To Run or Be a Runner in Triathlon

To succeed at the highest level in triathlon in the run off the bike, does one need to be a runner, or just run fit? Those of you that know what I do for a living can clearly see this is a loaded question. Can sufficient run conditioning work propel a triathlete who can move herself through space on foot at the prerequisite pace to success in a triathlon race without having the running skills to do so; i.e. while looking like a runner? I say no – a Chris Lieto obviously does not arrive at the world championships not “in shape” to run a marathon that is sufficient to defend his prodigious bike result & get the W; so what’s missing then? Clearly our love of the sport lies in looking for that elusive day when we put it all together & the “gamble” that this entails every time we lay it on the line is where the magic lies.


Lately I have been standing before a new paradigm; sure, address the specific limiters I see with each individual triathlete, but perhaps more importantly & effectively, in terms of my mission to see beautiful runners in triathlon that please even the pure running fans, establish a baseline level of running skills through tried & tested key drills introduced from the beginning of the triathlete’s career if they have not come along a running pathway. All runners can skip, do the karaoke drill, bound, & sprint – not all triathletes, even VERY good ones can!

The more triathletes I work with, especially the higher performing ones with amazing swim & bike abilities, the more I realize that they have developed from a young age in especially the swim, through the regular pathway of swim drills & development – growing up to be swimmers. They eat, sleep, drink & visualize swimming (or whatever their chosen sport was) & became that thing. While maintaining those skills & giving up on some of the volume & frequency that got them there, they need to have a minimum level of cycling & running skills. It would seem to me that a far better way to approach this situation, rather than try to fix what is broken about their run, is to have them learn & master the basic skills & see if their run does not naturally progress in this fashion. Then, when they have a basic skill set in place, work on the specific limiters they display.

Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Quantification Conundrum Part III

Then what the dickens exactly is it that I do to earn a living? Yes there are far wiser & better trained people out there with PhDs who know far more than I do about measurement & even muscle function & human propulsion. There are also many amazing coaches, especially sprint coaches, who have a great number of incredible drills & activities & ways of presenting these that help runners get closer to their innate abilities. I use my understanding of both these worlds & the specific training, & many years of observation & experimentation & a penchant for trying to put research into use every time something new comes to light & seeing if it leads to improved performance with the individual. Of course the communication aspect is huge – the art of taking a primal subconscious activity & trying to teach/alter/replace it intellectually & through visceral experience is what I am most interested in. This can render itself very easily into a “snake oil” scenario of course, but to prevent this, the proof MUST be in the pudding, EVERY, SINGLE, TIME! Athletes must achieve either or all of the following:


1. Reduced recovery time

2. Increased running speed throughout the training spectrum

3. Reduction in injuries

4. Faster racing

Here’s where the science has a hard time quantifying the above:

• Does improved mechanics allow for longer & harder, uninterrupted training? Probably, but the harder, longer continuous training is the cause for the improvement

• Does improved mechanics allow for faster running, (removal of mechanical limiters)? Probably, but it is the impact of this faster running that improves performance through the myriad training responses, like increased rapidity of potassium ion replacement

If we have no complete model, like improved aero-dynamics, or increased K ions, or higher VO2max or extended VVO2 max numbers, or accelerated lactate metabolism that clearly defines the role of mechanics, then we cannot categorically claim that the mechanics made the difference. Or maybe we can! If, in a very short space of time, where the other changes cannot impact performance, we show improvement, then we may be on to something that’ll appease science. As Arthur Lydiard so aptly put it – scientists will eventually show why coaches achieve the results that they do. In the world of high performance sport, science has become more & more crucial to success, but ultimately it is through the willingness of the athlete to experiment with the well- educated & informed coach in search of an edge, or a method to overcome the specific athlete’s limitation that we achieve new standards in performance. Success then is about team, about guts & bravery, about science & experimentation, about striving after ever rising heights, with ever decreasing margins towards ever more ridiculously challenging performances, because that is what is so inherent in the human spirit – to get better. A few will redefine history this way, while the rest of us will strive equally, with less ability, but be on the same continuum, ever searching for the best we can be in the field of our passion, within the confines of our limitations.

Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

If you are a triathlete read what Gordo Byrn has to say ALWAYS

http://coachgordo.posterous.com/if-i-owned-ironman

Gordo is a good friend & colleague. He is also one of the sanest, most innovative, savvy thinkers in the sport today. His ideas on the technical, managerial, financial & coaching side of the sport are insightful, practical & ilucidatory.

With all that I'm up to I am always cursing myself for not reading enough, especially when it comes to aspects not directly associated with coaching; but when it comes to a Byrn post, I'm always willing to find the time.

You'd think this post of Gordo's (see URL above), would not draw my attention, but it did & it's applicability across the board, from age grouper to professional triathlon entrepreneur is evident.

Enjoy

Bobby McGee

www.BobbyMcGee.com 

“Be prepared to lose your most important races; I did. Many times.”

This said by 200/400m great Michael Johnson. Thanks Simon.


Don't know quite how I feel about this. If it speaks to detaching from outcome, then I'm in total agreement.

The whole issue regarding the weighting of races in terms of importance throughout the course of a season remains a crucial aspect of racing.

I also recommend grading races of course, A, B & C, etc. However the very process of designating a race as the key race of a season very often derails the chances of success of many athletes as they carry the weight of expectation into this race. Placing more importance on a race should hopefully increase the intensity & effectiveness of training leading into the event. This process should also increase commitment & willingness to give that little extra – but it is a very fine line that the majority of athletes overstep & end up with a performance less than expected or wished for as they over-emphasize the importance of the event.

Self-honesty in terms of what your fitness really means is important. It is important to realize that your internal dialogue during key workouts that point to the possibility of such a peak performance being possible is different on race day. This difference is what determines success or failure. Consciously create & practice the mental skills that lead to access of this ability/conditioning – it will not just happen for most athletes.

Accepting & realizing that racing is VERY different to training & having a set of practices that ensure you race to training status (or hopefully a little beyond) is an essential skill.

Finally, many athletes do not have sufficient ability/experience/objectivity/presence of mind to interpret what the quality of their workouts really mean in terms of performance & often over-estimate their capabilities in terms of these workouts – a mistake that top pros do not make. It is often not possible for the average athlete to train at or beyond race intensity to meet the requirements of race day – being fully prepared for the rigors of racing to the max. Despite a lifetime of coaching & many personal competitive endeavors, I still often royally screwed up my pace/effort, focus or some other mental skill on those occasions when I did get out there!

It’s always a journey to match experience with ability. Enjoy the process of self-discovery & never stop searching for that elusive perfect day
Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Fly ever onward, inexorably forward; responsible not for the whole, but only the very next step

A good friend & I post a Mnt Lemon, Tucson ride & I sagged!

http://www.bobbymcgee.com/

Quantification Conundrum Part II

We know that effective training, graphically represented, is in effect, U-shaped, i.e. the very fast stuff, like MAV (maximum aerobic Velocity) & above, & the very slow stuff – hours & hours of easy running, are the most effective. It seems that the stuff in the middle, like tempo runs, while possibly neuro-muscularly valuable if the pace mimics what we wish to produce in races & teaches us to concentrate in order to hold this for race duration, has little physiological return. Add to this, that at the top end of endurance sports, speed or velocity is still the only benchmark, whether it is 60m or 100 miles, the “fastest” man wins, right?


Further to this it is really challenging to differentiate between what is bio-energetic (fuel burning & energy production), mechanical, (gravity & posture, elastic return, minimized friction) or neurological (potentiation, nerve action & kinesthetic action/reaction).

A true, multidimensional understanding of what is happening during the running gait is incomplete at this stage.

What is it that we can then do to improve performance in running?

1. Become specifically fitter – the stronger we make the engine within the existing framework, the more output we can reasonably expect. Of course there are obvious limitations to this: If the biomechanics are unsound this increased load could lead to breakdown & the inferior mechanics may not allow improved performance despite increased output

2. Improve(or return to best) running mechanics. As I’ve said, there is some good work being done about quantification of these various components. There are also studies that show deviations in what good runners do versus what poorer runners do. What is of more interest to the athlete & coach after this, is what can be done about this & if it can be changed will it lead to improved performance (& the changes are measured to have actually occurred)?

3. Improved neuro-muscular function. As with the above, naturally these 3 aspects are all interrelated & the scientific community is having a devil of a time separating these out. Of course the coach would ask, “Do we need to?” Thus there are scientists whom I greatly respect that believe the limits of endurance are not in the bio-chemistry, but in the neurology

Add to this that the sport scientists also feel that the current definition of efficiency: “The athlete who uses the least amount of O2 at the same speed is the most efficient”, does not suffice, & I agree – too many athletes with higher consumption numbers beating those with lower numbers! I am being a little simplistic of course, because there are a whole array of other factors, not least of which are the psycho-emotional factors of motivation that come into play, but you get my point.

Till Part III (the last in this series)

Bobby McGee
www.BobbyMcGee.com

1st World Congress of Science in Triathlon

Just come back from Alicante Spain where I attended the 1st World Congress of Science in Triathlon. My run mechanics presentation was a little nerve wracking & increased my need to learn more Spanish! There has been some amazing research of late that can be of huge benefit to pros & age groupers alike. Dr. Randy Wilbur - head exercise physiologist of the USOC again showed why altitude training is a must for athletes who are looking for an edge in major competitions.Inigo Mujika was his usual inimitable self in presenting the current state of the science & art of tapering - it really is a key frontier in bringing hard training to bear on race day. His work is fascinating. His work with the great long course athlete Eneko Llanos is clearly as a result of intelligent thoughtful application of cutting edge science. The stuff about VO2 kinetics & training considerations for accurate exercise prescription from Gregoire Millet truly was amazing & it's not the 1st time I have heard about the uses of this cutting edge science, but it really points to a route that brings amazing performance gains to be had in an extremely economical training environment. Hats off to the ITU & the University of Alicante for putting on this event. Find references to the presentations & speakers - I highly recommend paying them close attention.
Bobby McGee
http://www.bobbymcgee.com/