Have a Coach. Be a Coach.
My client and friend, Peter O’Dunne (picture at right from Ironman Lake Placid), wants to qualify for Hawaii and, as his triathlon coach, I’m going to help him get there. Like Peter, I also have a coach - pro German triathlete Olaf Sabatschus who coaches me for triathlon. From Olaf’s guidance and 20+ years of experience including Ironman wins at Brazil and China, I’ve learned a tremendous amount of knowledge that I’ve able to pass on to my clients. Have a coach be a coach. Peter shares his perspective on why it’s important to both have a coach and be a...
Read MoreLactate 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 oxygen during the process. Pyruvate then either: Enters the mitrochondria in a muscle’s cells for conversion to Acetyl-CoA and entry into the Kreb’s cycle...
Read MoreThe Basics of Monitoring Heart Rate when Exercising
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 intensity that will not work well for most individuals. An easy way to determine your proper pace and intensity during exercise is to use a heart rate monitor, which can be a powerful tool for helping you with your fitness goals. This...
Read MoreStrength 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. I would also include adductors (opposing motion to abductors). I like squats better than leg presses because you have to stabilize your body more vs. just following the line of motion of...
Read MoreMy 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 was a simply line item on my bucket list. Something I wanted to do just so I could “check the box” and say that I had race at Kona. My motivation was low and my body, after...
Read MoreSubscribe to My Blog
Recent comments