Cycling shoes are dishwasher safe?

Once again I started to notice that the cycling shoes were getting funky.  A couple of years ago I spent an afternoon defunkifing the shoes but this time it was late afternoon and I did not want to dig out the bucket (I briefly thought about putting them in the Jacuzzi tub).

I had read that you could put the shoes in the dishwasher (when your better half was not around). 

I checked over my should and decided to try it out.  I placed two pairs of shoes on the top rack.  I set the dishwasher to the non-heat setting.

I was disappointed with the results.  They were cleaner but not super clean.  I went ahead and got out the bucket and cleaned them the old fashioned way – you can read about it here.

After the next cleaning (and drying) the shoes were oh so much better.   The funk was gone!

Silver again!

Fresh!

McMillan Running Calculator–UPDATED

I have used and written about the McMillan Running Calculator several times.  A quick Google search of my posts mentioning McMillan returns 13..  In my experience, for stand alone foot race predictions it has been spot on.  Now it has been updated with the following:

You asked and we listened. High school coaches wanted the 1600 and 3200 meter races added to the Calculator so in the most recent update, we've added them. Cross country runners and coaches wanted 6K and 12K added so we've added those as well. Military, police, fire and other emergency personnel asked for the 1.5 mile distance that they often have to use as a performance test and ultra runners wanted the 50K, 50 Miles, 100K and 100 Miles so we added them as well (though ultra runs are very hard to predict due to the variation in terrain and environmental conditions).   

You'll also notice that we've widened the Recovery Run, Long Run and Easy Run pace ranges. We found that runners who wear speed/distance monitors were forcing themselves to jump right into the pace ranges whereas those who ran more by effort eased into the paces. So, we widened the range to better match what runners should do - start easy and gradually pick up the pace. Research and practical experience also taught us that while runners at the front of the pack did their easy runs slower than marathon pace, runners at the middle and back of the pack needed to spend more time at around marathon pace (or even slightly faster) so some runners will notice that their Endurance Workout paces should be a little faster.  

Does the Calculator work for you?

RoadID plus Google Voice

I have been wearing a Road ID for a couple of years. While I have not had a serious accident I have had accidents. Just last year I crashed on the bike, split my helmet and cracked my collar bone. Immediately after the crash I was a bit confused. I was with friends and I was able to orient myself quickly. But what if I was unconscious? These are my cycling buddies. I know them very well. We have ridden thousands of miles together. But you know what? I don’t know any of their emergency contact information. This is where the Road ID is very helpful. Almost all of us wear them.

But this year, my emergency contact number changed. I needed to update my information. Road ID does offer an interactive version of their bracelet. You can keep your emergency information up on their servers. The first responder just has to call the toll free number to get your information. For me, that is an extra step and there is a reoccurring fee after the first year.

But I still needed a new bracelet.  But this time I was smart. I used a Google voice permanent phone number. This is a free service from Google that provides a phone number that you can keep forever AND define what numbers it forwards to! Most people use them so that one number can be dialed and all of your phones ring.  You can have your office, home, cell phone, etc. all ring at once. You can alter which phones ring and what times of the day they ring. You can even have different callers forwarded to different numbers. You can alter these preferences at any time. I have a Google voice number for my coaching business. It will ring my cell phone most of the time but you will get voice mail after hours.

So this time I was smart and I got a Google voice number for my emergency contact number. This number will stay with me forever and I can have it forwarded to any number that I want. On top of that I can have it forward to multiple numbers at the same time. This way someone that cares for me will always be able to respond to an accident.

My RoadID – Shut Up Legs!

On top of that, I can change the number for when I travel. When I am visiting my father in Texas I can go on a bike ride and have his cell phone ring.  There is not much help that someone in Mississippi can provide. So I simply change the forwarding number to my father’s when I am visiting.

I believe in having emergency contact information on my body and now that information is more versatile and permanent. I hope no one needs to call my loved ones on my behalf but now they should always be able to get ahold of someone.

Bike Crash – What’s in your medicine cabinet? – REPOST FEB 2011

I have two friends that have crashed in the last couple of weeks.  I wrote this post last year when I took a spill out on the trace.

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No one likes to talk about crashing on the bike.  It happens.  You need to be prepared.  When you are hurt and limping around you don’t want to have to go to the store and find the stuff you need.
I have been wanting to write about what to have on hand but you just don’t do that without being prompted.  Someone, somewhere would crash and I would be blamed for the bad mojo.
First, if you are hurt beyond superficial cuts, scraps, bumps or bruises please seek medical attention.  Play it smart.
You have that horrible sound of metal and carbon hitting the pavement stuck in your head.  You just had a tumble on the bike and you have some bumps and bruises and probably some road rash.
Okay, lets take a look in the medicine cabinet:

1. Road Rash – Abrasion (How to treat) - The first thing that you need to do is print out this pdf.  Next read it.  Put it in you medicine cabinet.  Do it right now, I’ll wait.  There, you are already more prepared than before.  I feel better.
2. Acetaminophen / Ibuprofen (Tylenol, Advil) - You probably have this on hand.  It is a pain reliever / fever reducer.  You do not want to use aspirin in this case because of the blood thinning qualities.  Take only the recommended doses.

generic acetaminophen

3. Pain-relief cream (aspercreme) – You rub this into the bumps and bruises.  It will take away the pain.  Even better if you know a PT and can get the acetaminophen pain relief cream (prescription).  DO NOT RUB THIS INTO ROAD RASH!

generic aspercreme

4. Topical Antibiotics (Neosporin) – After cleaning the wounds and abrading rash you want to goop up the area liberally with the antibiotic cream.  And I do mean liberally.

topical antibiotic ointment

5. 2nd Skin type breathable Gauze (Adaptic, duoderm, tegaderm) – This is a breathable gauze to drape over your road rash.  Buy this stuff online.  It is much cheaper online and you don’t want to be wandering around a CVS late on a Sunday night.  It can be very difficult to find locally.  I got lucky a while back and found several boxes of the following on clearance.

2nd Skin type breathable gauze.

6. Ice packs – This will help with the swelling.  You can use anything that you want – frozen peas, plastic ice bags, etc.  I found the following a few years back.  I bought 4 sheets.  That way I can have two in the freezer while I have two on my body.  They thaw pretty quick so I rotate often.  These ice sheets will conform to just about any body part.

ice sheets

ice sheets – close up

Me with ice sheet on shoulder

7. New helmet – Even if the helmet looks brand new, YOU MUST REPLACE IT.  They are designed to take one impact, that’s it, nothing more.  My most recent crash sent me head first into the pavement.  I had a palm sized red area on my forehead and the top of my head.  The helmet spread the impact over a wide area and saved my noggin.  I have no doubt that I would have received some form of brain trauma if I had not been wearing a helmet (and wearing said helmet correctly but that is for another post). 
I am an opportunist.  I buy things when they are on sale and don’t necessary wait until I need them.  I found this helmet a couple of months ago for a very good deal (with coupon and free shipping).  I have kept the new helmet in a dark closet since I got it – they do have a shelf life.  However, I am glad I have the helmet on hand.  I will not ride my bike without one.  I have cracked two helmets in the past 4 years.  Better to crack a helmet than my head. 

helmet new in box ready to go

Bike crashes happen.  Be prepared.  Stock the medicine cabinet today.

Summer Hydration

The weather has turned warm here in Southern Mississippi. By warm I mean 90 degrees already. With spring racing coming up quick, including the Gulf Coast Half Ironman next weekend, it is time to start thinking about hydration.

This is a tough time to race since we have not had enough hot weather to be acclimated and we are asking our bodies to perform at race intensities. This is a tough combination, indeed.

However, downing countless glasses of water the day before a race will just cause you to stay up all night using the bathroom. It is necessary to start ‘hydro loading’ several days before, if not at all times.

Hydration tips –

Purchase a case of a calorie free sports drink (or mix your own with cool aid and a dash of sea salt). The sodium will allow your body to retain the extra water so it does not just flow through you. I like to dilute the calorie free sports drink about 50 / 50 with water. That is easy to do by drinking the first half and then refilling with tap water. Then, keep this container by your side. Take it with you in the car; keep it on your desk, on the end table in the living room – everywhere. Then just start drinking.  Most of the time if you have the container near by you will consume enough. 

However, if you notice that the container is still full at the top of each hour then drink 6 – 10 ounces.  It is better to drink smaller amounts throughout the day than gulping an entire container all at once. This will give you a little over a gallon of fluids throughout the day. Stopping drink 2 – 3 hours prior to bed time.

You can monitor your hydration by the color of your urine. If it is completely clear you may be drinking a tad too much. A very slight yellow color is normal. Anything darker would indicate that you need to drink more fluids.

A word about hyponatremia –

Hyponatremia is low blood sodium, which can occur when endurance athletes including long distance walkers and runners lose sodium through sweat and are unable to replace it. They may further dilute their blood sodium by continuing to drink large amounts of water and losing further sodium through urination.

This condition is more pronounced in longer events (more time to drink) and in smaller individuals (it takes less fluid to offset their sodium concentration). Drinking sodium containing fluids and eating salty foods should ensure that your sodium levels remain at safe levels.

Horse and Deer Flies on the attack-RE-REPOST

This was originally posted June 2010 and reposted April 2011. The information is still valid.

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Horse and deer flies are now patrolling the trace. They have staked out several areas between stations and are laying in wait. They are ambush predators that notice movement. I witnessed the pests this past weekend while doing several group rides. The horse flies will actually join the pace line and draft. You can see them between you and the next rider. This is simply amazing. At some points during the ride we are cruising at 23+ MPH and the horse flies were taking it in stride. Some of the buggers were actually large enough for me to draft off of them. However, they are selfish and never actually take a full pull.

On Tuesday morning I went on a 10 mile run from my house along the trace. This is the first time that I have ran ‘out in the woods’ in a while. I have been running during lunch at work which is more populated. This turned into the hardest / worst run that I have ever done. I had wanted to maintain a challenging pace for the entire run and I was successful for the most part. But, there were several stretches of the trace were I would get a dozen deer flies pursuing me. They were tenacious. I knew that I could not out run them. All of the swatting and arm flailing actually raised my heart rate a good 5 beats. This put me over the edge for the LT run that I was attempting. I had remembered that Jen over at The Running Artist had encountered the devils and had come up with a solution. She would grab a small branch from a pine tree (a switch if you will) and run with it. She said that the swishing motion would keep the flies at bay.
I jumped off of the trace and grabbed a limb off of a small pine tree. I started to run with the branch oscillating in a circular motion.

Occasionally I would have to swat my back because I was being bitten. This was terribly frustrating. I actually had to stop twice and fist fight the creatures. They won. One time I broke the switch as I was trying to knock one of them off of my back.  The switch helped but was not a complete solution.

I finished up my 10 miles strong and started my cool down. The damn things were still on me and I had to pick up the pace. One of the horse flies even followed me home like a puppy dog. As I got near my house I started to sprint to lose the girl. She still snuck into the house. I later got her with a dish towel near the back door.

Horse Fly - That'll teach him!

With a little research I have found that these biting flies are in the horse-fly family (Tabanidae). According to Wikipedia:

While female deer flies feed on blood, males instead collect pollen. When feeding, females use knife-like mandibles and maxillae to make a cross-shaped incision and then lap up the blood. Their bite can be extremely painful, and resulting allergic reaction from the saliva of the fly can result in further discomfort and health concerns.

Wikipedia led me to here:

Tabanids lie in wait in shady areas under bushes and trees for a host to happen by. Sight is the main host finding mechanism, but carbon dioxide and odor also play a role. Moving objects, especially if dark colored, are most prone to attack. Attacks occur during daylight hours with a peak beginning at sunrise and lasting three hours. A second peak is two hours before sunset and commences shortly after.

I do not like to use insect repellent – it repels me as well. I have found a couple of ‘traps’ that I will be experimenting with in the coming weeks. I will keep you posted of the results.

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UPDATE:  Last year I did a little bit of research and discovered that deer and horse flies are most attracted to the color BLUE.  Do not wear BLUE for the next 6 weeks or you will be a target.  I have experimented with a blue dixie cup covered in sticky goop adhered to the top of my head.  It is effective but very messy.  Double sided tape seemed like the solution but is was much less effective at trapping the flies.  You could hear them tagging the cup!

Another technique when being attacked by a band of deer or horse flies is to find a ‘friend’ riding or running on the trace.  Pull up slowly next to your friend, make some small talk.  Talk about how the humidity really takes it out of your long runs or how difficult it has been to get all of your workouts in with the new baby, etc.

This will put them at ease.  Do not mention the deer or horse flies!  This will alert your friend.  After continuing the small talk for a few minutes it is necessary to abruptly end the conversation.  Grab your stomach and yell “I got to go!”.  Next sprint at full speed like there is no tomorrow.  Most of the time you will leave the band of flies with your ‘friend’.  You will be deer and horse fly free for a couple of miles.

WARNING:  Be careful of ‘friends’ who pull up next you.  Be prepared to out sprint them at a moments notice!

Ironman–a part time job

I heard someone say that the cost of drug addiction was not just the time spent doing drugs but the time spent thinking about doing drugs and the time spent getting the money to buy drugs.  Fortuneatly I have never had to experience this in person.

But, that got me thinking about ironman training (and to a lesser extent about triathlon training in general). I have often said that training for an ironman is like a part time job. I was only referencing the 12 – 15 hours a week of training.

However, most people that I know that are training for something big, the actual time spent training is only a small part of the total time.

You also have to consider the time spent thinking about training, the time spent talking about training, the time spent procuring, adjusting and working on equipment, the time spent practicing and working on nutrition, and the big one, the time spent recovering from the training.

When you calculate all of this time, training for an ironman is not a part time job; it is a second full time job.

It is just lucky that we actually like doing this stuff!

Removing the variables.

I had a conversation with an athlete recently regarding removing the variables in training. Swimming is probably the easiest. Very few things change. My local pool does not change in length (to the best of my knowledge), the viscosity of the water does not change very often, the temperature of the water is consistent and I wear the same swimming attire. Therefore, the only thing that changes is me (my stroke, my intensity, my motivation). Swimming 100’s on the 45 should be the same day in and day out. If I improve on my times then I am working harder or I am more efficient. Easy stuff.

Next up is the run. You have different routes, different contraptions (treadmills), different equipment and different conditions. Sometimes I run up hill, sometimes I run downhill, there can be wind from any direction and the surface can be soft, hard or even muddy. However, if I run the same route in the same conditions then I have removed some of these variables. I also have access to an indoor track. This removes many of those variables. The track is flat, the temperature is consistent and the length never changes. I can run this track at a predetermined pace or heart rate. I can then compare these numbers to past sessions to see if I am improving. The variables have been reduces. There are a few more variables in running than swimming but they are easy to minimize.

The bike is a whole other matter. You have the temperature, wind, elevation change, surface conditions, aerodynamic position, drafting, tire inflation, tire resistance and a host of other variables. I can be riding the bike at a very hard effort and average 18 MPH or be riding easy and averaging 22 MPH – it depends on the ride. Even when I do my marked and known distance time trial, the variables are just too many. I have completed one of these time trials and thought I had ridden my best ever only to come in a few seconds slower than my best. A power meter can definitely help to mitigate these variables but this is an expensive and potentially complex piece of equipment. Not everyone wants to make that investment in time or money.

A trainer can also be used to help eliminate some of the variables but only if several steps are taken. First, the trainer takes out the incline and decline, eliminates the wind and you can control the climate. But there are still variables, the next being the tire contact pressure and tire inflations. When I first mount my bike on the trainer, I reduce the pressure in the tire. I mount the bike and crank the tire resistance unit a certain number of revolutions. Your trainer will vary but try to get in the habit of always tightening down the resistance unit the same each time. Next, I inflate the tire to the same PSI each time. The exact amount does not matter as long as you are consistent, anywhere between 100 – 120 PSI should be sufficient.

Next, when I ride the trainer I try to keep the warm up the same. On many trainers, the resistance will change as the unit warms up. By performing the same warm up, each time, the trainer’s resistance should be the same by the time you reach your working set.

That takes care of the friction on the rear wheel. With these variables eliminated, you can be sure that the amount of effort you are putting out will be the same each time you ride the trainer. You can now use your speed and cadence to repeat trainer sessions that should provide the same workload.

Through trial and error and performing benchmarks, you can define your intensity zones. You can now repeat workouts with the same workload. For example, if you performed a 20-minute effort at xx MPH and at XX cadence in the same gear, you can be certain that when you repeat this workout you will be producing the same about of work. Over time, you will then be able to adjust your output by increasing cadence or speed.

The Basic Week

I have started coaching for an ironman next year. I was extolling the virtues of the ‘basic week’ template. There is nothing rocket science about this but I really believe in it. You just need to look at your week and schedule various types of workouts at the same times each week. It is no different than doing laundry every Sunday afternoon or taking a night class. You schedule the sessions and before long it becomes routine. It is just an appointment on your calendar, just something you do. Easy stuff but it makes a difference.

In this meeting I pulled out a copy of some of my workouts from last summer. As most people that have ‘real’ jobs I do most of my long exercise sessions on the weekends out of necessity. For me this means that I do a long group ride on Saturday mornings, a long run on Sunday mornings and then a shorter recovery ride on Sunday afternoon.

During the week, I get on the bike on Tuesday and Thursday mornings – either on the trainer or a small group ride at sun up. The bike gets 4 sessions a week.

With regard to running, I like to do speed sessions on Tuesdays and tempos on Thursday, both during lunch. I will also pick up a few miles on Wednesday and Friday mornings – nothing special just 4 – 6 easy miles. The bike gets 5 sessions a week

The swim takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at lunch – that just happened to be when Master’s Swim was meeting. I still like to swim at lunch during the dog days of summer.

It was summer time so the strength training was all but nonexistent. I would do an ab workout here and there but nothing structured.

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I showed this basic week to my friend and pulled out a blank weekly calendar. We were going to decide what would work best for him. The very first question I asked him was what day of the week he wanted off. I believe an off day is of utmost importance and stress them to anyone that I coach. I talk about the gains not coming during the working sessions but during the recovery. How it does not do any good to go out and beat himself to a pulp, over do it, not recover and then skip or poorly perform the next session.

So I asked him, “What works best for you as an off day, Monday or Friday?” He looked at my basic week and asked, “Where is your off day?”

I had made a mistake. This was one of those do what I say not what I do moments. All I could say was that I should take a day off – I tried to justify it by saying that I think swims and a strength training session are non impact and not that strenuous and that they are not load bearing and that they are kind of like days off, etc, etc, etc, …

He had a very good point.

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I am 4 weeks into my 16 week marathon plan for the Rock’n Roll New Orleans race on March 4^th (12 weeks to go). I have meticulously made a training plan that incorporates some very challenging sessions (several races at half marathon all the way to 30k), includes step back weeks and recovery days each week.

So, how am I doing? Friday was a scheduled day off. I did not run Friday. Maybe I can actually apply some of these principles to my running this year. Maybe I can put together a consistent 4 months of running and nail my marathon goals. I preach the SMARTER not HARDER day in and day out. Well, I’m listening this time!

I took Friday completely off ---- (except for upper body strength training).

TIP: Factory Chain Lube

I just replaced my chain and cassette on my road bike last month.  And now that triathlon season is over I plan on doing the same on my race bike.  The question of chain lubrication often comes up.  One of the most often discussed topics is whether to strip the factory lube from a new chain and re-lube or just leave it alone.  The argument is that the factory stuff is sticky and it will pick up dirt and accelerate chain wear on the brand new chain.  The other side states that it is the best chain lube you can get and that is why it comes on the chain from the factory.

I ran across an interview with one of Shimano’s main tech guys regarding the stock chain lube on Bike Rumor.

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BikeRumor: What is Shimano’s official stance on the chain lube that comes stock on a shimano chain? Is it actually a lube, or a grease? And is it best to leave it on until the chain gets noisy and relube, or strip it right away and relube before riding?

Nick: So that brings us to lubrication.  I mentioned that the chain wears because of friction as the chain moves to wrap around a gear.  Well, that friction is reduced if there is lube on the chain.  If there is dirt mixed in, the lube makes a bigger difference in reducing friction.  If there is water mixed in, the lube helps displace the water.  The grease that comes on a Shimano chain is applied at the factory to the individual pieces before the chain is assembled.  The grease does a better job of reducing friction than aftermarket chain lubes and it lasts longer.  The main reason we use liquid chain lube, whether it is one that stays liquid or a dry lube that has a solid lubricant in a liquid carrier (like a PTFE lube) is because we need to get the lube on a part that is not accessible without disassembling the chain.  So the best thing to do when installing a new chain is to leave the factory grease on, not apply any other lube, ride until it wears out and then start applying liquid chain lube.  In dusty conditions you can wipe off the outside of the new chain with a rag that is wet with a gentle degreaser to keep dirt from sticking to the grease.  The factory grease also keeps the chain nice and quiet.  After soaking a chain in degreaser and then lubing the chain with liquid lubricant the chain gets noticeably louder.

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I think the question has been answered.  I left the factory lube on my chain and my bike is silent!

How to run in the rain–part 2

You can read How to run in the rain–part 1.

Why is there a part 2?  Because of the clean up after running in the rain.  Your clothes and stuff can be washed in the normal manner.  However, the shoes are another story.  Since it is raining they can not be set out in the driveway to dry.  You have to manually dry them.

1. Take out the insoles
2. Prop the shoes so the excess water can drain
3. Place newspaper or shop rags in the shoes
4. Place shoes in front of a fan.

Insoles out and drying on the bike trainer.

Three days of rain from Tropical Storm Lee

Let them dry overnight.  If you have extra pairs of running shoes then wear a different pair on the next day (here is why you should have extra pairs of shoes – Shoe Rotation.  If the shoes are funky then you can clean before you dry - Bring on the FUNK!

How to run in the rain–part 1

Tropical storm Lee passed through the area this memorial day weekend.  I have been asked several times, “How do you run your long run if it rains?”  Well, you can run in the rain, run inside or reschedule.

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I actually do not mind running in the rain.  I do not like starting a run in a downpour but if it happens during the run you just have to take it in stride.  I will run in the rain.  And I will run in the cold.  But I draw the line at running in the cold rain.  Fortunately, living in South Mississippi – cold and rain are a rarity.

If fact, some of my very best runs have been in the rain.  It can feel like you are running between the rain drops.  You are not much wetter than running in the humid south anyway and the rain is cooler than your sweat.  Furthermore, you almost always have the running paths to yourself.  When you do come across someone you generally give each other a look like – damn right, I’m a real runner – bring it on Mother Nature.

Here are some tips to make your rainy runs successful:

1.  Nipple chaffing – you have to minimize the chaffing.  A lot of people do this with liberal use of body glide or Vaseline.  I prefer tight clothing.  Guys are susceptible to raw nipples – you know, you have seen the guy at the end of a marathon with the bloody spots on his chest.  That guy had no fun what so ever.  They make products to help with this (nip guards) or you can use band aides.  But once again, I prefer tight clothing.  A compression shirt will do wonders.  The tighter the better.  I was talking with a local athlete recently and they told me a story of a girl putting a water bottle in their sports bar (in their cleavage) and they started to get some chaffing.  So girls, this applies to you as well – wear a tight sports bar.  When your soaking wet you must prevent chaffing. 

tight shirt

2.  Thigh chaffing – this is also a problem when you are completely soaked.  Nothing can ruin a run faster than a painful rash developing with every step.  You can use the body guides and stuff but once again, compression clothing comes into play.  I wear a pair of compression shorts under my running shorts in the rain (I actually wear them on all of my runs – like a sports bra for men).

3. Shoes – You are going to get wet and those high mileage trainers are going to soak up all of that water.  I prefer to wear a light weight trainer or racing flat.  The lighter the shoes the better.  If you have triathlon shoes with drain holes, even better.  As you run your shoes are going to get heavier and heavier.  The less of a shoe you wear, the less weight it will gain.  After a couple of miles you will notice the added weight of the shoes.  Not only are they squishy but the added weight can change you running mechanics.

light weight shoes

4.  Socks – Forget the cushioned cotton socks.  Wear the thinnest, lightest, most plastic socks you can find.  You know, the 100% polyester socks that you never wear.  These are the best for the rain.  They don’t soak up any water.

5. Hat – You have to wear a hat or visor to keep the rain off of your face.

6. Glasses – I wear glasses all of the time.  If I am doing sport then I wear contacts and wear sunglasses.  But I don’t wear glasses in the rain.  They will just get covered in water droplets and obscure your vision.

7. GPS – I wear my Garmin 305 even though it is only water resistant.  If you have had one of these for a while you know that the beep gets duller and duller.  This is due to water and sweat entering through the speaker.  Oh well, I still wear my Garmin.

8.  MP3 – I listen to music at a low volume.  I have an old mp3 player that has weathered dozens of storms and keeps on kicking.  I have heard many stores of iPods not faring as well.  If you can’t replace it today then leave it at home.

DISCLAIMER – It is okay to run in the rain but be careful.  Don’t run in thunderstorms.  Lightening will kill you.  It is dark and cars can’t see you as well.  Don’t take unnecessary risks.  Live to run another day.

Cardiac Drift and the Long Run

I was looking at a heart rate file from a local athlete during their 20 mile long run.  I am sure the temperature increased some during this 3 hour effort but I am also sure that dehydration played a role as well.

What is cardiac drift?  From Wikipedia:

Cardiovascular drift (CVD, CV_drift) is the phenomenon where some cardiovascular responses begin a time dependent change, or "drift" after around 10 minutes of exercise in a warm or neutral environment. It is characterized by decreases in mean arterial pressure and stroke volume and a parallel increase in heart rate. It is influenced by many factors, most notably the ambient temperature, hydration and the amount of muscle tissue activated during exercise. To promote cooling, blood flow to the skin is increased, resulting in a shift in fluids from blood plasma to the skin tissue. This results in a decrease in pulmonary arterial pressure and reduced stroke volume in the heart. To maintain cardiac output at reduced pressure, the heart rate must be increased.

When it is hot and humid and you are exercising and sweating more than 10 – 20 minutes your heart rate will start to drift up at the same pace.  If you are training by heart rate you will need to make an adjustment to keep the same pace.  In the graph, after the initial warm-up period, you can see the heart rate gradually creep up.  From mile 7 to 20 the pace was within 5 seconds per mile and on a flat course.  In those 13 miles the heart rate went from the mid / high 150’s to mid / high 160’s.  That is substantial and must be accounted for on your tempo runs.

This is another reason to not look at the heart rate monitor during your races.

Don’t be a fool or a coward on race day

Whenever you race _________ (marathon, ironman, half marathon, any distance event) don’t be a fool for the first half or a coward on the second half.

What a great line.

When on the starting line and the excitement of the race is upon you, it is so easy to throw the race plan out the window. If you are not careful, by the time you notice your pace it can be too late. Running minutes faster in the first few miles will rarely result in success. In fact, you will only have success if you were sandbagging on your tempo runs and you really are much faster.

But for the other 99% of any distance race, if you go out too fast you will crash and burn at some point in the later stages of the race. You might still have a successful time but it will not be your best time. So decide on a race pace and hold yourself to it at the start of your race regardless of how fast everyone else goes out. This will pay big dividends at the end of the race.

Don’t be a fool or a coward

If you don’t execute the proper pace during the first half of the event then the second half won’t matter. But let’s pretend you have gone out at ‘your’ race pace – not 20 seconds per mile faster, but ‘your’ race pace.

In a nutshell, don’t start the race like a jackrabbit when you are feeling fresh and excited. If you do, you will blow up and suffer in the last part of the race.

Now that you have run the first half of the race smart, the second half matters. This is where you can make a difference. This is when you get to gain momentum from others that have gone out too fast.

It is time to be brave. The race is getting hard but you are holding pace. The effort is higher but you continue to hold. You bargain with yourself – “Just hold to mile XX or just to the next light pole.” You keep making bets until the end.

And not being a coward? You don’t fade. You lay everything on the line. You don’t hold back. You finish the race strong. You can do more than you mind thinks. In the later stages of the race, you must make a decision to keep pace by digging deep.

It is a very simple phrase that speaks volumes –

“Don’t be a fool for the first half and don’t be a coward for the second half.”

Prioritize your workout objectives for bigger gains.

I was talking with an athlete the other day. We were discussing specific types of workouts. This was concerning running but it applies equally to swimming and cycling. When you do a workout do you think about what you are trying to achieve? What is the most important aspect of the session?  Here are the basics.

LONG RUN - The practice of running longer distances at a "comfortable" pace rather than shorter ones to exhaustion. The comfortable pace allows the runner to go longer and, therefore, gain endurance.

For example, this athlete is working on building endurance for a late summer marathon. Here in the South it was been, how do you say, uncomfortably warm (brutally hot). All runs have been harder than normal. My easy run is anything but easy. So we talked about an upcoming long run. This weekend’s run would be 14 miles. I told her to concentrate on getting the mileage for this run. That is was okay to start a little slower and build into the run. That is was okay to not worry about breaks at the water stations. We discussed that the most important aspect of a long run while building mileage was the volume. The time and pace could slip but to try and achieve the mileage.

TEMPO - Sustained effort training runs, usually 20 to 30 minutes in length, at 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 10-K race pace.  Another way to gauge the pace of tempo runs: a pace about midway between short-interval training speed and your easy running pace.

Just as the volume is the most important aspect for an endurance building long run, the intensity is the priority during a tempo effort. Tempos are successful in developing speed in the half and full marathons because they increase your lactate threshold. This is the point at which you can sustain a hard effort. For example, if your tempo calls for a 6 mile run at a set pace then it is far more valuable to achieve 4 or 5 miles at effort (8 out 10 in intensity) then it is to slow down or blow up after 4 miles and jog the remaining 2 miles. In a tempo run you will push your limits higher and be able to sustain a longer, faster effort.

SPEED WORK (INTERVALS) - Training in which short, fast "repeats" or "repetitions" often distances from400 meters to a full mile, are alternated with periods of recovery. Intervals are usually based on a format such as 8 x 400 meters fast with 2 minutes recovery. Interval training builds speed, strength and endurance.

Speed work is covering very short distances at a very fast pace. Depending on the distance these are almost always done at a hard effort (9+ out of 10 in intensity). For this session the priority is the pace (speed). The most important aspect is the time that it takes you to cover the distance. For example, your speed work sessions calls for you to complete 6 x 800 meters @ 6:10 pace (3:05 per 800 meters) with 90 seconds recovery. You start fading hard during the 4^th interval. You cross the line @ a 6:30 pace (3:15 per 800 meters). In this case you would be better off adding 15 seconds to the recovery and getting back on your pace your pace. The alternative is to continue with the same recovery time (90 seconds) and slowing further down for the remaining intervals. The key for this workout is to run the intervals at a fast pace; not a pretty fast pace or a kind of fast pace. If your times are slipping and you are failing, take the necessary recovery to get back on pace.

Think about your workouts. What is the session trying to achieve? Prioritize your workout objectives for bigger gains.

Do all of your workouts have clear objectives? Why not?

Breaking in the summer feet

Earlier in the week I ran half mile intervals.  I ran them at 6AM.  Although it was very hot and very humid my paces were right in line.  I gave myself some leeway but I was a bit faster.  There is a fine line between blowing up and hitting your marks.  Since I was only running 4 x 1/2 mile with 90 seconds rest I felt comfortable in pushing the pace.  If I were doing 8 or 10 of these intervals then I would have backed off about 5 seconds.  So I was finished all of them in under 3:03.  This is a few seconds slower than the winter intervals but I will take it!

There was another purpose of this run.  I ran in my race shoes without socks.  There are the same shoes that gave me blisters a couple of weeks ago.  I did not wear them during the Heat Wave because of this.  Preparing the race shoes.

This time while running the intervals I did not experience any discomfort.  There were no hot spots.  I just felt fast.  After the session I did notice that I had one blister on my right foot.  It was nothing major.  That was  few days ago.  I am confident that I will be able to wear these race shoes for the Dragonfly.  Progressive overload works for just about everything.  Create a stress and let it recover.  It comes back bigger and stronger.  That works with training and preparing summer feet!

How to mount your race number

You see the bike race numbers mounted in a number of ways.  In fact, I have seen them flapping around on very expensive, super aero bikes.  Even the PRO’s will have them stuck on any which way.

If your bike has a round seat tube you can fashion the race number to mimic a more aerodynamic airfoil shape.  However, my race bike already has an airfoil shape. 

Here is how I like to mount my race number.

Take your race number and wrap it around the tube that you would like to display it on.  Trim the lower edge as necessary.

Dry fitting the number to the bottom tube

Tape one side to the tube with electrical tape.  This tape will be hidden inside the race number.  You just want it to be flat.

Next, wrap the race number around the tube and tape the other side on the bottom of the tube.

Now, put a couple of strips of tape on both side of the number.  This stream lines the race number and there will be zero flapping around.

The race number neatly installed on your race bike.  Completely aero and professional looking.

Racing shoe prep

I decided to do the Wool Market Duathlon the night before.  I had purchased a new pair of racing shoes last month but I had only worn them once.

The shoes that I purchased were the Avia Avi Bolt II.  This is a light weight cushioned race shoe with a set of built in speed laces.  There was only one problem – the speed laces were much too long.  When I wore them the other day I just tucked the laces under.  But I did not want to do this during a race.  So I made some adjustments.

Laces too long

I laced the shoes to the appropriate snugness and tied a knot

I cut the ends off of the laces

Then I singed the ends of the laces so that they would not fray

The finished product

So I wore these shoes in the duathlon (with socks).  Both runs were very hard and intense and I never once thought about the shoes.  I can’t think of a much higher review than that!

 

FYI – we conducted another TT on Tuesday.  The results can be found here:  Hub City Cyclist.

Power Taping-Go Stronger for Longer

The latest installment in the ‘Ask the Physical Therapist’ from PT Dan – Are you wanting to go faster?  We are endurance athletes, we are not doing isolation bicep curls.  Our muscles work in harmony with each other.  Can Rocktape help you to go faster?  Research says it can.

If you remember when I hurt my shoulder after my bike crash Dan helped me out by taping me up (video).  It did make a difference.  I am not saying that I experienced a performance increase but I believe it helped my shoulder and collar bone heal quicker because it limited movement. 

This is a small blog-o-sphere we live in after all.  A couple of months ago I received an email from the senior editor of Triathlete magazine.  She had written to inquire about Dan’s contact information.  It seems that the article that Dan wrote about running backwards (Taking one step forward and 2 steps back: running backwards) was being discussed on slow twitch (forum post).  Anyway, our own PT Dan will be published in an issue of Triathlete later this summer!  How cool is that?

To read more of PT Dan’s writing click here.

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PowerTaping-Go Stronger for Longer

It is not often that I have a light bulb moment. You know when you suddenly put things together in a way that you hadn’t before. I have been a physical therapist for 15 years and recently began to look at fascia in a whole new way. The connective tissue that surrounds each muscle is called fascia. In the world of rehab, we call it myofascia; myo is Latin for muscle. Fascia had often been thought to be an inert tissue and have little effect on mobility. It has now been scientifically shown that myofascia does not just surround each muscle individually, but interconnects kinetic networks of muscles that work together in coordinated movement patterns. These groupings have been coined Anatomy Trains by Thomas Myers, the scientist who dissected these interconnected muscle chains.

Your muscles don’t work in isolation. Think about it---swimming, biking, running; muscles work in harmony to create fluid efficient movement. When one muscle fatigues or is injured, doesn’t it affect the entire movement chain. Of course it does. We now know that fascia plays a significant role in enabling authentic movement. As triathletes we strive to perfect our running mechanics, our position on the bike, and our lines in the pool. We know that changes in our movement will affect our performance.

I spent this last weekend in Northern California completing some training with a new sports performance product geared toward the endurance athlete. I am now the first certified PowerTaping instructor in the Southeast. It was the first time two of my passions collided in this way. I am passionate about physical therapy and helping my patients and I am passionate about endurance sports. When I first heard about Rocktape, and the exciting stuff going on there, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Rocktape, Inc. out of Los Gatos, CA was developed initially in a velodrome. The track operated as a testing center for a new form of performance taping to aid endurance athletes. With its roots in rehab, this kinesiology tape, when applied to facilitate myofascial performance chains, can reduce fatigue, prevent injuries, and enhance performance. No previous kinesiology tape has ever approached the athlete in this way. This is new and cutting edge performance science. Early studies performed on CAT 1-2 time trialers revealed an increase in wattage output and a 2-6% decrease in time over a 23.95 mile course when wearing Rocktape vs having no tape. To this point, Rocktape has recently partnered with Garmin-Cervelo and will be seen on the race circuit in the months ahead.  (ed. Press release - It will be cool to be able to buy some argyle Rocktape in the future!)

I am excited to be part of the Rocktape team and will be performing clinical research of my own in the weeks ahead. I look forward to assisting my friends and patients locally and will be traveling to teach these methods to groups in the future. If you are a clinician or if your race team is interested in learning more, contact me at dan@orleansparkrehab.com.

In Good Health-

Dan Lent-Koop, MPT, CHT

Also visit www.rocktape.com

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Do you have PT questions for Dan?  Send them to:  james@powermultisport.com .

Race sticker removal

I have a friendly cycling TT in the morning – 5:45AM to be exact.  So while I was in the process of pumping up and putting my race wheels on my race bike I noticed that my race helmet still had a race sticker on it.

I know that this sticker is primarily for the photographers.  But, I always follow all of the rules during a race.  If the race packet says put the sticker on the helmet, well, I put the sticker on the helmet.  I don’t want no infraction.

However, the stickers always go on easier than they come off.  The sticker on my race helmet had been there for about 9 months.

I picked at the sticker for a little while and then ran to the garage.

horrible looking and not aero I’m sure

I returned with my trusty bottle of Goo Gone.  I bought this bottle years ago when I need to remove a pesky sticker from a piece of acrylic.  I did not want to scratch the surface and the Goo Gone worked like a charm.  I have been using it ever since.

I sprayed a paper towel a few times and then dabbed the sticker.  I let it sit for a few minutes.

your soaking in it

I wish I could say that the goo gone infused sticker just rubbed right off.  I had to use my finger nails but in about a minute the helmet was looking like new.  Actually better than new – it was shinny like no bodies business.

brand spanking new

The amazing thing is that I have had this bottle of Goo Gone for at least two years.  I have used this on my helmets and my bikes.  I know people that use Goo Gone to polish their bikes.  They come out greasy free and sparkling!  I have damped a rag and cleaned the bikes up and even taken it to the car to remove bugs and what not.  But look at how long a bottle will last – that is the amazing part.

Full bottle after 2 years

Do you see that line above the label.  I have used like 13 Nano liters of the stuff.  This bottle should last me, at the rate, forever!!