Winter Training Is Coming - 10 Endurance Workouts to Consider

For many of us the summer racing season is coming to an end and the peak races are over or within the next few months. Every year I look to add something different or and old training discipline to keep things interesting and fun during the sometimes long winters in Pittsburgh, PA. In 25 years, I have used many different workouts inside and out to add not only variety but also to improve different weaknesses. Here are a few to consider to add to your off-season or winter training program. Yes, I know there are plenty of you who focus on winter racing so your prime race season is coming up!

10 Activities to add some Variety:

1.  Consider a video course for overall body strength, P90X, Insansity (great one - personally I love these workouts) or Wheel of Yoga for Cyclists, http://www.moryoga.com/dvd-release.html. 
2.  Snowshoeing and participating in a race, (hill climb or longer race). 
3. Mountain biking in the mud and snow for a long fat burning ride. 
4. Speed Skating - even if you don’t have the higher end performance skates, just rent hockey skates and do a session after a bike or run. This is tough on the quads and lungs when combining with another workout!
5. Winter mountain hiking/climbing.
6. Cross Country skiing and either do a long trail: for example the Catamount Trail in Vermont or sign up for a race.
7. Trail running in the snow - add some screws to the bottom of the shoe for additional traction.
8. Long Workouts to build mental strength: 100 mile indoor bike ride or a 3 hour treadmill run (yes they can be brutal/boring but add in a specific interval set or a combination workout to keep it interesting). 
9. Cyclo-Cross bike race - these are a lot of fun and absolutely exhausting.
10. Long distance indoor swim.

These are just a few to consider for the upcoming off-season for many of us. What are you going to do this winter? Find a race on http://www.racetwitch.com Send over your workouts or races to consider!

The Old Great Fitness Tool

Yes, there are so many training tools from years ago. Remember the Nordic Track cross country ski machine, how about the Abdominal wheel, of course there are many others. One that I continue to use regularly every week of the year is the jump rope.

Jumping rope and learning the various techniques improves so many area's that have cross over benefits for endurance based sports. Yes, even for ultra distance events! Jumping rope improves overall body strength and of course speed/turnover. If you travel on business, it's great to throw in the luggage. It's a great tool to use for warming up or combining with other workouts.

For example, add to hill repeats (running) and at the bottom of the hill after your recovery grab the rope for 2 minutes of quick jumping and then climb the hill (repeat several sets). Do this workout weekly and you will notice strength improvements in the calves along with an increase of your turnover when climbing the hill. Not easy, but huge benefits!

Combine jumping rope with bike intervals as well and build over time to several minutes. I highly recommend adding to your routine and the more you jump consistently the better you will become on technique and speed.

If you want a quality jump rope, check out Buddy Lee Jump Ropes. He is amazing and makes a great jump rope. If possible, I recommend jumping on a cushioned mat and start out slow and build over time.

Add jump roping to your weekly training routine and experience the significant strength and speed benefits.

Have fun, it works!

Endurance Racing in Comfort - Top 7 Idea's

An ongoing question we all face during racing in long distance endurance events is the compromise of lightweight shoes, bikes, etc. vs. maybe a bit more weight and less aerodynamics but more comfort. Of course in shorter events comfort becomes less of an issue (to some degree!) and it's all about speed via no socks while running in a triathlon, no change of clothes in the transition area, etc.

As the race becomes significantly longer, comfort becomes more of issue for many of us. Being comfortable can counter balance some of the intense fatigue that occurs in ultra distance events. Here are few items to consider for your next ultra distance events:

1. If your competing in an Ultra Distance Triathlon (Double, Triple, Quintuple, DECA Ironmans) the key is to stay on the bike and aerodynamics especially races over the Double Ironman distance become less of a factor. Many athletes use lightweight road bike geometry frames with aero bars and aero rims. The key is to STAY on the bike for as long as possible.

2. If your racing in a long distance trail running race consider using just a larger somewhat heavier shoe to protect those toes during the later stages of the race when many athletes are suffering with feet problems.

3. Consider using a two piece wetsuit while competing in an ultra distance open water swim or ultra distance triathlon. The advantage of the two piece suit is that if chafing occurs or overheating it's very easy to take off the top and keep the bottoms on and still have significant buoyancy from the legs which tend to sink!

4. Absolutely a must in long distance running, triathlons, adventure racing events - make sure there are no seam problems in shorts, pants, shirts that will cause ongoing chafing.

5. Carry small container of Glide, Bag Balm, or other anti-friction creme in cycling shirt pocket, or running pack during very long races.

6. For a race that entails a very long bike section or bike race (300 + miles) consider using a fuel pack attached to top tube as it's very difficult after 20 hours or so to reach back to the pocket in your cycling jersey - I know this one well!

7. Fix the feet early before the "hot spots" become serious problems.

Of course there are plenty others, let me know your thoughts or idea's on what works for you in the ultra distance events to remain as comfortable as possible.

Handheld Running Water Bottle Product Review

Recently I received the CAMELBAK QUICK GRIP® W/PODIUM® CHILL JACKET running water bottle at a recent race in the free "goodie" bag and found it to be of exceptional quality. Personally, I have run with a handheld water bottle for years and have tested many models with all of them functional but not many specific differentiators. Over the years, many of the manufacturers have continued to improve the holders by adding small compartments on the holder to allow room for gels, small energy bar, electrolytes, keys, etc. Also, there are several that promise non-slip from sweaty hands (in my opinion they don't work) and have used new types of materials to absorb sweat.

One continuous problem with handheld water bottles occurs during hot weather and the liquid gets very warm relatively quickly because of the body heat of the hand holding the bottle, no matter how much ice you add to the bottle. This is where the CAMELBAK QUICK GRIP® W/PODIUM® CHILL JACKET stands apart from the various models. Originally my thought was would it actually work in hot conditions for extended long runs. To my surprise, the bottle keeps liquids cold for extended periods of time. Recently, I used the bottle for a hot 100 mile run and the water remained cold from aid station to aid station in hot, humid conditions. In my opinion it's the best in the marketplace if you like to have cold liquids when running. The only item that could be improved is the size of the pouch to hold a gel. It's difficult to store even one gel and get it zippered when you have your hand in the holder.

Capacity and Weight:

Pack body: 70D diamond Ripstop and air mesh.
Hydration Capacity: 21 oz Podium™ Chill Jacket™ Bottle.
Dimensions: 7"H x 4"W x 3"D.
Weight: Full Bottle: 1.42 lbs.

This Camelbak product is definitely a winner in my opinion, check it out!

The 10% Factor for your Endurance Training

We have all hear the statement, "give an extra 10%" in all aspects of life. For example, if your in sales, make the extra 10% over the standard with sales calls, give a little more than 10% to charity, reduce calories by an extra 10%, etc. You get the point. The question is what's the impact of adding 10% to your workouts and the potential for improvement on race day.

The mental aspects of embedding the 10% rule into the daily workouts can provide significant advantages when the race gets difficult through the many "up's and down's". Some examples I like to use are the following:

1. Interval sets in any discipline. If the goal was to do 10, then focus mentally and push for one more or 10%
2. Strength training - add 10% more in terms of sets or reps
3. Hill repeats, add 10% more to the total
4. Add 10% of total time to every ride or run.
5. Visualization Training for race day - practice an an additional 10% every day in terms of time.

There are many other's to consider while working out. The improvements mentally by following the 10% addition rule can definitely have impact on race performance. Of course it's difficult to use the 10% rule to every workout, but think of incorporating into several workouts each week. No, it's not going to guarantee that when you are at mile 80 in a 100 mile run or mile 18 in the Ironman run that you can just turn it on and fly to the finish, but it can be an influencer to getting through the rough patches as the subconscious mind has been trained to go through tough spots in training.

Check out RaceTwitch.com for a new race for your schedule!



Also, we have just started RaceTwitch Club and a Meetup occuring Oct. 13th in NYC. Even if you can't make it, sign on for future updates and meeting locations!

Top 5 Challenges To Add To Group Bike Rides

The weekend is almost here and time for the long training ride with a group of friends. In most cases the rides have one main goal which is to do over distance training with some tempo sections or significant accelerations up the hills. Over the years I have learned a few different idea's to spice up the miles and keep it challenging but not to turn every ride into a "slug fest time trail". Here are my 5 Challenges to consider for your weekend group rides:

1. Signs - The sign game should begin about a third of the way into the ride so everyone is warmed up and the key is to sprint to specific signs. For example, a Township, County, or State Road sign that is along your route. Define the specific signs before hand but it's up to each individual to spot the sign in the distance and then begin the sprint.

2. Road Kill Sprint/Jumping - This involves looking for road kill in the distance ( the road in the lane your riding - be safe!) which in my area could consist of dead raccoon, deer, groundhogs, opossums, etc. and the goal is to have everyone sprint to the road kill and the leader must successfully jump over the road kill. No scraping the back wheel on the animal allowed and focus on being safe for the jump over the road kill!

3. Big Chain Ring Climbs - These consist of several long gradual or short steep climbs preferably during the second half of the climb when the legs are getting tired. The goal is to have everyone shift into the big chain ring and climb the hill. The main focus is just to get to the top no matter how long it takes to crest the hill.

4. Big Chain Ring total rides - These rides are best when all the riders are have plenty of miles of training during the season. It's a difficult workout and if your legs are not strong there will be plenty of suffering. Pretty easy concept, everyone in the group shifts to the big chain ring and are not allowed to be in the small ring for any part of the ride. The climbing can be very tough!


5. Hill Climbs - Pretty basic, it's a sprint for everyone to see who can climb the hill the fastest. There is one twist to make it fun and embarrassing. The winner of every climb is required to circle back down the hill and laugh at everyone suffering to the top and will receive the added benefit of another hill climb.

Enjoy your long rides this weekend and hope you try some of these challenges to keep in interesting for everyone!! Don't forget to check out RaceTwitch.com http://www.racetwitch.com

Compression Running Socks - Just a Fad or Not?

Compression socks are everywhere and the question is do they provide benefits for athletes. It's interesting to see all the new fads come and go over the 25 years of my racing experience. Do you remember the trend of big heavy cushioned running shoes many years ago and now it's all about lightweight, barefoot running, lighter the better.

I first noticed a trend of these new compression running socks while competing in European ultra triathlons as many athletes not only used them during the run and also the bike. Many of my European friends and competitors mentioned that they provide benefits of reducing fatigue in the lower leg muscles specifically in the calf and Achilles area's.

So, I decided to test them to see if they do have any benefits while training and for recovery. After researching online, there are many models and styles to select with most priced in the $50-$60 range (Zensah, SL3S, CEP). So they are not cheap and the majority of the socks are made from different types of nylon. There are a couple models that blend in wool. The main differences is whether you look at an entire sock or the compression sleeve. I figured that the sleeve might be easier to put on especially with triathlon transitions and allow me to sleep with them without getting hot feet (from a whole sock. Also, during a race I can choose my own socks. I purchased the Zensah sleeves.

The first time I ran with the compression sleeves I noticed that it was a bit of a tight feeling around the calf area but after a few minutes they seemed fine. I did not notice much benefit in shorter 1 hour runs and then decided to try them for a long 6 hour run with greater fatigue in the lower legs. I noticed less tightness in my calves and overall they were not that that warm which was a concern and of course looking a little odd (I tested them during a trail run in the heat of the summer and they are black color). The next test was to wear them after a long workout running and this is where I think they provided the greatest benefits. They seemed to reduce some of the extensive fatigue and the next day the legs recovered very well. I figured they might be a a good recovering tool if I slept with them every night during last year's DECA Ultra Triathlon. After every day and completing the Ironman distance I put them on for sleeping and did notice benefits of reduction of the overall lower leg fatigue.

Overall, I think they do provide some recovery benefits after long workouts. I plan on using them this year again for the DECA Ultra Triathlon for active recovery during the few hours of sleep per day. Test them out as they might provide benefits for you during your training and racing, but remember that the best recovery starts immediately following the workout with your recovery drinks and quality food!