Todd credits his passion for triathlons as a key component to his success in beating his addiction.  While many addicts have failed, Todd fueled his recovery with endurance sports, giving him a positive outlet to channel his focus.  Although Todd’s remarkable achievements speak volumes for the transformative power of our sport, delving deeper into Todd’s story gives even more insight into the power of the human spirit to change and overcome.

Todd’s heartbreaking account of losing his mother to a suicide driven by her own addiction shadowed his life.  Haunted by her memory and left with what seemed to be an unfillable void, Todd followed a similar path of self demise.  Todd pushed away anything or anyone who could ever hurt him again.  Unable to escape from himself, the only thing left was to numb the pain and cover up a bottomless pit of sweltering emotions.  Unfortunately, our own mental devices allow only so much room to block lingering, uncomfortable questions and painful truths, therefore, Todd turned to drugs and alcohol to chase away the anger, grief, and self blame which hounded him since his mother’s death.  As with most addicts, it is one thing to confront the pain brought on by others.  It’s another to now face yourself as the guilty party for the hurt caused by your own chemical dependency.  Falling downward fast and hard, Todd was able to pull out of his rock bottom nose dive just in time to regain his life.

So, where do endurance sports fall into this picture?  You have the nightmare of losing a parent to drugs, a personal addiction run rampant, and a path of isolating, bridge burning ruin brought on by someone whose anger and grief have left him out of control.  Before his addiction made him a different person, Todd was an athlete with a promising hockey career.  There perhaps lies the seed of Todd’s determination which later came to fruition in endurance sports.  You can’t block pucks screaming down your throat at unimaginable speeds without some highly evolved form of survival instinct.  Perhaps it was that instinct which brought Todd to the world of endurance sports and ultimately saved his life.  I know as a runner and triathlete, I’ve come to understand what it means to never give up. It’s perhaps the last temptation for endurance athletes to just stop and throw in the towel.  After all, who’s not felt exhausted and depleted at times with excuses like vultures circling in your head.  What’s the point?

Perhaps for Todd, it was a way to gain back control and bring meaning to a life lost.  Perhaps it was a new high on something more extreme than drugs.  Perhaps it was a way to let go of the past as he shed his skin of painful memories along the Ironman course. Perhaps it was all these things and more.  Without laboring these points, the results speak for themselves.  Ultimately, was the transformation a straight shot from addict to Ironman?  I’d have to say no.  Somewhere along the way, Todd learned to surrender his sorrow and anger, allowing the seeds of trust and love to prosper.  He married and started a family of his own.  He became devoted to his wife, his children, and to things greater than himself.

So as an endurance athlete, what do I take away from Todd’s story?  One thought is how triathlons are more addictive than crack or heroin.  After all, you can’t wait for the next race for a fix; you build a tolerance as you pour more time and money to go farther faster; and you are never completely satisfied with your last performance so you’ve signed up to do better at the next race.

The difference between passion and addiction is where it leaves you at the end of the day.  Perhaps like drugs, it’s not the high that’s bad, it’s everything else associated with it.  It’s the consuming nature of the pursuit where all aspects of life which once tied into one another are now segregated and the addiction has taken priority.  Have you depleted your savings, sacrificed everything else in life, and had mood swings based on how you did in a race?  Perhaps, more like Todd, endurance sports have the power to change us for the better, giving us the self confidence, the natural rush, the unadulterated joy of being a kid outside without a care in the world.  Perhaps we find a healthy focus for our passion as well as those darker aspects of ourselves.

Tennessee Williams had said that to rid his demons would mean to also lose his angels.  For Todd, most people in general, and endurance athletes in particular, this couldn’t be truer.  We’re moved by our fears as well as our aspirations.  Our dreams at night reflect both our anxieties as well as our wishes.  Our choices in life are hardly easy or lacking uncertainty.

Regardless, we’re shaped by the decisions we make.  We are defined by the life we choose to live as well as those we left behind.  Over many miles of training and competition, perhaps we come to know ourselves better and in return draw closer to others along our journey.  By taking a courageous leap of faith out of the personal hell he knew into a risky and unknown world, Todd demonstrated that indeed, with sobriety anything is possible.

As a note, I have a great deal of respect for Racing For Recovery.  The abuse of drugs and alcohol takes a heavy toll not only on the individual addict but on society as a whole.  Each person in recovery is one less destructive force behind the wheel of a car high or intoxicated.  Also, through Todd’s prevention programs for youth, he’s reaching out to kids so they hopefully never find themselves on the same path as him.  Todd mentions how certain schools and institutions were uncomfortable to let him speak because they didn’t want to acknowledge drugs as a problem in their community.  It’s a reminder how denial continues to be a problem for everyone.  I sent this article to Todd Crandell for his review and asked for a blurb to include about Racing For Recovery.  He unobtrusively wrote back:

“Ted, this is good stuff mate.”  He commented on how he would say he took a negative addiction and changed into a positive one.  He now says he has a new focus to further differentiate his old and new life.  (I would agree, connotations aside, caution should be used in labeling any activity as an addiction as it tends to cheapen the clinical value of the term.)  He commented on being thankful to be able to race for Racing For Recovery and spread his mission.  Lastly, Todd wanted me to add his credentials and further information about his organization:

Todd Crandell PC (Professional Counselor) LCDC III (Licensed Chemical Dependancy Counselor III). Founder and Executive Director Racing for Recovery 419-824-8462 phone 419-824-8473 fax PO Box 160 Sylvania, Ohio 43560-0160 www.racingforrecovery.com “With Sobriety Anything is Possible” Addict to Ironman book is now available ADDICT Racing for Recovery, The Todd Crandell Story is also available on DVD

More recently we have discovered there is much to gain from training in this zone. But at what cost? Does it serve some riders more that others? Lets break this down to its definitions and simple components and you can decide for yourself what’s best for you.

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Zone 3, or “tempo” as it’s called by many, is about 75-90% of your Threshold Power. The facts are that you get the same physiological response and adaptations that you do from riding in Zone 2. The catch is because you’re riding harder you can’t do it for as long. Further more you will be more fatigued the next day and will have a harder time repeating your training and keeping your frequency up. So what to do? With power meters and all the fancy software we can now put some numbers on this question. However, be carful everyone will respond differently, recover differently and has different goals they are aiming for.

A few practical applications:

Stage 1 & 2 of the Tour of the Gila: (a 5 day 350 mile stage race) Day 1 is a mostly flat/rolling stage, we had a rider spend 25% of the 4:30 hour stage in Zone 3. For the men in the break and racing hard on the last climb, you’re looking at 40%-50%. On stage 2, over 40% of the riding time was in Zone 3, almost 2 hours. That’s a good chunk of the race, might be wise to have that engine well developed…

Half Ironman: For most a ½ iron and even an olympic distance, we will spend quite a bit of time in zone 3. At the Silverman ½ ironman last fall (a very hilly, dynamic course) the best amateur bike split consisted of 65% zone 3 riding. A flatter more steady course and we see close to 100% in Z3.

Shorter races: When we look at some hard 80 and 90 minute crits we see only 15-18% in Z3…

We can see the real world application very clearly here but what about “training”. As we said when you train in zone 3 you’re doing endurance training at its max but there is a price, fatigue. Zone 3 training can be a great way to maximize time.

In a 2 hour Z3 ride, one can accomplish almost the same amount of “work”, Kj’s, TSS as a 3 hour Z2 ride.
But what about the time issue? The more time over 70’ the better? And here we have the give and take of zone 3 training. It can be a great way to maximize endurance training when time is limited. It can be great specific and race pace training, but it comes with a price.

So its up to you. Consult your training partners, experienced athletes, or a coach. Test it out, see how you respond, see what it does for you, your goals, and your time constraints.

Very good questions. Like I said in an earlier topic when you’re training you should be looking to train 1 (or 2, we’ll discuss that later) particular zone or engines. When one thinks of “endurance” rides, we think long and while riding for a long time is great it is not always necessary to do 5 hr rides to get some good physiological adaptation going.

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So first, what are we really doing on a long ride? What are we developing?

· Capillary density: Capillaries are the smallest of the blood vessels that carry blood to and take waste away from the working muscles. The more capillaries you have, the faster blood is transferred. More energy and oxygen in, more waste out.
· Mitochondria density: The mitochondria are the energy center of the cell. The more you have, the less tired you get and the longer you can go.
· Fuel consumption: You will burn a higher percentage of fat to carbs for energy.
· Neurological durability: This can also be referred to as muscle memory. This is one of my favorite subjects and I could go on for a while about it, but I will refrain. In short, like a baseball player, tennis player, or pretty much any sport, the more you do something the better and more efficient your body gets at it. Your feet are attached to the cranks and the cranks to the bike. There is nothing you can do to change that circle. But HOW your muscles engage that circle varies greatly from rider to rider.

So, what does this mean for you in the real world?
In application having a well developed Zone 2 engine will:
· help you recover from day to day.
· help you recover during a ride, workout or race.
· enable you to go faster for longer periods.
· enable you to go harder (faster) at the end of a long ride, after an accumulation of fatigue, ie Kilojoules (KJ’s), training stress score (TSS) etc…

So what’s long? How long do I have to go?
While doing an endurance ride is very different for you than say George Hincapie, for our purposes, we will define an endurance ride as this:
Over 70 minutes. After the 70’ mark the above mentioned developments happen at a much faster rate.
Must be repeatable: Say, you did 5 hours yesterday. That’s great, but if you’re laid up for 4 days recovering from that ride it can get counter productive quick. I personally like athletes to be able to do a ride at least 2 days in a row. You can be a bit tired the next day, that’s OK, but you should still be able to get it done. For you riders that use power meters, go for less than a 3-5% decoupling rate from the first day. So, if you decoupled 3% on day 1, aim for an 8% max on day 2.

Here are some additional items you can think about on your long, endurance ride that will maximize the benefits of your workout:
1. No coasting.
2. Push intensity up a bit. (to be discussed further in tomorrow’s installment)
3. Steady power in order to develop that Zone 2 engine. Sprinting won’t help it.
4. Don’t start too hard! It’s ok to noodle home, but be sure to re-read no #1.
5. Keep that heart rate in check. Remember it’s a direct reflection of what your body is doing, listen to it

What I mean is you must have an acute sense of all the outside factors that affect you as a rider and how they affect you before we can make decisions on how to react to them. So pay attention! Your avg. speed for a ride means nothing! It means less than nothing. There is no such thing as a “flat road with no wind” so don’t even go there.

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Here are a few tools that we can use in training. They can help us pace ourselves and/or analyze our performance from that pacing or lack of.

1.Heart rate: The old stand by.
Heart rate is a great tool it IS what your body is doing, so listen to it.
However, HR will drift over time. At the same power output your HR will slowly go up over time due to muscle fatigue, fuel usage, etc. using Friel’s HR decoupling method to see how much your HR drifts is a good tool. Is it the bottom line? No. Are there other factors? Yes. Is this a one or the other? I am fit or not fit? No.
the audio has some tips for using this.
Check out the article here.

Other things that can and do affect your HR.
~heat
~cold
~dehydration
~sun exposure
~muscle damage (from high intensity efforts)
~lactate build up
~a full bladder
~being excited
~being well rested and peaking.
~terrain.
~cadence
~and yes the list goes on…

2. Pace: Be carful this friend is deceiving.
As I said there is no flat road with no wind. However for those of us who don’t have a power meter a climb can be relatively void of wind and with some strict timing locations and doing intervals on the same day or with in the same set we can have a useful pacing tool. Do climb XYZ in 10’, feels good right, feels like threshold, but intervals 3and 4 feel like death and your going 12+ minutes… guess what… that 10 minutes was way to fast and above your threshold. At least today.
Use this with caution and a few grains of salt. A few gusts of wind on one trip up could add more time than you think to that 10’ effort.

3. Power: The gold standard.
Power meters are becoming more reliable and cheaper, get one! Watts are watts. If your in a bike race, however your watts won’t matter much. “Hey guys can we slow down I am going over my threshold?” ahh… no, not gonna happen.
But they can be the most useful training tool for riding ever developed. A BIG word of advice, start with the basics. There are more wattage calculations than you can shake a stick at! Normalized power, KJ’s, mean maximal power, avg power, power profiles, TSS, CTL. Ohh my god! MY head hurts. And to be honest it gets more in depth than all the fancy calculations. Ask a coach/ someone who has experience with this stuff. And keep it simple! Spend your time training not at the computer figuring out how to get numbers you don’t know how you got to match up.

4. Perceived exertion: Your biggest weapon.
Chris McCormack (Ironman World Champion) said in an interview that he trains with a HR monitor and a power meter. He has all the computer soft wear, a coach to analyze it, everything. But come race day he doesn’t use any of it. He races the race and his competition and uses his head. Having a keen sense of what you can and can NOT do, to top of this hill, or to the end of the TT, etc. is a huge weapon.

As I said above there are vast amount of different intensities. Now add that to any duration and order in which you did that intensity and you have a million scenarios you could be at the bottom of that final climb. 2 hrs of all out riding in a breakaway. 5 hours of real easy riding, 1 hour all out in cross winds then 2 real easy then another hour of hard riding in a cross wind. You see where I am going and I didn’t even mention anything about terrain!

Learn your body. Learn that when you feel like “this” you can do that. Learn that when you feel like “that” you can NOT do this. Then you can push the NOT farther to the side with proper training…

Bottom line pay attention in training. Get to know your body. Push yourself. People surprise themselves every day. Many are also over confident or should we say just self-UNaware all the time. Be the prior.

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Good athletes take control, they plan, they make good things happen and do there best to avoid set backs. Sometimes the shortest distance between here and race day is NOT a straight line.

This weekend was the 4th of July. A very big summer holiday here in the U.S. Planning your training, racing and recovery day around a holiday like this should be easy if done far enough in advance. Some events or trips have less planning time and unexpected can happen, but with proper planning we can over come most of this.

A few tips for staying on track and enjoy the “party times” with out worrying about your fitness.

1. Come up with a yearly plan. Or at least from the start of structured training to race day.
2. Have this go week by week. Fill in important dates like:

a. races
b. big training weekends or camps
c. work travel (will you be able to train?)
d. other dates where you won’t be training. (holidays, weddings, vacation, etc)

3. Define recovery and training. There is no in between training sessions!! Have a plan!
4. Realize that while your ski trip/ Jon’s bachelor party trip to CO in February wasn’t training, it’s not exactly rest either. Listen to your body. It’ll tell you when its tired.
5. In your yearly plan list focus points for that week or weeks.
For Example: Volume, hills threshold work, strength work, etc…

From here you can start to formulate a very effective training plan.
Now take a day off and have fun!!

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Fabian Cancellara is one of, if not the best time trialest in the world right now. Fabian is not only insanely strong and aero dynamic, he is also very, VERY flexible. He can kick his feet far over the height of his head. It is believed that because of this flexibility he can tap more of his potential power while in a tight tucked position.
Ask any US pro rider what they did at training camp in December or Jan. and they say “well we rode a lot, and the core workouts! Ohhh my god! That was the hardest part!”
Having good core strength is vital to your longevity during the long summer season.
Whether pounding out the watts in your TT position or climbing long and repeated hills your legs are connected to your core. Abs back and a few other wired muscles like the piriformis. If these muscle are weak or your legs are overly tight from not stretching your going to know it!
Many of us have been there before. The hamstrings get tight, then you feel that twinge in the side of your hip and lower back. The next thing you know you can’t put any power on the pedals. None. Ride over folks! If only you had stretched and done some core work this winter instead of complaining about riding the trainer!

The 4 Stretching keys:
1. Every day! before bed is a great time. And/or after you get out of the shower when the muscle are warm and loose.
2. Massage, this can be the best way to get at the IT band, piriformis, and other hard to reach areas. There worth the money! Find someone who know athletes at the least and knows cyclist for the best bang for your buck.
3. Hold your stretch! Time your self 30 sec. is a long time when you would rather be riding.
4. Everything is connected in your body. Stretch tight areas and over soar areas LAST. Loosen up the rest of the body first, then go for the trouble areas.

4 Core strength keys:
1. Winter time is a great time to work on this. If you are consistent 2-3 times a week, we have found you can skip it for most of the summer.
2. 4-5 minutes of concentrated work is enough! Mix up your sets with a brick workout in the gym or while your waiting for training partner/ wife/ boy friend to get out of the locker room. Just get it done!
3. stability balls (or a swiss ball) are great for working your core. There cheap and great to use at home.
4. mix up your routine, keep your self and your muscle from getting board and hit ALL the core areas. There’s a lot. Consult a personal training, your massage therapist, etc…

My friend and colleague coach Patrick has a great doc. of some simple and very key core exercises using a stability ball. Enjoy!
Coach P’s 5′ core workout

For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

Many people have a pre-conceived definition of what “intervals” means. Tell your training partners you did intervals yesterday and you are likely have each of them think of something a little bit different.

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Lets break it down:
~And interval is a piece of time or distance. That’s it. An interval workout can be anything you want it to be. in cycling we use time.
~An interval workout should have specific work time, rest time, intensity (by wattage and/or HR, PE, etc)
~Should have a number of sets and/or number of intervals to complete
~Should note what terrain to be done on.

Sounds pretty straight forward, and it is. If you have all of the above definition for your interval workout set and understand them you are your way to a very effective training session.
Why are they so good:
And interval workout maximizes the stress you can put on your body. Or it can minimize stress while still getting quality adaptive training in. say you can ride at 300 watts for 45 minutes. You could do a workout of 1 45 minute all out effort at 300 watts. OR, you could do 4×15’ with 5’ rest at 300 and most likely recover better afterwards. By adding rest intervals at the appropriate places and length of time you have now done 60 minutes of work at a power you can only do for 45 minutes. Wow! It would be long before you can do 310 for 45 min. or hold the 300 for a full hour with out rest.

On the other side intervals can allow you to get an adaptive response while minimizing fatigue, muscle damage and maximize your repeatability. KP is smiling now, aren’t you!
If you are training for a long distance event, an IM or multi day event you may want to ad in some intensity but don’t want to be to wasted for your work out the next day or want to do a 3 hour ride with the intervals in them. Not to worry doing say 2×15min. (or 3×10min.) at 300 watts with a rest interval will still work that zone but with much less fatigue than doing 30-45 min. straight. This set up would give you a “pretty” good adaptive response for that zone while still having the legs to do a long, lower intensity ride the next day. now we are really maximizing our time!

How to structure them:
Ask a coach or mentor. This can be tough. Everyone responds differently and everyone can handle different capacities of work.
~In general you get a better adaptation for longer work intervals. However longer intervals are harder. And there for can generally do more “total work” in the session if one does more shorter intervals. So there is a give and take here.
~ Find your happy medium.
~don’t increases work time and decrease rest time at once. Pick one.
~ progress slowly!

Keys to interval training:
1. On the bike we do them by time. Your body adapts to time not distance.
2. Have specific work time, rest time, intensity (by wattage and/or pace, HR, PE, etc)
3. Should have a number of sets and/or number of intervals to complete
4. Should note what terrain to be done on. (terrain your training for or your weaker terrain)
5. Should work ONLY 1 specific zone.
6. you should stay in that zone for the entire interval
7. add rest to your week. These workouts are tough! Make should you recover from them!

For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

• Sunglasses are for more than looking cool. They’re eye protection! Look for glasses that come with a hard case, different color lenses and fit well.
• Helmets get old and wear out. Yeah!?! 3-5 years for most and its time to replace. Keep them out of the sun. travel with them is a cloth bag, wash them off once a week or after a long sweaty ride.
• Cycling shorts and jerseys come not only in different sizes but different “cuts” as well. Not only that but sizing can vary WIDELY from brand to brand. Try them on! Find what fits your body the best and won’t break the bank. Do NOT buy something just because its on sale!
• Vest and arm warmers are key pieces of gear to have even in the summer. Arm warmers are cheap, warm and normally last a long time, spend an extra buck for some good ones! A vest can be better than the full wind jacket. They are almost half the size when stuffed in to a pocket, go on and off very quickly and easily when riding in a pack or with friends. Don’t bother with ones that have pockets and other frills. You want this item small with a high collar, sturdy zipper and wind PROOF! Don’t break the bank here it’s pretty simple technology…

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For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

I get this one a lot in winter. The answer. HECK YEAH! The trick is controlling your workout. Its yours. its for you. not the instructor or the guy who only rides in spin class and still tells you “yeah I’m a good climber”. There are many good and bad aspect to spinning class’s but you can control them to get the most out of it for you and your goals.

Here’s the deal:
~It’s your workout, so do what you have planed. You can still “look” like your participating and do your specific intervals, or stay in your zone, etc….
~Find an instructor that teaches a “cycling class”, not an aerobics class on a bike.
~Ear plugs if the tunes get to loud for you.
~Stay late or get there early if you’re looking for a longer workout.
~Do a brick on the treadmill if you’re looking for a longer workout.
~Don’t disturb the class if you leave early or come late. Talk to the instructor they should object to your sch. Remember they are there for you, not the other way around.
~Make sure you warm up and cool down! Being pressed for time is no reason to lower the “quality of your workout!
~High cadence work, great place to do that is on the fix cranks of a spin bike.

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I know we would all rather be out side. But when darkness comes at 4:30pm there’s 2 feet of snow out side, your up early for work, etc… we have to make it work some how. So get in there and have some fun!!

For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

So I had a friend ask me about shaving body hair before races. I thought it would make for funny article, or at the very least a mildly interesting one.

From what I understand about shaving, that is, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, and other endurance athletes, shave the hair on their legs, arms, and other nether regions. Articles have been written about the pre-race rituals that swimmers do with the shaving. At the gym, you can tell the hard-core triathletes because they are completely hairless, but I have to wonder how it increases aerodynamic efficiency when you shave your nether regions.

From the research that I’ve done through Internet searches and talking with other cyclists and triathletes, basically the only actual physical benefit to shaving body hair is that the skin heals easier IF one crashes. That’s it. So other than that, why do we shave? I’ll speak for myself; I shave for two reasons: psychological and aesthetics.

Psychological - Basically, shaving has become part of my pre-race ritual. It builds a race tradition and becomes part of my routine. Another reason is for my psyche, it gives the feeling of aerodynamic efficiency.

Aesthetics - Ok, so this is it. It’s all about personal vanity, it looks cool for the muscle definition. You work/worked really hard in the gym, so who wants their muscles to be covered by body hair. There, I said it!

The vanity aspect of being hairless began prior to racing. In order to appreciate my efforts in the gym, I decided to remove the hair from my chest, back, stomach, and shoulders about every 6-8 weeks with a wax. And those services, my friends, are not cheap, not to mention, they are not exactly pleasant either. Talk about a painful first time experience, a la 40-Year-Old Virgin style. But as my mother-in-law says: “You have to suffer to be beautiful.”

Anyways, after I got into cycling and racing triathlon, I incorporated shaving my legs. Those of you that have tried it know all about the cuts that you get all over your legs when you frist attempt it, especially where those new found muscles are so huge that it is difficult for the blade to cut the hair smoothly. But again, it was mainly for aesthetics, there was just something psychologically satisfying the day or two before a race to be hairless. It makes you feel fast!

And so that brings me to the present day. For my latest triathlon, I decided to try a couple of new options for hair removal. I bought this hair remover gadget at the local fair. What they demonstrated was convincing, but when I tried to use it to remove the hair on my back, not so effective. Apparently if the hairs get too long the gadget does not remove the hair very well, leaving short stubs.

So I decided to try Nair based on my wife’s recommendation. Nair is a chemical lotion hair remover. Basically, you rub it on your skin, leave it on for about five minutes or so, and voila, the hair is dissolved. You just wipe off the residue and rinse. The Nair, despite the annoying texture and nasty smell, removes hair very well. You are left with what is better than a wax job on your skin. Unfortunately, because I had decided to try the gadget first on my back, the Nair burned some of the skin where the gadget exfoliated, so I have a chemical burn. Needless to say this is NOT pleasant! Anyways, I hope it doesn’t sting too much during the ocean swim of tomorrow’s race.

Regardless, it seems as though Nair is the way to go. It’s cheaper, and as long as you can put up with the smell and remember not to exfoliate before using it, it definitely does a better job than waxing or shaving. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.

7 easy steps for a quick bike clean:

1. get 2 buckets. 1 filled with warm clean water. The other warm soapy water. Use dish soap and save your self some cash. It works great!
2. With a sponge wet bike removing any larger bits of dirt or… what ever.
3. Soap bike down. Put some of what little arm strength you have into it! Rule of thumb. If its hard to get to, clean it well! That means dirt and junk will get trapped there. Take the time to get in there, don’t dwell on your top tube. Wipe it down. Should be done in 3 seconds..
4. Clean your wheels! Hubs and all check for any cracks, water in the rim, tires for wear. Dirty rims will wear brakes pads down fast.
5. Scrub chain and cassette. With soap and/or a chain cleaner. These work well and are worth getting. A stiff brush will help with the cassette. It does not have to be silver again but get the crap out of there!!.
6. Rinse bike with clean warm water.
7. Let dry and RE-LUBE that chain!! Very key!!

This can be done in 5 minutes if your good, less than 10 if your fumbling around. If you don’t have time to make sure your bike is running well, you don’t have time to ride.

For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

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For more great cycling tips and professional coaching services, visit http://www.ekendurancecoaching.com

Healthy snacking can take the edge off hunger, helping you avoid overeating at meals and keeping your energy levels even.  Craving a specific taste or consistency?  Here are some healthy snacks to help your survive the day.

•Crunchy:
8-10 almonds & 1 sliced apple
1 Kashi regular granola bar
2 TB Hummus, 10 wheat thins & baby carrots
7 baked tortilla chips with salsa & 2 TB guacamole
1/2 cup dry high fiber cereal & 2 TB nuts
1 oz. pretzels

•Salty:
String cheese, 5 triscuits & grape tomatoes
3-5 cups of light popcorn
1 cup minestrone soup
7 baked tortilla chips with salsa & 2 TB guacamole
1/2 whole grain English muffin, 2 TB tomato sauce & 2 TB shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz. pretzels

•Sweet:
1 cup low fat/nonfat yogurt & ½ cup sliced strawberries
1 Kashi Bar
1 Lara Bar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce & 1 TB chopped walnuts
1 cup of low fat or non fat milk & 1 small banana
¼ cup dried fruit (no added sugar)

•Chewy:
1 Clif Nectar bar
½ Clif bar
1 Kashi Chewy granola bar

•Combination of salty & sweet:
1 apple & 1 TB all natural peanut butter
1 small banana & 1 TB all natural almond butter
1/4 cup low fat/nonfat cottage cheese & 1 cup berries

Sabrina Zaslov MS, RD, CDE is the registered dietician for LWI Peak Performance at Lifewellness Institute. Sabrina has over ten years of experience providing nutritional counseling to athletes of all levels.  She loves running, especially half-marathons and marathons.  Sabrina hopes to run in this year’s New York City Marathon. For more information or questions, visit www.lwipeakperformance.com

Summer is upon us – and more and more of us are tempted to go running, biking, walking or hiking in the sunny outdoors.  However, summertime exercise has its perils – like dehydration, sunburn and exhaustion.  For fun and safety in hot conditions, follow the guidelines suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine:

1. Modify activity when the heat index (temperature and humidity) is 90 degrees and over.   Think about rescheduling until the heat index decreases to safer conditions.
2. Consider exercising in the morning or evening, thus avoiding activity during the hottest times of the day (10am to 5 pm).
3. Avoid direct sun light (wear sun screen and a visor).
4. Progressively increase your intensity and duration in the heat over a few days or weeks to allow your body time to adjust.  Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast.
5. Consume an adequate volume of fluid (water or sports drinks) to maintain hydration.  You may need to drink more than you do during cooler months.
6. Consider weighing yourself before and after exercise to estimate the amount of water lost during exercise.   For every pound of water weight lost during exercise, drink 16 to 20 oz of fluid (water or sports drink).
7. Clothing should be loose fitting, light in color, mesh and/or absorbent wicking.   This will help you stay cool during the heat.

By following these simple tips, you can enjoy fun outdoor activities all summer long.

Michelle Grenier MS, RCEP ATC, CSCS, CES is the exercise physiologist for LWI Peak Performance and Lifewellness Institute. Michelle’s lifestyle is dictated by her passion for running.   She’s been running for 22 years, coaching athletes for 10 years and wrote her master’s thesis on Uphill Running Economy. Get an edge on your training program – visit  www.lwipeakperformance.com or email Michelle at elite@mylwi.com

If you’ve been running endurance races for any length of time, you quickly learn that a lot of the books providing training plans are very similar in content and strategy. So, when I saw this odd-sized, spiral-bound training manual I was intrigued to see what was inside. I was pleasantly surprised. From the spiral-bound lay-flat binding, to the laminated “sweatproof” pages and the built-in cover-flap page holder, not to mention the 21 training plans for 7 different types races—Run Workouts for Runners and Triathletes (Velo Press, 2009) has it all!

After being wooed by all the bells and whistles, I was elated to see that the authors were none other than legendary running coach, Bobby McGee and one of South Africa’s greatest marathoners, Mark Plaatjes. This gifted pair has drawn from their more than 80 years of experience in running to write a practical training manual for any runner or triathlete who wants to enhance his/her performance as well as gain a better understanding of the complex connection between their physical and mental bodies.

The book offers something for just about every runner. Twenty-one training plans for 7 different races (5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Olympic-Distance Triathlon, Half-Ironman, and Ironman) as well as 15 different types of workouts (that are incorporated into the training plans) are provided. In addition to the immense content, equally appealing is the flexibility built in by McGee and Plaatjes. For example, the workouts are designed so you can train by pace, heart rate, or perceived effort. Also, you can use the material to supplement a plan you’re already using or you can use one of the 21 plans provided.

To prevent you from doing all of your training at “one speed”, McGee and Plaatjes have created plans that put runners through a balance of endurance, strength, speed, and rest. Each of the seven race distances has three levels of training plans. Each training plan is broken into five phases—base, general, strength, specific, and taper.  The 15 workouts implemented in the various training phases typically contain a warm-up, a main set, a cool-down, and a training tip.

Another extremely helpful tool  that McGee and Plaatjes provide are six test s that help you establish several baselines  to help you make sure you’re training at the most effective intensities.

The only drawback to the book is that because there are so many different workouts and tests, they’ve been coded in order to fit on the training plans. So it takes a little while to familiarize yourself with all the different codes. This may take a little extra time, but it’s well worth the solid, quality training plans you get in return.

In the book’s Foreword, Samantha McGlone (2004 Olympian and 2006 Ironman 70.3 World Champion) states, “Bobby McGee has coached all kinds of runners—from amateurs to world and Olympic champions. I’m confident he can make you a better runner too.” I couldn’t agree more.

Thad McLaurin is an avid marathoner and fitness buff living in Greensboro, NC.
His daily running and fitness blog—RunnerDude’s Blog—can be found at http://ncrunnerdude.blogspot.com.
Thad is also the Run for Fitness and Long Distance Running mentor at the goal-oriented social site TheCircle.org which can be found at http://www.thecircle.org. Please feel free to contact Thad at runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com.

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After checking the mail, I take the newest copy of a certain magazine, and get started reading.  Catching up on what has been going on in my little universe based on the experiences and recollections of those who are probably different from me in everyway except that we share the brotherhood (or sisterhood).  The first thing I see is some article about a woman complaining her marriage failed because of triathlon.

Allegedly, her husband was so concerned with training and preparing for his race season, the strain was more than she could bear and she just had to divorce him.  First, to this triathlon widow (as she decided to call herself) I would say, let’s face it, it is obvious triathlon ruined her marriage.  There is no other explanation possible.  Her rant went on to say how it damaged the relationship, and her husband became distant.  It wasn’t that he was tired from his workouts, no, that makes way too much sense.  Perhaps the reason he got involved was to escape from this crazy woman and her incessant nagging.  He might have been at his job thinking, how can I escape from crazy hose beast for 15-20 hours a week?  I know, IRONMAN!

This lady is off her rocker.  Triathlon has given me more relationships than I can ever imagine.  More than Facebook, more than being captain of the high school swim team, and more than holding the record for most time spent naked in a meat freezer.  Aside from making new friends in training and racing, lets talk about romance, because it is obvious our friend from above thinks the sport has no room for it anywhere.

In working at a bike shop, I have seen so many couples that enjoy the sport of triathlon together.  They have matching cycling kits, buy bikes together, and yes even plan their vacation time around which races they will be participating in.  In addition to the countless strangers at races, there are also the people I know who have a stronger relationship because of multi-sport, and I honestly can’t imagine them without the happiness they create and share through triathlon.  But, there is more than the long-term loving relationship to come out of triathlon.

There is nothing sexier than someone with a hot body and a humorous personality.  These are both qualities people of our lifestyle tend to have.  I have found these make the ladies (and some guys) go crazy.  Aside from friends, I can’t count how many chicks (and some dudes) dig the triathlete line.  “Hey baby, ever been with an endurance athlete before?” goes a lot further than you think.  Triathlon has gotten guys tail on a scale almost on par with that of any boy band from the late 90’s.  In fact, I theorize the most irresistible man will ultimately be a triathlete with boy band capabilities.

The thing about all of this is, yes triathlon takes time and compromise, and more importantly the support of friends and family.  The sport seems to cultivate and grow relationships more than destroy them.  In fact, in all my years this crazy lady seems to be only person scorned by triathlon.  But of she wants to give up a guy who is in shape, cares about health to go marry Mr. Stick in the mud that is fine, she can have the dark side.  This sport does more than give you a sexy body, it gives you lifetime friendships that spawn from a 10 minute suffer session during a race, or a flat out sprint to the line.  Accentuate the positive, and don’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.  Triathlon creates love, friendship and one-night stands and I couldn’t be happier.

Marathon running is one of the fastest growing sports in America, and San Diego just hosted its own Rock and Roll Marathon.  For seasoned runners and novices alike, there are medical issues to consider before participating in a marathon.  One of the most serious concerns is exertional hyponatremia, which is a dangerously low concentration of sodium (salt) in the blood.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include: malaise, fatigue, muscle cramps, weight gain, confusion, and nausea. In the most severe cases, hyponatremia can result in cerebral edema, seizures, coma and perhaps even death.

So what causes healthy athletes to develop this potentially life-threatening condition?  Factors include:
•Drinking excessive amounts of water while exercising 3 or more hours.
•Gender: women’s smaller size and decreased sweat rate may make some women more susceptible.
•Not being acclimatized to hot weather.
•Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prior to an endurance event (the most common NSAIDs are Advil and Motrin).

In fact, a study conducted during a triathlon in New Zealand revealed that the 6 individuals who suffered from hyponatremia had each taken a NSAID prior to the competition. So be cautious with pre-competition medication!

Use these tips to avoid hyponatremia:
•Be properly (not overly) hydrated prior to competition. Drink water when you need it – not because you feel you “should” be drinking.
•Acclimatize to hotter environments. If at all possible, you should arrive 5-7 days prior to a competition to get used to the heat and humidity.
•Avoid taking NSAIDS prior to long hours of training and racing.
•Remember to include sodium for longer bouts of exercise. Try Gatorade, Powerade, pretzels and even salt tablets in moderation.
•Weigh yourself before and after long training bouts. You shouldn’t lose more than 3% of your body weight after a long training session, and you certainly shouldn’t weigh more.

When exercising, it’s important to stay hydrated, but don’t mindlessly drink.  Remember- you don’t need to guzzle water at every water station.

Michelle Grenier MS, RCEP ATC, CSCS, CES is the exercise physiologist for LWI Peak Performance and Lifewellness Institute. Michelle’s lifestyle is dictated by her passion for running.   She’s been running for 22 years, coaching athletes for 10 years and wrote her master’s thesis on Uphill Running Economy. Get an edge on your training program – visit  www.lwipeakperformance.com or email Michelle at elite@mylwi.com

Do the words driven, competitive, relentless or compulsive describe you as an athlete? Are you searching for new methods of training that promise to make you faster and stronger? Do you find yourself talking about interval training, hill drills, speed drills, immersion swimming and adding weightlifting or yoga when you describe your training regimen? Are you searching for the missing link to boost your effectiveness?

Every athlete at one time or another reaches a plateau and begins searching for ways to move up to the next level. But, have you considered that the next step may be to do “nothing?”

The recovery phase is one of the most overlooked facets of training. Appropriate rest in the form of days off, naps, and adequate nightly sleep are all crucial for every athlete. Muscles need time to heal from the stresses of training in order to become stronger and adapt. Adaptation is where all of your training starts to work its magic. Without enough rest the body never adapt and won’t go beyond a certain level; thus a plateau. Worse, inadequate rest can lead to over training and injury.

Rest and recovery need to be incorporated during training sessions and after competition in a calculated manner. Those who do weight training are familiar with the time required to allow muscles to heal and adapts so that greater loads can be lifted on successive training days. The bodybuilder will work different muscle groups on different days allowing muscles plenty of time to rest and recover. Likewise, cross training allows a similar transfer of muscle group stress from day to day as sports are alternated.

Triathletes, the ultimate cross trainers, schedule varying and multiple weekly workouts for swimming, cycling and running that satisfy the training requirements of each sport. The taper phase of triathlon training is the controlled reduction of training prior to competition, which leaves the body in a state of “peak fitness and readiness” for an event.

Single sport athletes are most in need of discovering ways to incorporate appropriate rest and recovery time to their training. Cross training offers variety to the single sport athlete who also needs recovery time but does not want to give up additional training days.

Let’s be clear: rest and recovery are exactly that. It is universally recommended that at least one day a week be taken off from workouts. After a competition and depending on the extremes of the event, several days to a week off, or even more, might be necessary.

Schedule your rest as seriously as you do all of your other training. It might be the missing link you’ve been looking for.

Victoria Nordgren, the founder of nordgren – women’s performance activewear at http://www.nordgrenactive.com/ is an avid cross trainer living in New York City.
Her weekly fitness blog can be found at http://nordgrenactive.com/wordpress2/
Please feel free to contact Victoria at info@nordgrenactive.com

Do you know when, why, what and how much you eat?  Once you identify and understand the habits and emotions that drive your unhealthy eating patterns, you can focus on changing them.  This is called behavior modification.

Like a car can’t run without gasoline, our bodies can’t run without food.  Food is our bodies’ fuel source and it is required in order for us to be able to complete our daily activities.  Use these tips as a guide to properly fuel your most precious ‘vehicle’.

Eat breakfast daily. This jump starts your metabolism after being ‘idle’ all night long.

Consume balanced meals and snacks. Make sure to include a balance of carbohydrates (fruit, whole grain products, low fat milk/yogurt), lean protein (chicken/turkey breast, beans, low fat dairy, fish), vegetables, and heart healthy fat (nuts & seeds, olive or canola oil, avocado) at each meal and snack.

Space meals and snacks about 2-3 hours apart. Try not to go longer than 4 hours without eating.

Limit refined sugar. For example, candy, soda, desserts, and any products made with granulated or ‘white’ sugar.  These types of foods do tend to increase your energy level, however, quickly and temporarily; and then tend to drop your energy level quickly as well.

Do not avoid carbohydrates. Eating only protein, veggies and fat will not provide you with all the nutrients you need.  Healthy carbohydrates such as fruit, beans, whole grain breads, crackers, cereals and other starches help keep your blood sugars level which in turn keeps your energy level steady.
An added bonus for following these guidelines: You are more likely to feel satisfied and may delay symptoms of hunger for several hours.

More by Sabrina Zaslov: Deciphering Nutrition Labels

Sabrina Zaslov MS, RD, CDE is the register dietitian for LWI Peak Performance and Lifewellness Institute. Sabrina’s dedication to health has translated a to love of running.   She has completed numerous marathons and has a strong interest in sports nutrition.  For more information or questions check out www.lwipeakperformance.com