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Category — 2009 WTSC Team

Risks of Triathlon

See this article re: the risks of triathlon.  It just emphasis how important a good training program is.  This is why you are all in great shape/ or will be after the 8-week program!

http://www.myembarq.com/news/read. php?rip_id=%3CD9775UKO0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=10 11&_LT=HOME_LARSDCCL1_UNEWS

March 30, 2009   No Comments

Brian’s awesome swim workout

For those of you who missed the swim workout yesterday, the main set is what you should focus on.  I will post what I did for w/u and c/d, but if you can’t do that many yards, focus on the main set.  Let me know if you have any questions.

w/u 200 swim easy to steady, 200 pull, 200 kick (25 on front-breathe to side with kickboard, 25 on back-kickboard overhead, 50 on side- repeat 1x)

main set:  3 sets of 400 as follows (25 fast-75 steady/ 50 fast-50 steady/ 75 fast-25 steady/ 100 fast).  Rest 30 sec after each 100 and 1 minute after each 400 set.

cool down:  200 c/d Repeat 1x (25 breast, 25 back, 50 easy free)

Total yardage:  2000

January 15, 2009   No Comments

WTSC Triathlon Team 2009

Hi Guys!

Feel free to use this section as your blog to ask questions and talk to each other.

Here’s to a great 2009 season!

Diane

January 4, 2009   36 Comments

Why use a bike trainer?

Since I’m suggesting you guys buy a trainer this winter, I thought it was fortuitous that B&S wrote this article in their news letter!  BTW, in case you can’t tell I posted 2 articles this morning (David Phillips article on antioxidants and Winter running).  Enjoy!

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As the cold winter days approach, don’t let your cycling fitness go out the window.  If you haven’t purchased an indoor bike trainer, then now is the time.  Sure, you can take spin classes at the gym or simply rely on running and swimming this winter.  But why not have your own trainer?  An indoor bike trainer is really quite essential in the triathlete’s arsenal of toys.  We’ll highlight the benefits of using a trainer this winter and the different types of trainers on the market.

  • Isolate Weaknesses:  A bike trainer can help you work on weak areas in your pedal stroke by isolating points along the “clock.”  Drill work can help you focus on the upstroke (the weakest area – identified from 6-12:00) as you move through your entire pedal stroke.  Or you can target one leg drills on your trainer.  Both of these drills translate into big gains during race season.
  • Aerobic Fitness:  You can maintain and even increase your aerobic fitness through riding on a trainer this winter.  Following workout plans or cycling videos can help you bring your aerobic capacity to new levels.  Endurance Films and Spinervals are some of our favorite videos!
  • Indoor Benefits:  You can ride on your trainer any time of day, with ideal conditions, free of rain/ice on the roads.  Plus, you can track progress by completing some of the same workouts at different points along your winter training program.

 

Types of Trainers:  (Rear wheel stationery trainers)

Wind
:  This is the most basic and least expensive type of trainer on the market.  Wind trainers are based on resistance from a small fan, but can be a bit loud.  It’s designed for people looking to complete general indoor workouts with low/moderate interval work.   Highly skilled cyclists may find the wind trainer resistance too easy when reaching higher intensities and cadence.

Magnetic:  Magnetic trainers offer adjustable resistance, as they act proportionately to the amount of resistance applied to the pedals.  By using magnets, versus a fan, this type of trainer is quieter than a wind trainer.  Magnetic Trainers offer a more realistic simulation of climbing, sprinting, and spinning.

Fluid:  Becoming very popular for many reasons, fluid trainers use a fluid-filled closed reservoir fan for resistance, while providing a smooth and quiet ride.  Fluid trainers supply additional resistance as the speed of the wheel increases and closely resemble the feeling of actual road riding.

Rollers & Computrainers:   Computrainer is also a rear wheel stationery trainer at the high end of the market.  A Computrainer provides many sophisticated technical aspects of your workouts, analyzes data, provides Power Output and allows you to complete terrain of Ironman Bike Courses while you watch on a monitor!  Rollers are an alternate to rear wheel stationery trainers and provide great workouts for balance and spinning.  There is a learning curve associated with using rollers and should be used carefully.

Bottom Line:  Use the information above to help make your first purchase a wise one or upgrade your current trainer to something more technical.   We like a variety of models by CycleOps, Blackburn and Kurt Kinetic.  There is a trainer for every type of triathlete and cyclists.

Remember, Don at Franks Bicycle Barn will give us a discount to buy the trainers he has.  Let me know if you want one.

December 16, 2008   No Comments