JUST DO IT:
We are getting into the beginning of the triathlon racing season and everyone is excited about racing. Your goals are difficult to achieve, but in reach. A goal might even be just finishing a race. Goals are not to be taken lightly. They are the blueprints for success.
Now, when you plan your workouts, you are planning your training under ideal circumstances. This is taking into account work, travel, family etc. In other words, when planning your workouts, you are assuming you are not overly stressed at work, family and your training is not "overly" stressed. Of course, there are times when your body will be stressed from training. This is a major factor in improving your fitness. However, YOU need to listen to your body. YOU need to know why you are tired and whether it is because of the training, training/work, work/family, work…etc." This where a coach is beneficial, as your coach is a sounding board for you so that you don't have to rely on yourself to make training decisions. If you don't have a coach, then it is all the more important to "listen."
Your planned workouts should not be set in stone. Your workout planner is a constantly changing amoeba depending on how you respond to certain workouts as well as the outside stimuli mentioned above. Listen, feel and learn how your body responds to these stimuli. Don't base your fitness on one or two workouts. You may have breakthrough workouts where you kick butt. You may have workouts that are at a worse pace than five months ago. You may have both of these kinds of workouts, dare I say, in the same week!!! Let's use the adage "steady as she goes," in trying to reach your goals. You will have peaks and valleys with your workouts. You want to try to flatten and fill these peaks and valleys so that you are not influenced heavily towards the valley. (Of course, you would always want to have peak workouts!). Don't dwell on your performance in workouts over a course of a day or week. If you continue sliding after a week or if you are improving over a course of two weeks, then you have a better idea of your fitness.
When you go to that start line, just do it. Sure, not all of your workouts went according to plan, but you have worked hard to get to a peak level of fitness. CLOSE THE DEAL! PUT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN! Otherwise, you are selling yourself short for the time, discipline and sweat you have put into this job.
CAMPS - ASSISTING YOU IN GAINING KNOWLEDGE, IMPROVING YOUR TECHNIQUE AND BECOMING A BETTER TRIATHLETE:
WHP has three camps in June. A few slots are still available.
For more information, go to http://www.weshobsonperformance.com/
TOO MUCH HYDRATION? (Triathletes might take heed of USATF recommendations): (contributing editor Michael Sandrock of the Daily Camera)
Runners have long been told to drink as much water as possible and to rehydrate after a long, hot run. This might not be the best policy, however. New guidelines from USA Track and Field indicate that drinking too much water can be just as dangerous as not drinking enough when running for long periods of time.
In a study reported just before this year's Boston Marathon, USATF came up with a major change in its guidelines for long-distance runners, pointing out the danger of drinking too much water. The change can be summed up like this:
Before, runners were told to "stay ahead of their thirst" by drinking water early and often. Now, we are being told it is better to "keep up with our thirst." USATF urges runners to drink 100 percent of the fluids lost while running or racing. This, according to the study, is a "significant change from the understanding most runners have that they should be drinking as much as possible and following the guideline to 'stay ahead of your thirst,' which has been held as the standard recommendation for many years."
One reason for the new guidelines is to help the burgeoning number of four-to-six-hour marathoners avoid a dangerous condition called "hyponatremia," which is becoming more common in runners who have "erroneously been instructed to overhydrate."
Hyponatremia, or "water intoxication," is a potentially fatal condition of low sodium in the blood most often found in those exercising for more than four hours. Severe cases, according to USATF, can include grand mal seizures, increased intra-cranial pressure, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), respiratory arrest and even death. When exercising for a long time, runners lose sodium and other minerals in their sweat. Drinking too much water while at the same time losing sodium can result in a too-low sodium level, or hyponatremia.
The USATF guidelines also point out the dangers of two other conditions runners face: hypothermia, or heat illness, and "postural hypotension," a condition of blood pooling in the legs that can occur when a runner comes to an immediate stop after finishing a race.
According to the USATF, shorter races "can pose more of a threat (of heat illness) due to the faster pace per mile, which causes greater heat production. An adequately hydrated runner who is running too fast or pushing herself too hard, especially in hot and humid conditions, can fall victim to hypothermia." To avoid this, use common sense and lower your expectations when racing in the heat. And to avoid postural hypotension, runners are urged to keep walking or jogging after finishing a race. The new USATF guidelines also include:
Drink one liter of fluid for every liter lost during a race, in a one-to-one ratio. To find out how much water you will lose through sweating, check www.usatf.org for a "Self-Testing Program for Optimal Hydration."
Do not drink water constantly during a long race or run. Rather, drink when thirsty.
Drink one of the many electrolyte-laden sport drinks now available instead of water.
For texts of scientific papers on the dangers of over-hydration, check out www.usatf.org.
WHP IS SELLING A WET SUIT EVERY OTHER DAY!
Save 15% off Orca wet suits Although I strongly promote the buoyancy of long sleeve Orca wetsuits, I can special order sleeveless wet suits Order long sleeves online or e-mail wes@weshobsonperformance.com for a sleeveless.
QUICK TIP - STRUGGLING IN THE POOL:
* Wes, I struggle mightily in the pool.
Wes: WHAT ABOUT A SWIM LESSON WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT? NOT SOMEONE WHO SAYS HE WILL LOOK AT YOUR STROKE YET HIS BACKGROUND IS TENNIS. I WOULD RATHER SEE YOU SWIM 200 YARDS OF GOOD TECHNIQUE INSTEAD OF CONSISTENTLY REITERATING BAD FORM AND REINFORCING BAD HABITS.
* I know freestyle, but I can only swim about 1.5 lengths before I have to stop.
Wes: YES, BUT DO YOU KNOW REALLY KNOW FREESTYLE KICK WITH A KICKBOARD. THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO GET THE LOWER HALF OF YOUR BODY STREAMLINED. SHORT LITTLE KICKS WITH NOT A LOT OF KNEE BEND. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO BREATHE ANYTIME YOU WANT AND NOT HAVE AN ANXIETY ATTACK.
* My aerobic conditioning is excellent.
Wes: WITH SWIMMING ESPECIALLY, CONDITIONING DOESN'T MATTER MUCH IF YOU HAVE BAD FORM. YOU NEED TO DO A LOT OF DRILL WORK NOW AND NOT THINK ABOUT HOW FAR YOU SWIM. THIS WILL BE FRUSTRATING AT FIRST, BUT IT WILL HELP IN THE LONG RUN. LET'S TAKE RUNNING FOR EXAMPLE, IF I CHANGE A PERSON'S RUNNING FORM TO HAVE MORE OF A FOREFOOT STRIKE INSTEAD OF A HEEL STRIKE, I WILL HAVE THEM GO FOR A RUN AND THINK ABOUT THEIR FORM. WHEN THE ATHLETE STARTS GOING BACK TO HEEL STRIKING, I TELL THEM TO WALK UNTIL THEY ARE FRESH ENOUGH TO CONCENTRATE ON THEIR NEW RUNNING FORM.
DO YOU NEED A COACH?
Check out the coaches in the WHP coaching network. Go to http://www.weshobsonperformance.com/coaching/network.htm
WHERE WES IS:
Besides being at the three camps in June, Wes will be speaking at the Fleet Feet in Boulder, June 17. Wes is also in the latest issue of Inside Tri with excerpts of a Q&A online chat involving Wes and Dave Scott.
*** Feel free to forward this newsletter to other interested triathletes. They can subscribe to the newsletter on the home page (left side) of www.weshobsonperformance.com.
Wes Hobson:
Wes has competed in triathlons since 1983. During this time he raced in over 220 triathlons, from Sprint distance to Ironman distance, which he finished all but three triathlons. During his twelve year professional career, he was selected "Triathlete of the Year" by the United States Olympic Committee. He has also been ranked top five in the United States for nine of those years. He has raced in 26 countries that enabled him to train with, race against and learn from the best athletes in the world.
Wes co-authored a book simply titled "Swim, Bike, Run" which was published in 2001 by Human Kinetics. In addition to writing, he CO-created Endurance Films which has produced "Triathlon ~ Through the Eyes of the Elite," "Triathlon ~ Racing Faster" and "Rides: Volume I ~ The Rockies."
Wes has been involved with the organizational side of triathlon by being selected among peers to be a three-year member of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors and a four-year stint on the US Professional Triathlon and Duathlon Committee. He is also a USAT certified coach and is an associate of Ultrafit.
