I'M BACK!

It has been WAAAYYYY too long since I wrote about my training and racing... since February 2nd to be exact.  That is almost 6 months ago, time to get back on the wagon!

I have been so busy these past few months juggling school, work, training, racing, social life, family, etc. The list goes on. I am not the only person in the world who deals with these difficulties, frankly, I would guess that any long course endurance athlete falls victim to time management nightmares. I believe that is one of the best traits of most successful endurance athletes - organization.

In the past six months, I have raced 5 times.  These 5 times have been nothing but my best efforts.  I have had 3 podium finishes (2 x 1st place, 1 x 2nd place), eighth place in a fun run, and I experienced my first DNF at the marathon. Thus far, this season has been a great learning curve and I cannot wait for the finale of my season - Muskoka 70.3.

Steve Crossman, a fellow triathlete from afar, introduced me to the 'mecca' of all training places in the Ottawa region - Gatineau Park. I have been there 3 times in the past two weeks because it is one of the most amazing (and excruciatingly painful) persistent hill climbs.  It is the best place to train for a hilly course (Muskoka being one of those hilly buggers).  The best part is that every time I go I get a little faster, a little stronger, and more confident.

That's all for now; trying to keep it short for now so I continue to write. I have tonnes of training and eating to do!

Tour of Sufferlandria

If you have followed my blog in the past few months (which has not had that much activity) I have become insanely passionate about the Sufferfest cycling videos and its incorporation into TrainerRoads.  Well, they have once again cured my itch for more with:

The Tour of Sufferlandria

The worlds toughest indoor cycling tour

What is the tour?  Nine days of hell starting on January 26th, 2013.  Over the 9 days through Sufferlandria, one will perform 12 of The Sufferfest Videos.  What makes this worth the torture is that if you have the TrainerRoads Software, you are eligible for prizes including an iPad mini!  Not a bad way to get some training in in my opinion...

For more information and to register, click here.

Free Swimming Workouts

Before I introduce this - I want to confirm that I am not one to give any advice on swimming besides the fact that one should practice, practice, practice.  I was not born to be a fish, nor will I advocate proper swimming technique as I have never had one-on-one professional help, however have gained lots of quality education from the competitive swimmers apart of the University of Ottawa Triathlon Club.  Without them, I would have been swimming countless hours of freestyle without implementing drill work.  Thanks to all of you!

If you are like me, you show up to the pool and decide your workout right there on the spot.  You might not even have an idea on how to structure a swim workout.  Don't worry, everyone has to start somewhere (even me).  So, I bring to you my finding of the day: 100 Free Swimming Workouts.

This website is super easy to navigate and takes no time to find a workout suited to your needs.  The workouts are categorized into 5 groups: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, One Mile, and Open Water Preparation.  Furthermore, each workout is described by its primary goal and the total amount of yards are given in the last column.  Head on over to the website to find out more.  It takes the guesswork out of swim training - for free.

100 Swimming Workouts

The Suffering has Begun

The winter is approaching and I will confess - I am not a die hard outdoors-man.  As soon as the temperature dips into the single digits, I seem to find myself training inside more and more.  It is due to combination of the frigid temperatures and the quality of workout.  Personally, I find I am capable of greater workouts inside from late fall to early spring.  I do not think the people who run outside when it is cold are crazy - it just does not pick my fancy.  Rather feel my fingers and toes constantly…

ANYWAYS… So now that I have become a hermit for the season, I needed new ways to stay motivated inside during the countless hours of training.  This is my first season of owning an indoor bike trainer (my beloved Cycle Ops Super Magneto Pro) and so I have gained the opportunity to consistently train on my bike.  Furthermore, it has given me many more opportunities to train since I do not need travel.  Bonus!

My indoor cycling has been accompanied by the amazingly cheap workout software TrainerRoads.  It has been my training buddy and my support.  TrainerRoad’s premade workouts have been having me push my boundaries time and time again, and breaks up the monotony of just ‘spinning’ my legs for extended periods of time.

Not only does TrainerRoads have hundreds of structured workouts to choose from, they have created workouts to coincide with video workouts.  Primarily, TrainerRoads have integrated The Sufferfest – a compellation of workout videos utilizing real footage of international cycling races.  The name of series explains the torture you endure.

“At Sufferfest Studios, we make the hardest, most exciting, most get-on-your-bike-and-suffer-your-ass-off cycling training videos in the world. And we strive to deliver the best customer service in the industry. The Sufferlandrian community deserves nothing less.”

Trust me, they do just that.  I have obtained the series of videos and let me tell you, they will make the strongest of riders quiver.  I have even questioned my efforts during previous workouts - like as if I may not have been trying hard before.  The seamless integration into TrainerRoads allows riders to have target powers to attain for the variety of intervals.  Furthermore, the on screen prompts during the video make you dig deeper.  The official race footage that Sufferfest Studios uses for all their videos make the experience far more realistic than any other workout I have done. 

I recommend you check out TheSufferfest series – your workouts will never be the same again.  They are the definition of suffer. Their slogan says it all: 

"I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow."

Here are links to my first two Sufferfest Sessions, and the will not be my last!

Revolver

Angels

Ali'i Drive: Strength

What does it take to be an Ironman?  What does it take to be competing in Ironman World Championships this year in Kona?  Will power? Determination? Perseverance?

This segment from Ali'i Drive provided by Ironman showcases interviews with some of the biggest names in the long distance triathlon world including Craig Alexander and Andy Potts and what they define as strength.  I have watched it over 5 times since it was released, and it still makes me want to go out and train harder. How do you define strength? I agree with Craig Alexander, its all mental - in more ways than one.

4 Ways of Improving Aerodynamics on your Bike

Cycling is more than just mashing the pedals one after the other.  There is a science behind efficiency on a bicycle and it can be explained through physics.  Elite triathletes such as Simon Whitfield and Craig Alexander do not just spend endless hours on their expensive bikes becoming efficient, they have some aid from science.

The optimal goal of any triathlete is to be as efficient as possible and to decrease overall energy expenditure. They can do this through proper technique and strength, however some efficiency can be bought if you desire.  By understanding aerodynamics with regards to cycling, one can make subtle equipment changes that can shave time of your bike time.  Firstly, I will outline the fundamental property of aerodynamics with respect to cycling which may seem all too familiar.

Drag
Drag is the force acting in the opposite direction on a solid object.  The goal of increasing aerodynamics is reducing ones drag.  As you and your bike are moving, you are constantly colliding with air particles.   If the contours of your body to not facilitate the movement of air particles to the opposing side of your body, you have increased drag.  Drag can be influenced by 3 things:

1. Frontal surface area
2. Surface texture
3. Shape of the object

By improving one or all of these areas, one will become more efficient on the bike as it will take less energy to travel the same distance. So how do we go about manipulating one of these?  Here are 4 ways to improve ones efficiency during the bike leg and increase your potential for a stronger run thereafter.  

1. Proper Bike Fitting

Seems simple enough, but some riders skip out on this which may be the limiting factor in their performance. Bike fittings are usually free when you purchase a new bike or can cost you anywhere from $100 and up depending on the specialist conducting the fit.  Proper fitting can improve your efficiency during every pedal stroke and improve aerodynamic positioning, just be sure to ask the technician!

2. Aerobars

Whether you purchase clip on aerobars or a full assembly with a base bar, aerobars can decrease your drag be reducing your total frontal surface area.  I highly suggest getting a bike fitting after purchasing aero bars as your riding position will change drastically, perhaps increasing your energy expenditure.  

3. Aero Helmet

You may look like an astronaut wearing one of these, but it will surely be one of the most rewarding when looking at its value.  Costing anywhere from $200-500 for a decent aero helmet, it can decrease your drag by almost 8% which is equal to a savings of 35.2 Watts (Sidelko, 2007).  

4. Thick Rim Wheelsets

These wheels are designed to slice through the air and reduce the amount of turbulent air flow.  Costing as low as $500 for a used set (and I mean truly used), they can be another means of decreasing drag and increasing aerodynamics.  However, this modification comes at a price.  These wheels are great in still air or a headwind, however If you have a deep rim wheelset (50-100mm) then you may suffer being blown over in crosswinds.  For greater detail on the advantages of aerodynamic wheelsets, I refer you here.

 

Excessive endurance training can be too much of a good thing, research suggests

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2012) — Micah True, legendary ultra-marathoner, died suddenly while on a routine 12-mile training run March 27, 2012. The mythic Caballo Blanco in the best-selling book, Born to Run, True would run as far as 100 miles in a day. On autopsy his heart was enlarged and scarred; he died of a lethal arrhythmia (irregularity of the heart rhythm). Although speculative, the pathologic changes in the heart of this 58 year-old veteran extreme endurance athlete may have been manifestations of "Phidippides cardiomyopathy," a condition caused by chronic excessive endurance exercise.


Read the full story here.

Beat The Heat

Professor Ollie Jay (my boss at the Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory) was interviewed this Friday May 25th, 2012 regarding thermoregulation.  Dr. Ollie Jay briefly explains the science behind  heat stress, how to avoid dehydration, and how to reduce ones risk of heat stroke.

Listen here:

4 Recovery Modalities

Just finished a high intensity training session and do not want to feel the debilitating Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) for the next several days?  Do you want to be able to complete the next training session without dragging your feet and feeling lethargic? Here are four simple tips to improve recovery so you do not loose valuable training time.

Refuel

After a training session, one should ensure to replenish lost energy stores and rehydrate.  One of the biggest downfalls to a training program is inadequate post workout nutrition which can be deleterious to future exercise sessions.  Be sure to eat some carbohydrates and liquids post workout to refill your muscles energy stores.  Additionally, one should also ingest electrolytes (sodium, calcium, and potassium) which may have been lost to muscle function and sweating. 

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy has been used to treat traumatic injury and improve recovery primarily due to its analgesic effects.  Cold water immersion can attenuate the feelings of pain associated with DOMS and therefore be used as a recovery modality.  However, little evidence demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing overall DOMS and it may actually inhibit recovery.

Contrast Therapy

Contrast therapy is the alternation between hot and cold water immersion.  The mechanism behind its functionality is not well understood and it has been proposed to induce a ‘pumping’ action by means of repetitive vasoconstriction-vasodilation.  Contrast therapy has been shown to increase creatine kinase clearance and therefore increase recovery.

Self-Myofascial Tension Release (SMTR)

Also referred to as the ever popular term “Foam Rolling”, it is used as a recovery modality to reduce pain (although painful during) and relieve tense muscles.  Although inconsistent evidence supports SMTR, it truly does wonders as an alternative to stretching since it applies minor tension to flatten out muscle cells in the fascia.  SMTR works by creating inhibitory and relaxing responses to the muscle resulting in loosening and lengthening.  By decreasing the tension in the muscles, you alleviate pain and increase the potential for an improved inflammatory response.

Improved Capacity

My last post involved me introducing the benefits of interval training and how to properly incorporate interval training to suit your needs.  Today, I want to share some of the recent improvements I have made in my running speed.  I conducted the exact same interval session as I had done in a previous workout (Work:Recovery - 5min:5min; 8.0mph:9.5mph), and this is the end result:

What should be noted is the total duration, duration of intervals, and heart rate during intervals.  For starters, I was able to maintain during intervals for 75 minutes, which is considerably longer than my previous bout of 53 minutes.  Secondly, my duration during intervals were the FULL 5 minutes which contrasted with the previous attempt.  In the before graph, you can see that interval 2 and 3 seem shorter than 5 minutes as they are. I was unable to maintain speed.  Finally, my heart rate during intervals and during recovery was less during my recent bout illustrating cardiovascular adaptation and improved performance. 

What does this mean? Theoretically I have the potential for a greater work output at similar heart rates in comparison to previous attempts.  Intervals do improve performance, but I cannot give my training all the credit...

These past 4 days I have been "acclimating" which means physiological changes that occur through artificially produced environments.   My acclimation has been taking place in an insulated chamber set to 33 degrees Celcius and 60-70% humidity.  I am to workout in this sweat box for 1 hour and 40 minutes at a demanding work rate to increase core temperature.  What is a demanding work rate in the sweat box? For me it was on average 120-130 watts on an upright cycle ergometer which is considerably less than when I am in a normal climate. So why does acclimation warrant the improvements in my intervals? Here is a table outlining the benefits and consequences of  acclimation (Armstrong & Maresh, 1991):

As you can see, the improvements in my physical ability can be attributed to acclimation.  Furthermore, this demonstrates why individuals should undergo acclimatization (the physiological changes induced by the natural environment) prior to events in an abnormal environment.  

EDIT: One should note that for true acclimation and/or acclimatization occurs after 10-14 days of being exposed to the different environment.  As I have only been undergoing acclimation for 4 days, I have yet to be fully acclimated - however - cardiovascular changes can occur within 24-48hrs (such as increased blood plasma volume).

References:

Armstrong, L.E. & Maresh,C.M. (1991). The induction and decay of heat acclimatization in trained athletes. Sports Med. 12: 302-312.

Increase Speed with Intervals

Ever wonder why you cannot get any faster? No matter how many kilometers you add to your run?  Adding the extra distance may not be what you need… Intervals could answer your dilemma.

Intervals are used to increase ones maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂max) and anaerobic metabolism.  Why would I want to increase my anaerobic metabolism when endurance running is based primarily on sustaining aerobic metabolism? If you increase your anaerobic metabolism, you increase the amount of stored energy (ATP, PCr, and glycogen) in your muscles for times when your muscles are in times of oxygen deficit.  Not only will it increase your anaerobic metabolism, it will also increase your exercise economy and your lactic threshold allowing you to sustain a higher intensity for a longer duration without a large accumulation of lactic acid from working muscle. 

Below is a figure of my heart rate during a 50 minute continuous interval training session. My work to rest ratio was 1:1 where I continuously ran at 3% grade, but every 3 minutes I increased my speed from 7.5mph to 9.6mph.  My heart rate never exceeded 185-190 BPM during my interval segments while during my periods of recovery my heart rate was maintained at approximately 160 BPM.  By continuously running during my entire session, I can increase my lactate tolerance after high intensity sprints or hill climbs.  This can be a great advantage during races to ensure a quick recovery after quick sprints or to roll over a hill with ease.

For intervals – different work to run ratios can improve various aspects of your performance abilities.  A work time greater than or equal to rest ratio can increase ones speed and maintenance of speed while increasing lactate tolerance.  A rest time greater than your work time ratio will improve your anaerobic metabolism as you allow for increased replenishment of energy stores.  This interval ratio (rest > work) can increase your running speed and your final kick! 

By incorporating intervals into your program can drastically improve your speed and ultimately your performance.  Just remember, adequate rest and recovery after your training session is required for proper physiological adaptations to occur.

Cardiac Arrests and Long Distance Running: New Study

New Study: Heart Risk ‘Low’ in Distance Races

Posted from: Runners World

"The New England Journal of Medicine has just published the biggest and most informative medical research yet on cardiac arrests and deaths in marathons (and half-marathons). It's titled "Cardiac Arrests during Long-Distance Running Races," and it appears in the Jan. 12, 2012, edition of the historic medical journal. The article, from the RACER study (Race Associated Cardiac Arrest Registry), concludes: “Long distance running races are associated with low overall risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death.” 

This is the first major study of runner-cardiac-arrests to include half-marathon races along with marathon races. The rate of cardiac arrests in marathons was found to be roughly four times that in half marathons. There were 40 cardiac arrests among slightly fewer than 4 million marathon runners, and 19 among slightly fewer than 7 million half marathoners.  The researchers believe that the marathon distance probably fatigues the heart more. "Longer races involve more physiological stress and thus a higher likelihood of precipitating an adverse event," they wrote.

The risk of having a heart attack in a marathon is 1.01 per 100,000 participants, and the death risk is .63/100,000. This means big marathons might expect to see one heart attack for every 99,000 runners, and one death for every 158,000 runners. The highest-risk group, men in marathons, has a cardiac-arrest incidence of 1.41/100,000, or one per 70,900 runners. Men have about a five-times higher risk than women for both heart attacks and death."

For the full story, Click here

.

Circuit Training - Sample Program

Getting bored and tired of the regular routine? Try mixing up your workout with this circuit weight training program:

Circuit #1                                             Reps

Squats                                                   20

Pull Ups                                                Failure

Side Planks                                           30 sec/side

Circuit #2                                             Reps

Lunges                                                  15

Push n’ pulls                                          12

Calf Raises                                            15

Weighted Planks                                   45 sec

Circuit #3                                             Reps

One legged Seated Squats                     8/side

Feet elevated push-ups                          15-20

Crunches                                               20

Dips                                                      15

Circuit #4                                             Reps

Bent over row                                         15

Leg Raises                                            20

Shoulder press                                      12

Back Extensions                                   15

Preform each circuit as a superset and try to do 3 sets of each circuit with a 30 second rest in between sets before moving into the next circuit.  Have fun and enjoy!

Listening to Ones Body

Yesterday, Wednesday January 4th, 2012, illustrated the first time I have ever felt physical fatigue to the point of no return.  I had planned my workout to consist of 45 minutes of swimming followed by a meandering 30 minute run, I workout routine I had accomplished in the past with great success.  Yesterday was different.

I came out of the water after 45 minutes and felt alright, my back and legs were a little worn as I had focused on my kicking technique for the later half of the session.  I suited up into my running attire and strapped on my heart rate monitor - ready to go.  I input the data into the treadmill and began to warm up but something felt off.  My legs were heavy and I was becoming fatigued quickly at a very slow pace.  My run was not feeling as it has in past endeavors... so I decided to attempt to cycle instead which felt just as awkward.  So after literally 3 minutes of attempting to workout, I walked out of the gym - why?

Even the greatest athletes in the world take time off to recover and can tell when they are just not 'feeling it'.  I myself am not proclaiming to be a great athlete, but I am a smart one from my experience and when something isn't right, that is when I call it quits.  People who push themselves at times like this are the ones who become frequently injured due to constant overtraining.  I have endured the pain of overtraining before and due to my experience, the best remedy is time off to recover.

My plan?  I took the rest of yesterday off and today to receive the much needed rest to return back to normal for my future workouts.  I have put a lot of effort into my training and I can afford a couple days of rest to ensure a healthy training season.  I would rather 2 days off than 2 months off nurturing an injury.

Here are a few common symptoms indicating you should rest and avoid the overtraining syndrome:

• If it doesn't feel right or you feel exhausted with what used to be simple
• If your sleeping patterns change or you wake up in the middle of the night
• You crave sweets and chocolate
• You get easily agitated or frustrated at little things
• You increase caffeine intake to stay awake
• You fall asleep in the afternoon which prior was uncommon

If you fall victim to any of these - take a day or two off for rest and recovery.  A healthy athlete is a smart athlete.

Inside Endurance: Episode 9 - Stretching!

Need a way to figure out whats best to do before a marathon? Watch this:



Description:


Before taking on the ING New York Marathon, Ryan trains with professional distance runner, Dathan Ritzenhein. Dathan shows Ryan how to warm up his muscles and improve the efficiency of his running form using dynamic flexibility movements and form drills.

Inside Endurance: Webisodes

Excerpt from Competitor TV:


Triathlete Ryan Sutter reveals how he discovered a passion for endurance sports after injury ended his NFL career. Now, after fighting his way to multiple finishes near the top of his age group, Ryan has reached a plateau and knows he’ll have to transform his approach to training and nutrition to take his performance to the next level. Meanwhile, in order to achieve his goal of qualifying for the XTERRA USA Championship for the first time, he’ll need a top-three finish in his age group at XTERRA Indian Peaks. It’s one of the last races, and last chances, he’ll have to qualify this season.


EPISODE 1:

Craig Alexander - Training Day - Part 1

Starvation Training?

Run on an empty stomach to get faster? To go longer?  Physiological adaption perhaps?  Watch this video to find out more:



Description:


Record-breaking marathoner Ryan Hall sits down to talk with nutritionist Dr. Clyde Wilson about "starvation" training for elite runners and other athletes - also known as glycogen super-compensation. The best way to work out for optimum adaptation is to have proper fueling. But there's an opposing idea to this, says Dr. Wilson. What makes muscle adapt, he says, is oxygen debt, which burns more fat and builds endurance. "Starvation" training is a bit of a misnomer, since it means just cutting back on your carb intake somewhat, and not for your hardest training workouts. Watch this video with Ryan to learn more.

Get In The Zone - Zone Training

Heart rate training is very cumbersome and can add a little bit of complexity to your training program, especially if you are a beginner.  Although it may seem as information overload at the start, it can be very beneficial in the long run.  By training in the proper zones, you are on your way to being efficient and training smart.  Athletes often neglect low intensity exercise since they feel as if they are doing nothing, but the benefits from such training will transfer into other zones and aid in your development as an endurance athlete.

Zone Training is just that, exercising at specific heart rates or exertion to yield specific physiological benefits.  The classical range for Zone Training consists of 5 zones:

ZONE 1

It should feel like you are doing nothing, almost not even exerting yourself.  It is normal to feel guilty after such a workout.  The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE - chart for reference at end) should be around 8. 

ZONE 2

You should be able to sustain a conversation at such an intensity; sentences should be audible.  If you are gasping for air between words, tone it down.  You may witness cardiac drift at the end of such a workout (when your heart rate increases although the intensity doesn't change).  RPE should be 10-11.

ZONE 3

You shouldn't be able to say more than one to two words without gasping for air.  It should be below your race pace but also above your easy workouts.  Your RPE should be around 13-14 for this workout.

ZONE 4

This is your race pace and you should feel as if you are really working yourself to keep the pace strong.  This is the pace you should be able to sustain for a longer duration (+1 hour).  Physiologically, your legs should start to burn and your lungs should feel as if they are expanding past their normal.  Your RPE should be around 16-18.

ZONE 5

I call this the RED ZONE.  Imagine your RPM meter on the dash of your vehicle and your vehicle is dipping into the red zone meaning working past its "safe zone."  This is exactly what zone 5 should feel like - extremely laborious.  You usually attain zone 5 with short distances or sprints where your pace is faster than race pace.  RPE should be near maximal during this zone; 19-20.

Benefits of Each Zone

Zone 1 and Zone 2 are most beneficial for endurance and strength.  These zones will increase vasculation in the muscles you are working so that more oxygen and nutrients can be delivered.  This will increase your endurance dramatically.  Furthermore, the strength about your joints will increase over time since you can increase the time spent in Zone 1 or 2.  By increasing the amount of time stressing the joints, your body will adapt to make those joints stronger.  Furthermore, Zone 1 and 2 can be used to increase recovery from Zone 4 and 5 training as it increases blood flow and nutrients to muscles.

The upper portion of Zone 3 is deemed as your anaerobic threshold, therefore for maximal aerobic benefits, stay below!  During this zone you will increase your aerobic efficiency and fat utilization as it is targeting this metabolic pathway specifically.  Over time you may notice your heart rate decrease while working at the same intensity.  This zone will increase the amount of blood vessels in your muscles, increase your lung capacity,  and metabolic efficiency for lipid substrates (fat burning).

Training in Zone 4 and 5 should be limited and only done once a week to once every two weeks.  Zone 4 is known as your anaerobic zone as you start to use your glycogen and immediate energy system (Creatine Phosphate) to supply the bulk of your energy demands.   Zone 4 will increase your oxygen uptake which is commonly referred to as VO2 max.  This level of exertion comes along with the buildup of lactic acid in your blood stream.  The more efficient you get, the better your body becomes at metabolizing the lactic acid and this can be accomplished during Zone 4 training.

Zone 5 is maximal exertion and should only be done during interval training where you enter Zone 5 for 30 seconds to a minute.  It increases the effectiveness of your fast twitch muscle fibers - ultimately - speed.  Be sure to have rest periods after these short bouts to ensure maximal recovery for the next interval.  accumulation of lactic acid is high during maximal exertion. 

Defining Your Zones

To find the proper heart rate allocated to the zone, I have supplied a table below to illustrate.  The percentage of heart rate is calculated using your maximal heart rate (MHR) using on of the following formulas:

MALE:      220 - AGE = MAXIMAL HEART RATE

FEMALE:  226 - AGE = MAXIMAL HEART RATE 

OR

217 - (AGE* .85) = MAXIMAL HEART RATE

These are just two of the most familiar formula's used for calculating heart rate, but many exist since no formula works 100% of the time.

A more exact calculation for the appropriate zones would be to find your Heart Rate Reserve which can be found once one has their resting heart rate (RHR).  

MHR - RHR = HRR

Once you have found your HRR, you can find the upper and lower limits of your zones through the percentages in the chart below.

TRAINING ZONE	Heart Rate	RPE
ZONE 1	50-60%	8
ZONE 2	60-70%	10-11
ZONE 3	70-80%	13-14
ZONE 4	80-90%	16-17
ZONE 5	90-100%	18-20

Then multiply your HRR by the percentage and add your RHR to find the limit. For example:

MHM = 191

RHR = 54

191 - 54 = 137 BPM

For Zone 2 Training 60-70%:

Lower Limit: 137 * .60 = 82.2 + 54 (RHR) = 136.2 BPM

Upper Limit: 137*.70 = 95.9 + 54 (RHR) = 149.5 BPM

How Often in Each Zone?

Here is a breakdown of how much you should exercise per week in each zone to yield maximal benefits and not sustain the overtraining syndrome.         

ZONE 1 & ZONE 2 à 50 - 65%

ZONE 3 à 25 – 35%

ZONE 4 & ZONE 5 à 10 – 15%

Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale:

6 No exertion at all
7
7.5 Extremely light
8
9 Very light
10
11 Light
12
13 Somewhat hard
14
15 Hard (heavy)
16
17 Very hard
18
19 Extremely hard
20 Maximal exertion

I MUST NOTE:  there is much speculation as to what limits are classified for each zone, therefore each athlete is unique and may fluctuate.  This is quite simplified and one can dwell further into the logistics and physiological markers to calculate their exact zones.  One would have to find their Lactate Threshold to figure out their exact zones, but this testing may be costly therefore these approximations are appropriate for the average athlete.  Refer here for an article written by USA Triathlon Coach Ken Johnson where exact values for VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold are used to find training zones.

S.M.A.R.T.

Always want to accomplish something, but didn't know where to start?  Maybe you needed to gain some motivation to accomplish something in your life.  Goals, both short term and long term, allow people (including myself) to accomplish what we wish to set out for. They allow us to stay on task and give us guidance on how we are to achieve our goals.  How do we set goals?  Through a simple acronym which I practice with all my goals, S.M.A.R.T.  By using this methodology in creating your success, you will see just how easy it really is, and how it helps to guide you on your way. The best goals made in life will follow all this processes below:


Specific - Be specific in what you set out to achieve.  It is the Who? What? Where? When? Why?  Do not make a broad goal such as:  I want to lose weight.  be more specific such as: I want to lose 10 lbs. 

Measurable - One should be able to monitor their progress throughout the pathway towards their goal.  Whether it be through a training log or monitoring ones weight loss weekly, by seeing progression, ones commitment to fulfilling their goal increases.

Attainable - Make sure that you are able to accomplish the goals you set.  Furthermore, make sure that the goals you create are of importance to you.  You will feel more obliged to accomplish a goal if you go at it with best intentions.  If you set a goal which is too far out of reach, you may not commit to doing it.  You need to stretch yourself a bit, but not too much.

Realistic - Do not over-exaggerate your potential.  I know for a fact that I could not qualify for the Olympics next year, so why set a goal to do so?  Creating unrealistic goals may set you up for failure.  Losing 10 lbs in 4 weeks is realistic whereas losing 10 lbs in 3 days may set you up for disaster.

Timely - If you do not set a time frame for a goal, then you do not have a due date.  Most of us are procrastinators and if you do not set a date, you will never start. A commitment without a time frame is too vague.

So what is my SMART goal?

I will finish a Half Ironman distance race in June 2011 in under 5 hours.


S - Finish Half Ironman distance race
M - Training Journal
A - Attainable? Yes.
R - Realistic? Yes.
T - Due date - June 2011

Be S.M.A.R.T.!