski trips by themselves, or in the company of some gel-brained raccoon-eyed ski stud. We would prefer to be the one sharing the comfy couch in front of the fire in the rustic lodge. So we are trying to think of ways to stay fit and busy on ski vacations. We cannot take lessons all damn day. One option is snowshoeing. I did some while sneaking away from a conference in Utah last week. It was a blast. But we are not narrow, we try new things. To wit: What is telemarking? Is that the traditional form of cross-country skiing? Is skating on skis any easier than skating on skates? (If it ain’t, them I’m sticking with snowshoes) What kind of skis do you get? What are the differences in the skis and poles? I’m asking these questions here because I don’t think I could stand the laughter on rec.skiing or whatever it is. We are accustomed to the laughter around here. Skate! It is the way for the cross training triathlete, not to mention ez to pick up Quick. Tom

Rick Denney Take what you want and leave the rest.

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I am considering taking up cross country skiing for a new change in training and I am wondering what would be the best to take up.  Skating or the traditional style.  I am leaning towards the skating style as it looks like more fun and easier.  Any input would be great!   Thanks Todd

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What is telemarking? Is that the traditional form of cross-country skiing? Is skating on skis any easier than skating on skates? (If it ain’t, them I’m sticking with snowshoes) What kind of skis do you get? What are the differences in the skis and poles?

Telemarking is XC downhill technique, or the way your parents skied as kids.  It is a technique that requires one’s heels to be free. The outside leg is thrust forward, and the rear knee is dropped, and the turn is executed. Its a little more complicated, but you get the drift. And don’t take telemarking lightly, last year one contestant in the World Extreme Skiing Championships skied telemark.  If a downhiller can ski it, a telemarker can ski it sweetly, but with way more practice. Now skating skis are typically a bit shorter, and narrower than classical skis. They are almost completely different ins structure from classic XC skis, although some crossover skiis are made. The poles are longer. That’s about all I know. Robbo — Rob Blomquist aka TriDog Seattle, WA http://www.accessone.com/~robb To send me email, remove the nomorespam from my domain name.

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Skate! It is the way for the cross training triathlete, not to mention ez to pick up Quick. Tom

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Question:

Well, I did it. I sent in the application. No backing out now. One year from now there will be one less Iron-Virgin. The catalyst was finding a training partner (one of my wife’s fellow-teachers)  who is a serious triathlete (presently out of training)  who wants to do one, too. So we made an agreement to do it and so we shall. 364 days to go. Gotta get started….. Mike "TriBop" Tennent Remove "nospam." for email reply WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, I did it. I sent in the application. No backing out now. One year from now there will be one less Iron-Virgin. The catalyst was finding a training partner (one of my wife’s fellow-teachers)  who is a serious triathlete (presently out of training)  who wants to do one, too. So we made an agreement to do it and so we shall. 364 days to go. Gotta get started….. Mike "TriBop" Tennent Remove "nospam." for email reply WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

sent mine in too…nowthey’ll be two less iron virgins…I felt very confident filling out the form, but the reservations began hitting hit me when the mail box door banged shut…see you there…Eric in Cincinnati

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at : non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! : Tri-Baby Me too, Tricia, in fact I think I’ll head on down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon this weekend and see what I can do about it -Charlie I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Actually, TB, I was telling Charlie that very same thing at St. Anthony’s. The majority of violations seem to be blocking – people stacking left and staying there until it’s difficult or illegal to get around’em.  I yelled "On your left" til I was hoarse & they’d still just sorta sit there….

Oh, I can top that!  I had a couple of people actually get pissed at me for hollering "On your left!" and passing on their left when they were way the hell over in the lane.  I think they thought I should have just passed them on their right.  I went by and said, "It’s illegal to pass someone on the right, and you’re supposed to stay to the right all the time unless you’re actively passing."  Of course, the next time the road went uphill just a bit, they’d pass Miss Clydesdale here right back and there they’d be once again, just sitting there on the left. It’s easy enough to forgive ignorance, but when they continue to break the rule after having been informed about it, that’s just plain rude.  I just couldn’t believe this one woman who got really pissed at me; I yelled "On your left!" twice, and by that point I was right on top of her and committed to passing, and she would NOT move over.  I actually wound up crossing over the center line because my hands were nowhere near the brakes and I couldn’t/wouldn’t pass on the right.  She screamed something angrily at me and I hollered right back that she was blocking.  A minute later she passed me back and stuck like glue to the left side of the lane.  I eventually dropped her like a bad habit, but I was positively amazed by her rudeness. In contrast, there were two guys out there whom I passed while warning them that they were blocking, and as soon as they caught up to me again one of them said, "Sorry about the blocking; I didn’t know about it."  I gave him a friendly 10-second explanation of drafting/blocking rules, for which he thanked me.  The second guy caught up just then and said, "What’s the rule?  I couldn’t hear."  So at least some folks out there WANT to follow the rules—they just don’t know ‘em. Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 *** http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

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<big snip Actually, TB, I was telling Charlie that very same thing at St. Anthony’s. The majority of violations seem to be blocking – people stacking left and staying there until it’s difficult or illegal to get around’em.  I yelled "On your left" til I was hoarse & they’d still just sorta sit there…. Chaz

Ditto.  I started about 2/3 back on the bike in my tri last weekend (slow seeded swim times will do that for ya), and saw no drafting but a ton of blocking as I edged my way up.  "On your left" usually met with no sign of recognition (was I speaking French?).  Some people (maybe some who buy USAT 1-day passes) just don’t know what blocking is, but others just don’t seem to worry about it.  Drafting was denounced in our info packets, but blocking wasn’t mentioned.  Perhaps a little more race-day education would cure some of the center-line attraction. — "The 100% Anti-Draft" Dragon MechE – Nokia Mobile Phones The man who believes he can do anything is probably right; So is the man who believes he can’t.

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I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Tri-Baby

I have notices that some of the worst riding positions are found in the pro women’s field. The usual drill: glued to the center line with noone else in sight. Two or three loud "on your left"’s and then a pass on the right by me. The worst part is then the same woman will then scream at another rider "on your left! ON YOUR LEFT!" until they get out of the way. Maybe the stress level is a bit higher when you’re racing for you dinner. I wonder if the pro rule that states that cyclists must be staggered across the road is the reason for this riding style. If so, how do the officials differentiate between the pros and amateurs at a race like Wildflower where they’re both on the course at the same time? On the drafting front, I did not see much if at any. Maybe a few "in the zone" for a while, but no wheel sucking. Then again I did not see to many cyclists either. When you are pretty much alone, I would rather see a pair of people riding side by side and not drafting then right behind one another. Even though both are technically illegal. Mini race report; apply to all races until further notice: Great swim. Good bike. Died on the run. End report. myke — Tellmesomethingidontknowtellmesomethingicanusepushthebuttonconnectthegoddam ndots

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Sheesh. My view from a little further up in the race merits a full SHEESH!  Not only was blocking completely rampant, it was mighty drafty as well.  I saw a lot of motorcycles and only one time was an athlete so much as warned — and that was for a minute-long yellow line violation.  Granted, it was crowded out there for the first 10-15 miles, but there seemed to be minimal effort by officials and many athletes to follow the rules. Could have used old C.J. out there.  Yup, that cowboy would have cleaned up the place. Mark Vande Kamp

As one of the officials at the International distance race on Sunday, I’d just like to note that blocking and drafting were high on the officiating agendas for the long course and international.  From what I understand, somewhere between 60-70 blocking or drafting fouls were "awarded" on Saturday – this is 6-7% of the total number of participants. The number of position fouls called on Sunday were less, primarily due to the fact that there are few places on the out/back bike course that were conducive to drafting, although blocking fouls were looked for everywhere, especially on climbs. Joe Sventek

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Distribution:

: As one of the officials at the International distance race on Sunday, : I’d just : like to note that blocking and drafting were high on the officiating : agendas : for the long course and international.  From what I understand, : somewhere between : 60-70 blocking or drafting fouls were "awarded" on Saturday – this is : 6-7% of the : total number of participants. : The number of position fouls called on Sunday were less, primarily due : to the fact : that there are few places on the out/back bike course that were : conducive to drafting, : although blocking fouls were looked for everywhere, especially on : climbs. : Joe Sventek Way to go, Joe!  Glad you were there! -Charlie

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Oh, Charlie, would that I were!  Dan was giving me grief from here to next Tuesday at Wildflower, pushing, prodding, cajoling, GUILTING me to come to Oceanside, but alas, I have the triathlete’s age-old excuse for this one (did everyone see that article in Inside Tri last month?):  I have to go to a wedding the night before the race.  As a matter of fact, I’m a bridesmaid in said wedding (oh, always a bridesmaid!), so there is no slinking out of this one.

I assume it’s because you won’t be in town for the race.  I did a triathlon the morning after my *own* wedding in September. Ken "got permission way ahead of time" Lehner

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at : non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! : Just my $.02. : Tri-Baby Me too, Tricia, in fact I think I’ll head on down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon this weekend and see what I can do about it -Charlie I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Sheesh. Tri-Baby                                     _                                  -    o     ‘             –  __o       –    </_ `     ‘         –    <         – __/   /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 *** http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

Actually, TB, I was telling Charlie that very same thing at St. Anthony’s. The majority of violations seem to be blocking – people stacking left and staying there until it’s difficult or illegal to get around’em.  I yelled "On your left" til I was hoarse & they’d still just sorta sit there…. Chaz

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even : worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in : the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would : politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and : rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just : don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all : the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone : penalized? Well. I’m coming to USTS Oceanside, so I’ll get a chance to see how folks in California are riding these days.  Will you and your famous TR bars be there? -Charlie

Oh, Charlie, would that I were!  Dan was giving me grief from here to next Tuesday at Wildflower, pushing, prodding, cajoling, GUILTING me to come to Oceanside, but alas, I have the triathlete’s age-old excuse for this one (did everyone see that article in Inside Tri last month?):  I have to go to a wedding the night before the race.  As a matter of fact, I’m a bridesmaid in said wedding (oh, always a bridesmaid!), so there is no slinking out of this one. I’m bummed, too, ’cause it sounds like it’s going to be a total hoot. Between Dan’s "anti-drafting device" and your presence, it’s sure to be the cleanest race ever seen in California to boot. *sigh* Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 *** http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

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: events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at : non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! : Just my $.02. : Tri-Baby Me too, Tricia, in fact I think I’ll head on down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon this weekend and see what I can do about it -Charlie

I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Sheesh. Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 *** http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

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: I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even : worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in : the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would : politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and : rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just : don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all : the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone : penalized? Well. I’m coming to USTS Oceanside, so I’ll get a chance to see how folks in California are riding these days.  Will you and your famous TR bars be there? -Charlie

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: events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at : non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! : Just my $.02. : Tri-Baby Me too, Tricia, in fact I think I’ll head on down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon this weekend and see what I can do about it -Charlie

Charlie –   And you’ve assured me that Memphis is marshalled quite rigorously, right? Are you there? Chaz

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To draft or not to draft? This is the problem! Drafting is nowadays a very controversial issue. Living in Europe I’m in favour of allowing drafting for the simple reason that in the majority of our competitions the cycling phase develops on narrow roads and the number of officials available doesn’t allow a credible control. Legal drafting is better than an illegal one which in our roads and with the actual controls would take place anyway.

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To draft or not to draft? This is the problem! Drafting is nowadays a very controversial issue. Living in Europe I’m in favour of allowing drafting for the simple reason that in the majority of our competitions the cycling phase develops on narrow roads and the number of officials available doesn’t allow a credible control. Legal drafting is better than an illegal one which in our roads and with the actual controls would take place anyway.

In events where the course/conditions make it literally impossible to avoid drafting, I’d say the race director should consider making it a draft-legal event.  It’s ridiculous to deny cold hard realities like narrow roads combined with large, competitive fields. I’ve got nothing against draft-legal racing per se; it’s just that rules have to be established one way or the other, and then enforced.  And I personally don’t feel that draft-legal racing should be representative of our sport to the world at large—in other words, I don’t think the Olympics or the World Championships should be draft legal.  For other events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! Just my $.02. Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 *** http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

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: events, sure, why not?  But I sure hate seeing people drafting at : non-drafting races, pisses the hell outta me! : Just my $.02. : Tri-Baby Me too, Tricia, in fact I think I’ll head on down to the Gulf Coast Triathlon this weekend and see what I can do about it -Charlie

Response:

I was wishing you were there at Wildflower this weekend, Charlie.  Even worse than the one or two instances of blatant drafting that I saw way in the back was all the stupid, ignorant blocking.  Even after I would politely inform people that what they were doing was called blocking and rendered them subject to penalties, they’d continue doing it.  I just don’t understand!  Why on earth does anybody need to ride practically all the way over on the center line???  Do they want to get killed, let alone penalized? Sheesh.

My view from a little further up in the race merits a full SHEESH!  Not only was blocking completely rampant, it was mighty drafty as well.  I saw a lot of motorcycles and only one time was an athlete so much as warned — and that was for a minute-long yellow line violation.  Granted, it was crowded out there for the first 10-15 miles, but there seemed to be minimal effort by officials and many athletes to follow the rules. Could have used old C.J. out there.  Yup, that cowboy would have cleaned up the place. Mark Vande Kamp

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To draft or not to draft? This is the problem! Drafting is nowadays one of the most controversial issues of triathlon and it cannot be dismissed with a few words in favour or against. In Europe, the cycling phase of a race in the majority of the competitions, develops on narrow roads where a credible control by the officials is often impossible. For this reason I think that official drafting is to prefer to illegal drafting which would take place anyway!

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Question:

  Several texts on training (Training Distance Runners by P. Coe and D. Martin, or to mention a recent one In fitness and in Health by P. Maffetone) recommend a period of several month of strictly aerobic training, what we usually refer to as base work (to be correct Coe & Martin recommend something like 1 workout below AT / month during this period)   For a weak swimmer like me this is a problem. I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine.   Should I cut down to 2 or 1 swimsess./week and try to keep the pace or use a buoy to do arms and legs separately and lower the pace to something more aerobic? Any advice ? jarek

Response:

Jarek: Great insight about how poor technique handicaps a triathlete (who does not have a formal swim bkgrnd) from following the conventional swim training recommendations. So many people who advise triathletes to follow a "cookbook" training sked (X parts AT, X part VO2max, etc) for swimming just as they do with running and biking, don’t realize that if your basic swim skills aren’t good, workouts don’t work. I teach hundreds of triathletes a year at Total Immersion Adult Swim Camps that they have to turn their swim "workouts" into swimming "practices" and they have to practice proper technique. I tell them that fitness is something that happens to you while you’re practicing technique. You do it through drills and "effective" swimming — stroke counting, minus cycle swimming, mixed drill-swim sets, etc. most of it set up on intervals similar to swim sets, but with different intentions than simply working the CV system. I don’t know how to send you info by E-mail, but if you send your address or fax# to me by E-mail I can send you a booklet of drills to do. Everyone who has adopted this system has improved dramatically over the results they’d been getting by just working out.

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  Several texts on training (Training Distance Runners by P. Coe and D. Martin, or to mention a recent one In fitness and in Health by P. Maffetone) recommend a period of several month of strictly aerobic training, what we usually refer to as base work (to be correct Coe & Martin recommend something like 1 workout below AT / month during this period)   For a weak swimmer like me this is a problem. I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine….

It sounds like you need to learn to relax when you swim (which by the way is the key to swimming fast).  If you are truly doing technique work, you shouldn’t get close to your AT.  My first reaction is that you are breathing incorrectly.  Two common breathing mistakes are 1) not exhaling underwater and 2) taking too big of breathes.  By doing either 1) and/or 2) you tend to approach hyperventilation quickly and subsequently push your heart rate sky-high.  The simple remedy is to think "breathe easy and breathe often".   Hope this helps!  If I’m off the mark, email me a more detailed description. Pat —    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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Luberek) writes:

<<<I need to work on my technique, esp. body position, which puts me quite close to AT. Lately I’ve noticed that after 2 out of 3 swimming sessions I’m down with a cold for 1 day (bye bye schedule) while running and biking (indoors) is fine.  Should I cut down to 2 or 1 swimsess./week and try to keep the pace or use a buoy to do arms and legs separately and lower the pace to something more aerobic? Without knowing anything else about you, consider using a heart monitor in your swim sessions but stay aerobic. If you do this, and nothing is metabolically wrong, 2-3 swims a week shouldn’t be a problem. It also sound like you need to build more base. Just my opinion. Philip Maffetone

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Question:

It’s probably a bad idea to try any fasting to lose weight or any depletion mechanisms which will only hinder your athletic performance.  I was introduced to a new dietary technology which advocates a 30% fat, 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein balance.  The idea is that this intake will stimulate eicosanoid production which will ultimately allow you to lose weight by burning more fats during exercise.  If you want more info on this contact Dr Sears of Eicotec Foods in Marblehead MASS. The problem with loading on carbohydrates is that your body stores the excess carbos as fat.  The "high" percentage of fat in this diet will actually allow you to lose weight.  It may be worth looking into. Andy

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I agree with the previous posting, the KEY to losing fat is to get your long SLOW workouts in. Your body doesn’t start burning fat until AFTER 45minutes.  After that, you burn fat, before that your body is burning other "stuff". I learned the value of this recently. I do race triathlons, but ran my first marathon in November. My training consisted of long runs every weekend, increasing every other weekend.  I was able to eat whatever I wanted, and my metabolism was high. When you workout more, I find that your body wants more food (carbs). The beauty of working out is that you can eat what you want, and wear it off.. providing you get LSD workouts in.   LSD = Long slow distance You may also want to think about a heart rate monitor to watch your heart rate to ensure on your LSD days that you are in fact training in the right heart rate zone (FAT burning zone). Good luck! .. Liz

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Hi everyone, I’m the one who posts the calendar every week.   And I really want to thank everyone who has typed in entries and sent them to me.  And I know alot of you must assume I get Triathlon today or Triathlete or else I wouldn’t handle the calendar, but I don’t.  I’ve been looking for the March issue of Triathlete everywhere but have not found it. Is there anyone out there in net.land who has this issue and would be willing to type in the races that arent’ listed in the calendar already?  I’d really really appreciate it.  If you are strongly against typing it, I can give you a fax number where you can send it to me and I will type it in myself. Sue — Susan Raisty                    |  Applications Engineer

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still carrying around some extra fat (about 5-10 pounds) that I really want to lose (for aesthetic reasons mainly, I admit.)  I work out all the time but never lose the fat. I eat a mainly complex-carbo diet and only eat meat about once or twice a week.  My fat intake is under 25%. I’m 23, female, 5′4", 127 pounds, about 19.7% body fat (caliper test).      

                                         ^^^^^ A few points to ponder: depending on the accuracy of the caliper measurement, you are already approaching the lean end of the female spectrum for body fat.  So, I would recommend that you first re-evaluate your body image: do you _really_ need to lose that weight for aesthetic reasons, or are you trying to achieve the "triathlete body" that you see on elite competitors? With 19% body fat, and your height and weight, it sounds like you’re already looking good.  10 lbs. sounds like a lot to lose given these measurements.  5 pounds might be appropriate.  Also, what’s your genetic makeup?  What do your parents and siblings look like? Fighting your natural setpoint will only result in a lot of stress as far as food is concerned. The question: 1) should I cut back on eating and lose the pounds and THEN start really training 2) should I cut back my eating and just work through feeling miserable. 3) forget the whole fat-loss thing.  4) Or maybe someone has some advice for not feeling so sluggish if I don’t have as much food?

If you needed to lose the weight for performance reasons (i.e., you think you can run faster if you take off a little weight), then I would try to cut back VERY slightly and work through it.  Better yet, try to break up your food intake into many many small meals (if you aren’t already doing so).  For example, I’ve found that eating just a couple of hundred calories before going out on the bike, and then taking food along for the ride, is better in terms of fuel use than trying to eat everything I think I need before the ride.  Also, after a workout, try to eat a little bit to recover (few hundred calories), then a little bit in the next hour, etc. Also, even though you’re working out "all the time," take a look at how you’re working out.  Be sure you’re including long, easy workout days – long runs at ~70% of max, long rides at the same intensity. Interval and tempo workouts will make you faster, long slow workouts burn the fat. Good luck! Julia : When those louses                             : : Go back to their spouses                      :       : Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.            : :       – T-Bone Burnett                        :

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Can I have some net.advice? You see, even though I am generally fit (and have been for years) I’m still carrying around some extra fat (about 5-10 pounds) that I really want to lose (for aesthetic reasons mainly, I admit.)  I work out all the time but never lose the fat. I eat a mainly complex-carbo diet and only eat meat about once or twice a week.  My fat intake is under 25%. I’m 23, female, 5′4", 127 pounds, about 19.7% body fat (caliper test).       If I cut back on my eating to try to lose some pounds, my workouts are very slow, I feel horrible, and have no energy after about 40 minutes of effort.  This is not good since I am training for a 1/2 ironman and need to get the distance in.   The question: 1) should I cut back on eating and lose the pounds and THEN start really training 2) should I cut back my eating and just work through feeling miserable. 3) forget the whole fat-loss thing.  4) Or maybe someone has some advice for not feeling so sluggish if I don’t have as much food? In past years I’ve just decided to forget it and just go do the distance but I’m starting to get sick of the extra padding. sue — Susan Raisty                    |  Applications Engineer

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Question:

|  I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for food to eat | during a race. I’ve tried Power bars and granola bars, but they are | a pain in the ass to chew. Because of this, I never eat enough | during a race. A friend of mine who spent the year racing in France | brought back a bunch of tubes of a gel-like substance. He simply | breaks the tube open and squeezes it into his mouth. Anything like | this available in North America? | | | Personally, I’ve had good success w/bananas.  Granola bars would be about the worst possible thing to eat unless you got a non-fat variety, and even then it wouldn’t be so great.  If you do scarf powerbars, in order for them to work and to not upset your stomach you have to drink LOTS.  People often do not, and experience stomach discomfort, and less benefit than they think they should get. There is a product that *sounds* like what your friend used.  If I remember correctly, it’s called Powerburst; it’s a squeeze tube of golden-colored glucose and some citrus flavorings (there might be more than one flavor). Tastes ok, seems to work well from what little I tried, but I can’t remember who makes it, and don’t remember seeing it advertised anywhere.  Sorry . — Michael Batchelder

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|  I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for food to eat | during a race. I’ve tried Power bars and granola bars, but they are | a pain in the ass to chew. Because of this, I never eat enough | during a race. A friend of mine who spent the year racing in France | brought back a bunch of tubes of a gel-like substance. He simply | breaks the tube open and squeezes it into his mouth. Anything like | this available in North America? | | |    There are alot of products available now that allow you to get    all your nourishment in liquid form.      I have been "drinking" my way through races sine 1986. The products    that I have had great luck with are, Carbo Fuel (Twin Labs) and    Exceed (Ross Laboratories).  I usually mix 4 scoops Carbo Fuel    and 2 scoop Exceed per 24 oz bottle. That will give you about 600    calories and I beleive 110 or so grams of carbos along with all    the electrolytes, vitamins, ATP precursors etc.  This was used in    the longer races ( 3 hours).  The shorter ones, just carbo load    and drink Exceed or something similar.    It is an experiment to try and find what works best for you.    Everyone is different but you definitely don’t need to eat (chew)    inorder to get your nourishment.    A new product is out now called Energy Surge, made and distributed    by E-CAPS in Northern California.  It has no real taste to speak of,    and in addition to the carbos, electolytes etc, it has protein    added which recent studies on endurance athletes have shown is    needed so as not to catobolize lean muscle tissue.  I have just    started to use it and it seems to work well.    Curt

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|  I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for food to eat | during a race. I’ve tried Power bars and granola bars, but they are | a pain in the ass to chew. Because of this, I never eat enough | during a race. A friend of mine who spent the year racing in France | brought back a bunch of tubes of a gel-like substance. He simply | breaks the tube open and squeezes it into his mouth. Anything like | this available in North America? | Yes.  The local store that I run for carries a product that I believe is called "Leppin Squeezy" or something like that.  It is a small packet of liquid that provides 25 grams of carbohydrates.  I talked with a triathlete friend of mine and he swears by the stuff.  Easy to intake, and didn’t upset his stomach. | | — | Control Data Systems, Inc.                                    | | 4201 North Lexington Avenue            (612) 482-2942 (W)     | | Arden Hills, MN  55126                 (612) 874-7515 (H)     | | "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."         | |  - Ralph Waldo Emerson                                        |

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 I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for food to eat during a race. I’ve tried Power bars and granola bars, but they are a pain in the ass to chew. Because of this, I never eat enough during a race. A friend of mine who spent the year racing in France brought back a bunch of tubes of a gel-like substance. He simply breaks the tube open and squeezes it into his mouth. Anything like this available in North America?

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