kenaxford's Group - Closed and kickin' tale !!! (Page 6)

Tim: good luck this weekend.  Nervous anticipation is the worst.  (and the best)

Kevin, that suxx!!!   Are you going to see a doctor?

no racing stories yet, but I had a killer mtn bike 2 days ago that was 03:15.  The good part was that it was with a new friend and we rode abotu the same level.  The bad part is that the 2nd loop kicked my tail.  I attribute that to my lack of attention to my nutrition.  I only had 3 GU's and a small bottle of water.  This is where coach Ken states "do as I say and not as I do"   

Well race 2 is in the books.  I had a great time traveling to Lubbock, TX and spending time with my dad.

I finished middle of pack which is what I expected.

The surprise was that I came out of the water in the top 5 (gotta love the wetsuit!).  Of course I didn't get to celebrate that long because the bike is where I struggle.  It didn't help that immediately out of transition was a huge (16% grade I'm guessing) hill which was followed by another (a little less steep but longer) huge hill.  After struggling over those I hit the flat section.  I was ecstatic to discover that the out was into the wind so the back would be wind aided.

I came off the bike pretty tired so I knew the run was going to be tough and it was.  My feet were numb from the cold temps on the bike so I felt like I was running on my ankles.  I managed to get up to my planned pace and held it for the first mile but I soon figured out I wasn't going to be able to hold it.  I kept thinking that I must have missed the turn around because I felt like I had been running forever.  I finally hit the turn around and gutted out the last half finishing fairly strong.

Overall it was an amazing experience (better than the 1st!) and the venue had some nice scenery around the lake.  The downside was that they didn't use timing chips so I don't have accurate splits.  I had my watch but was so caught up in racing I didn't remember to punch it every time I should have.

I am celebrating my great swim and the small improvement in the bike but me and my bike are going to become very good friends for the rest of the season as I struggle to make some decent gains.

Congrats trinity, sounds like you had fun. 

Hey, mainer asking about injury realted issues.  I don't know anything being a newbie but I try to every week spend at least an hour doing yoga.  lots of stretchin.
Coach Ken would know more about this, but it seems to help me.

trinity...   good work.   awesome swim!!!   the longer you train, the more your bike and run splits will catch up to your swimming.  Keep it up.

mouseman, that is a very common problem.  To be honost, I have yet to find a perfect solution with any of my clients.  (and that inlcudes la' Madre) 

My opinion is that the feeling is attributed to a motion that our body is not designed to do.  It seems to affect most people who are not long time swimmers or perhaps need a little technique work on their kick.

Focus on floppy ankles and initiate the kick from the hips.  Just let the whip go.  Try to keep a steady pace and not over kick your stroke.  A 2 to 1 or even a 1 to 1 kick to stroke ratio is plenty for distance swimmers. 

I know that doesn't really solve your problem, but my 2 cents.

Thanks for the tip Mainer22.  I have used Mapmyrun before but didn't know there was was a Mapmyride; I'll check it out.  I did go to the venue the day before the race so I knew exactly what was coming but the hills didn't seem so steep in the car .

I hope everyone has an awesome holiday weekend!

Mainer22 - 2009-05-21 7:55 PM Trinity -
Coach Ken - I haven't run in 11 days due to the calf muscle strain when I was lightly treadmill jogging....My initial thought was the injury was caused by running because I was running at the time.  I have found since then that swimming is not impacted at all, so I've been swimming.  I cycled on the indoor trainer a couple times with no issues whatsoever and the intensity/volume was standard for me.  The other day, I rode outside and a few miles into the ride, started noticing the pain - this time it was pretty much focused directly behind the knee (not behind the kneecap, but on the back side of my leg where the kneecap would be if your leg bent opposite of the way it bends right now )  the fleshy part, and also down from there into my calf....So I found by lowering pace from about 18mph to 15mph, I was OK if I didn't push hard.  If I hit a lengthly hill or started to get frisky, then the pain would come again....Could this problem have started on the bike or is it just being aggravated because it's a weak area right now??  Maybe a bikefit type thing?

I know you've never seen me or seen me workout, but just give me the correct answer OK?  (joke)

The correct answer is to quit crying and push through it   (even bigger joke)

My first thought is bike fit.  Second thoughts is running technique or proper shoe fit.  3rd thought is that you just might have an overuse injury and you might need medical attention.  The only sure fire way to fidn out what is going on is to start the process of elimination.  I would go in the order of cost to find out what is going on > shoe fit and our technique advice, bike fit, doctor.

keep me updated.

Prior to starting running, I had gone to a highly reputable running store - where they watched me walk and run barefoot, then had me stand on a "scale" that measured where my foot pressure was/wasn't before recommending me several different types of running shoes.  Then they had me test out each one in the store to decide the one I was most comfortable with.  Beyond that, I haven't pushed my run training at all, basic 10 min mile pace just logging volume. 

As to bikefit - is this something that the local bikeshop would do (correctly) or should I be searching for some key word/phrase that would allow me to be confident in their process?  I don't think I've ever adjusted my bike, other than "making sure there is a slight bend in my kneee when the pedal is at the bottom"

Thanks for the continued advice !

The shoes sound like they shoudl be a good fit.

As for the bike fit:  you are going to have to ask around.  Not every bike shop will have a good fitter.  9even if they claim to be.  Certifications are always a good sign, but not completely necessary.  (I'm a good example of that as I've done a lot of fits along with a lot of studying, practice, and implementation, and I'm not certified)  Specialized, F.I.S.T., Serrota, are all good certifications that show a fitter has put some effort into their education.

It sounds to me like you need some recovery time.  How much recovery depends on the person.  some can bounce back the day after, some need a week.

Take an evaluation of your race and the days surrounding your race to see what might have caused the trouble. 

• did you train too much the week of?  did you taper properly?  did you eat normally?  were you hydrated?  what was your nutrition during the race?  how was your effort level compared to your high intensity workotus?  Have you done any speed work in preperation for the event?  etc, etc, etc. 

A race report is always a good thing so you can evaluate all of these things and refer back prior to the next race.

Mainer22 - 2009-05-30 7:49 AM

Mainer22 - 2009-04-29 5:34 PM

kenaxford - 2009-04-29 4:00 PM

Coach Ken, I need an opinion.  I'm doing 2 sprints this year with the goal to continue at sprint distance in 2010 or perhaps move up a level, either way do more tri's in 2010.  The sprint swim is over pretty quickly and the bike portion at any level is the longest.....I had planned to purchase a one piece tri-suit for around $300 that would help w/ buoyancy and give me blazing transitions.....then I see a craigslist ad for a 2008 Cervelo P2SL, minimal use, looks brand new, for $1500.....

Now obviously the bike won't turn me into Lance Armstrong, not to mention I'd have to sell the purchase to my wife

The trisuit would help the swim and would cover the clothing aspect of the entire race, plus for a sprint would any speed gains from a full wetsuit be lost in transition??

I'm tri-ing to compete, not to complete.  Which one would give me the better time advantage??

I just want to make sure we are on the same page:  If you are looking to purchase a 1 piece tri suit, they should not have any boyancy, unless it was a speedsuit made just for the swim.  That would make a difference in my response.  I am assuming you are refering to a tri suit made to wear during all three events.

Without knowing too many details, below is my 2 cents:

1 piece tri suit:  hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, no need to change in transition.  (saves loads of time if you are wearing anything floppy or chaning clothes in transition)

tri bike:  longest part of the race, makes aerodynamic positions easier to achieve and saves some energy for the run when compared to a standard road bike.  However, the time savings is completely dependent on the course and your current bike set up.  If most of your races are on hilly courses or have a lot of climbing, you might be better to stick to a true road bike.  Also, if the new bike would allow for a more aerodynamic position, it could reap big rewards, but that depends on your current set up and positioning. 

So long story short:  it depends.  However, I think the tri suit is a better value and would most likely give you larger time savings.