Triathlete Training Podcast: Triathlon, Ironman & Duathlon

Eric: How did it feel to cross the line under 8 hours as the first American to do so in an Ironman? Andrew: “It sucks.  I lost. If you were to tell anybody that you are going to go 7:55 in an Ironman North American event, when nobody's gone faster than 7:58, it’s 3 minutes faster.  To lose was frustrating.” Eric: Would you have been happier if you went 8:01 and won? Andrew “No. It’s hard to make me happy.  I was satisfied either way. I raced the course and that day I did everything I could and got everything out of my body and did everything within my power to win the race. It just wasn’t to be.” 7:55 Ironman Andrew Starykowicz Between October 12 and November 10, American Andrew Starykowicz finished 19th at Ironman Hawaii, second at Ironman Florida (7:55), and first at the Rev 3 Half Ironman in Florida (3:47).  He was the race leader off the bike at Hawaii, he became the first American to break 8 hours in an Ironman, and his 4:02 bike split at Florida is the fastest in Ironman history. I interviewed Andrew a

Subscribe via iTunes Author Jim Gourley It's very possible you've never heard of Jim, but you might have read his articles in Triathlete Magazine, Inside Triathlon, or elsewhere.  He's definitely smarter than me and he's probably smarter than you.  He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.    His new book, Faster: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed, covers ways to pick up free speed that aren't training based. In this episode we discuss: How to gain free speed by your choice of tires How important is your bike's weight? Does weight matter in your choice of racing flat? Is a treadmill faster or slower than road running, and why?   Jim's book covers all these topics and more.  It's definitely worth a read. It's published by Velo Press. Check out Jim's website at freetrispeed.com. Subscribe via iTunes    

Subscribe via iTunes Bob Seebohar I interview nutrition expert and dietician Bob Seebohar for a wide range of topics.  Bob has a wealth of experience working with triathletes, including traveling with and assisting the 2008 US Olympic triathlon team. We discuss hydration, protein intake, sodium intake, sarcopenia, saturated fat, sugar and heart disease, blood sugar, fat burning, ironman nutrition, and more.    Ironman Nutrition A segment of the podcast was devoted to Ironman nutrition. Bob thinks a well trained fat burning athlete can eat 100-200 calories/hour on the bike or even less.  Bob's caloric recommendations are on the lower end of the spectrum for Ironman fueling recommendations.  It works for athletes that are able to burn a lot of fat during the race. Bob’s sodium recommendations during an Ironman: For those with a low sodium diet - 500-800mg of sodium per hour. For those with a higher sodium diet - 800-1200mg of sodium per hour. To correctly determine your intake, look at the total mg of sodium

Subscribe via iTunes Ironman Hawaii Analysis From Jim Vance Jim brings some 2013 Ironman Hawaii run data to the show.  We talk about pacing the Ironman marathon and our belief that just about all Ironman athletes, even the pros, start the Ironman run too fast.  Jim has mile splits from the last two Ironman Hawaii’s to back it up. Jim also discusses men’s second place finisher Luke McKenzie and his drastic change from 2012 to 2013.  Luke went from a low cadence cyclist to a high cadence cyclist in just one year. Quadrant Analysis Quadrant analysis was discussed during the show.  You must use a power meter to get this data.  Here are the definitions from TrainingPeaks.com.  A link to that article is listed below. Quadrants in cycling: QI: High Force and High Cadence- An example of this would be sprinting. QII: High Force and Low Cadence- An example would be steep hill repeats, big gear intervals and a lot of Mt. Biking resides in QII as well. QIII: Low Force and Low Cadence- An example would be a recovery ride

  Subscribe via iTunes Eric: “What was your rationale for going so many years without being tested for VO2 Max?” Gordo: “It doesn’t matter. All you are going to do is give yourself an excuse not to try.  It does not matter.  Your genetics don’t matter. That’s completely my story.” Gordo  I interviewed Gordo Byrn, co-author of Going Long, and a seven time sub-9 hour Ironman finisher, including an 8:29 for a second place finish at Ironman Canada.  Gordo also won Ultraman in Hawaii.   Gordo went from full time finance guy to not-so-fast triathlete to the elite level by doing a LOT of work (understatement).  Gordo hasn’t raced seriously in several years, but he continues to stay fully involved as a coach (EnduranceCorner.com). Most of the interview covered Ironman distance training and racing, but much of our discussion  provides useful information for all types of racing. Here are some of the highlights. Ironman Cycling Calorie Race Requirements Race time, size, and the ability to use fat for fuel will all

Subscribe via iTunes Torbjørn Sindballe I interview retired Danish triathlete Torbjørn Sindballe for episode 14.  Sindballe retired in 2009, but his accomplishments include a third place finish at Ironman Hawaii in 2007, a brief hold on the Ironman Hawaii bike course record (4:21 in 2005), and two ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championship titles. In 2008 Sindballe had a subpar result at Ironman Hawaii, suffering on the run and finishing  59th with digestive problems that were likely related to his periodized eating in the week leading up to the race when he followed 5 days of high fat eating with 2 days or carb loading.  This is the same protocol he successfully used in 2007 where he finished third in Hawaii despite the fact that his run training was limited due to an injury. Sindballe experimented with the Paleo diet, high fat eating, and zero calorie training in an attempt to increase his fat burning ability, which is a valuable ability for long distance racing.  He was able to burn fat at a high rate

Subscribe via iTunes The guest for this episode is Kevin Koskella from Triswimcoach.com, TriSwimPro.com, and the Tri Swim Coach podcast. Kevin offers advice to swimmers of all levels during this interview. He offers 5 tips specifically for intermediate to advanced swimmers. 1. Take time to do sprints once per week For example: 8X50, the first 25 yards are all out sprint, next 25 are easy to moderate, 15-20 seconds rest. 2. Use equipment Fins - Kevins preference is the Finis Z2 Gold Zoomers.  They help with kick and ankle flexibility. Use as a tool while doing drills and some sprint sets. Paddles - Kevin likes the Finis Freestyler paddles because they teach how to pull the right way. He believes some paddles can exacerbate problems in the pull and cause shoulder issues. 3. Strength training He likes to include deckups (pull yourself out of the pool) and pushups with swimming.  It results in less yardage, but adds in strength training.  Some of these ideals are similar to Brian McKenzie of CrossFIt. He also rec

Subscribe via iTunes Burn More Fat? Can you teach yourself to burn fat by restricting calorie intake on the bike and eating a higher fat diet?  I discuss the topic and Torbjørn Sindballe’s experience, as documented in his 2012 Inside Triathlon article, which you can view here.   Dave Scott I interview six time Ironman Hawaii winner Dave Scott. We cover many topics, including: His recent race at Ironman Norway 70.3 His preferred races if he chooses to do another Ironman (in Australia & German) His experience coaching Ironman Hawaii winner Chrissie Wellington His nutrition advice for an Ironman.  Dave recommends less caloric intake than most coaches  I also briefly mention Brett Sutton, the former coach of Chrissie Wellington.  Sutton has had some fantastic coaching results using his unorthodox, and difficult, coaching methods.  This Triathlete Magazine article gives a good feel for the Brett Sutton program. Click here to view. Subscribe via iTunes

Subscribe via iTunes In episode 11 of the Triathlete Training Podcast I interview ultrarunner Will Laughlin In July 2013 Will Laughlin did a 300 mile run in the Mojave Desert.  Will wanted to follow the same route the Mojave Indians used to travel to the Pacific Coast.  He planned to do the run in 4 days, but he was prepared for a 6 day trip with his 4 person support team. The run started in Laughlin, Nevada but did not go as planned.  It was hotter than normal with temps reaching 116 degrees.  The team got lost, the vehicles overheated, and the sand made for worse running than expected.  Will shares the lessons learned on this expedition. Part of Will’s motive for doing this run was to raise money for food for malnourished children.  He is launching a peanut butter company called Moyo, and his products will be for sale at Moyopb.com starting in August. For every ounce of peanut butter they sell, Moyo will donate one ounce to malnourished children across the world. The journal and video entries of his run are

Subscribe via iTunes In this episode Todd Carver of Retul discusses common bike fit issues and trends in bike fits and equipment.  I also discuss cramping and VO2 Max cycling intervals VO2 Max Bike Intervals A good workout for 8-10 weeks before your goal race done 2-3 times.  Long warmup, then 6-10X1 mile fast, 3-4 minute recovery.  Do this on flat ground on a course you can repeat - the recovery is a ride back to the start, so you’ll be doing the same course every time.  If your time drops by more than 6% (11 seconds at 3:00 pace, and 7 seconds at 2:00 pace), quit the workout.  It takes some pacing practice, but the main goal is to just go hard. Stick with the lower range of intervals unless you are experienced with a large base.  This is a stressful workout and a good recovery (nutrition and sleep) is imperative. Cramping The cause of cramping is difficult to pinpoint and often misunderstood in general literature.  Long and intense efforts are a common cause.  I quote this New York Times article in the podc

Subscribe via iTunes Here we go with part 2 of my interview with Joe Friel.  If you missed part 1 be sure to check out Triathlete Training episode 8. Swimming & the Death Move Ninety percent of triathletes have problems with their catch.  It’s a result of what we’ve been taught.  Joe calls the biggest mistake the death move.  This is when your elbow is below your hand and your arm is extended in front of you.   In that position there is no way to catch the water unless you are extremely talented.  A top level swimmer can go into that position and immediately correct it, but most triathletes aren’t able to do that.  The goal is to teach swimmers not to do this in the first place. Aging Performance drop is mostly linear until about age 70. At age 70 the drop in performance becomes more pronounced.  Detraining can be confused with aging. Measured performance drops in broad groups are probably heavily skewed by detraining. The subjects they are testing are training less, or not at all, when compared to younger s

Subscribe via iTunes Big Show!  Episode 8 includes part 1 of an interview with Joe Friel. Joe is a long-time and well known coach.  His long list of books includes The Triathlete's Training Bible and he is a co-founder of TrainingPeaks.com.   We discuss the paleo diet, the importance of training consistency, the key to periodization, and zone 3 training. Before the interview I explain functional threshold power (FTP) and intensity factor (IF), two important concepts covered in the interview. Subscribe to the Triathlete Training podcast by searching Triathlete Training in iTunes. Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Defined as the power you could hold for 60 minutes in a race. To test in training do a 30 minute test on a day preceded by 1-3 easier days.  This will approximate your FTP because your output in training will normally be lower because motivation is lower than in a race. Here is a link to an article I wrote about determining heart rate and power zones. Intensity Factor (IF) Intensity Factor, also known

Episode 7 of the Triathlete Training podcast features an interview with Michael Folan of Infinit Nutrition (InfintitNutrition.us). Infinit offers custom made sports drinks which allow you to adjust the level of sweetness, sodium, protein, caffeine, calories, and electrolyte blend in your drink (see the image below). Athletes from all types of endurance sports use Infinit, and Michael tells us that several Indy 500 drivers and the US Military use Infinit. Infinit is also starting to create special blends for cancer patients. We cover several areas of race day nutrition. Michael believes that women need about 350 mgs of sodium for long distance racing, while men need about 400 mg. This is in addition to potassium, magnesiun, and calcium. If you’re going to use protein in your drinks (more helpful for longer distance racing than short distance racing) Infinit recommends a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 12-1 of 15-1. A higher mix of protein might be less tolerable for digestion. A big benefit or protein in l

In episode 6 of the Triathlete Training Podcast I talk about how it might be much easier to qualify for the World Championships than you realize, and I talk to Jason Smith at Friction-Facts.com about ways to reduce friction on the bike and gain free speed. World Championships If you haven’t race in ITU World Championships in either triathlon or duathlon, I strongly suggest you consider it.  If you’re not a competitive triathlete, give duathlon a try.  It’s much easier to qualify for the World Championships.  In some cases, all you need to do is show up to a qualifying race and finish. If you don’t live in the United States, contact your national federation to get the qualifying standards.  For US athletes, qualify for the 2014 Duathlon World Championships in Spain by racing at the Duathlon National Championships in Tucson, Arizona. The top 18 finishers in each age group, rolling down to 20th place,  for both the sprint and standard distance race qualify for Team USA. Triathletes can qualify for the 2014 World

Episode 5 includes an interview with Jim Vance, the co-author, along with Joe Friel, of the new book Triathlon Science.  Triathlon Science is a training reference book for all triathletes and duathletes who are serious about their training.  The book was written by 20+ authors, and Vance talks about what he learned as a coach through his involvement in the book.

Episode 4 features part two of my interview with George Dallam. The two main topics are nasal breathing and Pose Method.  George did one of the first studies on the Pose Method at the US Olympic Training Center, and his views differ from those of previous guest Stephen McGregor. It's George's belief that nasal breathing is better than mouth breathing for several reasons.  These include reduced likelihood of getting sick, less chance of exercise induced asthma, and your body will extract oxygen better.  He has only done preliminary research in this area, but he thinks it's possible you may be able to do more work with less energy use while nasal breathing.  But if you want to give it a shot your body will take time to adapt. Triathlete Training Podcast Episode 4  

In episode 3 I interview George Dallam.  George is a professor at Colorado State University in Pueblo.  He was the first USA Triathlon National Teams coach, and he coached Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper. We spend most of this interview discussing weight training.  If you don't already have an updated weight training program, his views will make you re-think what you are currently doing. Triathlete Training Podcast Episode 3

In this episode I spend a lot less time talking about myself and more time talking to Stephen McGregor in part 2 of our interview. He gives his opinion of running form drills and the Pose Method.  He also discusses vertical oscillations, optimal cadence for runners and cyclists (if there is such a thing), why a Garmin GPS unit isn't accurate on a track, and he gives a couple of his favorite cycling workouts.  It all sounds very geeky but Stephen explains it in a way that is very interesting and easy to understand, so be a geek and take a listen! Triathlete Training Podcast Episode 2

In the very first episode of the Triathlete Training podcast I give some background on myself in addition to part 1 of my interview with Stephen McGregor. My name is Eric Schwartz and I currently coach triathletes, duathletes, runners and cyclists.  In addition, I've been operating Duathlon.com since 1998.  Duathlon.com is a source for triathlon & duathlon news and results, as well as training advice.  Previously, I ran track and cross-country and Indiana University, lived in Boulder as a full-time professional, won the Duathlon National Championships in 2004, and finished 8th at Ironman Wisconsin that same year.  I've been coaching since 2000 and was a member of Joe Friel's Ultrafit coaching group until it disbanded. And that's enough about me.  This is the quote that made me want to talk to my next guest: "Specifically, Steve's analysis will lead him to conclude that in the last 10 minutes of the race [Ironman Hawaii 1989] Dave Scott fights as hard against total physical exhaustion as any athlete ever ha