Triathlon Training Series

Everything you need to become a better endurance athlete. Stabilization, strength, endurance, nutrition and technique. A four-part training series to start the year off right.

Timex GPS Review

I have been using the TImex Global Trainer for approximately one month. This is a watch that provides watch features (Time, stopwatch, timer) as well as heart rate and pace.

Why use pace? For the past 13 years, I have been using heart rate as a training tool. The faster you are moving, the less reliable heart rate becomes. As you start to work harder, your heart rate will have a fairly linear increase up to the anaerobic threshold. After passing threshold, the increase in heart rate starts to level off. At any point along this plateau, the heart rate will remain relatively constant, despite increasing work. For high-intensity efforts, heart rate is not a reliable tool.

The second problem with heart rate is the rate of rise. If you start a hard interval now, it might take a minute and a half for your heart rate to catch up. This is fine for long, steady efforts, but short intervals need quicker feedback.

There are two reasons that I chose the Timex brand over the Garmin brand. First, I plan on using this for triathlons and the Timex offers waterproof ratings to 50m. Second, and this may be a moot point with the newer Garmins, I wanted real-time pace, not average pace over the last 1/4 mile.

Because my only other GPS device is my Motorola Droid X, this became my point of reference for testing.

Many other reviews have cited long times with GPS satellite lock. I also found this to be true initially, but then had no problems. To be fair, the last time I tried to use it, I started the satellite search while I was in the car, which is not recommended since there is no access to open sky.

As a pacing tool during my last 5k, it was spot-on for my pace and final time. Of couse, it actually works better as a pacing tool if you look at it.

When doing intervals, the real-time feedback is great--especially when running on level ground.

The other features, such as heart rate work as expected. The new ANT+ strap is a lot softer than the last generation of Polar coded straps with which I'm familiar.

TIMEX GPS Review

I have been using the TImex Global Trainer for approximately 10 months. This is a watch that provides watch features (Time, stopwatch, timer) as well as heart rate and pace.

Why use pace? For the past 13 years, I have been using heart rate as a training tool. The faster you are moving, the less reliable heart rate becomes. As you start to work harder, your heart rate will have a fairly linear increase up to the anaerobic threshold. After passing threshold, the increase in heart rate starts to level off. At any point along this plateau, the heart rate will remain relatively constant, despite increasing work. For high-intensity efforts, heart rate is not a reliable tool.

The second problem with heart rate is the rate of rise. If you start a hard interval now, it might take a minute and a half for your heart rate to catch up. This is fine for long, steady efforts, but short intervals need quicker feedback.

There are two reasons that I chose the Timex brand over the Garmin brand. First, I plan on using this for triathlons and the Timex offers waterproof ratings to 50m. Second, and this may be a moot point with the newer Garmins, I wanted real-time pace, not average pace over the last 1/4 mile.

Because my only other GPS device is my Motorola Droid X, this became my point of reference for testing.

Many other reviews have cited long times with GPS satellite lock. I also found this to be true initially, but then had no problems, especially with the 2 firmware updates. To be fair, the last time I tried to use it, I started the satellite search while I was in the car, which is not recommended since there is no access to open sky.

As a pacing tool during my last 5k, it was spot-on for my pace and final time.

Although the watch face feels like a hockey puck the first time I strapped it on my wrist, it doesn't seem as big as time goes on.

There are 5 different screens that are fully adjustable with 1-4 different parameters that can be displayed at a time.

Data can be uploaded to training peaks and most settings can be adjusted through the computer and downloaded to the watch.  To be honest, I've not even begun to tap into the different features.

Overall, my initial frustrations with satellite lock are gone and it now takes under a minute to lock into satellites to enable GPS speed readings.  I've been happy with this device.

VO2max Training

Join me on Wednesday, November 3rd when I'll be giving a presentation on VO2max Training at the Rocky Run YMCA in Media, PA. The presentation starts at 7:30pm followed by a question and answer session.
You will learn how to determine your VO2max and use it as a powerful training tool.

Liberty Sports Magazine #2

Another link to an article I wrote about the pelvic stabilizer muscles and their importance in running:
http://www.libertysportsmag.com/?p=2209

Team PBR elite p/b The Performance Lab update

Here's the weekend update from hammerhead Keith Gerber:

Quick weekend update. Six of the guys from the team lined up to race the Iron Hill Crit Sat. Night. This is race is part of the US Crit series, which means all the top pros come to race in it, that and there is 10 grand up for grabs. It was a good night and a not so good night. The good was that this race is so stupid hard and fast on a 1 Kilometer circut with 60 laps and that Wyatt and I finished. Wyatt was 37 just out of the money and I was somewhere behind him. Of my 20 plus years of racing this is one of the hardest races I have done and finished, thanks to the great training from the Performance Lab and Dr. Ross.

The bad news was Tim had a guy put his foot through his front wheel 5 laps into the race and destroyed his Rev. Wheel. I dont think it has any spokes in it anymore. He then went to the pit and got a spare 404 carbon wheel (very expensive). A few laps later at the hardest part of the race where you are going 40 mph to 10 mph into a cattle chute into an uphill 90 bend, Tim got pushed into the hay bales and crashed hard, which actually stopped me for a few seconds but destroyed his borrowed 404 wheel and broke his shifter lever. Needless to say the animal decided to race the next 30 laps in his small chain ring, before he had to pull out. I ran into a curb and ripped my pedal right off my pedal shaft, but got back in.

Muscle Cramps

Exercise-associated muscle cramps have a variety of causes, with sodium loss and muscle fatigue topping the list. Since I've already covered muscle cramps from sodium loss in a previous post, I want to cover the muscle fatigue theory.

The muscle fatigue theory states that when a muscle is pushed beyond it's capacity during exercise, it will become over-stimulated, resulting in excessive muscle contraction. A cramp is sustained muscle contraction. I like this theory for a variety of reasons, with the first being that it is easy to train muscles that are fatiguing easily. Second, there are other problems that lead to muscle fatigue that are easily fixed.

Frquently, muscles fatigue when they are working harder than their neightboring muscle groups. Some of the culprits include the Anterior Tibialis in the front outside part of the calf, the calf muscles, gluteus medius and minimus (smaller butt muscles), and the muscles of the hands and feet. If you are getting any cramps and/or pain in these areas, you might be suffering from muscle fatigue.

These are hard working muscle groups. The anterior tibialis has been considered the culprit for shin splints for years. This muscle does double duty during running for both lifting the toes off the ground and slowing down the lower leg so that you can keep up with your legs. This slowing down, or deceleration, puts a lot of strain on the muscle and may be responsible for other problems as well.

The muscles in the hands and feet are small, yet important and are more likely to cramp during swimming.

The small hip muscles of the butt play a role in stabilizing the pelvis and can cramp during almost any sport.

The calf muscles are also likely to cramp when trying to keep up with the bigger muscle groups of the legs: the quads, the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus.

Smaller muscles fatigue not only from poor posture and core strength, but also from intense exercise. One of the most frequent symptoms for latent exercise asthma is also muscle cramps (the smaller muscle groups are the first to pay for decreased oxygen delivery).

Cramps are not just a fluid/electrolyte disorder and may have an underlying problem that, once diagnosed, is easily fixed.

Lactate Threshold Testing

One of the most frequently requested tests at the Performance Lab is for "Lactate Threshold Testing". Here's a quick primer on what it is and how to do it better:

Human nature is to use the tools available for the results we are trying to achieve. What I leanred early on in the couse of bicycle repair is that there are a few specialized tools for the job.

One of the tools that I am calling into question is the hand held lactate meter.

But first, a bit of exercise physiology:
When you are exercising at a mild to moderate pace, you are using oxygen to help you burn carbohydrate and fat. As your intensity picks up, you recruit more muscles and eventually exceed the ability to exercise in the presence of oxygen. When this happens, you start to develop lactic acid in the muscles.

Although lactic acid has been portrayed as the bad guy because of its affects on the exercising muscles (cramps, fatigue, burning), this is only half true. Lactic Acid contains two components, lactate and acid. While it is true that the acid component probably causes the symptoms just mentioned, the lactate is recycled into glucose, a fuel that the muscles can use for energy.

So, lactate gets recycled, and what causes our symptoms and accumulates is the acid.

Then why do many people use LACTATE meters to determine the ACID threshold?

It's a cheap tool.

But it only goes so far. In fact, depending upon how robust your ability to recycle the lactate is (known as the Cori Cycle), testing for lactate accumulation may be way off base.

Each molecule of acid is buffered by a molecule of bicarbonate, which is then broken down to carbon dioxide and water--a direct one-to-one correspondence.

That's why I prefer to measure carbon dioxide released, it gives a much more accurate picture, albeit much harder to measure.

Anaerobic threshold testing is one of the many reasons to choose The Performance Lab powered by Rothman Institute.

Things Learned from the Philly Bike Race: Part II

I get a lot of questions about cramps. Muscle cramps. Leg cramps. Can you stop my cramping? Sure, but first let's review one of the most common cause of cramping and how to figure out if you need to look further into your cause of cramping. There are several causes of muscle cramps including altered stretch receptors, lactic acid build up, hyperventilation and sodium loss. By far, the most common are lactic acid build up and sodium loss. Let's focus on sodium for now. Sodium is an element in the body that exists bound to chloride to make sodium chloride, also known as table salt. The balance of sodium and potassium ions keep many cells alive and functioning well. Sodium plays a large role in muscle function to make muscles contract.
Sodium unfortunately has a been given a bad rap for its role in high blood pressure. As we look to cut sodium from our diets, we sometimes have a hard time keeping up with our sodium losses. If you've ever tasted your sweat, you know that there is a lot of salt in sweat. If you've ever tasted commercially produced uber-scientific electrolyte drinks, you know that they don't contain as much salt as they'd like you to believe. Different people have different amounts of sodium in their sweat, some more than others, some a lot more than others.


How do you know if you are a salty sweater? Your clothes are caked with salt stains. Look at this guy. He's a pro rider on the Jittery Joe's-Mountain Khakis team. Pay close attention to the salt stains on his sleeves.


Here's a closer picture of his salt stains. If I can see your salt, you qualify as a salty sweater.

Back to cramping.

When salt loss occurs, muscle contraction doesn't work very well. For some, the smaller muscles in the hands and face start to twitch. For others, muscles contract and can't relax.
There are about 10 grams of sodium stored in the body at any given time. A salty sweater may lose all of that salt over the course of long race. When that happens, the cramps come on.

What to do?
If we know how much sweat you lose in an hour of exercise (every pound lost equals 16 ounces of sweat) and we can collect and measure the sodium concentration in that sweat (lab testing), we can figure out how much salt you are losing. From there, we can replace not only the fluid you are losing, but also the salt you are losing. Cramps go away. You are happier than this guy.

The Philadelphia Sports Medicine Congress

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of teaching at the Philadelphia Sports Medicine Congress. This is a one-day event that covers a wide variety of sports medicine topics. The course organizers asked me to discuss bike fit, especially from the medical standpoint. One of the things about a proper bike fit that I have always maintained, is that it must be functional. In my seminar groups, I discussed the use of core strength and flexibility to dial in an individualized bike fit.
Almost everyone present readily identified the tightest muscles and the weakest muscles in most people. From there, it was a simple to demonstrate the proper core strength and flexibility tests needed to create a bike fit that allows for both comfort and maximum power transfer.
As bike geometry evolves from "standard" geometry to longer top tubes and compact frame designs, we can rely less upon a standard stem length and seat post type and need to find different ways to keep comfortable on the bike. The importance of core strength and flexibility on bike fit has been one of my interests in cycling, and is something that I have spoken and written about extensively.
It would have been a great seminar for triathletes or duathletes, especially since Ross Martinson of the Philadelphia Runner store was doing a shoe fit running seminar right next to me.

Things Learned from the Philly Bike Race: Part I

For the past 12 years, I have been the race doctor for the Philadelphia Intenational Cycling Classic. The sports medicine that I have learned from watching professional cyclists ride 156 miles is way beyond what I can find in textbooks. Some of the things I have learned have become topics of great interest to me, leading to writing of my books and directing the practice of sports medicine for cyclists at the Performance Lab p/b Rothman Institute.

The next few posts will share some ot the endurance sport specific problems that affect even the most seasoned of athletes.

First, a favorite topic of mine: core strength in endurance athletes.

The medical car follows closely behind the main pack of riders. At the back, I can see who is suffering and why. Although it sometimes has to do with fitness, more often than not, it is easy to tell what else is preventing someone from keeping the pace, especailly going up hills.

The "core" is a group of muscles that stabilize the trunk while the arms and legs are moving. Core weakness is especially noticeable when standing out of the saddle. As I tell most of my patients with overuse injuries, "Overuse injuries occur when the exercise demands exceed core strength or endurance capacity."

The same is true for exercise fatigue. A stable core will allow for more efficient power transfer to the pedals, especially when standing out of the saddle.

The medical car passed a group of riders, all of whom had been dropped. As they stood out of the saddle, their hips were wobbling back and forth. Instead of pushing on the pedals, the pedals were seemingly pushing back at them!

Core fatigue occurs even faster with improper bike fit. Most often, the bike fit isn't matched to the core strength. Although low back pain can occur, it is usually weakness and decreased power that results in poor fit.

First Lesson from Philly: Focus on core strength in the off season and make sure that your bike fit matches your core strength. Bike fit for comfort is one thing, but bike fit for power is another and needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Philly Tri Club Seminar

For those of you who are members of the Philadelphia Triathlon Club, don't forget to stop by Kildare's this Thursday for the Maximum Performance Mind and Body Seminar. I'll be discussing the use of VO2max testing for training as well as some of the sports medicine issues for Triathletes. Hope to see you there!

Hear The Podcast

The Performance Lab was recently featured in an interview on KYW radio. During the interview, the performance lab and some of the elite training methods were discussed.
You can hear the interview by clicking here

Bloomsburg 'Crit

Another successful weekend for the PBR Elite p/b Performance Lab Cycling Team. The team showed up to the Bloomsburg Criterium. Keith Gerber describes the race as, "A nice little Crit in the town park." This race always seams to have a stacked field, especially since it comes on the heels of the Wilmington Grand Prix. A few pros showed up and the who's who of local hammer heads were there. The team tore stuff up from the gun and eventually saw Rich Straub and Keith Gerber escape in a break with the 3 pros and 3 others. The break just about lapped the field thanks to the rest of the team keeping things in control back in the field. The well played team tactics kept the break from getting caught. It came down to a sprint at the end with Straub taking 4th and 6th for Gerber.

A great team effort and a fun race with still more comments on the team being so good!

The team is starting to hit their stride with the training plans for cyclists that they got from their official training sponsor, The Performance Lab powered by Rothman Institute. The team is clearly one of the dominant and active squads in the metro Philadelphia bicycle racing scene. We will be repeating some of the VO2max and Lactate Threshold (Anaerobic Threshold) testing soon. Check back for the results.

Forbes.com

Here's the blurb on a story that is in Forbes Magazine:

Fitness Shoes
The Rip-Off: Reebok calls it the EasyTone; Skechers, the ShapeUp. These curved-sole shoes, transforming people into human rocking chairs, cost up to $130 and promise to keep you fit even while grocery shopping. During 2009 sales grew 14-fold to $245 million, estimates market researcher NPD. One problem: "They mostly affect the foot and ankle," says Dr. Michael Ross, director of Rothman Institute's Sports Performance Lab, which counts the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies and Flyers among its clients. "There is no evidence they will help you tone better or quicker than a regular shoe."

How to Avoid It: Join a gym.

PBR Part Deux

It was an amazing day for the PBR team and The Performance Lab
Here's how the excitement of the bicycle race played out:
With 6 labs to go Wyatt and John Hunter get away with two other riders. The team followed attacks with Davy and Fergie keeping things in check and big Kevin Fryberger waiting to pounce with Ryan and Blackman doing the same. With the moves being covered in the chase group, Keith jumps and is followed by three other riders. Not wanting to chase down his teammates, Keith sits in with his group. Back at the front, Hunter attacks over and over again to break his breakaway companions and Wyatt out sprints him for the win. Keith attacks his group for 6th and big kev nails 8th.

Here's what Tim Karabin had to say about this weekend's racing:
I put the success on Saturday to you and your training plan. I coverd a bizzilian moves to keep Wyatt up in the 1st chase group. On top of that, I sprinted for both primes, lost both on the line but it was fun trying, and then just pulled off into the gutter and stomped on the pedals and rode away from what was left of the main group. Never could have done that last year, I would have sat in the group to the end and gotten out sprinted.

Strong riding by the PBR elite squad.

More reports as the results roll in

Team PBR elite p/b The Performance Lab

Now that the season is underway, it's time to talk about the Pabst Blue Ribbon Elite squad. I have tested and been training many of the guys on the team, with some great success.
Here's what Wyatt Stoup (pictured) had to say, "The training plan is working great. I am getting a lot stronger even though I'm riding less. It is kind of blowing my mind. Thanks again. Can't wait to see what I will do this season."
Well now that his collegiate season is over, we know what he can do. This weekend he rode away from a Pro, 1,2,3 field and went on to win.
More amazing results from this past weekend to come soon.

Tour of Italy

The Giro d'Italia, the 3 week bicycle race that is second in stature to the Tour de France, is well under way. Alexander Vinokourov, has left his mark on the first week of the race by donning the leader's jersey twice. More amazing, is how well he is racing following a two year ban for a doping violation.
Watching Vino and Cadel Evans race up the final dirt slopes on the road to Montalcino, it is clear how Vino was able to maintain his fitness during his time off. Vino races with a lot of sudden accelerations--a hallmark of Type IIa muscle fiber use. His constant attacks are always what has set him apart from the others. Training and racing his Type IIa muscle fibers has certainly given him an advantage over other riders and certainly allowed him to maintain his fitness without racing.
Ride like Vino, without the blood doping--train those Type iia fibers! They are five times as powerful as the Type I fibers that most cyclists are used to training.

Hip Injuries

What do sports injuries of the hip and asthma have in common?
Everything.
There are two reasons why repetitive, overuse injuries occur: the exercise demands on the body exceed the body's endurance capacity or the exercise demands on the body exceed the body's core strength.
With exercise induced asthma, the endurance capacity is limited and fatigue results in the smaller hip muscles being overpowered by the much stronger quadriceps.
Once the core muscles fatigue, there is a bio-mechanical breakdown that affects the whole leg, whether running cycling or doing any other activity.
The result? Overuse injuries.
Since we started performing exercise testing on endurance athletes with overuse injuries, they have controlled their underlying medical problems, improved their overuse injuries and they are faster as well.

Exercise Breathing evaluation

When people are feeling tired at high intensity, or sometimes even moderate intensity, usually there is some underlying lung problem to blame. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness or cough during or after exercise, especially in the cold. However, performance issues frequently underly breathing problems.

At the Performance Lab, we believe that chronic, repetitive overuse injuries are due to exercise that exceeds the body's endurance capacity or the body's core strength. Quite often we find underlying asthma that limits an athlete's ability to perform at his/her best.

Once the asthma is corrected with appropriate medication and a medically sound exercise prescription, injuries can be overcome and the athlete can continue towards maximum performance. Because we are not only the only facility doing breathing evaluations for athletes, but also one of the few on the east coast, come by and unlock your potential.