Multisport Lab
Post-race recovery doesn't stop the day after your race. Here's what you should be doing for the week after your race.
-
5 Focal Points to Supercharge Swimming, Part II
Steve Brodsky and Joe Petrush Dec. 11, 2012
In part one of this article, we introduced you to three technical elements you can use in your swim. Now, we’re going to introduce you to two metrics you may be able to use in the pool: stroke rate and stroke length. Terry Laughlin, founder of Total Immersion Swimming, was one of the first coaches to work with these these metrics and show how they can provide an indication of our swimming in a similar way that measuring power can yield valuable data for cyclists. We now know that learning to calculate, manipulate and personalize stroke rate and stroke length yields tremendous gains for swimmers.
-
5 Focal Points to Supercharge Swimming, Part II
Steve Brodsky and Joe Petrush Dec. 11, 2012
In part one of this article, we introduced you to three technical elements you can use in your swim. Now, we’re going to introduce you to two metrics you may be able to use in the pool: stroke rate and stroke length. Terry Laughlin, founder of Total Immersion Swimming, was one of the first coaches to work with these these metrics and show how they can provide an indication of our swimming in a similar way that measuring power can yield valuable data for cyclists. We now know that learning to calculate, manipulate and personalize stroke rate and stroke length yields tremendous gains for swimmers.
-
Roll On: Basic Bike Maintenance for Triathletes
Mackenzie Lobby Dec. 04, 2012
Owning a whole lot of cool gear is one of the major perks to being a triathlete. Hours are spent finding the right wetsuit, tri suit and running shoes. Much research is invested into everything from sunglasses to hydration systems to high tech socks. Perhaps most attention, however, is paid to a triathlete’s major bank-breaker: the bike. -
Offseason Training: Should I Run A Marathon?
Marty Gaal Dec. 04, 2012
This is a question I hear a lot in the offseason. As athletes sit down to figure out what they want to do — and what will keep them motivated in the winter months — “should I run a marathon” is a common question.
-
Finding Your Balance on the Bike
Morgan Johnson Nov. 27, 2012
Age group triathletes like nothing more than a long bike ride with friends, but as a coach, I’ve always found it interesting that they tend to struggle more with bike handling skills than the rest of the cycling demographics. Many struggle to grab a water bottle while riding, or to start without a prolonged wobble in the intersection, and don’t even mention the possibility of someone else touching them when they are on the bike. As a group, we seem to have taken the age group “no drafting” rule to mean we don’t need good bike handling skills — and this couldn’t be further from the truth! -
5 Focal Points to Supercharge Swimming: Part I
Steve Brodsky and Joe Petrush Nov. 13, 2012
In this article, we’re going to show you how to improve your swimming and your triathlon performance by training smarter. We’ll start by defining our terms. Supercharge: you’ll swim faster and longer at speed while using less energy. Smarter: you’ll swim with purpose, paying close attention to five focal points that you will fold into your current training (without going harder or longer in the lap lanes).
-
Ask the Coach: Bike Training
Greg Mueller Oct. 16, 2012
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2012 issue of USA Triathlon Magazine.
Editor’s note: We asked our Facebook and Twitter followers to submit questions for three top USA Triathlon Certified Coaches. The coaches selected a sample of questions to answer. You can ask your multisport questions at www.facebook.com/usatriathlon or www.twitter.com/usatriathlon for use in a future column.
Eddie: My question is about training for the bike on hills. When should I gun it on hills during training, and when should I just steady-pace it? -
The Basics of Motivation for Multisport Athletes
Dr. Michelle Cleere Oct. 09, 2012
Motivation can be defined as the direction and intensity of your efforts. Direction refers to why a person is involved in certain situations and why a person avoids other situations. Intensity is concerned with how much effort a person gives toward reaching a certain goal. Motivation questions things like: why we participate; why do people discontinue participation; what intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence participation; and what goals influence participation.
-
Self Treatment of Heel Pain
Brad Perry Sept. 25, 2012
Here are a few secrets to avoiding ever seeing me. I’m a PT – a physical terrorist… I mean, physical therapist. Revealing the following secrets may offend some PTs because it might hinder their business. But in today’s economy, those co-pays add up and a few tips wouldn’t hurt. As a physical therapist, my job is to promote healing by providing the optimal healing environment. So here are some simple tips to rid heel pain in triathletes or runners.
-
Too Much of a Good Thing
Morgan Johnson Sept. 18, 2012
As a coach, one of the most common things I hear from my athletes is “Why am I not doing more?” The opening statement varies, of course — “Today is a pretty easy day, do you think I should sneak in a longer bike?” or “My goal race is coming up quick, and this week sure seems easy…” or (my personal favorite, falling into the “asking for forgiveness rather than permission” category), “I felt really great this morning so I decided to go for a 10-mile run! I just wanted to let you know!”