ProLine Sports, Nutrition Blog

Winter Bricks (Igloos in your legs)

The cold is settling in the midwest, and seemingly people are pulling it in for the winter. Completely understandable. But some of us look forward to the cold. Just like the days we put in in the 100º heat in high humidity, the bone-chilling days to come get us smirking just as well.

Admittedly, last year I packed it in for the most part. I did my medium runs twice a week inside and a long run on the weekends outside (sometimes not). But this year, this year, we change that. I think just as much as you need to be tough in the heat, as most of our endurance events take place on warm or hot days, cold training throws another curve ball into the equation. 

The hardest part is mental. Either getting up early and never seeing the light on your run. Or getting out after work, again, never seeing the sun. Maybe, you'r one of those lucky people who have a treadmill in your house or apartment. Lucky you. But for all of us skidding by the skin of our teeth to keep up with our gear, we have no choice but to hit the pavement and brave the cold.

A night like last night for me was just such night. I had put in a big swim the day before, as well as about 45 minutes of lifting at home with some random free weights we have in the basement and some body weight work. So, I let myself sleep in (until 5:45), and planned my training for the evening. A brick workout.

Doing a brick workout in the cold plays hard on you mentally twice. First, you have the bike. Getting a good training session on a trainer can be a really tough mental hurdle. You're by yourself, probably with a tv in front of you and a fan blowing in your face. That's it. No pretty scenery to look at, or cars to worry about. Just biking in place and turning the legs over. 

The next part is what gets even harder. You've gotten your body temperature up, sweat going. Then you want to do what?! Go out in the 20º weather and run? Yup. So on go the layers, adding in a little pre-sweat is always nice. The shoes are laced up and you're ready to hit it. Here's where you build your igloo. That first bit of cold bites your sweat on your face and down your back. Then it seeps into your legs. This is going to suck. But you're out the door. The mental part is over. Now you just need to find your pace and hit your route. 

Make sure you're heading out with plenty of gear. Be sure to layer. Better to have on 3-4 light layers than 1-2 thick layers. Worst come to worst, you can always drop a layer and come back and grab it in your car after you grab some cocoa to warm-up. A night like last night which had upper 20's and a nasty wind, I grabbed my windproof jacket, a long sleeve base layer and a short sleeve layer up top. On the bottom I have a great pair of windproof tights that have a thin lining of fleece. They ventilate well out the back, too. The only problem is with the windproof/waterproof jacket. Once you start to sweat, it holds everything in. There isn't too much ventilation, but that would negate the waterproof abilities of the jacket. So, I just live with a little bit of discomfort and make do. 

A good 90min ride and 30min ice brick run, and I'd say I'm good. I don't like doing much longer during the week. Especially when the whiole run is in the dark.

-Dave

It's Black Friday.... Uggghhh

You made it through Thanksgiving. Great job! Did you get in your training? Or did you sit around and make excuses, saying you'll pick it back up after the weekend? If you got it in, you get a gold star. If not, that's ok, too. But, those of us who got some training in are already that much further ahead than you. Yea, that might be a little arrogant, but hey, it's alright to be sometimes when you're putting in the time to get where you want to go with your sport. For those of you who didn't get out training, and you know, even for those that did, this is a perfect day to pick it back up again. With the masses flocking to get Black Friday steals, you can sneak off to the gym, or saddle up on your trainer and get down to business. Let's still call it Black Friday, but it'll have it's own special meaning for us. Ok?

You can bet that those gyms are going to be empty. You know those gym-rats hat a few too many Bro-Lights and champagne and are aching today. But us, we're dedicated. Some might say obsessed. But we all know... "obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." 

Now, no reason to get carried away and put in a 6-8 hour day of training or anything like that. But let's stay on track here. Most of us are in the off-season, and more than likely we're going to be working on building that really solid base of training, and getting in some cross-training as well. A day like this could be the perfect time to give one of those cross-training workouts a try.

If you've got your training log, and you repeatedly skip those plyometric workouts, wondering how they'll benefit you, you just go ahead and try that one out today. Or how about skipping the weights because we endurance athletes don't want to gain mass? Hogwash. One of the best ways to stay lean (especially in the off-season) is to add in these two workouts. This training will skyrocket your metabolism and keep it up there for up to 36 hours. Be weary though, if you're doing a lot of chest and back lifting, you may not want to have a big swim planned the next day, or you'll feel like you're throwing oars around from your shoulder joint, instead of having anything that resembles an athlete swimming.


The thing is, these types of workouts hit your big muscles, or your fast-twitch muscle fibers. It takes a lot of force and power to activate most of these muscles, so they wear out quickly, unlike the muscles you use when you're running a nice steady pace. Instead of a breaking down feeling we get from running, it's almost as if these large muscles are tearing and breaking apart, the rebuilding is what's key.
And those plyos you keep skipping? Say hello to faster turnovers and more strength to finish races. That explosiveness you can build doing plyometric exercises will give you a definite leg up on those not doing them (as long as you're using this as addition to your regular training, not in place of). You're also going to build up all those small muscles, tendons, and ligaments that strap our body together and make you less prone to injury. There's nothing worse than getting injured, especially if you find out it's because you have "weak ankles". That doesn't sound tough at all. 


It's Black Friday, get out. Put in your time. Do some broad jumps until you feel like you're going to faint, and see how you feel tomorrow. Do some deep squats until you fall into the support bars. Do some pull ups, some bench, some overhead press. Hit those big muscle groups with all of these. Avoid those isolated muscle lifts like any type of curls. Those will have minimal impact on your performance. But most of all, get out and train because I know you ate more than you should have yesterday. I know I always do!

-Dave

Happy Thanksgiving! (great day for recovery)

Thanksgiving Day is coming fast, and family and friends are gathering from all over to celebrate. But, what are we supposed to do about the forthcoming surplus of calories? The tryptophan-induced comas in the afternoon? Well there is a few things you can do, and I would reccomend figuring out which one will fit into your schedule. Mostly depending on where you'll be at.

One thing a few families in my town started doing before I can probably remember is having a soccer game. There's usually been about 4-5 families from our town that all get together, and we play until we feel like our legs are about to give out or the old guys start standing around too much and yell at the younger folk. 

The past couple times my brother Jake had come home, we would go out for some sizeable runs. Partially to get out and get some fresh air before the onslaught of 25+ family members coming to our house. It gave us some time just to be out at see our town in a dead silence. Most people still sleeping off a hangover from Blackout Wednesday, some just starting to gear up for the big day. It's a really nice feeling to be out in thte crisp morning air and see almost no cars. It's almost as if time stands still.

Another option, if time permits for you, and if you're traveling all day on Thursday, is to load up a big day of training and make the following day a rest day. Depending on your event, it could be a really solid tempo run, or a good long base-building effort of 90-120 minutes. Or if you want to work on biking, a good 3-hour ride is another great option. 

I think the biggest thing to avoid is to steer clear of getting too caught up on the shenanigans of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Going out and having too much to drink will put you far behind in either recovering from a hard day on Wednesday, or cause you to train like crap on Thursday. I'm not saying don't go enjoy the party, but be sure to sneak in some glasses of water with your high-balls.

One last idea is to look for a local race to do. It doesn't have to be anything big, but something to get your training in for the day, and make it fun. There's no reason to make it a high-stakes race. A friend of mine puts on a fun run called the Frozen Turkey 5k that attracts a good amount of local runners and some clubs. So the turnout is pretty good and there's some good talent there as well. For those of you who think races like this are just some SWAG raes.

Don't let training take a back seat during the holidays, but also don't let it take you away from time with family and friends. Find a happy medium so that neither you or anyone else feels like they're being let down. You in your training, or family by you not being around. After all, they are the ones who come out and support you at your races!

-Dave

Verzbicas Dumping Ducks for US Elite Triathlon Academy?

So I woke up yesterday morning and got to work, just like usual. Then I started to scroll through my email, and I noticed that Slowtwitch had sent out their newsletter. I quickly glanced through to see if there was anything I wanted to read later on in the day, either over lunch or in the evening when I got home. But, to my surprise, one jumped off the page and I had to read it immediately. I wasn't too sure what to think of the title, so I read on: The First Love of Lukas Verzbicas.

Initial thoughts were this was to be a piece on Verzbicas talking about how after leaving college at the prestigious Oregon University and possibly walking away with some NCAA national championships in cross-country and on the track, Verzbicas would be taking back up the sport of triathlon. Something that I don't think would be much of a surprise to many people close to the story of Verzbicas. Especially with him putting aside his training for this fall's cross-country season to compete (and win) the Jr. ITU Worlds.

But this turned out not to be the case. Effective immediately, Verzbicas has left Oregon for the US Elite Triathlon Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. He is said to also be attending University of Colorado as well. I feel that is neither here nor there.

I'm not going to lie, but initially I thought this was a huge score for US Triathlon. A big name, coming in early and who could possibly compete with the Brownlees. And maybe he could help the US down the road in the IM distance from the onslaught of foreigners kicking our butts in Hawaii every year. Our home turf.

But as I read further into this interview, I began thinking this guy is something else. He committed to Oregon, on a full-ride scholarship, and was looked at being the flagship of their running programs. Oregon let him train and compete for the Jr. Worlds with no penalty (as did the NCAA). But then how does he repay them? He dumps the school, his coaches, his teammates before NCAA regionals. I couldn't possibly imagine doing this to any of my teams. Especially if I were such a stud athlete. It seems like basically a middle finger to the collegiate sports world. 

I talked with a co-worker as well who is a big runner, and probably knows more about Verzbicas and this story than I do, and his sentiments are basically the same. If his feelings are anywhere similar to the rest of the world of running, Verzbicas won't have too many fans at his upcoming races. But, I'm sure he won't care with the type of endorsements he'll be bringing in. Which was seemingly a heavy concern in the interview conducted by Slowtwitch. 

"Quite a few good triathletes don't have great running shoe sponsorships, when compared to some serious Pro runners. Is that surprising to you and something you hope will be different for you?"

... Seriously? That's what your asking the kid? Last time I checked Matty Reed was running in Asics, Chrissie Wellington is sporting some Brooks, and Craig Alexander is rocking his Newtons. And maybe you should check out this:

Psssst. I'm pretty sure they're not paying for them since their logos are on their jerseys. But, who am I to know? 

I feel this is the equivalent of High School basketball stars skipping college all together. Interviews like this will give Verzbicas a big head. If he doesn't already have one. But it's also going to give the rest of the field, especially the Brownlees and Gomez, a head to hunt at every race. 

Now, I don't wish any ill-will on Verzbicas. And I hope he has an amazing and illustrious career as a triathlete. But, why commit to such an amazing school and turn your back on them when they offered you so much? That scholarship money could have gone to someone who was ready to stick it out. Or to some no-name walk-on phenom. Instead it was flushed down the drain.

-Dave

The Sufferfest

If the title of this post gets you excited, please read on. If, however, it makes you a little weary, maybe you should skip this one. 

So, we all know how much indoor training sucks. You get home from work, and it's already dark out. There's no chance of getting in a good ride since it's cold and riding in the dark is just dangerous anyway. Especially if you want to put in any type of quality effort. In comes the indoor trainer. Which I touched upon  in my last post. It's easy enough just to hop on, throw on a good show or movie and just cruise along and put in your time. That is, if you don't care about getting any better over the winter. However, if you're like me, you want something that will punish you, and keep you motivated. Here is where 'The Sufferfest' comes in. 
 
The Sufferfest  is a collection of videos that range from 45min - 85min in duration, and are meant to make you, well, suffer. You have different types of suffering, which depend on what you're looking for in your training. Each video  has different techniques to push your limits and get you to grovel. You want it to stop, but it just keeps going! They range from short bursts of maximal effort with short recovery, to long grueling hill climbs chasing the best climbers in the world up some of the most epic hills known to man.

              

The above picture is what they open you up to, and you'll usually spend a few minutes warming up with low resistance and a fairly high cadence. Depending on the video, you'll next move into a more intense section that gears you up for the main set of work.

          

Then they decide to feed you things like this. You're chasing down Contador, and he's pulling away. I like the sound ques, though. When an attack happens, in the video Angels lets say, a gun fires so you know to push it. During the hard sections, you'll find yourself with your head buried, waiting for it to end. The end comes with the sound of squealing breaks. 

Now, I will say that you will only get out of these videos, what you put into them. Remember, you're on a bike, on a trainer... there's no reason you can't be putting every last ounce of effort into the full session. That is, if you want to get any better. It's only an hour, and it's only really 35-40min of 'actual suffering'. 

If you want to take you're training to the next level this coming year, give these videos a try. Download one, see how you like it, then get more as you go along. And don't worry, if you're smiling when you're done because you like to suffer... you're not alone.

-Dave

First Impression: Kurt Kinetic Road Machine

For the past couple years I've been riding a hand-me-down trainer from my oldest brother, and it's done its job pretty well. But this year I put a good amount of time on the bike and feel I really improved a lot. Mostly in terms of raw power. So when I've been getting back on the trainer more lately, and doing some high intensity training sessions, I had been feeling I wasn't getting everything out of the session. With winter approaching, long hours and hard sessions on the trainer looming, and my wife and her bike coming home too, it was time for an upgrade. 

I spent a good amount of time doing research and mostly reading in-depth  reviews from all over the place, getting the most information I could about specific trainers and what people are riding. Especially those who focus primarily on biking and getting in great training. I spent time on slowtwitch, beginner triathlete, and performance bike, reading reviews and specs. Also asking a few people first hand what their thoughts were. 

Getting a very road-like feel and being able to adjust the resistance were the two big features I was looking for. Being able to store it, longevity and having it be somewhat mobile were also some things I had in mind as well. Keeping those things in mind, I was continually lead to the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine. So I placed my order, and two days later (thanks to being an Amazon Prime member shipping was free) the trainer was at my door and I couldn't wait to jump on it.

                                    

The setup was cake. Out of the box there's the stand, the drive that the tire from the bike attaches to, and a few other small pieces to put on. There's also a training skewer so you don't need to worry about ruining your own. They also put in the warranty info and mail-in registration and a training dvd. It took me less than 10 minutes to setup, and I was ready to spin.

I threw my bike on the trainer and got to it on a 2-hour session, working all over my training zones to see what I could put in. I could really crank hard and never felt anything shimmy or feel like I was pushing too hard. Sprinting, climbing, and being in aero position, I felt completely comfortable pushing it. I can probably add more resistance for a harder workout, but I'll continually work on that as I get more used to it. But, my first impressions are that I love this trainer! It has everything I can ask for out of a basic standalone trainer. I am completely satisfied after one session that this trainer will give me all the gains I'm looking for and I'll be able to get everything I want out of each session, so long as I put in the efforts.

If you're on the market for a solid trainer and ok spending a little money to get something that is going to give you all the power you're looking for, this is it. There are other trainers out there that may be similar, but I can personally say this one is great. Especially with how highly adjustable it is for multiple bikes. Whether you're on your road, triathlon, or mountain bike, adjusting the settings is extremely simple. Check it out for yourself and do some research learning what puts this one at the top of my list.

-Dave

Full Review: Newton Neutral Trainer

A while back I did a brief intro and discussion on the Newton Men's Neutral Trainers. I can now say I am more capable giving a better analysis on how they have performed and lasted. I now have more than 200 miles on the shoes, and they are still going strong. I've done everything from long 2+ hour runs to short 4-mile tempo runs. And they have been able to withstand it all on my 6'1" frame floating around 195lbs.

To be quite honest, I think these shoes are better suited for a longer, easier run. They immediately keep my gait shorter and turnover a bit quicker, but I don't use as much energy. With the lug system under the forefoot, my footstrike lands much more underneath my body than that of a shoe with a bigger heel to toe difference. I have a pair of Brooks Green Silence, but those don't have as much stiffness in the midfoot or support under the forefoot that I like. On the long runs in the Newtons, I feel I can go, and keep going. Even with a few tempo miles here and there, they keep asking for more. I don't feel the shoe breaking down the more miles I put on it. Whereas other shoes I've owned, they seem to get less and less supportive as the miles rack up during a run. 

However, in a short, tempo run, I would suggest leaving these on the shelf. While they do keep you in good form, I feel the extra weight of the lug, and total stiffness in the forefoot makes parts of my legs ache that shouldn't be. Also, there is no protection in the heel, so should your form start to fail and you start to heel strike, you'll know!

Another point to mention about using these shoes for a long run, at least for me, was that when I'm done, my legs feel great until about 5 minutes after I've cooled down. Then the aches start to set in my calves. They mostly need to be stretched and massaged. Some of this could have to do with these runs being long, but I think it is due to the lug system and how much pressure is put on the calves and taken away from the rest of the body. Especially the knees. I'll take sore calves over achy knees any day!

Stay tuned for another review this week. I've got a new bike trainer to break in. It should be quite the step up from my current one.

-Dave

Traveling & Training

This week I've had the great opportunity through work to travel to San Francisco and attend the HOW Interactive Design Conference. It's been an extremely rewarding experience for me and  I think I will reap the benefits of being around some extremely influential people in the world of interaction, design, and development. But, this post is about training, not my experiences with my professional career.

I don't generally travel that much, except for my races. Let alone travel for work. I've always tried to lend a hand to people in how they should approach training when they travel, and this week I've been able to put some of what I preach into practice. 

I usually think that when traveling, you need to think of it still as a work week. Especially when it is for work. Luckily for me, my work day out here doesn't start until 9am. This has given me some time in the morning to get my training in before any sessions started. I think this is the most important part of training while traveling. If you can get up and get your training in before the day starts, you've set yourself up for less headaches later on. 

The first full day here, I was able to squeeze in a run over lunch, since they gave us a 90 minute break. I took about 40min to run, then had time to shower and hit up a sandwich shop before I had to head back. 

Most of training while traveling comes down to planning and executing that plan. You need to know what you want to accomplish during that time, and stick to it. For example, I knew there was a pool here, but also knew it was rather small. I wasn't planning on getting in a big or great workout, but I did get in and put in about 30 minutes of training. The hard part was one part of the pool was only 2.5 ft deep, so doing turns was somewhat hard.

Plan ahead and look to see what type of training facilities you will have, or map out runs in the area. Do all of this ahead of time. You'll save yourself the headache once you're there. Especially if it's a vacation. The last thing you should be stressing about is when you're going to be training. 

 

-Dave