August 1st, 2010 — Nutrition and Health, Running, Swim Bike Run
Marathons are run in every city. There are some more popular than others. Each offers its own challenges for the participants. No matter what skill level the marathon you are looking to enter, you are sure to want to perform well. This means doing much more than just crossing the finish line. If you would like to place high when running marathons, it will take the right kind of training exercises. It will also take the right kind of precautions to avoid injury. There are a few things you can do to make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary training for a marathon.
Avoid Injury
One of the most common mistakes people make when running marathons is tearing muscles while training. This is possible when you increase the amount of running to the level which is necessary for a marathon. The best training for a marathon means starting at least a year in advance of the marathon. This will allow you to gradually increase the speed and the distance which you are running. You should gradually increase not by the day, but by the week. This is the kind of gradual increase which will help to condition your muscles.
Stretching is one of the most important parts of marathon running which will help you avoid injury. Because you are running much longer than an ordinary run, you will have to do a more intense stretching. This means stretching before you get started. You should then run for about a half mile and stretch again. This will allow your muscles to get a more thorough stretch because they will have heated up from the exercise. The looser your muscles are, the less chance you have of tearing any muscles while you run.
Use High Intensity Training
It will benefit you to take breaks in your long distance running to use High Intensity Training. This is where you run as hard as you can for a short period of time. Take a break half as long as your exercise and then repeat. This should be done for about 15 minutes. The intervals should be one minute of running and 30 seconds of resting. This might sound like training for a sprinter, but it has been proven to be highly effective in creating endurance, strength and stamina which is handy when running marathons. Complete three of these sets in a day and you will increase your breathing capacity and so much more.
Running the Route
Good advice for anyone running marathons like a pro is to run the route you will be racing on for at least a month. If the route is not available to you, it will help you to run a route which has similar changes in elevation and the right length. This is not always easy to find. Some runners turn to stationary tracks to simulate the route. This is only recommended if you integrate it with running on the ground. There is a difference between running on a stationary machine and running on the ground.
Photo Credits: infomatique
Originally posted 2010-03-28 03:57:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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July 20th, 2010 — Biking, Swim Bike Run
Madison - Named after Madison Square Garden, which was the home of the original six day races. Madisons are team races that can last from six hours long all the way to six days long, with a team consisting of two to three riders. Each team will only have one rider racing at any given time, riding as hard as they can for a lap or two before being replaced by another team member.
One of the things that set Madison races apart from others is that the team member entering the race is catapulted into the race by the rider coming off of their turn using a specially designed handle that is kept in the back pocket of their racing shorts. Victory is gained by being the team which has traveled the largest distance.
Match Sprint - This is an event generally run like a tournament. It involves a series of races between two riders with the winners going on to the next level of competition until an overall winner is determined. Many times there is a repechage, or second chance, for riders who lose in the first round of matches.
Miss-and-Out – This is a variety of race that uses the mass start rule, in each lap of a miss-and-out race the final rider to cross the finish line is eliminated from the race. Once the field of competition is narrowed to a certain number of riders, the riders will sprint to the finish to decide the winner.
Motor Pace – In a motor pace race, every competitor rides behind a moped or a small motorcycle which provides them with a slipstream.
Neutral Support – Neutral support refers to help that is provided to a rider by anyone other than a fellow team member. An example is a follow truck which contains spare parts, tires, and a mechanic to aid riders who are experiencing mechanical issues. This is not always allowed by the rules, for example in a race using mountain bikes a rider using neutral support will be disqualified.
Noodle – Noodling is described as being riding at a slow and yet casual pace.
Olympic Sprint – An Olympic sprint race is a type of pursuit race with participants competing in teams of three. At the end of a lap, the lead cyclist of each team leaves the race until the third and final lap when the last riders from each team race to the finish line.
Pace Line – This is a group, usually riding in an echelon, who swaps the lead position so that the rest of the group can ride on the lead rider’s draft.
Peloton – The field is also known as the peloton in certain circumstances.
Photo Credits: TimothyJ
Originally posted 2009-11-19 03:48:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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July 13th, 2010 — Biking, Swim Bike Run
Here is the final installation of our glossary of triathlon cycling terms and definitions.
Team Pursuit - This is a type of race that is similar in nature to the individual pursuit style of racing, however instead there are two different teams, each of which is made up of four riders. These teams will ride in pace lines, with the leader changing either every half lap or with every lap. The standard distance for this type of race is a distance of 4000 meters. The time for the team is taken upon the third rider crossing over the finish line, meaning that the fourth rider on the team does not have to finish the race.
Technical – This describes a portion of a racing trail that is designed to test the handling skills for the rider.
Time Trial – This is a race that involves riders or teams of riders going around the course or the track individually. The team or the rider that has the fastest time is deemed the winner of the competition.
Toe Clips – These are either straps or clips that are designed to securely fasten the feet of the rider to the pedals of the bicycle.
Track Bike - This is a very simple style of bike that is used for the purpose of racing on a track. This type of bike only has a single speed gear without any freewheeling, and it does not have any brakes.
Track Stand - This term describes the act of balancing the bicycle while the feet are on the pedals. During a match sprint style of racing, the riders typically begin in track stand because they want to allow one another to set the pace for the race so that they can take full advantage of the slip stream for the purpose of drafting.
Velodrome – This is a type of track that is specifically built for the purpose of bicycle racing. It is typically comprised of two long straight areas and two short curved areas that bank sharply. Most of these types of tracks are only 1/3 of a kilometer in length, though some can be as short as only 200 meters, or as long as a full 500 meters in length.
Weenie Gear - This is another word that is used to refer to granny gear. Granny gear is described as being the lowest of all gears on the mountain bike, and this particular gear is typically used when you need to climb a very steep grade while riding your bike.
Wind Out - This is a type of sprint that develops relatively slowly, and involves a gradual level of acceleration to the top speed.
Photo Credits: Nelson D.
Originally posted 2009-11-12 03:42:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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July 9th, 2010 — Biking, Swim Bike Run
Pinch Flat - This is a flat tire that is caused as a result of hitting an obstacle with a lot of force to the point where the inner tube has been pinched in the rim.
Pixie Gear – This is another term that refers to granny gear.
Points Race - This is similar in nature to a scratch race, but rather the points are awarded to the winning riders within a series of sprints that are conducted throughout various points of the race, and the winning rider is the one that accumulates the greatest amount of points.
Pole Line – This is a yellow line that goes around the inner side of a velodrome track, measuring the length of the track.
Pull - This involves taking a turn in the front of a pace line, pulling the rest of the riders along.
Push Climb – This is a portion of a riding trail where the riders have to dismount from their bicycles and either carry or push their bikes because of either poor traction or a steep grade.
Rainbow Jersey – This is a striped jersey with multiple colors that is typically worn by a defending world champion in a race.
Repechage - This is a second chance that is given to a loser from a previous heat in many match-spring types of competitions. The winner from a repechage will continue on within the competition.
Road Rash - This is a skin abrasion that is caused as a result of a fall.
Scratch Race – This is any race that involves all riders covering the same distance from a simultaneous start. The winner in a scratch race is whatever rider is the first one to cross over the finish line. Virtually all cycling races are actually scratch races.
Single Track – This is a section of a trail that is wide enough that only one cyclist can pass over it at a time.
Sit In - What this means is to get close to the behind of a rider that is immediately in front of you for the purpose of drafting.
Slip Stream – This is the area behind a rider where there is a lowered amount of wind resistance.
Snake Bite - This is another name for a pinch flat.
Spin - This is a word that describes pedaling at a cadence that is very high.
Suspension - This is a system that is designed to absorb the shock on mountain bikes as well as some types of road bikes.
Take a Flyer – This is another way to refer to flyer.
Tandem Sprint – This is similar in nature to a match sprint, however it is ridden with two-man tandem style bicycles crossing over a course that is 1500 meters long.
Photo Credits: jimmyharris
Originally posted 2009-11-09 03:38:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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June 28th, 2010 — Biking, Swim Bike Run
A good part of understanding your triathlon training and performance is having a grasp on the lingo. Here is a guide to cycling terms that you should know in order to get the most out of your experience.
Derailleur - When gears are shifted on a bike, the derailleur is the mechanism that changes which gear sprocket the bicycle chain is on.
Devil Take the Hindmost - Devil take the hindmost is a race type in which the last rider across the finish line in each lap of the course is eliminated from the race, this type of race is also known as a miss-and-out.
Disk Wheel - A disk wheel is a spokeless solid wheel used for its aerodynamic properties, mostly in time trials but also in other types of races.
Domestique - The domestique is a rider in long races who has the responsibility to retrieve items such as water and food to pass along to their teammates from the support vehicle.
Draft - Drafting is a way to decrease a cyclist’s wind resistance by riding closely on the tail of another cyclist.
Drops - On handlebars that are turned down, the drops are the lower portion.
Echelon - An echelon is a formation used by groups of cyclists not competing with each other. By riding in a diagonal pattern with each rider downwind of the one in front of them the lead rider lowers the wind resistance of the whole group. To spread out the extra effort, members of the group take turns riding in the lead.
Field - In a race, the field refers to the main mass of riders.
Field Sprint - A field sprint usually occurs towards the end of a section of a long race, it is when riders within the main group.
Fixed Gear - Seen in track bikes, a fixed gear is what is known as direct drive, where the rear cog is linked to the chain ring, with this configuration a rider cannot coast as the pedals will spin whenever the bike moved.
Flyer - A flyer is when a lone rider makes an unexpected attack.
Force the Pace - Forcing the pace involves speeding up to force the rest of the group to speed up as well.
Full Tuck - The full tuck provides an improvement in a riders aerodynamics by having the rider assume a crouching position.
Gap – The gap is described as being the amount of time that is between riders or between groups of riders. This can also refer to working to increase a lead and widen that gap.
Granny Gear - Used for making difficult inclines, the granny gear is a name for a mountain bike’s lowest gear.
Hammer - To hammer is to ride at the very limit of an individual’s capabilities, or to ride extremely hard.
Hammered - To be hammered is to be completely exhausted.
Photo credits: Futurilla
Originally posted 2009-10-29 03:20:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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June 16th, 2010 — Motivation, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Training
There are many different reasons that a person may decide that they would like to compete or participate in a triathlon, do one of the multiple types of cycling, swimming or running and more. These are all activities that many people find enjoyable but are also all activities that take training. One of the main reasons that many run triathlons are the programs themselves they may be participating in.
Some triathlons or other related evens are for causes such as breast cancer or aids and more. This can mean a great deal to a person morally and emotionally especially if they have had a family member or have themselves had to deal with the cause that the event is for. Many of these events have proceeds that go to victims or to help these things not happen to more people and for many people this is very important and is there way of making a difference. In addition, it means that each person who participate counts and each person who can make it till the end also counts, to some their speed may count but to most it is simply having the endurance to be able to make it to the end.
As mentioned above the main thing a person will need to be able to complete a triathlon is endurance. For many people they prefer to say stamina is what is needed but no matter what way you chose to look at what is needed what a person’s main goal should be is to be in good enough shape to be able to make it across the finish line. This is true for running, swimming, cycling and triathlons. When competing in order to win you still should make sure to make a point of strengthening your stamina or endurance because these are what you need to be able to make it through a triathlon or a competition in any of these areas.
When training for endurance or stamina you need to be able to make time for yourself to be able to train and you need to start early. When you find out you will be entered into one of these events you should try to start building endurance as soon as possible. It can be helpful if you use the activity itself to help you build this endurance. This normally starts with setting a timed limit for these actions such as swimming for one hour or more or running for an hour and not allowing yourself to stop.
Some individuals need to start at much lower amounts of time such as five minutes or even fifteen, and then you work yourself to longer amounts of time. When you do this you are helping to make sure you will be able to pass that finish line. While some people compete simply to win others simply enjoy the feeling of knowing that they did it and that they achieved something that others have not been able to.
Photo Credit: 1
Originally posted 2008-11-10 13:28:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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