Your Triathlon Training Guide on Top of a Mountain

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter in Tri-Rudy newsletter, June 23, 2010]

By Ben Greenfield

Imagine a triathlon like the journey to the top of a tall mountain. There are six competitors in this journey, and at the top of that mountain is a triathlon training guide - a seasoned endurance athlete with the ability to address all the issues that the competitors had getting to the top of the mountain.

Every triathlete struggles with different obstacles in their journey up the mountain, and the triathlon training guide emerges from his cave at the top of the mountain, ready to answer their questions.

The first competitor slowly approaches, gasping for breath, and says, "I was fast for awhile, but I got slower and slower towards the top of the mountain."

The triathlon training guide rubs his chin, "It sounds to me like you have subpar muscular endurance. Rather than focusing your efforts on purely slow aerobic training, or doing very short intervals, make sure that you include some long tempo efforts and long intervals in your training. These should last 5-10 minutes for running, and 10-20 minutes for cycling, and be performed at about 75-85% intensity".

The second competitor shakes his head with frustration. "I just couldn't beat my competition in that final 200 meter sprint to the top of the mountain."

With an understanding nod, the triathlon training guide responds, "You need some fast finish key workouts, young competitor. Try to include a final fast effort at the end of a weekly swim, bike or run that becomes progressively faster as the workout lasts, then finishes with a maximum pace fast effort, such as a 1/2 mile hard run, a 5K hard bike, or a 200 meter hard swim."

The third competitor grimaces from soreness, "My legs got very tired every time the mountain got steep."

"Your legs are weak," rumbled the triathlon training guide, "Do steep hill repeats that are short in time and low in cadence, and include squats and lunges in your gym program, rather than just spending all your time in yoga class."

The fourth competitor wavers with weakness, "I was grumpy, depressed and lightheaded most of the time I was racing."

The triathlon training guide holds out a gel, "Moodiness is a sign of low blood sugar - you should only feel like that during a targeted fat burning session, not during a race."

The fifth competitor stumbles forward, with sticky, sugary fingers, "My energy was fine, but I got nauseous with a grumbly stomach, so can I have a gel too?"

"Not a chance, kid," the triathlon training guide continues, "This usually means you ate too much, and had too much blood going to your gut. Next time, remind yourself that this sport isn't a buffet line."

The sixth and final competitor shrugs, "This sport hurts. I twisted an ankle, all my joints hurt and the front of my shoulder is killing me."

The triathlon training guide narrowed his eyes, "You are weak and imbalanced. Do more single leg drills, more rotator cuff and core strengthening, more flexibility work, and be sure you're using proper gear and are fitted to it correctly. This sport shouldn't hurt like that."

And with that, the six competitors turned around for the easy descent down the mountain, eager to try the climb again with their newfound knowledge. The triathlon training guide smiled with satisfaction and disappeared into his cave.

EAT LIKE A CHAMPION

[Source: East Coast Cycos newsletter, in Tri-Rudy newsletter, June 15, 2010]

To run your best, you need to eat differently than the rest of the population. Elite coach Chris Carmichael explains what should be on your plate.

By Kristen Wolfe Bieler

In the months leading up to the Tour de France, every aspect of Lance Armstrong's training regimen has a purpose. And that includes eating. He ups his caloric intake from 3,000 to 6,000 calories per day. The percentage of carbohydrates in his diet also increases (from 60 to 70 percent of his calories), while he slightly decreases his protein and fat intake. This finely tuned nutritional balancing act, which has helped Armstrong win five consecutive Tours, was designed by Chris Carmichael, Armstrong's long-time coach, nutritionist, and friend.

As an Olympic trainer and a former competitive cyclist, Carmichael, the founder of Carmichael Training Systems, has learned that athletes need to match their nutritional intake to the demands of their training in order to achieve peak performance. In his new book, Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right, due out this month, Carmichael applies his nutritional principles to all types of athletes, particularly runners.

According to Carmichael, runners need to take a holistic approach to eating and training. "Diet and training are so closely intertwined, they can't be separated," he says. Runners' diets, therefore, need to evolve throughout the year to correspond with particular workouts. Essentially, Carmichael takes the training technique known as periodization (you break your training year into "periods" with different goals, then concentrate on specific training) and extends it to the training table.

The concept of periodization naturally translates to nutrition, because the amount of energy you burn changes as you go through weeks, months, and a full year of training. If you're eating the same number of calories all year, there is most likely a portion of the year when you're eating more food than you need. Likewise, there will be times when your training burns more calories and demands more nutrients than you are consuming. So just as your training focuses on different goals in different months of the year, you need to make sure you're eating enough food--and the right kinds of foods--to support your workouts.

But it isn't as simple as just eating an extra granola bar or two when you're running longer or harder. "Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are tied together and linked to how you perform," says Carmichael. So on top of eating more calories as your training intensifies, the ratio of carbohydrates to fats to proteins in your diet needs to change as well. "If you are training for a half-marathon, for example, you need a greater percentage of carbohydrates in your diet than if you're just running for fitness," he explains. Like Lance Armstrong, when you're at the peak of your training, it's important to increase the percentage of carbs in your diet from about 60 to 70 percent to ensure you're giving your body enough fuel to enhance your workouts.

Not surprisingly, Carmichael cautions runners about popular low-carb diets. Slashing carbs can negatively affect a runner's health and performance. This is because carbohydrates are the body's high-octane fuel--the fuel it relies on for speed and power. Cutting carbs from your diet leads to depleted stores of glycogen (the form carbs take when stored in the body). Training in a glycogen-depleted state causes the body to struggle to maintain even low-intensity exercise, making it difficult to improve fitness.

Still, with all due respect to carbohydrates, Carmichael notes that protein is more important than once thought for distance runners because of the role it plays in helping to transport carbohydrates throughout your system. Protein is particularly crucial during your postworkout meal. "Recent evidence shows that adding protein to your high-carbohydrate postworkout meal enables the carbs to move more quickly into the muscles for faster refueling," he says. Carmichael advises a ratio of about 1 part protein to 7 parts carbohydrate, although it's more important simply to strive for a protein-carbohydrate combination than it is to achieve that specific ratio. A postrun meal of rice and chicken (heavier on the rice than the chicken) will get you what you need for a speedy recovery.

But good nutrition isn't about eliminating one type of food or nutrient in exchange for another. All foods have a place on Carmichael's table. It's just a matter of choosing the right foods, in the right proportions, at the right times, to yield the energy you need to run and live at an optimal level. His nutritional strategy even leaves room for indulgences, in moderation. Carmichael himself admits to bimonthly Ben & Jerry's binges. And Armstrong? It's said he goes for apple fritters whenever he can get his hands on them. Good luck finding those in France.

Periodization For Idiots

How do you apply the principles of periodization to your diet without complex nutrient calculations? Remember that the concept of eating more carbs during your heaviest training is more important than trying to adhere to specific numbers.

But when you're upping the miles, adding just one of these mini meals per day gives you the extra carbs you need to keep running strong.

1 cup vanilla yogurt + 1 cup fresh fruit (60 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides over 40 percent of your daily calcium needs

1 cup orange juice + 1 banana (52 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: packs almost 200 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C

1 slice banana nut bread + 1 cup skim milk (about 45 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: gives you 25 percent of the Daily Value for calcium

1 PowerBar energy bar + 8 oz PowerBar Endurance sports drink (62 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides plenty of sodium and potassium to keep you well hydrated

Smoothie of 2 cups skim or soy milk + 1 1/2 cups strawberries + 2 Tbsp soy
protein (about 50 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contributes about 5 grams of fiber

1 1/2 cups multigrain cereal + 1 1/2 cups skim milk (54 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: contains over 100 percent of the Daily Value for iron

1 bagel + 1 banana + 1 Tbsp nut butter (about 75 grams carbs)
Bonus Benefit: provides 12 grams of protein