December 5th, 2011 — Swim Bike Run, Swimming
One thing most any person who was on a swim team will lament is swimming drills. They will tell you tales of torturous coaches who created long drills. They will tell tales of practices which seemed to last all day and left them drained. All will admit in the end the drills made a difference in their ability to swim strong and outlast the competition. These are drills which you can complete yourself with the same stellar results. The important thing to remember is you may not enjoy the drills while you are doing them. Stick with it and you will see undeniable results.
Pyramid Drills
One of the swimming drills which are done by most coaches is the pyramid drill. This drill involves starting with a short sprint of about 50 yards and then building gradually to 500 yards. You then go back down to 50 yards. The trick is to allow only a certain amount of time for each interval as you go up and down. You will notice a difference in your ability to complete the intervals as your strength and skill improves. You will crave the breaks as well as the increased speed this drill will help to create.
Timed Drills
This is a drill which is similar in nature to the pyramid drills. The difference in the timed swimming drills is you maintain a certain length of swimming. The amount of total time in which you have to complete the length will remain constant. What will change is the length of the intervals. A normal overall length for these drills is 500 yards. You will start with 25 x 50 yard drills. Increase to 1 x 500 yard drill with either 25 or 50 yard increases. The goal is to increase your endurance by increasing the speed at which you can complete the sections.
Drag Drills
Creating drag is one of the swimming drills every coach seems to like to use. This means using kick boards, floaters or weights to create drag and resistance. The object is to complete increasing lengths every time you work out. This will help to develop the strength in upper and lower body strength. You will train your muscles to pull an even heavier load than your body weight. This way when you are swimming without the resistance you will be able to glide through the water. This is also a good opportunity to concentrate on your swim stroke.
Closed Fist Drill
There are many variations on swimming drills which do not occur normally to people. Closed fist drill is a drill which teaches you to use your forearm as a mechanism to pull you through the water. By not being able to use your hand to pull you through the water, you have to use the forearm to pull you. The drill is completed by completing 10 x 25 yard sets. Start out with untimed sets with a one minute rest between. Gradually work in time restrictions with less rest in between swims.
Photo Credits: kenoncjones
Originally posted 2010-03-31 10:15:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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November 28th, 2011 — 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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November 11th, 2011 — Running, Swim Bike Run, Triathlon Training
When competing in a race which involves running, there are a few different pointers which need to be kept in mind. Some people feel their normal run in the morning will suffice in training to run. This is wrong because you will not be training yourself higher levels of endurance or performance. You need to set a schedule, log your accomplishments and find a good pace. You will also need to invest money into a good pair of shoes and running clothes. If you stick to these pointers you will be able to do more than just finish the race.
Buying the Right Equipment
The very first thing you need to do when training to run is making sure you have the right equipment. This includes having a good pair of sneakers. Many runners have taken to having their feet analyzed to get all of the support they need while running. Some have even taken to getting custom made sneakers. Make sure the sneakers you buy and train with are the same ones you will be racing in. This goes for the clothes you will be wearing for the race as well. You need to be familiar with how everything will feel as you run to get the maximum performance in the race.
Setting an Effective Running Schedule
Next, you need to create a running schedule which will help you maximize your performance. This includes mapping out routes and setting goals while training to run. You should take into account your past performance when setting your schedule. Try not to set your schedule too far in advance so you can change things up as your performance level increases. Make sure that you are not increasing distances or lengths of time running at too fast of intervals. This can put a dangerous strain on your body. Only go up a maximum of 10% per week.
Keeping a Running Log
After every run you should sit down and write out everything which happened on your run. This includes times, speeds and routes taken. You may even want to log weather conditions. This will help you to track everything which happens while training to run. You will be able to map out changes in performance and problems encountered. This will help you in creating your schedule and finding what works for you in training and in racing.
Finding Your Race Pace
One of the most important things when training to run is finding a comfortable pace. This is important so that you can maximize your performance throughout your run. If you waste all of your energy at the beginning of the race, you will have nothing left at the end. A good pace will make it possible for you to sprint at the end of the race. This is the sign of a seasoned runner who has good discipline. Those who keep a good pace for themselves while running will actually outperform those who tried to run hard at the beginning of the race.
Photo Credits: Sonic Fitness
Originally posted 2010-03-16 10:37:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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