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Lactate Threshold and Blood Lactate Testing

Lactate Threshold and Blood Lactate Testing...

Last Friday, I was fill in for one of Krista Schultz's blood lactate tests after her client canceled because he was sick.  She needed a test subject and I was curious what my power output at Lactate Threshold (LT) was. What is lactate? First, let's start with pyruvate. Pyruvate is a byproduct of anaerobic glycolysis, which is the breakdown of glycogen (or carbohydrate) for energy by the muscles without requiring...
Setting Marathon Goals: Client Perspective

Setting Marathon Goals: Client Perspective...

This winter in the Baltimore and Washington DC area – as well as much of the U.S. – has been especially tough for training for longer events like marathons and Ironman triathlons, as we’ve had three snow storms since December and temperatures that have stayed around the freezing mark, making riding and running outdoors difficult and sometimes impossible. Throw in a demanding job (think “constant...
Intramuscular Manual Therapy AKA Trigger Point Dry Needling

Intramuscular Manual Therapy AKA Trigger Point Dry...

My body is full of trigger points – tiny little contractions in my muscles that feel like "knots" and are often tender to the touch – especially in my legs.  Trigger points develop in a muscle when it is injured or overworked.  Trigger points can also cause pain elsewhere.  An avid triathlete since 1995, I've logged thousands of training hours training for 26 Ironman-distance triathlons...
Example Analysis of an Ironman Athlete’s Training Schedule

Example Analysis of an Ironman Athlete’s Tra...

One value that a coach provide even an experienced athlete is objective feedback via a consultation. A friend of a friend of mine (let's call him Jim) is training for Ironman Utah (St. George) on May 1st.  Jim's concern is that because of the recent weather we've been having in Maryland that he has not had the opportunity to do enough riding outside. He recalled that when he was training for a previous...
The Basics of Monitoring Heart Rate when Exercising

The Basics of Monitoring Heart Rate when Exercisin...

By Krista A. Schultz, MEd, CSCS, Director of Total Performance, Inc. If your goal is weight loss or improved fitness monitoring your heart rate can help you achieve success. How fast or how hard should I go? I frequently start working with women who have been going too fast or too slow during their workouts to get the most benefit from each session.  Furthermore, there are many popular formulas for determining exercise...
Your Best 2010!

Your Best 2010!...

The best way to begin the New Year is with this little ritual. This is the second part of the New Year Ritual from my friend and executive coach Margarita Rozenfeld, founder of YES!Circle and Incite International.  This ritual is a fun and powerful exercise that can be applied to any and all aspects of your life.  I covered the first part of the exercise, Reflecting Back on 2009, in an earlier blog post. ...
Strength Training for Triathletes: Yes or No?

Strength Training for Triathletes: Yes or No?...

One of my clients asked me about strength training this week: I have been doing these exercises with max weight at about 6-8 reps to build power this off season: Hip Abductors Leg Press Squats Calf raises Knee extension Hamstrings What are your thoughts and suggestions around these leg exercises?  Should I not be doing these or is it too much? I responded: Those are good overall leg strength exercises. ...
My Road Back to Kona: On Deck for 2010

My Road Back to Kona: On Deck for 2010...

When I raced at the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2002, I suffered like a dog.  I left with no immediate desire to come back.  Just a few weeks prior to the race, I had broken the 9-hour mark in an Ironman for the first time at the inaugural Blue Devil Triathlon in Durham, NC.  I put everything I had into that race and it left my physically, mentally and emotionally drained.  At the time, Kona...
Client Success at Beach2Battleship Ironman

Client Success at Beach2Battleship Ironman...

As a triathlon coach, it's always rewarding to see my clients succeed in their goals.  When I sit down and think about what my client Dan Head accomplished at Beach2Battleship on November 7th, I am truly amazed. Beach2Battleship in Wilmington, NC was Dan's first Ironman triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run), and he finished in an amazing time of 10:59.  What makes Dan's finish...
A Navy SEAL and the Ironman Triathlon

A Navy SEAL and the Ironman Triathlon...

As a Naval Academy Graduate (Class of '93) and former Navy submarine officer, I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the Navy SEALs.  In my mind, they represent the ultimate in endurance fitness as they train for their missions on the SEa, Air and Land (SEAL).  On the navyathletes.com website, which promotes the Navy and especially the Navy's Special Warfare/Operations communities,...
Understanding VO2 Max: What Does It Tell You? (Part 2)

Understanding VO2 Max: What Does It Tell You? (Par...

Universal Sports web producer Jason Devaney recently visited Krista Schultz of Total Performance, Inc. to have his VO2 max tested.  He learned he has a VO2 max of 55.3 ml/kg/min, which is well above his age predicted value of 44.  So what does that number tell him? (Note: you can read more about Jason's testing experience on Jason's blog). As discussed in my previous article: "Understanding VO2...
Lessons Learned from Kona Rookie Bill Beyer

Lessons Learned from Kona Rookie Bill Beyer...

My client Bill Beyer (be sure to read about the Beyer Project) who competed in the Ironman World Championship on October 11 shared some wise and entertaining insights about racing in the ocean and lava fields at Kona: Pre-race: Bring support [family, friends] for the week. When preparing, leave the AC off in the room at night and open the windows. [David's comment: Best way to acclimatize is to arrive Kona...
Understanding VO2 Max: What Exactly Is It? (Part 1)

Understanding VO2 Max: What Exactly Is It? (Part 1...

What exactly is VO2 max? I'm taking a Graduate level course in Exercise Physiology this fall semester through Eastern Michigan University. We've been reading and discussing VO2 Max so I thought I would share some of what I learned and hopefully clear up some misconceptions about what VO2 max is and isn't. Remember when you learned in elementary school that plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and release Oxygen...
Transitioning Between Triathlon Seasons: Three Purposes

Transitioning Between Triathlon Seasons: Three Pur...

With the triathlon season winding down for most of us in North America with the exception of a few late season races like Ironman Florida, Beach to Battleship and Ironman Arizona, it's a good time to think about what to do next. Bears hibernate in winter so why shouldn't we? Nature sets a great example of what to do during the colder winter months (i.e. slow down activity) but hibernation is a little too...
The Temptation of Just One More Race…

The Temptation of Just One More Race…...

Do you ever feel the temptation towards the end of the triathlon racing season to do just one more race…? I feel the temptation every year. I want to hold on to my summer fitness. I don’t want it to end. I like being “race lean” and sleeping soundly every night after being exhausted by long, hard training days. Not doing one more race means shifting my mindset from “training” to...
My race prediction for Vineman: Indeterminate

My race prediction for Vineman: Indeterminate...

My race prediction for myself at Vineman on August 1st can be summed up as: Indeterminate. This year's race is the 20th Anniversary of the event – the longest running Ironman distance triathlon in the continental U.S. This year will be my 6th time racing the full Ironman distance event (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run). In my five prior races, I have 2 x 1st places finishes (2001, 2007), 2 x 2nd...
Crafting a pre-race plan: Make your pre-race goals your race day reality

Crafting a pre-race plan: Make your pre-race goals...

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President and General My client, LtCol Tom Impellitteri, USMC, is competing in his first Ironman (Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY) this weekend. I’ve been working with Tom since January this year in his quest to hear the magic words from Mike Reilly, “You are an...
Race Report: Christiana goes 10:39 at Roth

Race Report: Christiana goes 10:39 at Roth...

Christiana is one of my Ironman coaching clients who I've worked with since 2007. She had qualified and competed in Ironman Hawaii in 2006, incredibly finishing the race while running with a stress fracture. Rather than have me tell her story about her recent 10:39 PR at the Quelle Challenge Ironman in Roth Germany on July 12th, I'd like to share her race write up. If you're even thinking about doing an...
My client Fabrice finishes Ironman France in 11:29!

My client Fabrice finishes Ironman France in 11:29...

My client Fabrice Guillaume completed his first Iroman last weekend – Ironman France in Nice, France, finishing in a time of 11:29:51 on arguably one of the hilliest Ironman courses in the Ironman series. As his triathlon coach, I consulted with Fabrice approximately once a month since late last year as he first created a high level triathlon training plan with distinct training periods (e.g. off season, base building,...
Bike mounts during triathlon: Good, Bad and Ugly

Bike mounts during triathlon: Good, Bad and Ugly...

I had the opportunity this past weekend to watch the Dextro Energy DC Triathlon on Sunday, June 21st. While waiting for my girlfriend, Krista Schultz, I thought it might be fun and informative to video some of the athletes mounting their bikes as they left transition. Watch and see: My takeaways: There are two methods for handling bike shoes: (1) mount shoes on bike or (2) put on shoes in transition area. The majority...