I found this article on Grist.org. We need bike highways like this here in America!
COPENHAGEN — Copenhagen, one of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities, has begun turning its extensive network of cycle paths into bike highways in an effort to push more commuters to leave their cars at home.
Considered one of Europe’s two “bicycle capitals” along with Amsterdam, Copenhagen has more bicycles than people, and cycling is so popular that the city’s numerous bike paths can become congested. Two-wheeler traffic jams are especially regular on the main Noerrebrogade thoroughfare used by around 36,000 cyclists a day.
“You have to elbow your way in to go forward and some cyclists aren’t always thoughtful,” complains 22-year-old university student Lea Bresell.
The creation of bike highways “comes right on time,” says Danish Cyclist Federation spokesperson Frits Bredal. “Copenhagen’s roads are overloaded with people who want to ride their bicycles in all kinds of weather,” he says.
If in the 1960s Danes viewed the car as the symbol of freedom, the bicycle has assumed that role today, Bredal says. “It’s a mode of transportation used by all social classes; even politicians ride bikes,” he says.
It is on crowded Noerrebrogade — the busiest bicycle street in Europe, according to the cyclist association — that city planners have decided to build the first of Copenhagen’s environmentally friendly boulevards.
The jammed bike paths will be widened up to four yards on either side of the road, which will itself will be reserved for buses only.
The idea is to make Noerrebrogade “Europe’s great cycling street”, says Andreas Roehl, the Copenhagen municipality’s bicycle program manager, also known as “Mister Bike.”
But Roehl is not content with making life easier for Copenhagen’s inner-city cyclists: he wants to get suburbanites out of their cars and onto two wheels as well. His goal is to hike the percentage of suburban commuters cycling to and from the city from the 37 percent it is today to over 50 percent by 2015.
Within the city, 55 percent of all commuters already travel by bike, according to the municipality.
Copenhagen’s bike highways of tomorrow will be dotted with pit stops where it will be possible to pump up a tire, fix a chain, and have a drink of water, Roehl says.
And synchronized traffic lights prioritizing bicycles over cars will bring riders from the suburbs into Copenhagen “quickly and safely,” he says.
That “could lead car-addicted suburbanites to take their bikes to go to Copenhagen,” says cyclist Bresell. She believes bike highways will “make life even more difficult for motorists and easier for cyclists.”
Already Copenhagen stands out among other European capitals for its cycling infrastructure, counting more than 242 miles of bike paths. Between 2006 and 2010, it spent $44 million on bike infrastructure, and $13 million more is allotted for 2011.
The first two city-to-suburb bicycle highways are due to open at the end of 2011 and reach a distance of nine miles from central Copenhagen, while a third, going as far as 12 miles from the capital’s center, will be put into service in 2012.
While celebrating the Danish capital’s efforts, Bredal of the cyclist association says he hopes the rest of the Scandinavian country, which altogether has 5.5 million inhabitants and around four million bikes, will soon “follow Copenhagen’s example.”
Denmark’s other main cities — Aarhus, Odense, and Aalborg — are already contemplating similar bike highways, according to the head of the Copenhagen project, Maria Helledi Streuli, who is eager to sing the plan’s praise.
“It’s an initiative that is good for the environment, for health,” Streuli enthuses, adding it also “makes it possible to unclog car traffic and to breathe easier in the city.”
March 30, 2012
how to treat road rash
I thought I'd post something on my blog on how to care for road rash. Road rash happens to all of us cyclists/ triathletes from time to time.
Do not take chances. Some clinical studies (Basler, et al, 2001) suggest that the traditional treatment for road rash used by cyclists for years may, in fact, cause additional harm to wounded tissues and slow the healing process. Practices such as excessive scrubbing of the wound and/or the use of hydrogen peroxide as a cleaning agent can compromise the cellular regeneration needed for wound restoration. Cells called fibroblasts act as a sort of scaffolding for tissue and secrete matter that forms tissue. You must maintain your fibroblasts to insure quickest wound healing. Excessive scrubbing of a wound, improper dressing or the use of harsh antiseptics can damage or destroy fibroblast cells. It is important to clean the wound, but do not scrub too hard. Only use hydrogen peroxide or other harsh antiseptics when nothing else is readily available at the accident scene. Assessment of the wound also means examining it for additional injuries that may be concealed by road rash. These injuries can include deep cuts caused by rocks, glass or bicycle components that require suturing or contusions and even fractures or soft tissue damage. If you even suspect these conditions, immediately go to urgent care. Another important consideration in wound assessment is the status of your tetanus immunization. If your tetanus shots are not up to date, get one while in the urgent care facility.
The second step in treating road rash is cleaning. When you slide across pavement foreign matter becomes lodged in the open wound. This matter includes fragments of your disintegrated clothing, dirt and road debris such as small rocks. A significant amount of bacteria can also be introduced into the wound area. These injuries can be more dangerous than third degree burns. Picture a third degree burn with a handful of dust and road dirt ground into it. With road rash, infection is a certainty unless the wound is treated quickly and proactively.
Care must be taken when cleaning to not make the wound deeper. If the wound involves a significant area, is hard to reach, has a significant amount of exposed white tissue inside it or bleeds significantly, go to the urgent care facility. It may be too difficult and painful to clean thoroughly on your own.
Your primary goal in cleaning the wound is removal of foreign matter. Your secondary goal is to gently remove any dead tissue from the wound. This second step may need to be done by a medical professional if there is a significant amount of dead tissue inside or surrounding the wound. Dead tissue is the small ridges of skin torn up inside and around the wound that will not heal. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate dead tissue from tissue that will heal; if in doubt have a trained medical professional examine the wound.
First, irrigate the wound. While cleaning you should wear latex gloves to avoid further contamination. If you have an assistant cleaning the wound, be certain they wear sterile gloves such as latex exam gloves to prevent the exchange of blood or other bodily fluids. This is a common concern when two riders have crashed together and both have injuries. Make disposable medical latex exam gloves a part of your road rash kit. The best way to irrigate a wound is with a syringe filled with nontoxic surfactant such as contact lens solution or other weak (0.9% sodium chloride) saline solution. The best wound irrigation solutions are the brand name Carraklenz, Ultraklenz and Microklenz from Carrington Pharmaceuticals- all available on line. Tap water can be used as a substitute if you are in an area where water can be trusted for purity. Once the wound has been irrigated some of the foreign matter may simply be rinsed out of the wound site. Since road rash frequently occurs on joints there may also be some localized inflammation. Using cold water helps prevent additional inflammation. Cooler water, to quite cold, can also temporarily numb the wound area to better facilitate cleaning. Especially on elbows, if you run the wound under cold water for a few moments to irrigate, reduce inflammation and numb the area you will be able to clean the wound more effectively with less discomfort.
Use care when cleaning. You must strike a balance between removing debris and minor amounts of dead tissue and further injuring the area. Use of a solution specific to wound cleaning is important. Avoid fragrance soaps or soaps with additives. Apply the cleaning solution to the wound in a gentle stream and use a sterile gauze surgical sponge or very soft, sterile brush to gently wipe debris away. Do not scrub too deeply- you only make the wound worse, create pain and could press foreign matter into the wound. You must clean the wound site but not injure it further.
Once the wound has been irrigated and cleaned of foreign debris use a new, sterile gauze surgical sponge to gently blot the area dry.
Using your sterile, surgical gloves open a wound dressing package larger than the size of the wound. Do not touch the surface of the dressing that comes in contact with the wound. Perhaps the most effective dressings for road rash are the type used for burn patients, such as gel impregnated hydro-dressings tend to work best for road rash. 2nd Skin is among the most readily available. These dressings are breathable and maintain a clean, moist wound environment. Other moist, permeable dressings include the Tegaderm and Bioclusive brands. 2nd Skin has been the best we’ve used. This can be purchased from on-line medical supply stores. You will need to change your dressing at least once a day, but likely more than that when you consider showers and other activities that can contaminate the dressing or cause it begin to come off. Changing your dressing is critical to the prevention of infection and to speed healing time.
For the first dressing of road rash, you may want to use a topical wound treatment such as Neosporin + Pain Relief. This will assist in preventing infection, help to stop the introduction and proliferation of bacteria and exert a mild anesthetic affect. A liberal application will help prevent your first dressing from sticking to the wound. You can substitute a sterile gauze pad for the first dressing but subsequent dressing changes are better done with a non-stick, Moist Burn Pad such as 2nd Skin. The initial burn dressing may only remain in place until you get to the urgent care facility, hospital or better area for more complete wound care.
Using your sterile exam gloves, do not touch the area of the dressing with the topical wound treatment. Gently apply the dressing to the wound area, covering it completely with at least a quarter inch overlap of the dressing surrounding the wound.
To hold the dressing in place on legs and arms nothing is better than Tubular Elastic Dressing Retainer. Surgilast is flexible, soft and breathable. It does not use any adhesive that sticks to your skin. Surgilast is a stretch fishnet covering that holds wound dressings in place. If you use Surgilast dressing retainer you will never suffer from the pain of removing tape or adhesive bandages. This is especially important for road rash on your legs if you do not shave your legs. Surgilast also works perfectly for holding dressings on knees and elbows since it moves with the joint.
For road rash on buttocks, back, chest and face you will have to use some type of tape or adhesive dressing. Be careful with the adhesive on these- it can cause its own brand of skin problems and be painful when removed. The use of hypo-allergenic adhesive bandages and tape over gauze dressings that hold the hydrogel dressing in place is the best arrangement. The problem with these mild, breathable adhesive bandages and tape is that they just don’t stick very well.
Once you have initially cleaned the wound, dressed it and visited urgent care you need to monitor the wound for signs of infection. An increase in pain, swelling, red rings or streaks around the wound all signal an onset of infection. No question: Go to the doctor quickly. Even moderate sized road rash can cause deep infections quickly that may result in serious problems. Almost every cyclist knows other riders who have had serious medical problems from infected road rash. If you even suspect infection, immediately seek professional medical assistance. Do not delay even 24 hours.
Frequent inspections for infection are an additional reason to change dressings. A practical reason is to take a shower. For showering with road rash it is best advised to simply keep the current dressing in place, wrap the area with Saran wrap and shower as quickly as possible. Keep the wound dressing from being soaked. Once out of the shower towel off and remove the Saran wrap. Gently remove the dressings and blot dry with gauze surgical sponges. Re-dress the wound using a burn specific topical ointment that promotes cellular regeneration such as Carrasyn V hydrogel wound dressing. This is amazing stuff. Using Carrasyn (formerly Carrington Gel) a road rash can heal completely to new skin in under 10 days. Carrasyn V also reduces scarring.
It is fine to exercise with mild road rash but be certain your dressings are kept clean. Do not swim with road rash. You may contract (or spread) an infection.
Road rash takes a significant amount of supplies to treat and maintain. Since it is a certainty that you will eventually get some road rash it is smart to have a basic road rash treatment kit handy. You will quickly learn it takes an enormous amount of supplies. You will use two moist burn dressings per day per wound site and liberal applications of Carrasyn. Additionally, you need to change tape and bandages each time you change dressings and keep the Surgilast wound retention fabric clean and fresh. Also in your kit should be a good pair of bandage scissors, tweezers for removing bits of debris from wounds, latex gloves for initial wound cleaning and dressing, syringes for irrigation and irrigation/wound cleansing solution, Saran wrap for showering and gauze sponges as well as various sizes and shapes of adhesive bandages and wound dressing tape.
We use a wound treatment kit based on military kits that we assembled on our own. The kit is lightweight, compact and travels around the world with us especially to countries where sterile wound management may be difficult.
As with any medical condition you are always best served to get trained, professional medical diagnosis and treatment. This article is no substitute for qualified medical diagnosis and treatment. Do not take chances with road rash. Prevention is the best cure, but if it is too late for prevention, it is still early enough to get help.
Do not take chances. Some clinical studies (Basler, et al, 2001) suggest that the traditional treatment for road rash used by cyclists for years may, in fact, cause additional harm to wounded tissues and slow the healing process. Practices such as excessive scrubbing of the wound and/or the use of hydrogen peroxide as a cleaning agent can compromise the cellular regeneration needed for wound restoration. Cells called fibroblasts act as a sort of scaffolding for tissue and secrete matter that forms tissue. You must maintain your fibroblasts to insure quickest wound healing. Excessive scrubbing of a wound, improper dressing or the use of harsh antiseptics can damage or destroy fibroblast cells. It is important to clean the wound, but do not scrub too hard. Only use hydrogen peroxide or other harsh antiseptics when nothing else is readily available at the accident scene. Assessment of the wound also means examining it for additional injuries that may be concealed by road rash. These injuries can include deep cuts caused by rocks, glass or bicycle components that require suturing or contusions and even fractures or soft tissue damage. If you even suspect these conditions, immediately go to urgent care. Another important consideration in wound assessment is the status of your tetanus immunization. If your tetanus shots are not up to date, get one while in the urgent care facility.
The second step in treating road rash is cleaning. When you slide across pavement foreign matter becomes lodged in the open wound. This matter includes fragments of your disintegrated clothing, dirt and road debris such as small rocks. A significant amount of bacteria can also be introduced into the wound area. These injuries can be more dangerous than third degree burns. Picture a third degree burn with a handful of dust and road dirt ground into it. With road rash, infection is a certainty unless the wound is treated quickly and proactively.
Care must be taken when cleaning to not make the wound deeper. If the wound involves a significant area, is hard to reach, has a significant amount of exposed white tissue inside it or bleeds significantly, go to the urgent care facility. It may be too difficult and painful to clean thoroughly on your own.
Your primary goal in cleaning the wound is removal of foreign matter. Your secondary goal is to gently remove any dead tissue from the wound. This second step may need to be done by a medical professional if there is a significant amount of dead tissue inside or surrounding the wound. Dead tissue is the small ridges of skin torn up inside and around the wound that will not heal. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate dead tissue from tissue that will heal; if in doubt have a trained medical professional examine the wound.
First, irrigate the wound. While cleaning you should wear latex gloves to avoid further contamination. If you have an assistant cleaning the wound, be certain they wear sterile gloves such as latex exam gloves to prevent the exchange of blood or other bodily fluids. This is a common concern when two riders have crashed together and both have injuries. Make disposable medical latex exam gloves a part of your road rash kit. The best way to irrigate a wound is with a syringe filled with nontoxic surfactant such as contact lens solution or other weak (0.9% sodium chloride) saline solution. The best wound irrigation solutions are the brand name Carraklenz, Ultraklenz and Microklenz from Carrington Pharmaceuticals- all available on line. Tap water can be used as a substitute if you are in an area where water can be trusted for purity. Once the wound has been irrigated some of the foreign matter may simply be rinsed out of the wound site. Since road rash frequently occurs on joints there may also be some localized inflammation. Using cold water helps prevent additional inflammation. Cooler water, to quite cold, can also temporarily numb the wound area to better facilitate cleaning. Especially on elbows, if you run the wound under cold water for a few moments to irrigate, reduce inflammation and numb the area you will be able to clean the wound more effectively with less discomfort.
Use care when cleaning. You must strike a balance between removing debris and minor amounts of dead tissue and further injuring the area. Use of a solution specific to wound cleaning is important. Avoid fragrance soaps or soaps with additives. Apply the cleaning solution to the wound in a gentle stream and use a sterile gauze surgical sponge or very soft, sterile brush to gently wipe debris away. Do not scrub too deeply- you only make the wound worse, create pain and could press foreign matter into the wound. You must clean the wound site but not injure it further.
Once the wound has been irrigated and cleaned of foreign debris use a new, sterile gauze surgical sponge to gently blot the area dry.
Using your sterile, surgical gloves open a wound dressing package larger than the size of the wound. Do not touch the surface of the dressing that comes in contact with the wound. Perhaps the most effective dressings for road rash are the type used for burn patients, such as gel impregnated hydro-dressings tend to work best for road rash. 2nd Skin is among the most readily available. These dressings are breathable and maintain a clean, moist wound environment. Other moist, permeable dressings include the Tegaderm and Bioclusive brands. 2nd Skin has been the best we’ve used. This can be purchased from on-line medical supply stores. You will need to change your dressing at least once a day, but likely more than that when you consider showers and other activities that can contaminate the dressing or cause it begin to come off. Changing your dressing is critical to the prevention of infection and to speed healing time.
For the first dressing of road rash, you may want to use a topical wound treatment such as Neosporin + Pain Relief. This will assist in preventing infection, help to stop the introduction and proliferation of bacteria and exert a mild anesthetic affect. A liberal application will help prevent your first dressing from sticking to the wound. You can substitute a sterile gauze pad for the first dressing but subsequent dressing changes are better done with a non-stick, Moist Burn Pad such as 2nd Skin. The initial burn dressing may only remain in place until you get to the urgent care facility, hospital or better area for more complete wound care.
Using your sterile exam gloves, do not touch the area of the dressing with the topical wound treatment. Gently apply the dressing to the wound area, covering it completely with at least a quarter inch overlap of the dressing surrounding the wound.
To hold the dressing in place on legs and arms nothing is better than Tubular Elastic Dressing Retainer. Surgilast is flexible, soft and breathable. It does not use any adhesive that sticks to your skin. Surgilast is a stretch fishnet covering that holds wound dressings in place. If you use Surgilast dressing retainer you will never suffer from the pain of removing tape or adhesive bandages. This is especially important for road rash on your legs if you do not shave your legs. Surgilast also works perfectly for holding dressings on knees and elbows since it moves with the joint.
For road rash on buttocks, back, chest and face you will have to use some type of tape or adhesive dressing. Be careful with the adhesive on these- it can cause its own brand of skin problems and be painful when removed. The use of hypo-allergenic adhesive bandages and tape over gauze dressings that hold the hydrogel dressing in place is the best arrangement. The problem with these mild, breathable adhesive bandages and tape is that they just don’t stick very well.
Once you have initially cleaned the wound, dressed it and visited urgent care you need to monitor the wound for signs of infection. An increase in pain, swelling, red rings or streaks around the wound all signal an onset of infection. No question: Go to the doctor quickly. Even moderate sized road rash can cause deep infections quickly that may result in serious problems. Almost every cyclist knows other riders who have had serious medical problems from infected road rash. If you even suspect infection, immediately seek professional medical assistance. Do not delay even 24 hours.
Frequent inspections for infection are an additional reason to change dressings. A practical reason is to take a shower. For showering with road rash it is best advised to simply keep the current dressing in place, wrap the area with Saran wrap and shower as quickly as possible. Keep the wound dressing from being soaked. Once out of the shower towel off and remove the Saran wrap. Gently remove the dressings and blot dry with gauze surgical sponges. Re-dress the wound using a burn specific topical ointment that promotes cellular regeneration such as Carrasyn V hydrogel wound dressing. This is amazing stuff. Using Carrasyn (formerly Carrington Gel) a road rash can heal completely to new skin in under 10 days. Carrasyn V also reduces scarring.
It is fine to exercise with mild road rash but be certain your dressings are kept clean. Do not swim with road rash. You may contract (or spread) an infection.
Road rash takes a significant amount of supplies to treat and maintain. Since it is a certainty that you will eventually get some road rash it is smart to have a basic road rash treatment kit handy. You will quickly learn it takes an enormous amount of supplies. You will use two moist burn dressings per day per wound site and liberal applications of Carrasyn. Additionally, you need to change tape and bandages each time you change dressings and keep the Surgilast wound retention fabric clean and fresh. Also in your kit should be a good pair of bandage scissors, tweezers for removing bits of debris from wounds, latex gloves for initial wound cleaning and dressing, syringes for irrigation and irrigation/wound cleansing solution, Saran wrap for showering and gauze sponges as well as various sizes and shapes of adhesive bandages and wound dressing tape.
We use a wound treatment kit based on military kits that we assembled on our own. The kit is lightweight, compact and travels around the world with us especially to countries where sterile wound management may be difficult.
As with any medical condition you are always best served to get trained, professional medical diagnosis and treatment. This article is no substitute for qualified medical diagnosis and treatment. Do not take chances with road rash. Prevention is the best cure, but if it is too late for prevention, it is still early enough to get help.
March 29, 2012
Road rash
I got a small case of road rash today on a training ride. Road rash this early in my triathlon season is a sure sign of good luck. Looks like I'm going to have a great racing season in 2012!
I'm gratefull I was wearing a pair of $3 cotton shorts rather than a pair of $50 cycling shorts. Skin is self healing, Lycra isn't.
"Road rash is a precious gift. Road rash is your friend. Bask in it, appreciate it, love it. Above all, learn from it" - Robert Hurst
I'm gratefull I was wearing a pair of $3 cotton shorts rather than a pair of $50 cycling shorts. Skin is self healing, Lycra isn't.
"Road rash is a precious gift. Road rash is your friend. Bask in it, appreciate it, love it. Above all, learn from it" - Robert Hurst
monthly training milage October 2011 through February 2012
I took full advantage of my off triathlon off season this winter! I also added my year end mileage in this post.
October 2011
Bike 556.6 miles
run 161.5 miles
November 2011
bike 424.8 miles
run 82.5 miles
swim 8,448. yards
December 2011
bike 351.7 miles
run 62 miles
January 2012
bike 500.4 miles
run 41.9 miles
February 2012
bike 373.3 miles
run 52.6 miles
2011 mileage
bike miles: 4,410.6
Averaged 367.5 miles a month,
84.8 miles a week.
2011 run miles: 1057.8
averaged 88.15 miles a month,
20.3 miles a week.
2011 swim yards: 48,040.4
2010 mileage
Bike 4,505.6 miles
averaged 375 miles a month,
86 miles a week
run 775.7 miles
64.5 miles a month,
14.9 miles a week
swim 5,258.3 yards
2009 total
bike miles 3915.3
averaged 326 miles a month,
75 miles a week
total run miles: 705.1
58.75 miles a month,
13.5 miles a week total
swim miles 102,960 yards
October 2011
Bike 556.6 miles
run 161.5 miles
November 2011
bike 424.8 miles
run 82.5 miles
swim 8,448. yards
December 2011
bike 351.7 miles
run 62 miles
January 2012
bike 500.4 miles
run 41.9 miles
February 2012
bike 373.3 miles
run 52.6 miles
2011 mileage
bike miles: 4,410.6
Averaged 367.5 miles a month,
84.8 miles a week.
2011 run miles: 1057.8
averaged 88.15 miles a month,
20.3 miles a week.
2011 swim yards: 48,040.4
2010 mileage
Bike 4,505.6 miles
averaged 375 miles a month,
86 miles a week
run 775.7 miles
64.5 miles a month,
14.9 miles a week
swim 5,258.3 yards
2009 total
bike miles 3915.3
averaged 326 miles a month,
75 miles a week
total run miles: 705.1
58.75 miles a month,
13.5 miles a week total
swim miles 102,960 yards
March 28, 2012
Mesa Valley Triathlon 2012
I'll be racing the MVT (Mesa Valley Triathlon) this weekend in Las Cruces NM, it's a 500 meter Swim-25K Bike- 5K Run starting from the NMSU pool.
I'm no where close to being in race shape right now, I took full advantage of my off season this year. This weekend will be a suffer fest, but a bad day racing is still a ton of fun! Since October I've only swam a total of 8,448 yards, my run volume has been very low, I'll be riding a time trial bike for the first time since September of last year, and I've gained a lot of weight this month (more on my weight gain in a post later). Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!
I'm no where close to being in race shape right now, I took full advantage of my off season this year. This weekend will be a suffer fest, but a bad day racing is still a ton of fun! Since October I've only swam a total of 8,448 yards, my run volume has been very low, I'll be riding a time trial bike for the first time since September of last year, and I've gained a lot of weight this month (more on my weight gain in a post later). Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!
March 26, 2012
Why You Need a Power Meter
I got this article from Joe Friels blog. He doesn't post on his blog anymore, but there are still some great articles on it.
Why You Need a Power Meter
Should you buy a power meter? After all, they aren’t cheap and sport is already expensive. You’ve spent a small fortune on bicycles and all of their assorted and costly components. And don’t forget the entry fees, travel to races, special foods and supplements, and on, and on, and on.
And why get a power meter since you already have a perfectly good heart rate monitor? It’s just one more gizmo to have to figure out.
So why should you get a power meter? The short answer is that you simply are more likely to achieve your race goals by training—and racing—with a power meter than without. It is the most affective tool you can get to go faster on a bike.
Here’s Why
Don’t get me wrong, heart rate monitors are great intensity-measuring devices, also. But heart rate by itself actually doesn’t tell you much. It’s like the tachometer on a car—it tells you how hard the engine is working. Nothing more.
For example, what if your heart rate is 10 beats higher than usual? What does that mean? Is it good or bad? The only way to answer that question is to know if you were putting out more power or less than usual.
Input data such as heart rate isn’t meaningful until it is compared with some measure of output. Output is critical to success; input isn’t. After all, they don’t give awards at races to those who worked the hardest or had the highest heart rates (input), but rather to those who had the fastest time which results from high power (output).
Let’s get back to why you should get a power meter.
No More Guessing
Should you buy a power meter or fast wheels? Given the choice I’d recommend a power meter every time. When it comes to speed the engine is always the most important part. A power meter will help you develop a bigger one. With sleek wheels you still have a small engine.
How do they make your engine bigger? Power meters remove most of the guesswork that goes into training and racing. For example, I’ve known athletes who when doing intervals with heart rate monitors don’t call the work interval “started” until their heart rates reach the targeted level which could take several minutes. During that time they are guessing how hard to work. With a power meter you soon learn that the interval starts as soon as the power hits the targeted zone—which means right away. You get the intensity correct immediately with no guesswork. The intervals don’t taper off near the ends any more either. This means no wasted training time and precise intensity.
Also, realize that you’re not trying to train the heart solely when doing intervals or any workout, for that matter. In fact, what happens in the muscles during workouts, not the heart, is really the key to your success. Heart rate monitors, while quite valuable to training, have many believing that training is just about the heart. It isn’t. Power meters allow you to focus more on muscle.
Cheating With Power
Using a power meter in a long steady-state race such as a triathlon or long time trial is almost like cheating. When everyone else is fighting a head wind, excitedly going too fast down wind or guessing how hard to push when going up hill, the athlete with a power meter is just rolling along at the prescribed power. He or she will produce the fastest possible ride given the conditions so long as the optimal target power has been determined through training and observed closely during the race. While something similar can be done with heart rate there are some confounding factors such as the excitement of a race, cardiac drift, the acute effect of diet and the slow response of pulse on hills, accelerating out of corners or when passing others.
Power meters also provide highly accurate details about how your fitness is changing throughout the season. I test the athletes I coach regularly using a combination of heart rate and power. Without this information I really wouldn’t know for sure if they are making progress. I’d just be guessing. Now I can precisely compare output with input by dividing the average (or, preferably, “normalized”) power for a workout by the average heart rate. An increasing value for similar workouts tells me fitness is improving.
Moving On Up
There are many benefits of training with power. But perhaps the best indicator of their value for performance is the elite athletes who use them. Power meters are common with pro road cyclists and they are becoming increasingly popular with pro triathletes. Cyclists are increasingly using them. Age group triathletes have been slow to adopt this technology, which is unusual. Over the past twenty years triathletes were the first to adopt such innovations as aero bars, beam bikes, deep-dish rims, clipless pedals and gels.
The trend is definitely toward the adoption of power meters in road racing, triathlon and mountain biking. Many are leaning that a power meter will help them race faster. Start setting aside a few bucks aweek so that some day you can get one. It will definitely change how well you train and race.
Why You Need a Power Meter
Should you buy a power meter? After all, they aren’t cheap and sport is already expensive. You’ve spent a small fortune on bicycles and all of their assorted and costly components. And don’t forget the entry fees, travel to races, special foods and supplements, and on, and on, and on.
And why get a power meter since you already have a perfectly good heart rate monitor? It’s just one more gizmo to have to figure out.
So why should you get a power meter? The short answer is that you simply are more likely to achieve your race goals by training—and racing—with a power meter than without. It is the most affective tool you can get to go faster on a bike.
Here’s Why
Don’t get me wrong, heart rate monitors are great intensity-measuring devices, also. But heart rate by itself actually doesn’t tell you much. It’s like the tachometer on a car—it tells you how hard the engine is working. Nothing more.
For example, what if your heart rate is 10 beats higher than usual? What does that mean? Is it good or bad? The only way to answer that question is to know if you were putting out more power or less than usual.
Input data such as heart rate isn’t meaningful until it is compared with some measure of output. Output is critical to success; input isn’t. After all, they don’t give awards at races to those who worked the hardest or had the highest heart rates (input), but rather to those who had the fastest time which results from high power (output).
Let’s get back to why you should get a power meter.
No More Guessing
Should you buy a power meter or fast wheels? Given the choice I’d recommend a power meter every time. When it comes to speed the engine is always the most important part. A power meter will help you develop a bigger one. With sleek wheels you still have a small engine.
How do they make your engine bigger? Power meters remove most of the guesswork that goes into training and racing. For example, I’ve known athletes who when doing intervals with heart rate monitors don’t call the work interval “started” until their heart rates reach the targeted level which could take several minutes. During that time they are guessing how hard to work. With a power meter you soon learn that the interval starts as soon as the power hits the targeted zone—which means right away. You get the intensity correct immediately with no guesswork. The intervals don’t taper off near the ends any more either. This means no wasted training time and precise intensity.
Also, realize that you’re not trying to train the heart solely when doing intervals or any workout, for that matter. In fact, what happens in the muscles during workouts, not the heart, is really the key to your success. Heart rate monitors, while quite valuable to training, have many believing that training is just about the heart. It isn’t. Power meters allow you to focus more on muscle.
Cheating With Power
Using a power meter in a long steady-state race such as a triathlon or long time trial is almost like cheating. When everyone else is fighting a head wind, excitedly going too fast down wind or guessing how hard to push when going up hill, the athlete with a power meter is just rolling along at the prescribed power. He or she will produce the fastest possible ride given the conditions so long as the optimal target power has been determined through training and observed closely during the race. While something similar can be done with heart rate there are some confounding factors such as the excitement of a race, cardiac drift, the acute effect of diet and the slow response of pulse on hills, accelerating out of corners or when passing others.
Power meters also provide highly accurate details about how your fitness is changing throughout the season. I test the athletes I coach regularly using a combination of heart rate and power. Without this information I really wouldn’t know for sure if they are making progress. I’d just be guessing. Now I can precisely compare output with input by dividing the average (or, preferably, “normalized”) power for a workout by the average heart rate. An increasing value for similar workouts tells me fitness is improving.
Moving On Up
There are many benefits of training with power. But perhaps the best indicator of their value for performance is the elite athletes who use them. Power meters are common with pro road cyclists and they are becoming increasingly popular with pro triathletes. Cyclists are increasingly using them. Age group triathletes have been slow to adopt this technology, which is unusual. Over the past twenty years triathletes were the first to adopt such innovations as aero bars, beam bikes, deep-dish rims, clipless pedals and gels.
The trend is definitely toward the adoption of power meters in road racing, triathlon and mountain biking. Many are leaning that a power meter will help them race faster. Start setting aside a few bucks aweek so that some day you can get one. It will definitely change how well you train and race.
March 25, 2012
The bible has exactly what I need right now.... always
I'm always amazed by the bible. Every time I read it I find something in it that I had missed before, that is comforting to me when I needed comforting, or I find something that I should be doing better with in my life. Last year I had read the parable of the talents, Matthew's 25 14-30. I was so moved by this parable I wrote about that parable in my blog. You could read it by clicking this link: The parable of the talents.
Last year this parable moved me because I realized God gave each of us a talent and it was our responsibility to figure out what our talents are and figure out a way to glorify and serve God with those talents. I had realized in this parable that the master (Jesus) rewarded each of the first 2 servants equally even though the 1st servant was able to do twice as much for God as the 2nd servant. What matters isn't how much talent you are given, what counts is what you do with the talent God gave us.
Last year when I read the parable of the talents I realized God gave me a love for triathlon. So I started trying to glorify God as much as I could through my racing, training, and also through this blog.But recently when I read the parable of the talents I realized something entirely different than I did last year. I realized I was far to similar to the third servant who said, 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.'
I've realized I am all too similar to the third servant because I haven't been sharing 'the good news' with my co-workers, with inmates, with my friends, and with my family. I was trying to live as God wanted me to live, by being an example to others, but I wasn't trying to bring others to Christ. The bible teaches that sharing 'the good news' is the most important job a christian will EVER do, and I didn't feel confident in myself or my knowledge to do such important work. I've realized God wants me to go out and try even if I don't feel like I'm capable of fulfilling Gods request. I realized recently that in Exodus 4 Moses told God ...."I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” I realized that even Moses felt overwhelmed, yet with Gods power Moses did amazing things! And eventually I realized I need to trust in God. If He wants me to spread Gods word I should. My responsibility is to try and plant the seed, it's Gods to make it grow. I had never understood what Mark 4:26-29 meant until I decided to spread Gods word and try to bring others to Christ. Mark 4:26-29 reads "....A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Now I know it means I need to try to bring others to Christ and share the good word. If the seeds (the good news) I'm spreading take root or not isn't my concern, it's Gods business. How it works when the seed germinates (if the people I shared the good news with turn to Christ) isn't my business, it's Gods. My only concern is to try and share Gods word with everyone I can every opportunity I can. It's not by mistake that I work in a maximum security prison, there are a lot of people, both staff and inmates alike who need to turn to Christ. God placed me there to be an example and to try to bring others to Christ, I'm going to do my best to accomplish that.
Another verse I've found that comforts me when I feel like I'm not capable of doing as well as God deserves is 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.
In the last 10 days I've shared the good news with 3 staff and 6 inmates. Each time I do it I get a little better at it and feel a little more confident. I'm so grateful to be trusted with such an amazing job by God. I'm humbled and excited to continue doing it as frequently as I can.
Last year this parable moved me because I realized God gave each of us a talent and it was our responsibility to figure out what our talents are and figure out a way to glorify and serve God with those talents. I had realized in this parable that the master (Jesus) rewarded each of the first 2 servants equally even though the 1st servant was able to do twice as much for God as the 2nd servant. What matters isn't how much talent you are given, what counts is what you do with the talent God gave us.
Last year when I read the parable of the talents I realized God gave me a love for triathlon. So I started trying to glorify God as much as I could through my racing, training, and also through this blog.But recently when I read the parable of the talents I realized something entirely different than I did last year. I realized I was far to similar to the third servant who said, 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.'
I've realized I am all too similar to the third servant because I haven't been sharing 'the good news' with my co-workers, with inmates, with my friends, and with my family. I was trying to live as God wanted me to live, by being an example to others, but I wasn't trying to bring others to Christ. The bible teaches that sharing 'the good news' is the most important job a christian will EVER do, and I didn't feel confident in myself or my knowledge to do such important work. I've realized God wants me to go out and try even if I don't feel like I'm capable of fulfilling Gods request. I realized recently that in Exodus 4 Moses told God ...."I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” I realized that even Moses felt overwhelmed, yet with Gods power Moses did amazing things! And eventually I realized I need to trust in God. If He wants me to spread Gods word I should. My responsibility is to try and plant the seed, it's Gods to make it grow. I had never understood what Mark 4:26-29 meant until I decided to spread Gods word and try to bring others to Christ. Mark 4:26-29 reads "....A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Now I know it means I need to try to bring others to Christ and share the good word. If the seeds (the good news) I'm spreading take root or not isn't my concern, it's Gods business. How it works when the seed germinates (if the people I shared the good news with turn to Christ) isn't my business, it's Gods. My only concern is to try and share Gods word with everyone I can every opportunity I can. It's not by mistake that I work in a maximum security prison, there are a lot of people, both staff and inmates alike who need to turn to Christ. God placed me there to be an example and to try to bring others to Christ, I'm going to do my best to accomplish that.
Another verse I've found that comforts me when I feel like I'm not capable of doing as well as God deserves is 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.
In the last 10 days I've shared the good news with 3 staff and 6 inmates. Each time I do it I get a little better at it and feel a little more confident. I'm so grateful to be trusted with such an amazing job by God. I'm humbled and excited to continue doing it as frequently as I can.
March 24, 2012
March 23, 2012
too much work+ not enough rest= triathlon suicide
Since December I've been working 84 to 93 hours a week while trying to be a parent, husband, follower of Christ, & keeping up with my training and diet. To be able to fit it all in I was going without sleep. After 3 months my body finally had enough. All week I've felt ill, I've been sleeping 10-12 hours a day, I missed an entire week of training, and I've ate horribly all week. I ate sugar for the 1st time in 14 months, and I ate a lot of it. I gained a ton of weight in the last week. A scary amount. I was at my dream weight of 175. I wonder how long it will take me to get back to that weight?
Today was my 1st day back to training and eating well. I did a bike/run workout and felt horrible. I was slow and felt fatigued after only an hour of training. An hour is usually a warm up for me. I realize a person doesn't lose much fitness in a week, and that my endurance and speed will return to where it was relatively quickly, but that knowledge doesn't make me feel any better after such a horrible workout.
This was really bad timing. My 1st race is next weekend in Las Cruces, the Mesa Valley Triathlon. If I race anything like my training was today it'll be a very disheartening day.
The good news is I feel well rested for the 1st time since Dec 2011, and we've paid off $24,000 in debt since December. We are well on our way to following God's will of becoming debt free.
State Farm will be replacing my destroyed Time Trial bike with a Felt DA-4 (see picture below). It should be in in 3-7 weeks. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm getting it through Frankie Flats bicycle repair shop.
Today was my 1st day back to training and eating well. I did a bike/run workout and felt horrible. I was slow and felt fatigued after only an hour of training. An hour is usually a warm up for me. I realize a person doesn't lose much fitness in a week, and that my endurance and speed will return to where it was relatively quickly, but that knowledge doesn't make me feel any better after such a horrible workout.
This was really bad timing. My 1st race is next weekend in Las Cruces, the Mesa Valley Triathlon. If I race anything like my training was today it'll be a very disheartening day.
The good news is I feel well rested for the 1st time since Dec 2011, and we've paid off $24,000 in debt since December. We are well on our way to following God's will of becoming debt free.
State Farm will be replacing my destroyed Time Trial bike with a Felt DA-4 (see picture below). It should be in in 3-7 weeks. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm getting it through Frankie Flats bicycle repair shop.
March 19, 2012
triathlon's expensive!
In the last couple weeks I've had to replace one pair of running shoes, a pair cycling cleats, 3 tires, and 4 tubes, and cables and housing on 2 bikes. To replace the shoes would be $120, and the cleats would cost approximately $180. The cycling cleats that I wore out were the pair I had purchased when I bought my 1st road bike 7 years ago. They were Time Impact pedals and cleats, they were were being phased out way back in 2004! I hadn't seen a pair of Time Impact replacement cleats in 4 or 5 years, but last week I happened to strike gold and found a brand new unused pair on ebay for $25! I also did a search for Brooks Adrenaline running shoes and found a pair for cheap. Normally buying a new pair of high quality peddles, cleats, and shoes would run me around $320. I found all of them on ebay for $65 shipping included!
I'll be buying three new tires from Frankie Flats, my favorite bike shop. I'll need to buy 2 pair of heavy duty tires like Continental GatorSkin or Armadillo's, and one pair of light weight racing tires. That will run me $50-70 a pair. Triathlon is expensive!
I'll be buying three new tires from Frankie Flats, my favorite bike shop. I'll need to buy 2 pair of heavy duty tires like Continental GatorSkin or Armadillo's, and one pair of light weight racing tires. That will run me $50-70 a pair. Triathlon is expensive!
March 15, 2012
calories burned during an Ironman
On Nov 20th 2011 I competed in Ironman Arizona. In the 15 hours of racing I burned 6,842 calories. Ironman is a great way to burn off calories!
March 12, 2012
1st Full Distance Triathlon in Colorado
HITS, Inc. announced that the HITS Triathlon Series, the first national race series to feature five distances at each venue with events taking place at unique destinations all year long, has added Fort Collins, CO to its list of 2012 event locations. Scheduled to take place July 28-29, HITS Triathlon Fort Collins will replace the previously scheduled Galena, IL race.
Located in northern Colorado and nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins provides the perfect backdrop for the HITS Triathlon Series. HITS, Inc. will be the first organization to host a full distance triathlon in Fort Collins, a popular race venue for triathletes throughout the region.
Six-Time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott named official race ambassador
For nearly 20 years, six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott has called Colorado his home. In addition to being a USA Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee, he trains many of today's most talented triathletes including this year's Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington. Dave will announce the start of the HITS Triathlon Series Fort Collins half and full distance races, and serve as the event's official ambassador.
"Colorado is a mecca for triathletes, so I'm extremely excited that HITS Triathlon Series will be making a stop in Fort Collins in 2012," said Dave Scott. "As a long-time resident, coach and athlete in northern Colorado, I'm personally very happy to see a full distance triathlon in my backyard. And with five distances to choose from, it is the perfect way to get friends and family participating in what is sure to be a fun-filled weekend for all."
HITS Triathlon has postponed the Galena, IL event originally scheduled to take place in July 2012. Galena Lake, the chosen location of the HITS Triathlon Series swim course, will be undergoing marina renovations due to flooding earlier this year and unavailable for a major triathlon event at that time.
"From the warm and welcoming people to its beautiful scenery and historical roots, we felt that Galena was the ideal location for a HITS Triathlon Series event in Illinois," said Mark Wilson, race director for the HITS Triathlon Series. "Although marina renovations will prevent us from holding our event in Galena this year, we are extremely fond of this town and look forward to revisiting this location for a race in the future."
Unlike other triathlon events, HITS Triathlon Series and includes five distances during a single weekend, targeting the beginner in the HITS Open and the experienced triathlete in the USAT sanctioned Sprint, Olympic, Half and Full distances. The HITS Open is a free novice participatory triathlon that will feature a 100-meter swim, a 3-mile bike and 1-mile run created especially for first-timers who never thought that competing in a triathlon was possible. The HITS promise of A distance for everyone!TM assures a challenging course geared to the unique level of training, endurance and personal goals of participants.
Registration for HITS Triathlon Fort Collins will be open soon. More information about this event and registration for all other HITS Triathlon Series races can be found at www.hitstriathlonseries.com.
About HITS, Inc.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing endurance sports events and hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS is dedicated to creating high-quality events in desirable destinations with unmatched, professional operations. For more information about the HITS Triathlon Series, please visit www.hitstriathlonseries.com.
Located in northern Colorado and nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins provides the perfect backdrop for the HITS Triathlon Series. HITS, Inc. will be the first organization to host a full distance triathlon in Fort Collins, a popular race venue for triathletes throughout the region.
Six-Time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott named official race ambassador
For nearly 20 years, six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott has called Colorado his home. In addition to being a USA Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee, he trains many of today's most talented triathletes including this year's Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington. Dave will announce the start of the HITS Triathlon Series Fort Collins half and full distance races, and serve as the event's official ambassador.
"Colorado is a mecca for triathletes, so I'm extremely excited that HITS Triathlon Series will be making a stop in Fort Collins in 2012," said Dave Scott. "As a long-time resident, coach and athlete in northern Colorado, I'm personally very happy to see a full distance triathlon in my backyard. And with five distances to choose from, it is the perfect way to get friends and family participating in what is sure to be a fun-filled weekend for all."
HITS Triathlon has postponed the Galena, IL event originally scheduled to take place in July 2012. Galena Lake, the chosen location of the HITS Triathlon Series swim course, will be undergoing marina renovations due to flooding earlier this year and unavailable for a major triathlon event at that time.
"From the warm and welcoming people to its beautiful scenery and historical roots, we felt that Galena was the ideal location for a HITS Triathlon Series event in Illinois," said Mark Wilson, race director for the HITS Triathlon Series. "Although marina renovations will prevent us from holding our event in Galena this year, we are extremely fond of this town and look forward to revisiting this location for a race in the future."
Unlike other triathlon events, HITS Triathlon Series and includes five distances during a single weekend, targeting the beginner in the HITS Open and the experienced triathlete in the USAT sanctioned Sprint, Olympic, Half and Full distances. The HITS Open is a free novice participatory triathlon that will feature a 100-meter swim, a 3-mile bike and 1-mile run created especially for first-timers who never thought that competing in a triathlon was possible. The HITS promise of A distance for everyone!TM assures a challenging course geared to the unique level of training, endurance and personal goals of participants.
Registration for HITS Triathlon Fort Collins will be open soon. More information about this event and registration for all other HITS Triathlon Series races can be found at www.hitstriathlonseries.com.
About HITS, Inc.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing endurance sports events and hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS is dedicated to creating high-quality events in desirable destinations with unmatched, professional operations. For more information about the HITS Triathlon Series, please visit www.hitstriathlonseries.com.
March 05, 2012
Ironman training: running with a metronome
Recently I’d heard a lot of good things about running with a metronome. Fall of 2011 I purchased a Seiko electronic metronome to try it for myself.
I was worried the metronome I purchased wouldn’t be loud enough for me to hear while running if it was windy, if I was breathing heavy, or talking with someone during exercise but it is plenty loud. There’s 3 volume settings, and I use the middle setting. The loudest is way too noisy for what I use it for: running
The very first day of running with my metronome I fell in love with it. My average pace increased forty five seconds per mile without seeing an increase of my heart rate.
Where I find the greatest improvement is with my endurance! With my metronome I can run FOREVER without seeming to tire! I can run at a faster pace with less fatigue. The longer the run the more the metronome helps. I’ve also found that I can increase my run volume without increasing fatigue or needing more recovery time. Since adopting this new training tool I’ve had visions of grander for my Ironman this September.
Through trial and error I’ve found the perfect pace for my running is 177 foot strikes a minute.
Up until recently I thought the metronome was the perfect running tool with no down sides. There is a down side to a metronome. Last week I ran without my metronome for the first time since last fall. Without the metronome I fell apart on my run. Apparently I’ve become dependant on it. Without it I was running slowly and became tired very quickly.
I’ve decided to take a new approach for Ironman run training this season. I’ll run with my metronome on my long run days so that I can get maximum endurance benefits with as little fatigue as possible. But I’m going to run without it the rest of the week so that I don’t become dependant running with it. I’ll post the results of this new approach to Ironman run
training here on my blog as I see how it works for me.
Thanks for tuning in!
I was worried the metronome I purchased wouldn’t be loud enough for me to hear while running if it was windy, if I was breathing heavy, or talking with someone during exercise but it is plenty loud. There’s 3 volume settings, and I use the middle setting. The loudest is way too noisy for what I use it for: running
The very first day of running with my metronome I fell in love with it. My average pace increased forty five seconds per mile without seeing an increase of my heart rate.
Where I find the greatest improvement is with my endurance! With my metronome I can run FOREVER without seeming to tire! I can run at a faster pace with less fatigue. The longer the run the more the metronome helps. I’ve also found that I can increase my run volume without increasing fatigue or needing more recovery time. Since adopting this new training tool I’ve had visions of grander for my Ironman this September.
Through trial and error I’ve found the perfect pace for my running is 177 foot strikes a minute.
Up until recently I thought the metronome was the perfect running tool with no down sides. There is a down side to a metronome. Last week I ran without my metronome for the first time since last fall. Without the metronome I fell apart on my run. Apparently I’ve become dependant on it. Without it I was running slowly and became tired very quickly.
I’ve decided to take a new approach for Ironman run training this season. I’ll run with my metronome on my long run days so that I can get maximum endurance benefits with as little fatigue as possible. But I’m going to run without it the rest of the week so that I don’t become dependant running with it. I’ll post the results of this new approach to Ironman run
training here on my blog as I see how it works for me.
Thanks for tuning in!
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