Coach Mike on the run at IMUSA 2005

• Bring the right leg back to the top again and take your right index and middle finger and making a Y push down on the back of your right shoe, slipping your foot out in the process.
• Once you pull your foot out of the shoe, let the shoe swing back and catch the shoe with your now free toes and place your foot on the shoe and use it as the ‘pedal’. This is one quick motion, and don’t get caught with the shoe on the bottom side or you will go tumbling down.
• Next using your left hand, do the same to your left foot. Slip your left foot out and use that shoe as the pedal.
• You should be within a few yards of the DISMOUNT line now. Take your right foot off the pedal (shoe) and swing your right leg back over the seat and you will have two legs on one side of the bike (the left). At this point you will balancing on your left leg which is standing on the shoe/pedal.
  • You can practice this drill by swinging your leg back and forth over the seat repeatedly: Get up to speed on the bike and practice this little movement, again and again. Swing the leg from the left to the right, repeat.
  • Now take the right leg and bring it right through between the left leg and the crank. Your left foot remains on the pedal while your right foot is the first to hit the ground. The reason we dismount like this is two fold: One its one motion and you can literally ‘run’ off the bike. Number two if you swing your right leg over and just cross it slightly behind the left leg still on the pedal until you come to a stop, you have a good chance of tripping as you are literally stopping. If you stay in motion and keep everything fluid, it will go much easier. By bringing your right leg between the left leg and the left crank (and bike frame) you are stepping off the bike and heading into the transition area in a full sprint, while your competitors are watching you go by.
  • Grab the neck of the bike and head to your transition spot.

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Reflections:
The Aging Triathlete, Cont'd
These guys are my inspirations to hopefully find improvement in the coming years. Dave Scott pulled off some amazing performances in his 40’s, while he is likely no more genetically gifted than you or I. He is, without a doubt, an inspiration to continue and keep the youthful performances in our veins a little longer.
    The focus in training now is about full recovery. Stacking multiple hard sessions is not realistic anymore beyond mid 30’s for most full time working athletes.
    Since age alone will not really help us speed up beyond the “Herculean Years” the athlete needs to rely on smarter training. Using more exacting heart rate monitoring, keeping logs, having someone look at your swim and run form. Regular speed sessions, strength and core preparation, flexibility, and nutrition are all key—becoming even more important for the aging athlete. While I train less and less each year, I try to refine my previous year’s program. As the body changes, so does its needs on a yearly basis. Becoming aware of weaknesses and learning best how to tweak a program, or skills is something that is never too early to learn. Everything from bike position to lactate threshold testing, and private coaching from running gurus like Bobby McGee, and regular altitude ride sessions have all been utilized this season. There is a never ending search to keep somespeed as Father Time slowly takes it away.
    Accepting slooowing down has been difficult on the fragile male ego, but that is destined to happen. I’ve even discussed how to eke some focus back into my program and racing using what is called a Mental Coach, a qualified professional, such as a clinical Sports Psychologist. It is much easier to focus when you have balance in your life.
    Balance is specific to an individual, and includes family, relationships, work, spiritualism, nutrition, training, rest, and mental de-stressing. If something is out of whack, it starts a chain reaction, which can lead to poor athletic performance. Watch how the top guys in the world do it, they all have balance. They improve by tweaking their entire life year after year. Whether it be moving to a new state or country to ensure this happens, or moving towards professional coaching, and refining things that currently work for them. It all goes towards improvement for the aging triathlete. I’m aging, and at least in the longer races, seem to keep improving. Although I have not quite figured out if it is my youth I am chasing, or something else I never achieved when I was younger—no matter how I end up reflecting on it all, it certainly has been a wonderful journey thus far.

Kevin Konczak is a USAT certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at kevin@d3multisport.com.