<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Training - Duathlon247</title><link>http://www.duathlon247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest training articles from Duathlon247</description><item><title><![CDATA[It’s time for some PAIN!]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5717.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Spinervals  release three new DVD titles just in time for the racing season!
Now the snow and ice has finally  cleared, it&amp;rsquo;s time to start adding speed and power workouts into your training schedule  and these new Spinervals titles will certainly give you that! Easily incorporate  these race specific turbo workouts into your program now and add that all  important speed and power for the fast approaching racing season. At only 50  minutes long, these sessions will easily fit into your weekly training plan and  give you that high quality workout you need to give you that edge come race day! 
Available now from www.spinervals.co.uk and top stores  nationwide including www.tfn.uk.com and www.sigmasport.co.uk 
Competition  33.0 - The PAIN Cave!
An Interval Workout Designed for Performance  Cycling

  
    
    Enter The Pain Cave and build your speed, endurance  and power on the bike! Join Coach Troy for this high intensity workout that  targets your key energy systems. Starting off with some aerobic work involving  pedaling technique drills, you&#039;ll gradually build intensity through the workout  with threshold work and finish up with leg burning sprints for maximum power  development! Incorporate this workout in to your weekly training program to  develop that &#039;top end&#039; necessary for high performance fitness at any level!
    Duration:  50 Minutes. Intensity Guide: 9.8
  

Competition  34.0 - Super High Intensity Training! 
Improve your Lactate  Threshold and Power

  
    
    Stick to the basics for results! Super High Intensity  Training is the &#039;meat and potatoes&#039; of interval training for performance  cycling. In this workout led by Coach Troy and featuring the elite athletes  from the Gear West Triathlon Team, you&#039;ll go through a progressive series of  sets focused on building your lactate threshold to the next level for faster  cycling times at your next race. Train with your power meter or heart rate monitor  as the coach guides you and the other athletes through tolerable levels of  discomfort in this &#039;meat and potatoes&#039; workout until the very end of the  session. You WILL get stronger and faster on the bike if you use this exciting  and effective workout on one of your high quality training days!
    Duration:  55 Minutes. Intensity Guide: 9.8
  

Competition  35.0 - Cycling Technique Focus! 
Improve your Pedaling  Efficiency for Faster Cycling

  
    
    Power is one thing. Having lots of power on the bike  is great, but those with high power output AND efficient pedaling technique  cross the line first!
      This workout by Coach Troy focuses primarily on drills  designed to improve your pedaling technique and efficiency. High cadence work  and one leg drills help to polish the efficiency of your pedaling technique,  enabling the rider to produce maximum speeds at their present power output.  Incorporating technique development workouts in to your weekly training  schedule will take your race results to the next level, so start that process  today!
    Duration:  50 Minutes. Intensity guide: 8.5
  

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Duathletes needed for compression socks test]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5662.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[University of Bath Sport and Exercise student John Stoddart is looking for triathletes/duathletes in the Bath area to help out with his final year dissertation project.

John will be investigating the effects of compression socks on running performance following race simulation cycling. Basically - is it worth looking foolish in long socks?!

Testing will be taking place on five occassions (no more than 90 minutes each) between now and February 2010 and will involve participants cycling at sprint triathlon pace for 30 minutes, then running at sprint triathon race pace for 20 minutes. This will be completed three times, twice in socks and once without. Every participant will also get a free run and bike V02max test as part of the testing, and maybe even a free pair of socks!

For more information contact js413@bath.ac.uk.

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to break 40 minutes for 10k]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5577.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Duathletes like goals. And most duathletes we know like to have goals not just in duathlon, but in the individual discipline sports too. 10km is possibly the most popular, and easily accessible road-running event distance these days, with large numbers of events all over the country almost every week. For many, breaking 40 minutes for 10km is a reasonable, but often elusive goal. To help you achieve that, Mike Trees (who has himself run under 30 minutes for 10km!), sets out a 12-week plan for you to achieve that target. 


Training and racing is all about planning and in order to achieve your goals you will need to have a good plan drawn out, I have already planned my training for the next for the next six months! This is  something that constantly amazes my wife, Rieko. I struggle to plan my  work life schedule, but when it comes to running I know exactly what my  athletes and I need to do every day. If not they have no chance of achieving  our goals. This does not mean that we will do everything on the schedule,  because it is important to take account of real life factors, such as  work, family, friends, illness and injury. However without a plan to work to, an  athlete has no framework and so can not hope to make progress.
With this I mind I am writing this schedule for anyone  who is desperate to break 40 mins for 10km, while holding down a busy  job.

Firstly you will need to commit at least four hours to  your running training a week, this is the minimum to make any real improvement.
I have based the training with the main load on Saturday and  Sunday, when most people have more free time.
Finally I have split it into three &quot;four week blocks&quot; so  that there is progression.

The training theory is based around the idea that speed is  initially more important than endurance. In order to go race pace an  athlete must run at race pace during training. If you can not achieve  your target pace in training you have no chance in a race. Once you &amp;nbsp;have  the right pace then it is time to build up stamina. In each block of training I add a bit more distance.
It is a mistake to start doing long slow running with this  schedule, as this will just tire you and make it harder to run fast.

You will need to train to increase stride length, which is  achieved by up hill running or up hill hopping.
You will also need to increase cadence, (leg speed), this is  done by running with the wind on the flat for about 75 m
The stamina will come from track work or interval  training, that gets progressively harder.
Between each short phase it is important to take an easy  week.

The phases have been set as three weeks hard, one week easy.  This is because the shortest time span that any physiological change can take  place is three weeks. If you have more time before your 10 km race, you can repeat  each phase of hard work. This will double the length of the programme. If you  repeat a &quot;hard phase&quot;, make sure that after every three weeks of hard running you  take an easy week. 
Do not train on one phase for more than six weeks as progress  will not happen after that time, without change, our body adapts to  the programme, and improvement stops.
Below is a 12 week schedule aimed at runners trying to break  40 minutes. It can easily be modified up to a maximum of 24 weeks.
Phase One 

  
    Week 1 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog,  6x75m sprinting with a jog back, 15mins jog
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins: include 3,000m at 4min/km pace (if  no track do 12mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30-45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals: 12x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 2 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog,  8x75m sprinting with a jog back, 15mins jog
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins: include 3,000m at 4min/km pace (if  no track do 12mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30-45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals: 16x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 3 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog,  10x75m sprinting with a jog back, 15mins jog
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins: include 3,000m at 4min/km pace (if  no track do 12mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30-45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals: 20x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 4 - Easy week 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Wednesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog, 10x75m  sprinting with a jog back, 15mins jog
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 12x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    60 mins easy running
  

Phase Two 

  
    Week 1 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Hills: Hopping 6-10% hill is perfect  (5hops left leg 5hops right leg twice) do 6 times
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins include 4,000m at 4min/km pace (if no  track do 16mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 6x 800m at race pace i.e.  3min-3:05secs/800m on 4min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 2 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Hills: Hopping 6-10% hill is perfect  (5hops left leg 5hops right leg twice) do 8times
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins include 4,000m at 4min/km pace (if no  track do 16mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 8x 800m at race pace i.e.  3min-3:05secs/800m on 4min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 3 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Hills: Hopping: 6-10% hill is perfect  (5hops left leg 5hops R leg twice) do 10times
  
  
    Wednesday
    Steady run 45mins include 4,000m at 4min/km pace (if no  track do 16mins at 10km race pace)
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 45mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 10x 800m at race pace i.e.  3min-3:05secs/800m on 4min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    75-90mins easy running
  
  
    Week 4 - Easy week 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Wednesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog, 10x75m  sprinting with a jog back, 15mins jog
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 12x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    60 mins easy running
  

Phase Three 

  
    Week 1 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    45mins easy run
  
  
    Wednesday
    8,000m at 4min/km pace aim 32mins
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 4 x 1,200m at race pace i.e. 4:30 to 4:40  /1,200m on 7min
  
  
    Sunday
    75 mins easy running
  
  
    Week 2 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    45mins easy run
  
  
    Wednesday
    6,000m at 4min/km pace, aim 24mins
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 5x 1,200m at race pace i.e. 4:30 to 4:40  /1,200m on 7min
  
  
    Sunday
    60 mins easy running
  
  
    Week 3 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    45mins easy run
  
  
    Wednesday
    8,000m at 4min/km pace aim 32mins
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins
  
  
    Friday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Saturday
    Intervals 12x 400m at race pace i.e. 1min  30secs/400m on 2min 30 circle
  
  
    Sunday
    45 mins easy running
  
  
    Week 4 - Taper week 
  
  
    Monday
    Off day: stretching, easy bike - NO  RUNNING
  
  
    Tuesday
    Easy run with sprints: 15mins jog,  6x75m sprinting with a jog back, 15 mins jog
  
  
    Wednesday
    Easy 45 mins run 
  
  
    Thursday
    Easy run 30mins include 6x75m sprinting walk  back
  
  
    Friday
    Off day.
  
  
    Saturday
    Jog 20 mins
  
  
    Sunday
    10KM sub 40 mins race!!
  


Mike Trees was a professional triathlete and duathlete based in Asia. He won the Japanese triathlon championship twice in the 1990&#039;s and was a multiple duathlon national champion. Unknown to many, he also held the British record for Ironman in 1994. However his background is running and amongst his many titles we was British Universities 1,500min champion before starting triathlon and after retiring he won the 10,000m Masters World Championships in 2004.

]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[A beginners guide for women entering into the world of duathlon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_5570.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Gina Naude, the main woman behind everywomansduathlon.co.uk is passionate about what she does! With a depth of knowledge second to none she talks us through duathlon and all you need to know to get you started.

As the organizer behind the Shock Absorber Every Womans Duathlon Series, I have gathered a good understanding of novice women entering into the world of duathlons. Many women have not even heard of duathlon, so getting them to join in to an unknown sport can be difficult. Others seem to have a more personal issue holding them back, such as lack of fitness, feeling self conscious about being the last in the pack or even feeling too old to join in.
I started our duathlon series with the objective to create an event that enabled women of all sizes, fitness levels and ages to join in without feeling any of the pressures of a more competitive environment. I believe that as a beginner to any sport your first introduction needs to be based upon enjoyment. Once you have tasted the joys of participating you can build a foundation to compete at a higher level. Many women dive into the deep end of competitive duathlon and triathlon only to find themselves out of their depth. What they were hoping would be a door to a new sport is quickly shut by the realization there was no fun in it.

It&rsquo;s not easy for beginners to take the fitness leap from a safe session down the gym or a jog around the block into entering an event with hundreds or even thousands of people. This is why we developed formula to our events which make them less intimidating and more accessible. Firstly we decided to make the Shock Absorber EWD Series an all women event. Secondly we decided that although you are always well rewarded with medals and goody bags, the emphasis would be on participation, support and personal achievement rather than competition. Finally we wanted to make our events motivating, so we decided the events would always be held at locations with inspiring beauty, where you could enjoy more that just a morning of reaching your fitness goals.
 
Getting into the groove

To get started, choose a duathlon that is aimed at beginners, this way you will avoid the serious athletes and feel more comfortable competing. Another starter&rsquo;s tip is to register in the shorter distance event. Remember, don&rsquo;t run before you can walk. A lot of the more novice duathlons will take place on quiet roads with very little or no traffic, but remember wherever the route takes you, a cycle helmet is compulsory on the cycle leg, so don&rsquo;t forget it at home and risk not being able to participate.

Your Equipment

You don&rsquo;t need to have an expensive racing bike to take part in duathlon. Many first timers dust off old faithful from inside the garage, make sure it is road worthy and away you go. Some events like our EWD duathlons have bike mechanics at the event to help out should any bike problems, such as broken chains or punctures arise. Most duathlons utilise good tarmac roads, so whether you have a racing bike, mountain bike or even shopper, you will be able to compete.
 
Comfortable running trainers and sports bra are a must. You can get free advice from most good running stores on which shoe will be of most comfort and benefit to your running style. Don&rsquo;t get brand new running shoes to wear on the day. It is a good idea to wear in your trainers before the day to avoid a foot full of blisters. Shock Absorber have developed a great range of sports bras that are very popular amongst duathletes and triathletes. If you want a smooth run and don&rsquo;t want to bounce your way over the finish line, I suggest you invest in one.

Once you have entered a few events and believe your equipment is worth updating, there are many additions you can make that will hopefully make your race more comfortable and your times quicker.

Training
 
To start out, you need to achieve at least three training sessions a week. Remember to try and combine cycling and running on some of your sessions. This will allow your legs to become accustom to the transition from run to cycle or cycle to run. If you are not running yet, start with a walk and build yourself up. It is not a good idea to push too hard too soon and risk injury. Although cycling in the gym is still good, it is good preparation to do some cycling outdoors. This will get you used to your bike, saddle and gears.

The Race Day

It will fast approach, so make a checklist in preparation so you don&rsquo;t get left with last minute head - aches on the day of the event. Make sure you have covered the essentials: had your bike serviced if needed, packed your helmet, water bottle, sun cream, warm clothes, towel, directions and event day information. Being a multi discipline sport, duathlon involves a change-over more commonly known as &#039;Transition&#039; between the run and cycle legs. Familiarize yourself with the layout and rules of the transition area, it can be a little confusing if you are starting out. Your training should be enough to get you through the race, so don&rsquo;t panic if it&rsquo;s a wet or hot day. Keep yourself well hydrated and listen to your body. Your reward will be a sense of great achievement and pride.

I hope many of you will take up the challenge and join us in making duathlon a much more popular sport. There are many events around the country that you will find suitable for your ability. Visit www.everywomansduathlon.co.uk to find out if we have a duathlon near you.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Diary of a La Santa virgin: Part 1]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_3536.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Purely in the name of research (lucky so and so...) we sent John Levison off to try at first hand the Canary Island triathlon mecca that is Club La Santa, Lanzarote.



I&#039;ve been competing in triathlons and multi-sport events for approaching 18 years now, and since a less than impressive start (263rd out of 266 finishers at the Telford Biathlon in 1990; nobody had coined the name Duathlon at that point...), I&#039;ve been lucky enough to:

  a) get better (not difficult after that start), and 
  b) race, train or coach in many overseas locations. 


South Africa, Malta, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Bermuda had all seen the bike box put to good use on at least one occasion each, yet oddly I had never got round to visiting perhaps the best known training venue; Club La Santa in Lanzarote. So, it seemed like a good idea to report on a first-timers view of a week in &#039;Lanza&#039;.

I visited in May this year, the week prior to Ironman Lanzarote (no, I wasn&#039;t racing!). While the Ironman event is organised by the Club La Santa team and  registration takes place there, the event itself takes place on the other side  of the island at Puerto Del Carmen. Still, there was a steady stream of hard-bodies wandering around as the race approached and the atmosphere grew. I was there with my partner  Colette, and Jenny (a.k.a. the Jenster), from Hillingdon Triathletes. We didn&#039;t go on an organised camp, (of which there are several available all year round if that&#039;s what you are looking for), so to give you a flavour of the type of thing you can do off your own back and with a little planning, here&#039;s our diary.

THURSDAY
Thursday was travel day. A fairly civilised 8.20am flight from Gatwick got us into Arrecife airport at around 12.30am. After collecting bags, clearing customs and sorting a taxi for the transfer, we checked in at around 3pm at Club La Santa. Taxi ride was approx 30/40 minutes and cost around 30 euro&#039;s. 
After dropping off the bags and getting our bearings, we went over to the sports booking office to collect our tokens. These give you access to all of the sports facilities, including the (free) bike hire which we would be using every day. It&#039;s also where you register (again, free) for any of the events and races which take place every week. These include 5km, 10km and half marathon running races, and of more interest to us, aquathlon, duathlon and triathlon events. These run year-round, all chip timed and results produced by early afternoon on race day. Very impressive. 
Our room was a pleasant surprise: I&#039;d heard that the accommodation was fairly &#039;basic&#039;. Colette had been out in La Santa last November (when Jenson Button was also training), and had compared the accommodation to her previous visit 15 years before - it hadn&#039;t changed much, although it was clean and does the job. So, my expectations were set fairly low. Granted, you don&#039;t really need or expect five-star luxury when you are going to spend most of your day eating, sleeping, training or lounging about knackered, but a few home comforts are nice... Fortunately, I think we must have either been upgraded or got lucky - our (booked) two-bed, one-bath apartment turned out to be a three-bed, two-bath: result! It was much bigger than I anticipated, very clean, with a large enclosed outdoor terrace (where we ate), dining table, lounge and plenty of space. Bathrooms were large wet-room style, with powerful showers (no bath). You can book rooms by &#039;colour&#039;, which determines the location on the site, and/or the facilities provided. For example, some apartments have televisions, washing machine etc. Club La Santa themselves describe their rooms as &amp;quot;basically and functionally furnished&amp;quot;, which is very fair. All in all, very fit-for-purpose. 
Our apartment was based right above the central &#039;Square&#039;, which which hosts  entertainment most nights. This did mean it was quite loud in the evenings, however the entertainment doesn&#039;t finish too late, so it wasn&#039;t a huge problem to us, but worth bearing in mind if you like your peace and quiet. The late-night disco is based well away from all of the accommodation in a separate building.
We were stopping at La Santa on a self-catering basis, though there are options for half-board, plus a range of restaurants and shops on site. There is also an internet facility, if you need your fix of web activity. 
After an early start and traveling, training was always going to be light today, so we just headed out for a short run of approx 6km, which took in 2 circuits of the La Santa complex around the lagoon.
FRIDAY
First real training today, starting with a pre-breakfast run. 3 laps (9km) of the 3km lagoon loop, steady pace. Even at this time of the morning, it was shorts and t-shirt weather. Although the loop this loop is not specifically marked, it is quite straightforward and also follows the weekly aquathlon course. We found it easier to stick to 3km loops than work out alternative distances and routes, though you can join in with organised daily runs should you prefer. 
After running and breakfast on the balcony, it was time to head out for some cycling. The sports booking office has a very useful cycling route book for a couple of euro&#039;s, which was to prove very useful during the week. I&#039;d recommend you buy one. It includes rides and route profiles from 14km up to the full 180km Ironman route. We settled on a route of around 60km through the fire mountains (Timanfaya) which, as you soon have to get used to in Lanzarote included some reasonable climbs and consistent wind. Ever triathletes, we&#039;d left our trainers at the Cycle Shed, conveniently based next to the 400m tartan track, and hoped off for a swift couple of laps of bike-to-run practice on our return.

For ease, we decided not to take our own bikes with us, and instead used the free hire machines. These were all Shimano Tiagra, 9-speed equipped Cannondale Synapse bikes; aluminum frames / carbon forks. We took our own pedals (though didn&#039;t actually need to, as they stock all the common brands), and they also have helmets available should you not take your own. Generally the bikes were fine; well used but not abused. Certainly a little heavier and less smooth than my own bike, but perfectly functional. If you fancy something a little more luxurious, carbon Six-13 models with Ultegra equipment are available for hire, for a fee.
After some food and a couple of hours relaxing, it was time for our first swim session of the week. The pool is a 50m, eight lane delight with slightly salty, rather than chlorinated water. While some lanes were booked out at certain times for swimming club camps, we never had a problem just turning up and getting pool access, and more often than not this would be a lane just for the three of us. You soon get used to the additional distance, which makes 25m pools back home seem very easy...


SATURDAY
Saturday followed a similar pattern to Friday, with a pre-breakfast run of 6km (quicker than prior days), then a longer ride of 75km on the &#039;Cesar Manrique loop&#039;, which included over 1100m of climbing. Again, we tagged on another transition run, this time four laps of the track which after 100m actually felt surprisingly good. Lunch at the Pool Bar, and another hour or so of relaxation (sleep!) preceded a late afternoon swim session, a basic endurance pyramid totaling around 3km. All in all, another solid day at around five hours training, finished off with a takeaway pizza in our apartment. 



SUNDAY
Now, initially we had planned to take a day off running today, as Monday would see two races (Duathlon &amp;amp; Aquathlon). Also, we wanted to fit in a longer ride on one day while here. However, plans went a little off track when we went to pick up some bikes in the morning, only to find they had all been booked due to a bike tour. To this point, we hadn&#039;t reserved bikes (which you can do the day before). Lesson learned, and after that we made sure we had booked each day. We could however come back just after 10am, and pick up any bikes that hadn&#039;t been taken.
So, change of plan and we headed out for a run instead. We did another three laps (9km) of the lagoon, and actually ended up running much faster and feeling a lot better than any of the previous days. Returning to the bike shed at 10am, luckily three bikes were available. With a late start, today&#039;s biking would be short and sharp since you can only book the freebie bikes for half-a-day at a time, and we did a swift 25km heading out through La Santa village to Tinajo, and back via Soo. Again, very windy and some hard tempo effort done, even downhill, into the wind. 
Today&#039;s swim introduced a little bit of speed to keep us honest, and totalled 2.4km for me and 3.1km for Jenster. Colette by now wasn&#039;t able to swim due to a recurring shoulder injury, and she used her time for stretching and rehab exercises. 


Come back tomorrow for part two and the remainder of our week in Lanza, including all of our race efforts... (part two)]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Running off the bike]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_3352.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Nothing improves running more than &hellip; running. This is the training principle of &lsquo;specificity&rsquo; and it&rsquo;s something that we have mentioned more than a few times in articles about training on Tri247. However, this being the case, the run is the third sport in a triathlon and you will be far from fresh when you start. We now have to mention specificity again, as running off a bike is something that is very specific to the sport.

This skill does need learning and practicing if you want to race well. The point to remember is that in triathlon there are no prizes for the fastest swim, or bike, or run splits &ndash; at least not at age group level. You are only measured when you cross the finish line; only your overall time really matters.

You need to be able to balance your energy output equally throughout the race, from the start of the swim to the end of the run. Burn the rubber on a too-fast bike split and you will pay and suffer for it on the run. That one minute faster bike split could cost you four to five times more on the run - just when it matters.

Break it down
So, how can we prepare for this final run off the bike?  Easy!

Every time you finish your long bike ride in training, do a small run off it. Start with a five-minute jog off and out, and then turn round and return back in four minutes. This negative split is critical as it teaches you to &lsquo;run yourself in&rsquo; and not go out of T2 (as many triathletes do) like a &lsquo;bat out of hell&rsquo;. Over time gradually increase this run-off time.

Cadence is a key factor in learning to run well in the final part of the triathlon. If you are a &lsquo;masher&rsquo; on the bike who likes using big gears and a slower cadence (80rpm or less) you are not making your job any easier once you start on the run. This is why you should aim to ride with a cadence of 90rpm minimum on the flat. This is so that, once you start to run, your running cadence will match your bike cadence at 90spm (strides per minute). The famous US running coach Jack Daniels (no, not related to the drink!) analysed all Olympic runners from 100 metres to the marathon and found, irrespective of the distance/time, 90 strides per minute was the norm.

So if you ride at less than 90 rpm you will be asking your legs to speed up rather than decrease their cadence from 95rpm to 100 rpm down to 90spm which is so much easier, especially as you are getting more tired.

The 10% rule says that your run time in a triathlon should be within 10% of your stand-alone run time for that distance. In other words, if your best 10k time is 40 minutes then in a race you should be able to do the 10k within 44 minutes. Any longer, then you need to ask yourself why; and a too-fast bike split will probably have caused it.

Bricking it
Brick sessions are excellent training. A &lsquo;brick&rsquo; is a training session where one sport follows another sport. Examples would be swim to bike or, in this, case bike to run. What makes the transition hard is that the main muscles used in cycling are the quads (in the front of the legs) whereas the main muscles used in running are the hamstrings (in the back of the legs). Bricks can be done indoors or outdoors and for race simulation. If  done  indoors, in a gym for example, going from a gym bike to the treadmill, or using your turbo trainer indoors and then going for a run. You can set either distances to cover or set the times you want to train for; bike for five miles run two miles or bike for 15 minutes and run for 14.

Finally, bricks can be used as race simulation and for practicing quicker transition times. As above, set the time and/or a distance for bike and run but now the emphasis is on changing from bike to run in the quickest time possible. The brick sessions can be repeated a number of times within a short period of time.

So remember; train smart and race smart! All the best to you all.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bricks build better duathlons]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.duathlon247.com/article_2097.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Mike Trees takes his running sessions even more seriously when they are part of training for a duathlon. If your racing involves run/bike/run sessions then, Mike suggests, your training sessions really need to incorporate them as well.



At the Duathlon World Championships last month I realised that, while newcomers to the sport might not be familiar with brick sessions as a training method, elite athletes racing at the world class level were also not doing brick sessions. The content of each brick session will vary slightly as different coaches try and achieve an advantage for their athletes, but the principle is the same: the body becomes efficient at doing what it is familiar with.

Looking at it from the other side, if you don&rsquo;t practice run/bike/run sessions in training then you are not going to race as efficiently or effectively as you could in a duathlon. For those that boast that they can run well without doing a brick session, I can guarantee they will race a lot faster if they incorporate some brick work in their training.

What is a brick?
Duathlon involves running, biking and then running again without resting. It is much more demanding on the muscles and skeletal system than triathlon. For those of you that suffer badly with cramps, tight muscles and a general feeling of an inability to run fluently in the second run, you will need to practice training these disciplines back to back.

It is recommended that you repeat the back to back sessions more that you do in a duathlon, for example: run/bike/run/bike/run. Overloading the muscles will force them to adapt quicker and become stronger.

Brick sessions have benefits on different levels:

They are time efficient, combining running and cycling into one session
They also force you to practice your transitions, which is often a neglected part of duathlon training.
Brick work teaches the muscles to adapt to the challenge of run bike run in a way that no other session can.


Where can you do brick sessions?
When I raced professionally in Japan I would simply drop my bike and start running. Back in the UK I discovered one day that when I came back for my bike it wasn&rsquo;t there any more! So, the session needs to be constructed so that your bike does not get stolen. Here are some ideas:

You could perform a brick session at the local gym, by jumping from cycle machine to treadmill and back to cycle machine again. This is also good if you travel a lot but can at least get access a hotel gym. There is no excuse not to train!
If you are lucky enough to have a combined cycle track and run track, as we do at Palmer Park in Reading, you can do the run bike run sessions over accurate distances.
If you cannot use a track, the next best place is an open grassy field with access to a road for the cycling. Instead of running for measured distances you can alter the session and run for a set time, the end result will be just the same. The wide availability of Garmin GPS monitors or footpod-equipped Polar HRMs now means that you can easily measure out your own running and cycling course just about anywhere you want. Running on grassy park land, not only reduces the stress on you legs but also allows you to run around your bike, ensuring it doesn&rsquo;t get stolen.
Another variation is to set up your indoor turbo trainer by the track side, and to jump on it straight after running. I often leave turbo trainer in the garage and run around the block and then get straight back on the trainer in the garage.


The permutations are many, and it does take a little more thought and planning than a simple run or bike session.

What do I do in a brick session?
Having thought through the logistics, the next thing step is to plan the content of the training. Through experience I have found that run, bike, run, bike run sessions are much more effective that a simple run, bike, run session.  By breaking the brick down into small blocks of work, a tough session becomes more manageable and it is easier to push yourself harder and so maintain a higher average intensity of work.

A basic session based at a track could consist of:



Run
4 x 400m


Bike
6 x 1km


Run
4 x 400m


Bike
6 x 1km


Run
4 x 400m



How fast should you go!
The pace of the running and cycling needs to be the hardest pace you can maintain over the whole session, the sample session shown above takes about an hour. For those that work to a heart rate zone, you should be just above your anaerobic threshold. If you go too fast your legs will clog with lactic acid and you will be reduced to a painful jog by the end. Not fast enough and you will be wasting your time. Only trial and error will help you understand what your body capable of coping with. You need to teach the muscles to become more efficient; ie, to burn less oxygen at a given speed, so that you can ultimately race at a faster pace without building up lactic acid.

This kind of lactic tolerance training takes a minimum of three weeks to achieve a physiological change, and peak performance is achieved by week six. If you have anything over three weeks to go before your next duathlon I would highly recommend getting stuck in to this brick session once a week.

Lots of athletes use heart rate monitors and power meters to train with, and they have their place as important tools to help you reach peak performance. You can monitor your progress during training by monitoring your power output and heart rate, but, in this instance, it is more important to see how fast you can get you average time down to on the intervals, and how consistent you can keep the repetitions.

You must aim to keep all the 400m and 1km times within five seconds of your fastest time.

Each week try to get your average times down lower that the previous week. Over a six week period you will be astounded at the improvement in speed but after the initial six weeks the gains become very small as the body has adapted to the new training regime.

If possible try and train with a friend as there is a tendency to slow down when you train alone. The last set of 4 x 400m is incredibly painful, due to muscle fatigue and reduced proprioception.

How much rest should you get between intervals?
You should aim for a ratio of approximately 3:1. So, if your 400m takes 90 seconds then rest for 30 seconds. This would mean starting a new 400m every two minutes. This is a typical work to rest ratio for a sub 40min 10km athlete.
For elite athletes I recommend starting on a two minute repeat for three weeks and then cutting the repeats to 1 minute 45 seconds as you adapt.

On the bike at an average speed of 40km/hr, it will take 1 minute 30 seconds per km.  Take 30 seconds rest between intervals. The reason why 400m and 1km have been chosen as the distances is because of the compatibility in work time. So 12 x 400m will take approximately the same time to run as 12 x 1km will to bike. For those that train faster, or slower, the rest time will need to be adjusted. The following table gives some simple guidelines to help you.


400m run/1k bike 
Repeats 
Rest time 


65 - 75 seconds
1:45
40 - 30 seconds


75 - 90 seconds
2:00
45 - 30 seconds


90 - 105 seconds
2:30
60 &ndash; 45 seconds 


105 - 120 seconds
3:00
75 - 60 seconds 


120 - 135 seconds
3:45
105 - 90 seconds 

]]></description></item></channel></rss>
