It’s funny how once upon a time, riding your bike inside was something you wanted to do but your mum wouldn’t let you. These days, time on the trainer, ergo or rollers is something many of us dread! Having said that, if you set yourself up correctly and regularly pump out quality sessions, you’ll love the benefits once summer rolls around. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a CompuTrainer or Wattbike, but that’s no excuse for not training well inside. Wade at CyclingTips gives a good run down of some indoor training specifics but I thought some more general advice would also come in handy. Apply the following tips and you’ll find you’ll get more out of pedaling indoors…

Be Prepared…
The key to indoor riding is to make it easy to do. When it’s cold and wet outside, sometimes the last thing you want to do is fuss about setting your bike up. Get yourself a container with your indoor kit in it so it’s ready to go.

My container has:

• An old towel (for under the bike)
• A fresh towel (for me)
• A riser block for the front wheel (White/Yellow Pages)
• An empty bidon (to fill with your beverage of choice!)

Also nearby are a portable fan (to cool, not cheer), your trainer/ergo/rollers and of course your bike.

Mirror, Mirror…
If there’s one easy way to improve your cycling it is through technique. Riding a stationary bike can highlight excessive body movement that often slows us down. On the road, such movement can be hard to notice. By placing a mirror in front of you, you can monitor how much your upper body moves around and the mirror provides a constant reminder to keep your upper body relaxed and relatively still. Concentrating on developing a smooth pedaling style during indoor sessions will see your power and efficiency increase by the time race day rolls around. Now there’s no need to do this every session, it just works well as an occasional reminder!

Enter The Hurt Locker…
This technique helps on race day. We all have days where we struggle to bring the pain on. Getting yourself into the mental zone where everything flows and you enjoy hurting yourself (in a healthy, physical way!) comes easily some days, but being able to methodically do so on any day of the year is a skill worth developing. Chris Boardman, the British time trial (TT) specialist had a specific timetable he stuck to when preparing for a TT (I’ll explain this timetable in further detail in another post). Why not apply the same thing to your sessions? I do this with a play list of music that helps me enter the zone. Start with some fast paced music to warm up, followed by some motivating tunes. For me, that often means something like Pearl Jam or Nine Inch Nails. At times it’s nice to have a pedal in front of a DVD or some cycling on TV, but when you really want to work it hard, nothing compares to some motivating music and a staring competition with your favourite wall.

Get Stuck Into It…
Often, the hardest part about riding indoors is getting in the saddle. Once there, you’re well on the way to another quality session.

What tricks do you use to get the most out of riding indoors?

If you read my previous post – Traralgon Marathon – you’ll know last weekend I picked up third place, albeit twenty odd minutes behind the winner. Besides coming home with a little trophy, I got a taste of competition again and arrived home with a sense of drive that has been missing for a while.

There’s something about that feeling when you put it on the line – when you’re in a race, right on the edge of blowing up, but so is your opponent. That feeling that you’re waiting for one another to drop back an inch. Make a mistake. Tighten up. Give in.

Somehow, it had been a while since I’d felt that. I suspect that pressure of competition sometimes got to me when I raced as a junior and later in the VIS development squad. Maybe it was the thought that future opportunities balanced on the outcome? Maybe it was just not knowing how to handle that pressure?

Perhaps those few years since then have let me appreciate how to embrace the pressure of competition. You have to want it. And back yourself.

Do you want that feeling? Maybe a taste of competition is just what you need too.

Credit: www.traralgonharriers.org

I ran the Traralgon Marathon last Sunday. Our little running group had a boys weekend away in the country, which was a perfect way to focus on the task at hand and have fun at the same time.

It is Australia’s longest running marathon, and has a rich history including a 2:13 marathon by Derek Clayton back in 1970. The current course is out and back, with a defining feature being a 6km dead straight stretch of road at the far end of the course. With only two houses along the length of this stretch, there’s not a lot to look at and can challenge even the strongest mindset. When you get to the end of this road, you turn around and head back again!

This year, the conditions were close to perfect – cool temperatures with a slight headwind on the return trip. However, after 30km a slight headwind definitely feels stronger than it is.

Our group of runners ran really well on what is a predominantly flat, but tough, marathon course, picking up a couple of age-group wins. Personally, I was very happy with my run. With a pre-race goal of breaking 3 hours for the second time, and doing so with a negative split, I managed to achieve both goals and grab third place in 2:58:27.

First and second place were far ahead in the 2:36-39 range, so hopefully next year I can move a notch closer to that sort of time.

Lessons from this race:

• Negative Split – Focusing on running the second half faster made sure I didn’t go out too fast (something I’ve done in at least half a dozen other marathons!)
• Regular Fueling - You don’t see African runners taking in energy gels during a marathon but I used three and a half of them. I wasn’t afraid to fuel up, even when the fluid at aid stations was lacking – and it paid off.
• Know the course - We discovered pre-race that Google Maps showed the far turnaround was actually the highest point of the course. Whilst this was hard to believe, I used that info in the second half and focused on the fact it was slightly downhill to the finish.

In the context of the coming triathlon season, now it’s time to hit the pool, get on the bike and continue the solid work on the run. Lose a few kilos, get going in the gym and a fast race at Shepparton HIM awaits!

REWORK – by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

If you are involved in small business, software development or just want a fresh outlook on life, you need to know who 37signals are.

If you’ve never read their work, this book is a must read.

If you’ve been a long time follower of their Signals vs Noise blog, reading this book will be like a quick trip through the archives. It’s the kind of book to have somewhere in your workspace, to pick up and read a random page or two when you need a little poke of motivation.

Their first venture into publishing was with Getting Real – a book aimed at software development and web startups. In this second book, the advice being dished out can be applied to almost any aspect of your life.

The book is focused on making progress in your chosen field or activity. Practical advice in relation to designing your products or services, getting them out into the marketplace, growing (or not growing) your business and spending resources on things that matter. Much of the advice is about making do with what you have, not necessarily through working harder, but working smarter.

You could read the entire book in one sitting, it’s an easy read. Alternatively, like me, you can also pick it up, read a few topics, then put it down again.

Now available in paperback form, it’s a small price to pay for a constant reminder of what is important, and what is not.

If you’re involved in some form of online business, make sure you read their blog – with more than 113,000 subscribers, it is a winner!

I thought I might try a weekly post with a list of links I’ve tweeted during the week. I find I sometimes miss a quality link from my favourite tweeters and this kind of post would come in handy. If you find it useful, let me know and I’ll keep it up…

• Some great photos from the Giro d’Italia prologue
• Pre-race photos from the Rev3Tri pro triathlon in Knoxville, USA
• Race day photos from the Rev3Tri
• Triathletes to race time trial at Tour of California
• Police blitz on cyclists without lights this winter in Melbourne, AUS
• Carlos Sastre’s Cervelo P4 TT Machine with SRAM & Zipp
• Lance Armstrong vs. Chris Lieto 2

Enjoy!

It was 4:30am the other morning – dark, wet and an icy cold wind in the air. I was out running and drenched by the time I got 500m down the street.

It’s times like these when you question why you aren’t curled up in bed.

I knew why. It’s because when you’re on the start line of a race, you remember one of two things. Either the sessions you neglected to do out of choice, or the sessions you did that were difficult to get done. That little piece of mind that comes with knowing you’ve done the work pays dividends come race day.

There was once a running shoe ad featuring Steve “Mona” Moneghetti (famous Australian distance runner) on his early morning run. It said something along the lines of “whilst you’re out running in the dark, so is Mona”. I thought about that, and still think about that, just about every morning I run.

So tomorrow morning when you’re out running. So am I. And probably Mona too, somewhere.

There is a lot of information out there for newcomers to triathlon but the following four pieces are particularly important to me. I thought I’d share them with you and I strongly recommend seeking further knowledge from their sources.

The Four Pillars

Gordo Byrn has written so much great material. This piece in particular is a good introduction to the method behind the madness of Ironman preparation.

Gordo’s Triathlon Coaching Manual

You may not be coaching anyone, but that shouldn’t stop you from thinking like a coach. It provides a nice overview of what you should be thinking about.

What are you Chasing?

Kristian Manietta from TriSpecific gets you thinking about why you are about to do an Ironman. Do you know what drives you?

If I could recommend just one book from my library, it would have to be Going Long by Joe Friel and Gordo Byrn. My copy is well worn and probably one of the best ways to spend $20-30.

Do you have some recommended reading for Ironman athletes? Let me know what your favourites are.

In case you’ve been out running an multi-day adventure race or something, there was a frenzy last Saturday among athletes wanting to enter the 2011 edition of Ironman Australia. In fact, the whole field sold out in less than 24 hours!

Since there was a limited field of 1000, I’m guessing there are around 500+ athletes around the country who wanted to race but missed the boat.

So, what do you do if you missed out?

Cross the Dutch (I mean, ditch)
Head over to New Zealand for either Ironman NZ or Challenge Wanaka. Beautiful scenery and great races (from what I’ve heard). Ironman New Zealand is experiencing record demand for entries in the aftermath of Australia’s sellout.

Enter some Half Ironman/70.3 Races
For the seasoned competitor, perhaps a season of shorter races will provide the performance boost you’ve been looking for. For those stepping up the distance, maybe another year of half Ironman racing is just the base you need before attempting a big one.

Try something different
Have you been doing the same races year in, year out? Why not challenge yourself to something new. It could simply be a different triathlon. Or, a different sport! There are a few semi-ultras around if you fancy a 50-60k run. Maybe some mountain biking. Or an adventure race! Have a look through a race calendar and pick something new!

Learn something
Take the opportunity to learn some new skills. Join a cycling club and take part in some road races and criteriums. Get an introduction to clinical pilates or yoga. Training your brain and body to acquire new skills is just as important as another swim, ride or run.

Be ready to enter the mystery race
With IMWA and IMOZ now at either end of the Aussie triathlon calendar, there is a gaping wide hole in the middle of summer just waiting for an enterprising race organiser to come along. Who will it be?

Whatever you choose to do, do it smart and go hard!

How do you define “fitness”? Until recently, I hadn’t thought about it that much. I mean, you do a triathlon, or an Ironman – fairly decent athletic achievements – and figure your fitness is pretty good. That is, until you stretch the bounds of your workouts. Let me explain…

It’s easy to continue swimming, cycling and running. As triathletes that’s what we’re good at!

Lets translate that to what I like to think of as “real world fitness”. If you found yourself out in the wilderness (a la Man vs Wild), how long would you last? With a purely swim/bike/run background, I have a feeling it would be ok for a little while but sooner or later a situation would arise that could be a bit too much to handle. How do you think you would go?

Being a weakness of mine, strength and general gym work has been something I’ve dabbled with but never really worked hard at. Hence, the weakness! Inspired by the contestants on the Australian series of The Biggest Loser (yes, regardless of your athletic accomplishments, everyone can learn something from this show!) and in particular, Commando Steve, I’ve stumbled upon the CrossFit training methodology. On the CrossFit Journal (a brilliant resource) site they ask “What Is Fitness?” (Check out the PDF link on that page).

So what has this got to do with triathlon? Well, from a personal perspective I figure that I’ve gotten some pretty good results so far considering my weakness in some general areas of fitness. To give you an idea, I’ve got to bust my gut just to knock out 20 push ups! So aside from some offroad duathlon and marathon action, over the next few months the focus of my training is on building all round fitness – a fitness that will hold its own not just in the pool or on the road, but also in the “real world”.

I’m hoping this approach to training will pay dividends when it comes time to get specific for Ironman next time around.

Maybe you’re looking for that edge too – lets see how a more rounded approach can be applied to triathlon. Of course, specificity has its place, but all round fitness has got to be a great platform to work from.

Train hard, and smart.

It’s been just over a week since I raced Ironman Australia. During that time, I’ve had an abundance of moments to feel sorry for myself. You see, things went pear shaped, just like I described in The Curse of the Ironman PB!

I should have seen it coming. It was whilst riding one of the steepish rollers past Flynn’s Beach just before the 60km mark that a guy stepped out from the side of the road and yelled “you’re sweatin’ like a pig mate!” that hinted things weren’t quite right. Upon reaching the crest of the climb, I looked down and noticed I was absolutely drenched. At the time there was no need to panic and I focused on maintaining my fluid intake. In hindsight, the damage was already done.

To complicate things further, my dehydrated state was making it difficult to digest anything sweet. Gels had to be forced down with the effort akin to a child eating their most hated vegetable at the dinner table. It’s a painful, drawn out affair!

Through 120km I could feel my muscles tightening slightly. The jaggedness of the roads made climbing hills a refreshing retreat, thanks to the easing of pressure it provides to tired arms and hands. The descents became agonizingly tiring.

Approaching 180km I was struggling to maintain focus on the road ahead, my eyeballs were aching. To be completely honest, I felt simple satisfaction in just reaching T2.

Sitting down in the tent to put my running shoes on, I had the feeling I was about to exit the tent and enter a whole new world of pain. To my delight, the first 2km felt fantastic! I was chatting away with a kiwi athlete and looked forward to feeling good again. How wrong could I be!?!

Things were getting worse in the energy department. Gels came straight back up. Gatorade and cola became intolerable. By the end of the marathon, I was walking wide around the aid stations sipping water, the mere smell of Gatorade and cola sending a chill up my spine. By the way, plain old water doesn’t get you far, quickly.

I made it to the finish line in just under 11 hours. Very proud. Very tired. Very hungry for something savoury.

Thank you to my family and friends for their support. Thanks also to Trigger Point Therapy for helping me overcome a calf injury that threatened my whole season. Also, thanks to Shimano Australia for the loan of Dura-Ace C50 wheels to race on at IMOZ – smooth and fast!

I know I wasn’t the only one out there walking/shuffling/wobbling through much of the marathon, so if you’re dealing with a result that didn’t match your expectations, do what I did…

Accept what happened. You can’t change the past, so get on with your next race/goal/project.

Learn from it. Whether you DNF’d, went slower than expected, or just had a bad day, make sure you learn as much as you can from the experience.

Put a system in place. High performance organisations have systems in place to ensure quality output. Why can’t you? Make a checklist, set reminders, train yourself more specifically, whatever it takes to prevent failure and ensure success.

Be thankful for it all. Be thankful that you managed to get out and train for, compete in and look back on your season. Even more so, be thankful that today and tomorrow, you can head out the door and do it all over again. Enjoy every moment.