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Triathlon Gear

Most triathletes spend the majority of time during the days and weeks prior to a race planning their triathlon gear for the race itself - shoes, helmet, bike, wetsuit, goggles and all the crucial elements to finish a triathlon. But the majority of these same triathletes neglect to consider post-race triathlon gear needs.

But if you show up in the race transition area with a backpack full of the
essential triathlon gear you’re going to need after the race, you’ll be
prepared for a much more comfortable and successful race and recovery. So without further ado, here’s the essential triathlon gear you’re probably forgetting, straight from http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com.

Protein: If you can consume a combination of protein and carbohydrates
within 20-30 minutes after crossing the finish line, your muscles will have the amino acids they need to repair the muscle fibers that become damaged during a triathlon. Unfortunately, most triathlon finish lines offer
bananas, oranges, energy bars, pizza, or other foods that are notoriously low in protein. Pack your own protein, and you’ll be set for far faster recovery, which is especially important if you want to get back to training or racing soon after your event. I personally put a bottle of something called “Recoverease” (http://www.pacificfit.net/supplements.php#recoverease)
in my backpack, which contains essential amino acids and enzymes that assist in protein digestion.

Electrolytes: Sure, to avoid cramping you may already use salt capsules or a sport drink with electrolytes during the race - but after a race, you
continue to sweat and lose valuable salts and minerals. In addition, one
primary cause of muscle soreness is calcium leakage within muscle tissue. So after each race, I spray my arms and legs with a topical magnesium
(http://www.magneticclay.com/120-MagnesiumOil-72-custom.html) - which can displace the calcium and also replace a notoriously deficient mineral. Since I added topical magnesium to my post-race triathlon gear, I’ve specifically noticed a much faster heart rate recovery, and less “dead leg” phenomenon after an event.

Wipes: Have you ever finished a triathlon and realized that although you’re going to need to stick around for a few hours to chat with friends and attend the award ceremony, you stink to high heaven? Often, jumping back into the swim venue just doesn’t seem to wash that stink away, and most triathlon finish line areas don’t have locker rooms equipped with showers. Combined with sweat, bike oil, blood, gravel, sand, dirt and all the other compounds that collect on your body during race, it can be downright unpleasant standing around in your post-race filth. But by putting some baby wipes, or better yet, some environmentally friendly, athlete-designed Actionwipes
(http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst-14088633867012+5xgHpa+http://www.
actionwipes.com) into your post-race triathlon gear bag, you’ll smell like a spa, feel clean, and look great - especially if you have to hop up on the
podium.

Clothes: When it comes to post-race triathlon gear, it seems as though
clothes would be a no-brainer. But whether clothes are easily forgotten
while packing a bike, wetsuit and other crucial items, or folks just don’t
remember that there are many post-race hours spent standing around and socializing, clothing just doesn’t seem to make it into many post-race gear bags. If you peak in my post-race backpack, I always have a) a comfortable, breathable t-shirt or tanktop; b) loose-fitting cargo shorts that won’t chafe against sore areas; c) underwear that will wick away sweat and also not chafe against sore areas (i.e. Slix at
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2010/08/ben-greenfields-top-five-criteri
a-for-healthy-mens-underwear/)); d) flip-flops, sandals, or anything else
that in no way resembles a running shoes.

By either leaving a backpack full of this essential post-race triathlon gear
in transition area, or having a spouse, family member or friend give it to
you after the race, you’ll be set for a faster recovery. Beware that some
races do not allow “loose” transition areas with backpacks strewn about, so be prepared for the latter option. For more triathlon gear tips just like
this, along with audio interviews with coaches and triathlon experts, check out http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com.

Science Of Triathlon

Any endurance athlete, and especially an Ironman triathlete, should have one very specific physical objective during a triathlon: to maximize wattage

(power) and speed (velocity) while simultaneously minimizing muscular fatigue and depletion of energy stores. This is the science of triathlon. Let’s call this lofty objective in the science of triathlon the “Triathlete’s Holy Grail” or THG.

All particulars aside, the athlete who achieves THG the most efficiently will be the first to cross the finish line. The athlete who only achieves the first \part of this goal, maximizing wattage and speed, will accomplish a big ol’ DNF (did not finish), while the athlete who only achieves the second part of this goal, minimizing fatigue and energy store depletion, will accomplish a FLFL (cross the finish line with a flashlight).

Applying a combination of the science of triathlon - basic biomechanics and exercise physiology - to the three legs of the triathlon (swim/bike/run), an athlete can accomplish the holy grail with optimum efficiency.

So in this article, I’ll explain how to use the basic biomechanical relationship between mechanical levers and torque to positively affect three keys to efficiency in the three specific components of swimming, biking and running. Next week, I’ll teach you more science of triathlon, and how to use the basic physiological relationship between the body’s energy systems and muscle fibers to prepare for peak performance.

First, let’s briefly discuss the relationship between a mechanical lever and torque.

The human body is a perfect example of a series of levers (bones) that are attached to different points of rotation (elbow, knee, hip, back, etc.). For

example, imagine that you are holding your running shoe in your hand, with

your arm outstretched completely away from your body and completely straight at the elbow. In this case, the shoulder is the center of rotation, the lever is the length of the arm between the shoulder and the hand, and the force is the weight of the shoe.

We can say that the weight, or the force, of the shoe that you are holding away from your body is producing a torque at the shoulder. The torque in the shoulder is found by multiplying the length of the lever (the arm) and the force (the shoe’s weight). Therefore, we can decrease torque in the shoulder by either decreasing the weight of the shoe or decreasing the distance of the lever arm (amputation is never an option in physics problems). For example, if you shoe weights 1lb and your arm is 3ft long, the shoe is producing a torque at the shoulder of 3 foot lb’s. But if you bend your arm, so that it is 2ft long, the shoe only produces 2 foot lb’s of torque. Or if you lighten your shoe to 1/2 lb but keep the arm at 3 feet, the shoe produced 1.5 foot lb’s of torque.

Here’s where some people get confused. The lever arm length is not determined by distance of the lever itself, but rather by the perpendicular distance from the point of force application to the center of rotation.

Therefore, torque in the shoulder can be decreased simply by dropping the arm down a few inches, or, as in the example above, bending the arm.

When the arm is shorter, you can drop a straight line down from the shoulder, and then another straight line over to the new location of the

shoe. The second straight line would be the new lever arm. So you can pretty much bring torque down to nothing at all by simply dropping the arm holding your shoe all the way down to your side. With your arm at your side holding the shoe, there is no rotational torque on your shoulder at all, just the weight of the shoe pulling straight down on the shoulder (and that’s not rotational torque, just a downward force).

Now let’s quickly assume the arm is back up completely straight at the side holding the shoe, and the shoe is producing a downward torque on the shoulder. There is one more source of torque: the torque in the opposite

direction needed to keep the arm up. As you may have guessed, this torque is produced by the muscle itself, or, in this case, the rotator cuff and deltoid muscles. By contracting, or shortening, they produce a torque at the shoulder joint that opposes the downward torque of the shoe.

So why the heck is this geek-speak important for triathletes and the science of triathlon? Here’s why: because the amount of torque produced in a joint determines how much force the muscles must produce to resist that torque.

And by minimizing torque production at a joint in one direction, a triathlete can minimize fatigue, and by maximizing torque production at a joint in the opposite direction, an endurance athlete can maximize power and velocity. As you can see, this is crucial in pursuing the the holy grail of triathlon - the first part of which is maximizing wattage and speed.

Next week, I’m going to tell you exactly how you can use the concept in science of triathlon that you just learned to either minimize the “bad” torque that can cause injuries or maximize the “good” torque that can make you a faster triathlete.

Break Through Past Experience

Almost everyone will have negative experiences. Sometimes they can be severe and traumatic—a car accident, a physical illness, or the death of a loved one. Other times the experience might be painful, but not overwhelming; a boss might yell at you, a friend might betray you, or something embarrassing might happen to you.

These types of experiences are inevitable. The problem arises, however, when we let negative past experiences control the decisions we make for the future. It’s common for people to get stuck in the negative experiences and emotions of the past and then never live a full life in the future. This happens when we constantly replay the negative experience in our minds, and allow our emotions to be overtaken by the pain of the experience. That in turn makes it difficult for us to think positively about the future. The result is that we end up failing to move forward in life.

Well, here’s a great way to break free from your past negative experiences and emotions so that you can live a free and full life in the future.

First start by remembering the negative experience. Let’s say that your boss scolded you in front of all the other people in your office, leaving you feeling humiliated. Fix an image of this experience in your mind, replaying what happened in your mind with as much detail as possible.

The next step is to remake this image, almost as if you were an editor of animated films. In your mind, take that image and make it funny, goofy, or outrageous. You might imagine your boss wearing nerdy clothing. Or perhaps he’s yelling at you with a wimpy or squeaky voice. Perhaps his pants fall down as he yells. Maybe he’s wearing lipstick. Maybe you can see all the words coming out of his mouth and then you stuff them all back down his throat. You get the idea; just re-imagine the experience in a funny and light-hearted way.

After you have re-imagined the situation, then concentrate on pushing the entire scene far away from you and your life. Make it drift off into the distance. Imagine that the voice of your boss and the image of him fade away. It also helps to transform the imagined image from color into black and white.

By using this technique, you will dramatically reduce the power of the negative emotions attached to the experience. By remaking the experience without negative emotions, you will break down the downward negative cycle in which so many people find themselves trapped. The goal is to simply re-frame the experience in a new light, one that is not charged with negative emotions. This process can be used repeatedly until the negative and painful emotions have significantly diminished.

Once you’ve accomplished this freedom from the past, the next step is to start moving forward with optimistic and positive plans for the future. Keep pushing the past further into the distance, and then replace all that will a strong focus on a positive future. With the negative emotions of the past having been pushed far away, you can now substitute the past with dreams of the future. The key is to focus on new and positive dreams and plans. Develop new dreams and start working to make them a reality.

How tragic it would be to let your entire future be dictated by something negative in the past! The past is … well, in the past! So don’t dwell on that and instead look to the new horizons ahead. And remember to always ROCK ON!

Triathlon Bike

In the past couple months at the Rock Star Triathlete Academy
(http://www.rockstartriathlete.com), we’ve had a few guests on the show that specialized in the triathlon bike and the aerodynamics of cycling, most notably Zipp’s Josh Poetner and Aerosport Research’s Len Brownlie.

In our discussions with these guys, we learned a few things about triathlon bikes that you may find useful in setting up your position to be most efficient for your training and racing. Here are three in

1) Aerodynamic Wheels Help Slow People. You don’t have to be a fast age-grouper or a pro to have a disc wheel or race wheel on your triathlon bike. As a matter of fact, based on the way the air contacts that wheel, a deep dish wheel, disc wheel or wheel-cover actually gives more benefit to a slow rider than a fast rider!

2) Tuck Your Cables. Does your triathlon bike have cables going this way and that? You can lose several seconds every 40K for every foot of cable exposed to the wind. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a fancy triathlon bike with hidden cables, but you may want to see if you can tuck or hide your existing cables on your triathlon bike wherever possible.

3) Smooth Is More Than Sexy. Shaved legs, a tight triathlon suit, no big stickers flapping in the breeze, shoe covers, and even waxing your triathlon bike can all add up to save seconds. So not only will you look good, but you’ll be fast too!

4) Comfort Is Important. Even the aerodynamic “geeks” we’ve had on the show consistently agree that even the most aero triathlon bike position doesn’t help you at all if your diaphragm is compressed or you can’t run off the bike - so if you’re extremely uncomfortable because of your flat or rounded back, you may need some adjustments.

5) Even Tubes Count. Investing in a light, racing latex tube won’t cost you much, but can add 5-10 watts of power. For most individuals, this can result in a significant speed increase for a small investment.

Of course, there are many other aerodynamic changes you can make to your triathlon bike, including water bottles, water bottle straws, aero helmet, aero bar and more, but we thought these 5 points were quite interesting! For more tips just like this, you can join the Rock Star Triathlete Academy for just one buck at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com/rockstartriathlete.html.

Triathlon Equipment

More than most sports, triathlon is an endeavor in which even the best training plan and cardiovascular fitness can be sabotaged by improper or improper use of triathlon equipment. But with these five triathlon equipment do’s and don’ts from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/freevideogift , you’ll be instantly equipped to make the best choices when it comes to triathlon equipment.

Triathlon Equipment Don’t: Don’t Use A Big, Long Straw On Your Aero Bottle. Did you know that the speed-enhancing effects of that sweet, carbon aero wheel into which you sunk $500-1000 are just about completely negated by the big, long strong sticking up out of that aero bottle that is mounted on the front of your bike? Here’s the solution: go to a hardware store or aquarium and get a flexible straw that can actually curl up inside your bottle. You’ll literally save dozens of seconds over a 40K time trial. For a demonstration of how to do it, check out http://www.rockstartriathlete.com/top5triathlonequipment.

Triathlon Equipment Don’t: Don’t Mount Too Many Bottle Holders. In a
supervised triathlon (which most are) you only need enough water to get you from one aid station to the next, which is typically five to fifteen miles. So why are you weighing down your bike with three to six extra water bottles, and all the weight and aerodynamic disadvantages that comes along with them? The best solution is a single, aerobar mounted water bottle, along with a down tube bottle *if* you need it.

Triathlon Equipment Do: Do Wear Sunglasses Without A Frame On Top. When you use sunglasses that have a frame along the top, you have to crane your neck just a bit extra to see above the frame - which slightly alters your aerodynamic position and head/neck comfort. As you pick your triathlon equipment, try to choose sunglasses that are frameless along the top. To see the difference between sunglasses with a frame along the top, and sunglasses
that don’t have a frame along the top, see the video at
http://www.rockstartriathlete.com/top5triathlonequipment, in which I show you the difference between two different types of sunglasses from Zeal Optics.

Triathlon Equipment Do: Do Pull Your Wetsuit Sleeves and Legs Up. Wetsuits weren’t meant to fit like your favorite sweater or pair of pants - pulled all the way down to your wrists or ankles. Instead, the wetsuit should be worn just a few inches above the wrist and ankles, which frees up extra material for breathing and shoulder flexibility. To see Rock Star Triathlete Academy coach Kerry Sullivan demonstrate the proper wetsuit entry technique, visit http://www.rockstartriathlete.com/secondwetsuit

Triathlon Equipment Don’t: Don’t Pin Your Race Number To Your Top. One of the body’s primary areas of cooling is across the chest and stomach. So by pinning your race belt to your shirt or triathlon jersey, you’re putting a big piece of non-breathing paper over your body’s primary cooling radiator. Instead, get a race belt and wear it around your waist, with your number attached to your race belt. Race belts cost very little to free, and are one smart and crucial piece of triathlon equipment.

While it is unfortunate that many people sabotage triathlon success with simple triathlon equipment mistakes, it is fortunate that these mistakes are easily avoidable with just a few triathlon equipment tweaks. For more tips just like this, along with free videos from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, just visit http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/freevideogift.

Post Race Blues?

It’s an all-too-common scenario in triathlon - you’ve signed up for, trained

for, and completed your race. The finish-line pictures have been taken, the post-race parties and high-fives from friends are now past, the swim, bike and run sessions in your planned-out program are over, and suddenly you have a big, empty void in your life.

You feel depressed. Down. Unmotivated. Unfit. Lost.

You aren’t alone. This phenomena is called the “post-race blues”, and it happens to basketball players after they win a big tournament, tennis players after they achieve their desired ranking, golf players after they conquer a new handicap, or football players after they win the championship.

The post-race blues are entirely natural. Just think about it: if you had infinite amounts of joy, satisfaction, and self-fulfillment after accomplishing your goal, then you’d never have any incentive to move on to another goal! You’d just sit around basking in gumdrops, rainbows, and sunshine the rest of your life.

Heck, Ironman triathlon probably wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the post-race blues, since folks would just keep on doing sprint triathlons as that would give them more than enough happiness. But post-race blues are a reality, and you do need to know how to handle your post-race blues to move on to bigger and better things. So in this article from the Rock Star
Triathlete Academy, at http//www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com, you’ll learn three easy steps to beat the post-race blues.

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #1: Log Your Journey. Often, post-race blues are amplified by a lack of closure, or the feeling that you finished an important event but still have unfinished business. Writing can be incredibly cathartic, and allow you to project these feelings onto paper, whether for yourself or the rest of the world. In the modern age, this is most easily achieved by blogging, with your race ramblings, your photos and your videos - but you can also simply write notes to yourself in a journal. Whichever method you decide, attempt to answer these questions: What did you do? How did you prepare? How did you feel during the event? How did you feel
after the event? What would you change?

How To Beat the Post race blues Step #2: Reboot and Refresh. If you try to “mask” your blues by jumping right back into swimming, cycling and running, you might last a couple weeks before mental fatigue and boredom set in. The same can be said for individuals who “Qualify for Kona” and jump right back
into hard training, or don’t get the PR they wanted, and jump right back into hard training. So instead, you should “reboot and refresh”. How? Pick up a new sport (like golf), choose a new hobby (like studying red wine or playing the guitar) and find other sources of joy and fulfillment (like hanging out with your friends and family). Give yourself 2-3 weeks of complete down-time without any pressure to swim, bike or run.

How To Beat the Post-Race Blues Step #3: Create a New Goal. The empty valley created by an achieved goal is simply screaming to be filled by a new mountain for you to climb. Once you’ve completed your re-boot and re-fresh, or during that time, pour through triathlon calendars, triathlon magazines and race reports to find an even that truly excites you. A new distance? A
unique destination? A group or club event? As soon as you have found your new goal, it is important to register for the event and find a plan to get you ready for the event- remember you want to strike while the iron is hot and you have an empty void to fill. Most importantly, remember that your goal doesn’t have to be a new race. It can also be getting six-pack abs, losing 20 pounds, or even becoming a rock star on the electronic keyboard.’

By following these three steps to beat the post-race blues, you can avoid the trap that many fall into: achieving a goal, becoming depressed from the empty void, then gaining 30 pounds or giving up on their sport because they just don’t know what to do next. If you want more tips just like this, along with tons of free audios, videos, and other bonus gifts, visit the Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http//www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com.

Triathlon Hydration

Curious how important triathlon hydration is? How about how much you should actually be drinking during your triathlon? This article from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathlonhydration will teach you everything you need to know about triathlon hydration.

Consider the following triathlon hydration facts:

* Your cycling and running speed decreases about 2% for each 1% of body weight lost through dehydration.

* By the time you feel thirsty, you can already be at 2% body weight loss .

* A 3% weight loss indicates dehydration has occurred.

* Loss of fluid during exercise varies, but averages about 34 ounces per hour (and can be 3x that much in hot and humid conditions!).

* Hyponatremia, which is just as dangerous as dehydration, is a term used to describe “water intoxication” and can occur with excess water intake above 30oz of water an hour.

* Acclimatized individuals who are used to training in hot climates or hot rooms can reduce fluid loss by up to 50%.

Based on these facts, it would pretty important to make sure your triathlon hydration is properly planned. Here is how to do it:

* Divide your weight in half to determine the ounces of water you should drink per day for adequate triathlon hydration. So a 160 pound triathlete would consume about 80 ounces of water, or 10 8 ounce servings. While some nutritionists will recommend drinking even more if you exercising, you need to remember that you’re also getting water from all the food you eat about 20% of your daily fluid intake is typically from food.

* During exercise, your triathlon hydration goal should be to consume about 17-25 ounces per hour, or around 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. A typical large water bottle is 20-25 ounces. During hot and long races such as Half-Ironman and Ironman, you can shoot for closer to 28-30 oz of water per
hour although smaller individuals will need to take caution with this level of fluid intake.

* Before a long exercise session, such as a multi-hour workout, race or trip to the gym, your goal should be to consume 17-25 ounces per hour for 2-3 hours leading up to event (but always taper off fluid consumption about 20 minutes before to eliminate “stomach sloshing”).

* Over 30 ounces of fluid per hour can cause water dilution in the blood, which disrupts normal cellular metabolism and physiology, often with dangerous consequences, such as swelling around the brain. High-end intake above these values should only occur during exercise in hot and humid conditions.

There are a few other good triathlon hydration tips you need to take into account:

* To avoid taking in too much water, you can combine your triathlon hydration with doses of external water to control heat stress, such as squirting some cold water over your head, putting ice in your jersey or uniform, or using ice sponges.

* For people who tend to sweat and cramp excessively, glycerol
supplementation can help maximize water storage, but this is illegal in some events so use caution!

* Cold water is absorbed more rapidly than warm water giving you a good excuse to use thermal water bottles and freeze them overnight.

* Pay attention to your urine color - pale to light yellow is optimal. If you’re still peeing dark yellow a couple hours after an event or training session, continue to re-hydrate.

* You can lose up to a pound in glycogen, fat and muscle tissue during a 3+ hour training session, so account for this when re-hydrating, or when weighing yourself after exercise to see how much you¹ve lost

* Remember…you still evaporate water in cooler training environments, so if you’re training in cold weather, triathlon hydration is still important!

No discussion of water would be complete without emphasizing that liquid compounds that are full of fructose, glucose or artificial colorings and sweeteners are not to be considered normal triathlon hydration methods, and should only be consumed when completely necessary, such as during a multi-hour training session during which calories are necessary, or when no form of pure water is handy.

Finally, whenever possible in your triathlon hydration, choose clean, filtered water, and avoid heavy consumption of water from plastic bottled sources, especially those that have been exposed to heat. For more audio, video and article tips just like this, visit the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathlonhydration.

Ironman Results

Perhaps you’ve recently finished your triathlon and you’re unhappy with your Ironman results. Perhaps you just signed up for an Ironman and you want better results. No matter what your level of triathlon experience is, the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/ironmanresults has identified three crucial keys for the swim, the bike and the run - and each of them will get you better Ironman results.

Get Ironman Results for the Swim: Swim With Attitude

Let’s face it - the emotions and experiences you have during the Ironman swim can significantly dictate your mental performance for the remainder of the entire race. If you put yourself into a swim position that allows you to become frustrated, you could set-up a damaging cascade of decisions that stays with you during the bike and the run. It may seem illogical, but you can find yourself riding above your goal bike pace by 1-2 miles per hour and destroying your ability to run off the bike simply because you swam 100m off course on the swim and you’re attempting to “make up time”.

So not only do you have to have an attitude during the swim that allows you to shrug off any frustrating experiences that come your way - such as getting kicked in the face, elbowed in the goggles or drafting off course - but you also need to make sure that you position yourself in the swim to decrease the chances of these events occurring. For example, you can swim to the inside of the marker buoys (most people swim to the outside), sight off stationary landmarks on shore (most people try to sight off buoys, which is much more difficult), and draft on the hips of the swimmer in front of you rather than their feet.

Make the proper swim decisions, and you’ll drastically affect your Ironman results for the rest of the race.

Get Ironman Results for the Bike: Gearing & Cadence

There’s nothing like mashing gears for 112 miles to leave your legs feeling like J-E-L-L-O for the run. But at an average Ironman event, 90% of the competitors are spinning at 60 70RPM or lower as they climb the hills. This is either the result of not knowing how to use the bike gears, not having the mental awareness to use the bike gears, or not having the correct bike
gears. Don’t fool yourself - you may be able to do a sprint triathlon with a chainring the size of Kansas and the cassette of a Tour contender, but that might come back to bite you 80 or 90 miles into the Ironman bike ride.

So in your practice rides leading up to the Ironman, attempt to ride a course that simulates your race course, and bring a cyclocomputer. Watch your cadence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re training based on heart rate, power, or “feel” - your cadence should be at least above 80RPM, and preferably 85-95RPM, even on the hills.

Get Ironman Results for the Run: Nutrition

If you’ve done Ironman before, then you know the feeling. About 6 miles into the run, each aid station becomes a blur of cookies, Coke, soup and gels - and you can’t remember what you already grabbed, why you grabbed it, how much you stuffed into your mouth, what time it is, or where your pace is at.

The truth is this: during the Ironman run you have to *own your calories*. This means that every bite of fuel that goes into your mouth is cooly calculated and stored in your mental computer that tells you exactly how much fuel you’ve consumed. There’s nothing like being doubled over with gut pain halfway through a marathon and not knowing whether it was because you ate too much, ate too little, mixed the wrong foods, or somehow grabbed a cheeseburger while you weren’t paying attention.

During your long runs, practice adding total calories consumed and maintaining a running tally of your fuel - the mind can be trained to do math during exercise, and if you do this step, your Ironman results will rock.

With a proper swim attitude, smart bike gearing and cadence, and attentive run nutrition, you’re guaranteed to get Ironman results. For more tips on not just Ironman, but every aspect of triathlon, including training, nutrition, expert Q&A’s, coach calls, free training plans, and much more, visit the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/ironmanresults.

Triathlon Carbohydrate Intake

When discussing triathlon carbohydrate intake and how carbs should be worked
into your day-to-day nutrition routine, the following is the one single important aspect of human body science that you need to understand if they want your bodies to feel better, perform better and look better. At the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at
http://rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecarbohydrateintake/ , we teach this as one of the most crucial nutrition concepts to know.

Here it is:

Insulin is a hormone secreted by an organ called the pancreas. Its role is to take blood sugar and get that sugar into muscles, to be utilized for energy. Unfortunately, if insulin levels are always high, then the sensitive insulin receptors on your body¹s cells eventually become unresponsive to insulin, resulting in a host of problems related to what is called “insulin insensitivity”. These problems can include weight gain, fatigue, appetite cravings, and even cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

If you want to control your insulin levels and triathlon carbohydrate intake, there are two very important things you can instantly do.

1) Don’t Go Hungry. If you¹re going more than 4 hours between meals, it’s likely that your blood sugar levels are dropping very low. When this happens, and you eventually do eat, you’re more like to eat more and to eat more carbohydrates. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise more rapidly than usual, resulting in a big surge in insulin levels. So rather than waiting to eat until you¹re about to gnaw off your arm, give yourself a rule of snacking or eating at least every 3 hours. By planning, preparing, packaging and pre-cooking, you¹ll ensure that you have adequate snacks on hand to make this form of triathlon carbohydrate intake happen.

2) Choose Carbs Wisely. The more quickly a sugar is released into the bloodstream, the faster your insulin levels are going to rise. Some carbs are “quick-release” carbs and include more sport drinks, candy, cookies and sweet tasting compounds. Other carbs, are “slow-release” carbs, and the best ones are lean dairy foods, vegetable carbs like carrots and squash, nuts and seeds, pears, berries and green apples. For proper triathlon carbohydrate intake, choose the quick-release carbs only before, during and after exercise, and use the slow-release carbs the rest of the day.

With these two simple rules, you can suddenly have enormous control over your insulin levels, your health, your performance and your body and although there is obviously much more to consider when it comes to triathlon carbohydrate intake, these two rules are a good place to start. For more information on triathlon carbohydrate intake, simply visit:
http://rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecarbohydrateintake/

triathlete core training

If you’ve read any triathlon magazines lately, or visited triathlon websites like http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/triathletecoretraining ,
you’re most likely familiar with triathlete core training and the concepts behind triathlete core training, which basically involves functional multi-sport training for the abdominal, low back, and pelvic muscles.

Since many functional movements, such as running, lifting, or twisting, originate in the torso, it is important to maintain strength and balance in this part of the body. Today we’ll examine the best triathlete core training methods for an athlete to work the core, not only in terms of the best exercises, but also in terms of how often, how many sets and reps, length of rest periods, etc.

First of all, understand the importance of the torso complex in multi-sport training. Proper “downhill” swimming involves constantly pressing the chest
or shoulders down towards the bottom of the pool, relying on a light, albeit constant, downward contraction in the ab muscles and a resistive contraction to upward movement in the low back muscles. Both the flutter kick and stroke actions in the legs and arms also rely on light, repetitive contractions in the oblique and pelvic floor muscles. In the bicycle portion, the low back must maintain a consistent extension force against the weight of the upper body and the shoulders, unless you are in the aero position during the entire ride, which is unlikely. Proper running cadence, with a slight forward lean and a proud posture, again involves repetitive, light contractions in the ab musculature.

Based on these stresses placed on the torso, it is unlikely that heavy sets of 8-10 reps for the abs and low back will result in much cross-over benefit to the torso. So the primary focus should be on balance, light weight, and higher rep sets lasting from 1-2 minutes or longer. Let’s go over a sample routine that would be perfect for triathlete core training. Just go to
http://www.pacificfit.net/exercises.php to see a description and photo/video
example.

Bicycle crunches: 25 per side - focus on smooth contractions and full extension in legs with each kick

Superman: 20 - focus on a brief hold when arms and legs are raised off floor…butt cheeks should be squeezed together Standing one arm overhead press: 20 per side - drive knee as far up towards chest as possible so that it feels like a standing crunch

Mountain climbers: 20 to each side - make sure that you are in a completely
extended, “plank” position, and that knees come as close to elbows as possible.

Six inch crunches: 20 - go slow. A set of 20 should take 2 minutes or longer.

For a great 30 minute triathlete core training routine, complete all these exercises as a circuit, moving from one exercise to the next with as little rest as possible. Perform the circuit 3x. A workout such as this should only be performed 3 times per week at the most, and for many active multi-sport athletes, once per week should be sufficient to induce both endurance, strength, and balance gains in the core musculature that will make you a better triathlete.

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videos, you should visit
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/freevideogift for an entire series of free swim, bike and run videos!