B LIFE – Here is where we learn, grow, and share stories about living the “TRI LIFE”. Training science, race reports, travel, accomplishments, and more, to help educate, entertain, and promote the amazing athletes that fuel our team success!
Westchester Toughman Half Triathlon
On Sunday, September 12th, 2010 I raced the Westchester Toughman Half Triathlon. It is a Half Ironman distance race, which means a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. This was the 3rd year of the event. It was by coincidence that I happenned to enter the Toughman this year, especially since I did not plan to do a race of this distance in 2010. I wanted to stick to the short and fast stuff in order to get back to running fast. My “A” race for this year was to be the NYC Triathlon,…
Proper Running Warm Up… and Cool Down
Warm up? C’mon! Let’s just get to the workout already! I know this sounds silly, but I also know that’s what most of us do on a regular basis, if not all the time. In this time crunched era where no one has a moment to spare, who has time to warm up? Our bodies will warm up as we go! The truth is that most injuries happen within the first 6 minutes of a workout. Yes, this is not always the case, but I didn’t say “always”, I said “most,” and it depends on the intensity of the activity*.…
Strength Training for Endurance: Part 2
Ok, so just because it took me this long to hopefully prove something that you probably already knew, doesn’t mean you can just start pumping iron and reap the benefits of better performances. Not all strength training programs are created equal, but there are a couple of training principles that are the same regardless. #1 is the overload principle. Overload states that for any training adaptation (increase in strength, endurance, etc.) to occur, you must train at a level beyond what you are already accustomed. The one story always used to reflect this principle is the story of Milo of…
Are Coaches Allowed to have a Bad Performance?
I should have never left T2 (bike to run transition) My body was telling me at the tail end of the bike that it was done for the day, but I decided to give the run a try anyway. I stopped less than a mile into the 13.1 mile run. It was then that I noticed a dead snake on the side of the road. It looked as though it had just expired from the heat. I thought to myself, “Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel,” and I started walking back to transition. Wait a minute! What do I always…
VO2 Max, Lactate Threshold, and the Body’s Energy Systems
For the beginner in multi-sport, or any endurance sport, the terms VO2 max and lactate threshold will inevitably become a part of his or her vocabulary. For most, it easy to be confused about what exactly each one is, and how they relate to training. Although it will involve a certain amount of scientific terminology, I will try to give you a better understanding of what these two terms mean, how they are important to you, and how the body creates energy for you to perform at your best. Vo2 max is of particular importance for endurance athletes. It is…
I know you’ve heard the sayings, “there’s always someone out there training harder than you,” or “you have to work harder than the next guy to win,” etc. It all sounds like something you remember from your old grade school gym teacher, or football coach. In fact, many people and coaches are still using these sayings to try to motivate themselves, or their athletes today. While it’s true that you have to train hard and be dedicated to succeed, training harder all the time doesn’t usually equate with better results, and can oftentimes lead to injury, or burnout. This is…
In my previous article on Training Intensity Zones I talked a little about how to determine your Lactate Threshold heart rate. As I mentioned, if you have access to a sports center or university lab, you can get a maximum aerobic capacity test which analyzes your carbon dioxide to oxygen gas exchange difference to help determine your LT, or you can take a different max test in which blood samples are taken, usually from your finger, to determine your blood lactate level at different intensities. You must be willing to let someone take blood samples. Most people do not have…
No matter what sport you are training for, in order to do well, you must have a plan. Elite level athletes never train at the same intensity all year long. If they did, they would not achieve anywhere near what they are capable of. More than likely, they would burn out or sustain various injuries. If you want to perform at your best when it counts, and continually build on your fitness level year after year, you need to plan your training using a methodology called “periodization.” In this article, I will define the term periodization as it relates to…
B Athletic Multisport 1st Blog!
I’d like to welcome you all to the very first B Athletic Multisport blog. This may be an odd article to start with, but for beginners to fitness, and or endurance training and racing, I believe this takes a fun look at some of the fear that comes with trying something new and working with a coach. This was written by one of my former clients in Los Angeles in the early ’90’s. He was taking a poetry class at a local college, and to my surprise our training was his inspiration for this great little poem. If my memory…
