As I meet potential clients, one of the questions on my intake form is “how many hours per week are you able to dedicate to training for the sport of triathlon?” Some say 5 hours, some say 10 hours while some even say 15-20 hours. This is always one of my main concerns regarding the sport. How many hours does it really take? Well, it is my goal to have my athletes train “smart” and avoid “over-training.” The sport should be enjoyable not only to the athlete, but by family of the athlete as well.

So how does one balance a complicated sport like triathlon while working full-time, or being a full-time student, or being a stay at home mom, etc? It is all about priorities. First and foremost, family should always come first….right? Sure, the job is important, but there are no “do-overs” at being a good parent or spouse. I like to schedule most of my training in the early morning hours, meaning, before anyone else even wakes up. That way I have trained and am ready to take on the day without taking away any “kid-time” from my little ankle biters. Others might train later in the evening when their kids have gone to bed….whatever works.

Now, how long should you train for each race distance? I will give you a quick break down for each race distance starting with Sprints. For Sprint training, you are looking at about 5-7 hours per week. That is it. If you train much more than that then you are over-training. For Olympic distance, 8-10 hours per week should suffice. Half Ironman will require you to train for about 10-13 hours per week.

However, Ironman is a completely different beast, and this is really where the tri-time versus family-time gets tricky. For the most part, you begin your Ironman training about six months out. But the good news is that the first three months is base training and it does not consume your life until about the last three months before the race. For the first three months, you can plan about 10+/- hours per week. But the last three months will consume about 15-20 hours per week of training. Ouch…that really does cut into family-time! But there are ways of making it work, not only physically, but emotionally.

Here is how. “Before” you sign up for an Ironman, have a family meeting. Discuss how you will be taking on the toughest endurance race in the world and how you can only succeed if you have everyone’s love and support. It is about sacrifice, and your family needs to know that there are going to be days and weekends that you could be training for up to 8-hours straight. Now the good news is that a lot of your training is done in the early weekday morning hours, say 2+/- hours per morning. The weekends are where you will do your long training sessions. So that means a Saturday and even Sunday will be consumed with a long bike and/or run. Depending on the season, you can get an early start and be done by around noon’ish or 1 p.m., leaving the rest of the day for an ice bath (burr) and time with your family. For those of you racing an early season race like Ironman Arizona, a lot of your training will be indoors. Take advantage of a stationary trainer on Saturday morning and watch cartoons with your midgets while spinning for a few hours….it actually is not all that bad since they can fetch you some fresh Gatorade and PBJ’s.

What I will advise some of you on is biting off more than you can chew. Don’t take advantage of your family’s kindness for too long. Meaning, while Ironman is awesome, don’t go all crazy and sign up for consecutive Ironman races. You can only push the envelope so far when your spouse finally snaps…seriously, I’ve seen it. I have triathlete friends that race one or two Ironman races a year, for several years straight, with small kids at home. It can be a selfish act on the athlete’s part. As wrapped up as we can get in the sport, do not sacrifice your marriage or neglect your kids because of it. It is just not worth it in the long run!

Happy (and smart) Training,

David Pruetz, C.F.T.

USA Triathlon Certified Coach

Owner/Coach, In Training LLC

www.intraining.biz

Popularity: 31% [?]

If you’re anything like the rest of us veteran TriGeeks you most likely started the sport by training for and racing sprint distance races. I know from personal experience that my first sprint race seemed like a major task to train for and race, and the thought of moving up to an Olympic distance intimidated the heck out of me. In fact, my first race season was full of about eight sprint races, and no Oly’s. It was not until my second season that I “graduated” to Olympic distances. Olympic distance training does require a new level of commitment and discipline. For the most part, with the proper training and attitude, almost anyone can step it up and go to the next level. With the 2007 season about to begin, I know that several of you out there are excited to race your very first Olympic race. With this being the case, here are some strategies that should help you with your journey.

Equipment

Well, it may be time to retire that old mountain bike and buy a road or tri-bike. While your mountain bike served its purpose for a sprint race, twenty-five miles is a long way to ride on an old clunky mountain bike. You don’t have to break the bank when you buy a new bike. You have several options and can spend as little as $800 for your first road bike. Other than upgrading your bike, there are really no other “major” purchases that you’ll have to worry about.

Swim Training

Since you are going from the traditional 750 meter swim to a 1500 meter swim, this will obviously require more pool time. The nice thing about increasing your pool time is that it is a non-impact sport, and really does not “hurt” when you increase your distance as running might. Most of your workouts will fall in the 2000+/- meter range, and you should always mix up your workouts that would include drills, tempo work, speed-work, and so on. Don’t get caught in the rut of just swimming 2000 meters straight on a regular basis (triathletes are notorious for this). Sure, make one of your weekly swim workouts a straight swim, but your other two workouts should be mixed up. And always wear a watch so you can track your time. I suggest 3 swim workouts per week.

Bike Training

Your distance is now increasing from about 12 miles to 25 miles. Not only does this wear you out a little more, but it takes a while to get used to longer distances in the old “sit-upon-bones” area. It also gets a little trickier finding new and/or longer locations to ride at. If it’s winter, I’d suggest a stationary fluid trainer for your new road bike. If you do not have a fluid trainer (they cost about $230), then a spin bike or stationary bike will do the job for now. BUT, I strongly suggest that you try to get as much saddle-time in as you can on your own bike if possible. It is very common for riders to develop bad habits on spin and stationary bikes. As for how far and how many workouts, I’d say to ride three to four times per week, with the shortest ride being around 15-20 miles, and the longest ride being around 25-40 miles. And again, you want to mix up your workouts, with tempo rides, intervals (or hills) and even LSD (long, slow distance). You can even throw in some short time trials just for the fun of it.

Run Training

This is where I find some athletes suffer the most. It was kind of comfortable running 3.1 miles, but now you have to run 6.2, and that extra three miles can feel like a marathon if you are not prepared for it. If you are only running around three miles right now during each workout, you’ll need to increase it, but do it slowly. Follow the 10% increase per week rule. And I always have my athletes avoid running two days back to back. I try to stager the days so there legs are fresh for the next run. As for how many runs, I’d suggest three times per week, with the shorter runs being between 4-6 miles, and one long run around 7-8 miles. And again, throw in tempo runs, intervals, LSD and some hills in when you can. When you get comfortable with your run, and barely get your heart rate up, it’s time to step it up a notch again. Oh, and don’t forget to do bricks (bike to run) about once a week. Ride for 25+/- miles and follow it up with a shorter run.

Total Hours

When done correctly, sprint distance training should take about 5-7 hours per week. Olympic distance training will now require about 8-10 hours per week so you’ll need to “budget” your time accordingly. Remember to train “smart” and avoid over-training.

Happy Training,

David Pruetz, C.F.T.
USA Triathlon Certified Coach
Owner/Coach, In Training, LLC
www.intraining.biz

Popularity: 9% [?]

Just when you thought you had it all figured out, it all goes to pot! When you “train,” you need to ask yourself, “do I really train to race?” I know that you swim, bike and run throughout your training program, but do you ever put yourself through extreme conditions? It’s fairly easy to wake up in the morning, schlep all your swim gear to the pool, and put in a couple thousand yards. The same goes with the bike. You wander out of the garage, take your bike down from the rafters, and cruise around the hood. And for your run, you throw on your running shoes and jump on the treadmill, or hit the local running trail.

Now, I am not saying that any of these above workouts are simple, but you need to put yourself in “race conditions” from time to time. So, let’s take you out of your comfort zone and mix things up a little:

1. Transition Training – Practice a mock race day transition at home. While soaking wet, carry your wet suit in your hands (have someone strip it off you like you just came out of the lake). “Sprint” about 100 yards to a make shift transition area (in your driveway). Run into T1, dry off your feet, throw on your socks and bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and take off riding. Oh, and let’s have you do this on a nice cold Saturday morning too, while your hands and feet are ice cold. I’m sure you’ve experienced this by now, if you’ve raced before. It is hard to put on your gear while in an anaerobic state, wet and cold. Practice this a half a dozen times in a row or until you get it down.

2. Bike/Run – As many of you know, “brick” training (bike to run) is extremely important. But sometimes we take it too easy on ourselves. Again, you are going to take yourself out of your comfort zone by finishing a ride in “sprint” like conditions. Make sure that you don’t take a 10 minute break before your run. Come in off the bike (after at least a 10 mile ride), with your T2 set up in your garage. Rack your bike and take off your bike shoes. Put on your running shoes, hat, race belt, etc. as fast as you can and then take off running. You need to get used to the feeling of a fast transition without a lot of resting in-between.

3. Extreme Weather – Not that this is a whole lot of fun, but train once in a while in either very cold and/or very warm temperatures (as a disclaimer, make sure you dress appropriately and also have proper hydration with you). In the dead of summer I purposely run at noon time at least once or twice a week. Why? Well, most Olympic distance races start around 8 a.m,.and there is a good chance that you’ll finish the race between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Depending on where you race, the temperature can be in the high 80’s to 90’s by the time you finish your run. And if you’re racing a Half or Full Ironman race, you’ll be racing during the hottest times of the day!

Now remember, I am not suggesting that you do this for every workout. But it is wise to come out of your comfort zone once in a while. How often do any of us experience the “perfect race?” Train early, mid-day, and even at night once in a while. Don’t get too used to doing the same routine day in and day out. You need to mix things up so you can be prepared for race day!

Happy Training.

David Pruetz
Owner/Coach, In Training, LLC
davidp@intraining.com

Popularity: 13% [?]

Hey there TriGuys and TriGals. I’d like to spend a few moments to talk about an often neglected part of a training regimen, “mental training.” We all know how important it is to train for the swim, bike, run and even the transition, but we seldom spend time on mental/emotional training. Here are few fundamentals on how to begin your mental training:

1. Address Your Fears – Coming up with a list of unkown factors is a good way to ease some of your fears. Some questions you may ask yourself follow: Will the race day be hot or cold? Will someone show up to the race that I would consider my main competition? Will the lake be choppy or calm? How many racers will be in my age group?. While it is good to consider some of these fears, you should only be concerned about things that are within “your” control. You cannot control the weather, or who shows up, or how many other racers are there. As long as you have trained smart, you need to focus only on “you” and try to have the best race that “you” can.

2. Practice Visualizing – Visualizing can help to calm your pre-race nerves. By simply “previewing” the race in your mind, you can ease some anxiety about the flow of the race, the transitions, etc. One way to visualize the race, is to go to the lake and check out the starting area either the night before or morning of the race. When you do this, picture yourself entering the water (nice and calm), and beginning your swim. Then, in your mind, swim out to, and around the buoys. Then picture how you want to look and feel coming out of the water. Once you’ve exited the water, visualize running into T1, then jogging out with your bike, and hopping on for your ride. The same goes for the biking leg, T2, and the run. Rehearse the entire race in your mind before you actually race it.

3. Deal with Pre-Race Stress – Pre-race stress can significantly affect our attitude and interactions with others. It took me a couple of years and a few memorable discussions with my wife to realize that I am often “on edge” right before a race. Sometimes my pre-race stress occurs two days before a race. Othertimes, it occurs the night before a race, or race day morning. One way to combat pre stress, is to warn your family and friends of your pre-race behavior and ask them in advance to forgive you if you do anything unusual. Everyone gets a little uptight on race day, I recommend that you learn to deal with this stress and understand it is normal to feel uptight before a big race.

4. Demonstrate Race Day Toughness – How often do we say “I could have pushed it harder on the b or the run,” or, I can run a45 minute 10k while training, but I fall apart during a race.” We seem to always overanalyze our performance after a race. This is all a part of the learning process. So, take what you’ve experienced from previous races and learn from them! Don’t beat yourself up over them! Simply move on.
Remember, it’s not about the race, it’s about the journey. Mental training will help you whether you are training for your first sprint, or your 5th Ironman. The great thing about this sport, is that you learn more and more about yourself everyday. As you keep learning, you will gain more and more confidence that will help you shine. After all, you are a Triathlete!

Happy Training,

David Pruetz, C.F.T.
USA Triathlon Certified Coach
Owner/Coach, In Training LLC
www.intraining.biz

Popularity: 9% [?]

Every sport has associated expenses and triathlon is no exception. Financially speaking, the bike is the LARGEST expense for many new triathletes. While you’re trying out the sport to see if you’re going to like it, you can use a bike you already own, borrow a bike from a friend, or purchase a new (or used) bike. Biking options are listed below for people who are unsure which type of bike to use or purchase to race triathlons.

Mountain Bike – Mountain bikes are the least efficient for triathlon. However, if you already own a mountain bike, you can race your first, second or third race with a mountain bike. (Just keep in mind that you probably won’t take first place overall.) Using a mountain bike allows you to“test-drive” the sport before you spend money on a new road bike. If you race on a mountain bike, I suggest putting racing slicks on it because the knobby tires are not made for the road and will slow you down quite a bit. The cost for mountain bike slicks is about $50 for two. Luckily, this is a fairly small investment! I would recommend that you don’t invest any money into your mountain bike beyond slick tires. I’ve seen athletes throw on aero-bars, order skinnier rims, etc. In the long run, it’s simply not worth it.

Road Bike – In general, road bikes work just fine for the sport. Many novice and intermediate triathletes train with them and have been racing on them for years. One of the drawbacks of road bikes is that they are not really designed for the “bike-to-run” transition. This means that the road bike frame geometry is more “relaxed” than a tri-bike; thus it can sometimes hinder your performance on the run. Some athletes modify their road bikes by adding aero-bars and a fast-forward seat post, basically converting it into a tri-bike. However, when it comes down to it, the bike is still a road bike. One benefit of road bikes is that entry-level ones are a little less expensive than tri-bikes and are a little easier to get used to. Another benefit is that they can be used for road racing and recreational riding as well. If you are looking to buy a new bike for triathlon, a good entry-level road bike will cost you about $1,000.

Tri-Bike - Tri-bikes are designed specifically for triathlon. They force you into an aero position for better aerodynamics, and the frame geometry is a little more aggressive than a road bike’s frame. This allows you to use different muscle groups in your legs, so when you go from bike to run, the transition is a little more forgiving. It is important to note that tri-bikes are a little more difficult to learn to ride than a road bike. However, the learning curve isn’t that steep and if you haven’t ridden a road bike before, you won’t know the difference It is very common for newer triathletes to race their first season or two with a road bike then upgrade to a tri-bike later on. The cost of an entry-level tri-bike is about $1,500.

In review, here are your biking options. You can go the economical route and use your mountain bike, or dust off that old Schwinn 10-speed road bike for now, or, if your budget allows, you can buy a good road or tri-bike. If you buy, I suggest that you shop for your bike (and all your equipment) locally, instead of buying everything online. I am a big believer in supporting the local retail stores.

Happy Training
David Pruetz
Owner/Coach,InTraining, LLC
www.intraining.biz
davidp@intraining.biz

Popularity: 11% [?]

I’ve been asked this question time and time again. “What type of training should I do over the winter?” I’ve also even heard statements like “well, it’s winter and I’ll pick up my training again in the spring.” Most experienced triathletes know that triathlon is a year-round sport, even though the race season only really lasts about 5 months (at least here in Utah). Some of the newer folks think that their training ends with the last race of the season. I hope to enlighten some of the newer athletes and to hopefully change the way they think and train for a triathlon.

I actually look forward to the “off-season” as it gives me the time to reflect, work on my skills and technique, and work on my base training. Oh, and most importantly, depending on what distances I was racing throughout the season, it gives me more quality time with my family.

Now let’s get down to business. Let’s assume that you just finished your race season, and you are relatively new to the sport. You did a handful of sprint triathlons and say one or two Olympic distances. The first thing you need to do is map out your race schedule for the following season. By doing this, it will give you a good place to start with your winter training. If you end up doing an early half or full Iron distance, then that will obviously make a major difference on how you approach your training over the winter months. If you start with a mid-spring sprint or Olympic distance, here are some suggestions for you:

Swim – I will be talking a lot about form and technique throughout this article, and swimming is the number one discipline that you will want to focus on when it comes to form and technique. If you are a lap-swimmer and never do drills, now is the time to start! Spend at least half of your workout performing a variety of form enhancing drills. This is a great time to contact a coach and maybe spend a few dollars on a handful of lessons. You’d be surprised how much one or two lessons can improve your swim stroke. Remember, with triathlon swimming, it’s less about power and strength, and more about technique, form and efficiency. Some of the workouts to consider would be to do 30+/- minutes worth of drills, then performing several intervals for the last 30 minutes, such as 20×50 yards/meters with a 10 second rest between each set, or 10×100 yards/meters with about a 30 second rest between each set, or an 800 yard ladder (50, 100, 150, 200, 150, 100, 50) with about 15-30 second rest between each set. The idea is to really focus on your form right now, and not worry as much about speed. Besides, the better your form and technique become, the faster you’ll be anyway. You’ll want to swim about 2-3 times a week, at up to an hour per swim.

Bike – This is where I get a lot of questions about “spin-camps” at local gyms. While spin-camps are great for overall fitness, one really loses their technique and form if you only ride a spin bike throughout the entire winter season. My advice is to spend two days a week at a spin-camp, and then either buy a bike trainer (for indoor training) and/or ride outside about two other days per week. So many newer athletes spend their entire winter season on spin-bikes. These riders tend to develop some pretty bad habits, which is then carried over to their road biking skills in the early spring. You’ll be glad that you trained on your own bike throughout the winter once spring time rolls around. For the most part, you’re not going to be spinning or riding anymore than 45 to 90 minutes per workout. Remember, I am assuming that you’ll be doing a mid-spring sprint or Oly distance, so if you’re out there riding for 3+ hours, you are over-training! And make sure that your heart rate zone isn’t going through the roof. Letting your heart rate get higher is occasionally okay through the winter months, but we are not focusing on speed and power this time of year. We are preparing our body for more intense training with “base” training.

Run – one of my pet-peeves is that too many athletes go inside during the winter to run. While treadmills are great for foul weather, try to not spend more than 33% of your training runs on a treadmill. Staying on the open road will make you much stronger going into the spring race season. After all, there are not a whole lot of triathlons where you’ll finish the race on a treadmill, although that could be interesting. During your runs, again, you’ll stay in a moderate heart rate zones. And as far as the number of workouts (frequency) and distances (volume), you’re looking at 2-3 runs per week, ranging from 30-60 minutes per run. Winter is also a great time to work on your form and technique as well. Go out to the track and perform some running drills now and again. Take a buddy and film each other so you can see how you look when you run. And remember, speed is not necessary this time of year. Just base training and good technique.

Base training, technique and form building are your main objectives over the winter months. Training “smart” now will pay major dividends down the road. You’ll appreciate the fact that you’ve spent a few months focusing on skill development and you will be that much more ahead of the game when the season starts.

Until next time, happy (and smart) training!

Happy Training
David Pruetz
Owner/Coach,InTraining, LLC
www.intraining.biz
davidp@intraining.biz

Popularity: 10% [?]

Pictures Here

On Friday November 18, 2005 the Tri Hive was given a tour of Utah’s only triathlon training center, In Training. The center has seen great success under the stewardship of triathlon coach and In Training founder, Dave Pruetz. In Training also is the home of massage therapist Jennifer Pruetz’s Zenergy Bodywork & Massage. This is the place to go for body repair, to define your tri training strategy or to hammer out some of the toughest bike courses with your training partners.

Located on 892 East 12300 South in Draper the In Training/Zenergy facility can be tricky to find at first. After a few passes near the complex I spotted a bike suspended over the shrubbery. I instantly knew that I had found the place. Dave greeted me shortly after my arrival. It was nearly a year ago that Dave founded the center. He was driven to create the facility to support his thriving coaching service and to provide a unique experience for Utah triathletes.

Dave took me through each room of the center. I was first introduced to the consulting room where athlete consultations and training plans are discussed. It is a small room with a view of the street. He has considered putting bike trainers in the room to draw attention to the facility.

From there I was taken into the Zenergy Bodywork & Massage room. This is where Jennifer does her work, repairing worn bodies. Jennifer was the director of all massage therapists at the 2002 Winter Olympics and director of massage at the now defunct Ironman Utah. Her experience and reputation in the sporting industry is well established. She works with athletes from varying backgrounds and experiences.

Dave then took me to the weight area where a weight bench and Swiss ball were accompanied by a rack of assorted dumbbells. Dave strays his athletes away from weight machines. He feels the dumbbell work he prescribes offers a wide range of muscle workmachines are unable to match.

Finally I was taken into the main workout room where a commercial grade treadmill sits next to two Ironman spin bikes and a CompuTrainer multi-rider station. This is where the majority of athlete training occurs.

Dave can put his athletes on the spin bikes to warm up for the weight sessions or monitor athlete running technique on the treadmill. He has found a big interest in the CompuTrainer station.

In Training is the only CompuTrainer multi-rider center in Utah. A multi-rider station allows up to four riders to ride a single course during a session. Athletes can ride their personal bikes on specific computerized courses on the device regardless of elevation changes. The CompuTrainer automatically adjusts the difficulty of the trainer’s resistance when going up or down hill. Riders can watch their wattage to see their effort and pedal rotations per-minute. There are many courses an athlete can choose from including most Ironman bike courses and the Ironman Hawaii course

Athletes can pay for individual sessions on In Training machines or use them during sessions with Coach Pruetz. The In Training CompuTrainer set up allows up to four riders to ride and race on the same course simultaneously. This offers unique training sessions for athletes and their friends. In Training is offering an introductory rate on the CompuTrainer sessions. $25 per-hour allows fours riders to use the complete system. Split the cost with your training partners and each will pay only $6.25 per-hour.

The Tri Hive would like to thank Dave Pruetz and In Training for the tour. Expect to hear more about the facility and Coach Pruetz in the future.

For more information on In Training and Zenergy Bodywork & Massage visit www.intraining.biz or call 801-573-7383.

Popularity: 8% [?]