Cycling

Page 1 will be used for for general training. It should have 4 fields, in this order, starting with the top field: Time, Heart Rate, Speed, Distance. If you use Power, then you will have 5 fields, with Power slotting in next to Heart Rate.

Page 2 will be used for intervals and racing. It should also have 4 fields, as follows: Current Lap Time, Heart Rate Zone, Cadence, and Laps. Again, Power, if applicable, will be a 5^th field next to HR Zone, as Power Zone.

Page 1 gives you all the metrics you need for most of training. Page 2 is for intervals and racing. Since intervals are time-based, seeing the current lap time tells you how long you have left in a given interval. When you’re going hard, having your device keep track of this for you is huge. Note that this works for both the “on” and “off” portions – the work interval and the rest interval. The only caveat here is that you have to remember to hit the lap button. However, once you get in this habit everything is hunky-dory.

Intervals are prescribed by either HR or Power Zone – looking down and seeing 3.8 or 4.2 is really nice – either you’re in zone or not, no thought required (for this reason, some people prefer to use HR Zone on Page 1, as well).

Some intervals will have are cadence-based. However, even for intervals that don’t have a suggested cadence, or racing, it’s good to know where you are. A quick glance down will tell you if you’re where you need to be or not – again, no thought required.

Laps is also terribly beneficial, as your device will keep track for you, since it’s easy to lose track during long or hard sessions. Assuming a warm up followed by intervals, the Work Intervals will be even-numbered laps, and the Rest Intervals will be odd-numbered laps.

Running

Running devices have smaller screens with fewer available fields, and are harder to read, necessitating 3 pages.

As with Cycling, Page 1 is a general training page with the basic metrics: Time, Distance, and Pace. Since runs are (or should be) Pace-based, this metric is displayed in lieu of Heart Rate.

For Page 2 I like to display Heart Rate and Cadence. Heart Rate is a perception-check and calibration for Pace in the event of slow or fast conditions, a particularly good or bad day, and fatigue. Cadence is important, as we’ve discussed before, and having this displayed will help you keep it high to run efficiently.

Page 3 will be the Interval page for running: Lap Time and Laps. As with cycling, how long left in each interval and how many left to go. Again, the timer is great for both the Rest Interval and the Work Interval, and you just need to keep track of which is which. Again, the Work Interval will normally be even numbered laps, and the rest interval will be odd numbered laps.

I’m most familiar with Garmins, so here is the menu navigation to make these changes for a Garmin Edge 705. Other Garmin devices will be similar.

Menu >> Menu Screen  >> Settings >> Bike Settings >> Data Fields >> Data Field X (1,2,3) >> # of Fields >> Highlight Desired Field >> Select Desired Field >> Choose Desired Display >> Repeat steps as necessary for each page and field.

Recently, the cycling community in my area lost a popular athlete to a bike-car collision. More recently, I watched the Olympic Marathon Trials with a heavy heart, since a friend of mine, who was favored for a spot in London, wasn’t racing. She died in a bike-car collision last year while cross training.

Many of you may not know that I was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 1999. Though hospitalized, I was fortunate to escape with nothing more permanent or disabling than scars. A friend’s dad was struck the same day, just a few miles away, and he spent 9 months in the hospital.

Reading Facebook posts after the recent tragedy, I couldn’t help but think to myself that many of the people posting had not been at the Ride of Silence. The Ride of Silence is a yearly event, held around the world, to memorialize cyclists killed in collisions with cars. It is a very small gesture against a very serious problem, but if you ride bikes, you should be there. Don’t just post on Facebook – do something.

There is a weekend group ride that I do in Dallas. I do the ride since I can roll from my house – no driving required. Frequently on this ride, the group will be across the yellow line into the oncoming lane. Two of the spots where this often happens are blind – a hard left curve and a hill. Some of the people who do this ride were posting on Facebook. Actions speak louder.

I’ve heard from multiple sources that a well-known racer and team owner has been doing a local shop ride recently without a helmet. I’m amazed at this level of sheer stupidity on the part of the rider. He’s a top-ranked MotoGP driver, so he should know better. I’m also a bit shocked that the shop owner seems not to have taken action, at least not publicly. Perhaps he’s talked to the rider privately. We can only hope.

We should exercise caution and common sense when driving across train tracks. A train will always win. We should exercise caution and common sense when riding. Cars are bigger than us.

We should be responsible drivers, and encourage those around us to do the same – a car is a lethal weapon and a huge responsibility, whether or not our society chooses to treat them as such. Cars have killed more people in America than all our wars combined. How is that possible?

Finally, cars are not the only hazard we face while riding. A spot of oil, gravel in a turn, or debris in the road can hospitalize or kill the same as an auto. Ride with safe groups who take all hazards seriously. The life you save could be your own.

Rotating is important. You have to do it when you swim in order to swim fast and efficiently. You need to do it in a pace line while riding or racing, otherwise you will be a slacker. But did you know you also need rotation in running?

People that wear nice clothing will tell you that you should never wear an item two days in a row. It is important to let the fabric rest. While I have a few nice suits and cashmere sweaters, the odds of me wearing them two days in a row are pretty small, so this isn’t much of an issue for me. For many of my friends, the idea of not wearing something two days in a row is laughable, but then I don’t think Old Navy qualifies as nice clothing.

Just like a wool suit needs to rest and regain its shape, so too do your running shoes. The EVA foam rubber that makes up the cushioning of your running shoes deforms when you run. For an analogy, think of a memory-foam mattress: even though you get up the bed still has a depression where your weight was distributed.

If you buy a new pair of shoes, the first run in them won’t deform them much, but subsequent runs will deform the shoes to the point that you begin to lose cushioning and shape. By allowing your shoes to rest at least one day between runs, and longer between long runs, you will insure that the shoes are functioning as they are supposed to.

For many of you, this is going to mean at least 2 pairs of shoes that you will rotate. Now before you start to complain about another $100 pair of running shoes, let me explain why this will not only save your body, but also save you money as well.

Rotating your shoes will expand their lifespan. Shoes wear out because they lose their cushioning. They lose their cushioning because, again, the EVA breaks down. By rotating your shoes and allowing them to rest between uses, you will be nicer to the EVA, and it will last longer. Shoes lasting longer means replacing them less frequently, which SAVES YOU MONEY!!! (only those of you from Houston will get that).

Another way this will save you money is by not expecting one pair of shoes to meet every need. How many of you, upon training for you first marathon, had a pair of shoes that you loved…right up until that first 10 or 12-mile run? Probably most of you. And what do most people do? Why they throw those shoes out because they don’t work anymore! That’s just silly – those shoes were great until that long run. So keep them, use them, and work them into the rotation for your shorter runs.

My sportscare guru, Dr. Maloy at Spring Valley Spine & Sports, cautioned me against running in old shoes. Okay, not really. The truth is she made fun of me for running in old shoes and getting shin splints. Worn-out shoes are a great way to get hurt, so do yourself a favor and treat yourself, your wallet, and your shoes right by rotating them, and retiring them before they wear out. By having a newer pair in your rotation you’ll be able to tell when a shoe’s time has come – it won’t feel as good as the other pair(s). Plus, your chance of injury is reduced because even if you keep a pair a little too long, you’ll only be running in them a few days a week, instead of constantly.

Let me encourage you to have different types of shoes in your rotation. While you can have, say, 3 pairs of Brooks Ghost, why not have a Ghost, a Launch, and a Green Silence? Distance shoe, tempo shoe, and 5k/track shoe.

One final note – long distance races should be done in fairly new shoes. Why? Again the EVA – it’s most resilient when it’s new. 26.2 miles on a pair of shoes with 25 miles on them is going to feel a whole lot different than a pair with 125 miles on them. Whatever your favorite distance shoe is, buy a new pair a few weeks before the race. Break them in with about 25 miles of running, then save them for race day.

Steen Rose is the owner and Head Coach of Athletes On Track and an Elite Coach for Training Bible Coaching. He has been competing in cycling and multisport events for 16 years with 13 state titles and 3 national m

Here's a runner doing it right - rotating her shoes, keeping track of mileage, and mixing up the brands and models. When you snoop in the closet of a running coach and multiple time BQ'er, this is what you find.

edals to his name. He has been coaching since 2003 and works with all ages and abilities of athletes locally, nationally, and abroad. He can be reached at srose@trainingbible.com

I think books make excellent Christmas presents. But then again I’m a bibliophile, so maybe I’m a bit biased. Here are three books I’ve read recently and my recommendations for gift-giving.

The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery, by Sage Rountree

Ms. Rountree was recently quoted as saying that there’s no scientific basis for the things that athletes do for recovery, so I find it a little odd that she wrote a book on recovery. However the book fills a void, since there are plenty of books on how to train, but not many on how to recover. The book is great in that it puts a lot of formerly scattered information at an athlete’s fingertips. While we can all use a reminder and a refresher, this book is best for somebody fairly new to the sport, as the experienced athlete will find that there’s really nothing new here. If you liked Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald this is a good bet for you. If you finished it quickly nodding to yourself the whole time

Rating: 3/5

Best for: Newer Athletes

Skip it if: You’ve ever researched recovery before

The Feed Zone Cook Book: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, by Allen Lim PhD and Biju Thomas

This book is refreshingly short on science, but long on practical insights and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. This isn’t a book about what to eat and why, but rather the authors telling you “what we like and feed our athletes.” Dr. Lim’s credibility if off the charts, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. Recipes scoured from his blog years ago are still a mainstay around our house, and my wife credits Lim’s  real workout foods for getting her through her first Ironman with no GI issues.

There is something here for everyone, from elite athletes scarfing thousands of calories a day, to busy weekend warriors looking for quick, healthy meals instead of takeout.

Rating: 5/5

Best for: Everybody

Skip it if: Neither healthy eating nor behind-the-scenes stories from pro cycling interest you.

I’m Here to Win: A World Champion’s Advice for Peak Performance by Chris McCormack and Tim Vandehey

Let’s be honest, most famous people’s books are a bit dry. We buy them because we’re fans of the author, or because we respect what someone has accomplished in their field. We buy and read these books to learn more about our heroes, or to gain some insight into what it takes to succeed. I won’t pick on anyone in particular here, but you know what I’m talking about. In truth that doesn’t bother us; we forgive it because they aren’t supposed to be great authors – they are good at something else.

So I was a bit stunned this past weekend when I couldn’t put my Kindle down. It’s a riveting read. “Macca” has always been a controversial figure, but approached with an open mind the book gives you insight into the private man behind the public persona. And even those that don’t care for him should read what the man has to say, since he’s the most successful triathlete in the history of the sport.

Rating: 5/5

Best for: Everybody

Skip it if: You have no interest in triathlon, or learning from a hugely successful athlete.

The Myth of LSD

Coach Speak

Last month I promised you that we’d talk about the myth of LSD, or long, slow distance training. So let’s jump right in.

It’s common knowledge that you have to ride easy during the winter. Talk to an old-timer, read an online forum or a book, or look at a pro’s schedule, and it’s easy to see that you have to go easy during the winter.

Here is where I call BS. First off, all old cycling knowledge should be considered with a grain mountain of salt. Let’s look at a few examples of old cycling knowledge, shall we?

# Riding a trainer for 3 hours, staring at a brick wall, is good for building mental toughness. (From the 1970’s)

# Drinking a glass of chocolate milk after a 200kilometer road race will make you fat. (From the 1990’s)

# Climbing hills at a low cadence will make you stronger. (Current)

Oh, I bet I ruffled a few feathers with that last one. And, I’m sure I’ll ruffle a few feathers with this article. But that’s okay. The Europeans, keepers of the old school cycling stone tablets, laughed at Lemond and his aerobars. They laughed at Lance and his singular focus on the Tour. And they’re still laughing as savvy teams and countries embrace technology and science and kick their asses.

As a coach and an athlete, I’ll gladly accept ridicule if that is the price for being the vanguard, and for having a legal edge for my athletes and myself.

For starters, while LSD is not a half-bad plan for pros living in certain climates, you’re not a pro. You didn’t just race over 100 days this season, and none of your races is anywhere near as long as theirs. In fact, you’re longest race is probably still shorter than their shortest race. Ergo, you don’t have a ton of accumulated fatigue you need to shed.

Next, you don’t have the time to train like a pro, and you probably don’t have the luxury of wintering someplace temperate like they do.

Shall we go on? I bet you don’t have two team training camps in Solvang or Mallorca at the start of the season, do you? Or nice leisurely races in sunny places like Jakarta or Dubai to ease your way into the season? No, I didn’t think so.

The point is that you are a time-constrained amateur cyclist, and you need to train in a way that maximizes your time and options. How do you do that? First, keep one hard group ride a week in your schedule; whether it’s the Saturday shop ride or the local weeknight cross race. You will maintain race-specific fitness and not have to start over next spring.

Next, ride the dirt. It’s fun and will improve your handling skills. This can be a simple as 25c tires on your road bike and a gravel road, as intense as a ‘cross race, or as laid back as mountain biking the local state park.

Take advantage of nice weather to build endurance. Living in the Southern US, we’ve got our fair share of beautiful winter days. If it’s 60 and sunny, screw what the training plan says and go ride 4 hours.

Also take advantage of those dark, dreary nights on the trainer to do focused workouts. Intervals and the trainer were made for each other. You can knock out a quality interval workout in the space of two tivo’d sitcoms, and the trainer is the safest, most effective place to crank out the types of intervals that will raise your threshold.

Finally, do appropriate cross training to stay mentally fresh, address functional weaknesses and build general fitness. I’m about out of space, but suffice it to say that if you’re just going to the gym and moving a barbell, you are missing out.

Steen Rose is the owner and Head Coach of Athletes On Track and an Elite Coach for Training Bible Coaching. He has been competing in cycling and multisport events for 16 years with 13 state titles and 3 national medals to his name. He has been coaching since 2003 and works with all ages and abilities of athletes locally, nationally, and abroad. He can be reached at srose@trainingbible.com

Tri Talk

Case Study

Off Season Focus

Race 1 – 8^th AG

Swim – 21st

Bike – 2^nd

Run – 6^th

T1 – 14th

T2 – 12^th

Here are two race results for a certain athlete. The 1^st race was at the start of the year, the 2^nd at the end. The last race had a much larger, more competitive field, so although the result is the same, it’s more impressive and shows improvement over the course of the season.

The off-season is a great time to focus on improving an athlete’s weaknesses. It’s very difficult to make significant gains in any one area without a significant focus on that area. With a race coming up, it’s necessary to stay sharp in all three disciplines, but during the winter we can afford to put one or even two disciplines into maintenance mode.

Using the above results as a case study, where would you suggest this athlete place his or her focus this winter?

More importantly, where should you put your focus this winter? Are you analyzing your results like this? Is your coach? If not, why not?

There’s actually a lot of information missing here. How much time is the athlete giving up in each part of the race? What is the athlete’s history in each discipline? What challenges and opportunities does the athlete have with regard to time, weather, and equipment?

If you’re following along at home, making notes (and you should be!) I’ll give you the first answer. Transitions. We can all improve our T-times. It’s simple, free, easy, and even fun if you do it right.

That leaves S-B-R. Rank-order the three disciplines with 1 being the weakest, and 3 being the strongest. Bingo, you now have a priority list for your focus this winter. However, before you start writing your training plan, make sure that your life will allow you to commit to that focus. If swimming is your #1 priority, but you can only make it to the pool once a week, you’re either going to need to buy a VASA Trainer or put your focus somewhere else.

Likewise, if you live in northern Missouri and hate riding the trainer, winter might not be the time to focus on improving your cycling, no matter how bad it may be.

The next thing to consider is your current training schedule. If your running needs improvement, and you’re currently only running 3 days a week, your focus block is going to look much different than if you’re already running 5 days a week.

In general, each focus block should be 10-14 days, and include 7-12 days of the focus activity, probably including two-a-days. The actual nuts and bolts of what this should look like is going to vary from person to person. You’ll need to decide this for yourself, and I’d recommend enlisting the aid of an experienced coach. Even if you don’t want a full-time coach, consider doing a consult, for about the cost of a new bike tire you can get expert advice and maximize your training time this winter.

So what are the secrets?

First, use liquid plumber’s tape. Plumber’s tape goes on threads to prevent leaks, but there is a paste version that is infinitely easier to use, requires far less dexterity, fine motor skills, and most importantly, patience.

Second, have the right tools handy; a pair of needle-nose pliers and a small allen wrench should do nicely.

Begin by gently twisting the valve into the fully open position. This will keep it from rattling shut inside the extender.

Next, apply the plumber’s tape putty to the threads immediately below the valve core. A small dab will do you, and spread it evenly around the threads.

Screw the valve extender onto the valve, and tighten. This can be done with the same needle-nose pliers, or in the case of Zipp and similar extenders, a very small allen wrench fits into the head of the extender.

Voila! One worry-free valve extender. Now you can be like me and laugh at all the bumbling fools cursing their valves, their pumps, and their very existence on race morning. I just hope they are in my age group.

What a nice way to end the season! Congrats Alex, Brad, Alan, and Blake! We are happy to be a part of your success.

Quick Summary:

Great training tool with a lot of nice features, but fails to live up to the competition in many ways.

Full Review:

There are a lot of things I love about this watch, starting with the watch itself. It is a very attractive watch. Not only does it look like a watch (I’m looking at you, Garmin 310), but also it is a nice watch that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear in non-sporting public.

The screen is big, bright, and clear. I found it much easier to read under a variety of conditions than my Garmin 405. The controls are easy to use; the buttons easy to push whether bare-handing it or wearing gloves. One really nice feature is called Heart Touch, which allows you to skip button pressing altogether; just swipe the watch past the heart rate strap, and whatever function you set is performed. At night this can be activating the night-light, and during a hard interval session it could be triggering a new lap.

Menu navigation is simple and easy. I had a run with my wife the day the unit arrived, and made a last minute decision to grab it on the way out the door. I was able to get the watch set up at stoplights between my house and the park, and the park is only 4 miles and 5 lights away.

The GPS, foot pod, and cycling speed sensor were all accurate and performed on par with other similar devices. Each was a snap to pair, and both the GPS and speed sensor have lights that tell you if they’re working.

The watch and sensors all have user-replaceable batteries, making life quite simple. For comparison, I have a Garmin 405, and I often forget to charge it, or to bring the charging cable when traveling. As a result I often end up using my backup, a Garmin FR60. It’s nice to have a fancy sport watch that just works, as opposed to ending up an expensive paperweight.

The GPS pod uses a rechargeable battery and a standard USB cable. With a 20-hour battery life it will get you through several workouts, but does require that you remember to charge it once a week or so.

After the workout, downloading files is a snap with wireless downloading via a USB stick; something any Garmin users out there will be familiar with, and something any current Polar users will find a huge improvement over infrared downloading.

The RCX5, when paired with the correct heart rate strap, will allow you to capture heart rate data while swimming, a first for any sport watch. The watch and heart rate strap are fully waterproofed, while the GPS pod and foot pod will survive a brief dip. This means trail runners don’t have to worry about creek crossings, triathletes can use the baggie-in-the-swim-cap method, and of course you can actually swim with the watch; nifty, welcome features all.

If you’re thinking to yourself that the RCX5 has a lot going for it, you would be right. But there are also some drawbacks that, in all fairness, I have to address.

First, while I’m a big fan of the watch, the accessories bug me a bit. To start with, it feels like there are a lot of them. In reality, there’s only one more piece than my Garmin 405, but it’s a big piece, the GPS pod. It comes with an armband that I’m not that fond of since it looks goofy and is uncomfortable. While I found that I could use the pod in a pocket, or hydration system, it then becomes one more thing to keep track of and worry about. Finally, guys with bigger arms might find the armband too small

The foot pod may well have been the most frustrating part of my relationship with the RCX5. When I pulled it out of the box, I was amazed that it is 3 times the size of my Garmin foot pod. When I started to put the pod on my shoe, I was annoyed that I had to unlace the shoe to get it on; no snapping on and off like the Garmin pod. Sure you can still transfer it among shoes, but now it’s a longer, more annoying process. Finally, when I went to install a battery, I was even more annoyed that it takes a CR2430, not a CR2032 like every other piece of sports electronics in my house, including the RCX5’s own heart rate strap. There’s just no good excuse for having the two accessories use different batteries, it’s not user-friendly and it’s unnecessarily complicated.

The heart rate strap was a bright spot among the accessories; it worked well and was comfortable for me. The material looks like it should hold up well over time. However, I think this heart rate strap is actually a step backward for women. Most ladies I know prefer to remove the elastic band and simply slip the plastic part under their sports bras. To get the elastic off the Wear Link band would require cutting it off and the added thickness of the transmitter might get in the way or prove uncomfortable. There’s another issue with swimming with the Wear Link Hybrid, but we’ll get to that more in a minute.

For all the above, my biggest complaint with the Polar is the lack of ANT+ capability. It has become the industry standard for good reason, and to avoid it is again inexcusable and extremely user-unfriendly. I walked around my house and started counting, and there are at least 12 ANT+ sensors and 2 ANT+ download sticks. A Garmin starts to look cheap in comparison to the RCX5 when I add up the cost of a new HR strap, new foot pod, and new bike sensor. Plus I’d have to juggle that many additional accessories and make sure I’ve got the right ones each time I head out the door. The situation is a little better if you’re a current Polar user, but be aware that the RCX5 is only compatible with some Polar HR straps. Finally, I can’t use any Power Meters with the RCX5, not even Polar’s own unit – again, way user-unfriendly and cost ineffective.

While I will admit that the Heart-Rate-while-swimming feature is cool, it just doesn’t compare to other options on the market. First, heart rate is simply unnecessary when swimming – pacing by time is simpler, easier, and more accurate. The Finis Swimsense, the Pool-Mate Pro, and now the Garmin 910XT will do that for you and alleviate the need to hit lap buttons with their turn-sensing technology. Hitting the lap button while executing a flip-turn is a bit of a hassle, but it pales in comparison to having to constantly stop and re-adjust the heart rate strap. I always train and often race with only jammers, and without a one-piece suit or a wetsuit, the force of the water will soon push the HR strap down around your stomach. As soon as the novelty wore off, this quickly became a deal-breaker. Additionally, all three of those options offer some pretty advanced swim tools and metrics that the Polar does not.

After I went for a nice run with my wife and dogs, I came home to download the files, and that’s when I got really frustrated. First, I couldn’t install the software on my laptop for lack of available hard drive space. 51.3MB is on par with the Garmin ANT+ Agent already installed but in this case I just didn’t have space for it on top of everything else already on there. Okay, frustrating, but probably just one more sign I need to upgrade my laptop. Still, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re on and older system and not quite yet ready to upgrade.

However, it’s when I did download things to my desktop that I was flustered. Since the watch and the GPS pod are two separate units, they download as two separate files. Okay, no problem, Training Peaks, my training log of choice, will auto-sync them, right? Nope. Polar decided to use different time stamp on the different units, so they won’t sync. Apparently there is a work-around, but I don’t want a work-around, I want to upload my data to TrainingPeaks. And I can’t. It’s a bit easier to do in Sport Tracks, but those are the only two online options for your data at this time other than Polar’s own personaltrainer.com site, and both require extra work if you want to view your GPS and HR data together as one file.

I gave the Polar Personal Trainer a quick peruse, and it looks and feels fairly functional and user-friendly, but I’m happy with TrainingPeaks and will not be changing any time soon (and besides, if I did, it would be to RaceDay Apollo).

I really like the RCX5 in many respects, and in some ways I really wanted to like it. When I first pulled it out of the box and started playing with it I thought I would be buying one after I sent my review unit back. But for all the great features, there are a few too many drawbacks for me, and I just don’t think the unit is quite up to par with other products in its class and price range.

If you’re buying your first premier sports watch, or upgrading from another Polar model, the RCX5 might be a good choice. Just realize that there are a few extra pieces, a little more hassle, and limited compatibility with training logs and accessories. If, however, you already own an ANT+ sports watch or cycling computer, use an online training log, and are used to all-in-one functionality, you’ll probably be disappointed with the RCX5.

I’m in the market for a new triathlon watch, and the new Garmin 910XT is by far the front-runner. The RCX5 with all the accessories for tri is $639 on Amazon. The 910XT is $544. But since I don’t need a cadence sensor, bike mount, heart rate strap, or foot pod, the cost is $400. Plus I can use my power meter, TrainingPeaks, and get better swim data. That’s just a no-brainer. Hopefully Polar can continue to improve their product line, because this unit does have a lot of potential; it’s just not quite there yet.