Morning Andre asked today’s Coaches Corner question which was What are the correct number of session per discipline per week?
One of the hardest things in triathlon is to get the correct balance of sessions across the course of the week. Single discipline sports such as running or cycling don’t have this as a major concern – squeezing in the training, but with three sports init one this can be the case.
Lara just asked a great question so I’ve answered it – I’m in the mood today
What is VO2 Max and does it relate to watts?
VO2 Max is simple. Nothing directly to do with watts. It’s all to do with the amount of oxygen you can process during exercise. This is refereed to as VO2 Max
V = Volume & O2 being oxygen. This is expressed in litres per minute.
Today’s coaches corner is brought to you by Julian Marsh who want to know whether there’s any difference in training for 5km vs 10km AND the right balance of sessions throughout the year.
5km vs. 10km training
The simple answer is there is very little – in terms of intensity and structure of the sessions. The goal for both is to run as fast as possible, so as a coach I would devise sessions to improve the following:
1) muscle endurance
2) improve the strength of those working muscles
3) increase contractional speed of those muscles – speed work
4) Improve the ability to sustain long periods of speed – tempo running
Today’s question was asked by Andy Moody who wanted to understand watts & cycling.
Basic theoretical understanding
Watts is the measurement of power derived by Scotsman James Watt. This looks at the rate of energy which can be converted into power over a period of time.
Thanks to Rob Crouch for todays Coaches Corner question. Rob wanted to know the best way to recover post exercise.
When you exercise depending on the level of intensity and or duration, you will put stress upon your muscular system. As a result of this, you might suffer from a number of symptoms. These could be sore muscles the following day. This is known as D.O.M.S – Delayed Onset of Muscular Soreness and not due to lactic acid within the muscles. Or you might be light headed during the course of the day when you get up quickly for example. This is due in part to blood pooling – which is where blood is still left in the working muscles and because you didn’t have time to cool down, blood is trapped in part in the muscles so as you get up, blood pressure levels will be lower than normal. If this is common it would be advisable to see your local GP.
Many thanks to Lara for enquiring about Bike Nutrition
When performing a period of continuous activity such as swimming, running or cycling the body will look to used energy which it has stored. The glucose / glycogen is store in the muscles and blood. As you perform the activity it will slowly be used up. Once this is all gone, the body begins to go into deficit. So you slowly run out of energy and eventually need to stop. This is known as hitting the wall, knocking or bonking!! Depending on your fitness levels this can occur from 30-45mins.
First the theory – then the reality
Heart rate has and still is the most common guide to controlling an athletes efforts whilst training.
If you are doing continuous training then running elevates the heart rate highest, then cycling and then swimming with about around 8-10bpm average drop. This is naturally due to the reduced level of impact.
Riding at this time of year can be unpleasant as the low temperature me wind chill can greatly affect your body temperature.
Think layers. Look to have two thin layers under a good wind stopper / winter cycling jacket. Go for a wicking layer to absorb the sweat as although it might be cold, you will still sweet as the body wants to keep you warm. Look to get a thermal layer next – such a Marino wool. This wil help trap the heat and keep you warm.
100 miles? No problem. After all, Viceroys have done the Surrey 100 in Hurricane Bertha. Right? 6400ft. That’s 9 times up Box Hill! Our hardy Viceroys trio tackled Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance charity bike ride and encountered hills, a man hole and even a real ambulance…
Kevin Dargue was the first to arrive at Redhill out of the Viceroy Trio made up of Kevin, Andrea Whelband and Simon Tack. Whilst the latter two were busy getting dressed and assembling bikes, Kevin set of with an earlier group of riders who looked as though, ‘they knew what they were doing and where they were going.’
Kevin continues: ‘After 30 minutes two had disappeared at break neck speed, a few more stopped to adjust something or fiddle with GPS’s and the final group stopped for a loo break! So on my own I tried to navigate Surrey, Kent and Sussex. On the way some of the yellow signs with black arrows had been removed or turned round. This twinned with the fact I was reading the map going anticlockwise when in fact the route was clockwise meant it was only a matter of time before I was well and truly lost.
Eventually back on track, caught and passed an earlier group and then……..got lost again. After a few miles I came across a Rest/Food stop and they kindly told me I was going in the wrong direction! At one point I even ended up on the same road as the Hever Castle cyclists who were also following yellow signs with black arrows! As there were two 100km loops as well which formed a figure of 8, every now and again you would see a random, solo cyclist with a KSS jersey going off in a different direction.
Talk about mind games. Do you follow the cyclist who could be lost or following one of the 100km loops or the signs that could be pointing in the wrong direction? Simon decided to do one of the 100km loops. The loop he chose was the one with all the hills. Brave choice Simon and well done. I arrived at Marden, half way, just as Andrea was leaving. How did that happen? We also met up again at the 3/4 point. Half way and not feeling too bad and then the hills! 6000ft of hills. They were hard and seriously energy sapping. Apparently the organisers decided last year was too soft so changed the route to make it more of a challenge. By the last 20km it was snail pace and every minute hole or bump was sending shots of pain through the legs and up the back. I couldn’t even enjoy what few downhill bits there were.
At long last the final, flat 5km. Finally crossed the line in just over 8 hours. And Andrea? Andrea took a tumble a few km from the end. Hit a manhole cover at speed and took off. Fortunately she had been cycling with someone who got her an ambulance pronto and off to A&E. Thankfully no broken bones but bad road rash, cut, bruising and painful ribs. She was given the all clear and allowed home. I usually have a good idea about distance. I certainly have 750m and 5km sorted but 6400ft of incline did not register. That is the same as cycling up Helvelyn, twice! So it was just a typical Viceroy day out in the country!’
Pete Kelsey took part in the Surrey Legs of Steel Long Course sportive on Saturday:
This local Sportive starts and ends at the top of Box Hill, so if nothing else it is a good spot for a well-earned post-ride coffee.
Circa 650 riders took part over the short (46k) and long (81k) course, which are both ‘hilly’ – the short takes in 1,020 metres of climbing and the long 1,600 metres. Legs of Steel’s long course includes 8 hills that most Viceroys will know well: Ranmore, Leith, Holmbury, Winterfold, St Martha’s, Coombe Lane, Crocknorth and finally Box Hill. It is a lovely route and the event is very well run by Full On Tri with proper timing chips, 2 feed stations and simple but effective signs.
Winterfold (aka Barr Hatch) is a lung-buster at 21%, by far the toughest climb on the ride.
Last year I had a DNF in this event from a broken rear mech hanger, which at least led me to realise that my bike has one of those, even if I had no way of fixing it at the bottom of Holmbury Hill. (in other words, Phil Walker wasn’t there to help – I won’t kid myself about being able to do anything mechanical). This year the bike was well-serviced (by Phil), lesson learned.
The ideal pre-race carb loading and early night was however in tatters as Margot & I joined Viceroy Founder Gary Brine & his wife Lisa at Kate Bush’s final concert. After that was delayed by 1 hr 30 due to power failure I rolled into bed at just before 2 am having ‘loaded up’ on kettle chips and popcorn for my 6 am alarm.
In no time the alarm sounded, it seemed like only minutes after my head hit the pillow, and I was feeling decidedly Babushka Ya Ya.
The event’s gold times are achievable and for my aged 50+ group the target time was 3.25. I however had a harder target in mind as I was trying to drag a work colleague round in sub 3 hours to hit his 18-39 category, which we did, just, in 2.57. No major mishaps except a 5 minute delay at Chilworth’s railway level crossing for a toy town train to roll through very slowly with nobody on it. In the end I was 5 minutes behind the winner in my ‘veteran’ age group, and 5th in the over 50’s a much better result than last year, but I must time the level crossing better in future!
Overall I recommend the event to any Viceroys out there who enjoy hilly rides, and it was something to celebrate later that night at Chairman Yeo’s 40th fancy dress party!’
