Some options are: Nordic skiing, aqua jogging spin classes, snowshoeing, ice skating to name a few. Sure some of these are indoor activities, but there are advantages to even indoor activities. Spin classes can help deter the boredom of riding by yourself all winter. Using a treadmill, though boring by most athlete’s opinions I have encountered, can teach pacing evenly very well. Nordic skiing is about the best all-around activity you can use in the off season, working upper, lower and core. Ice skating is great for the upper leg, which will translates into some improved strength on the bike.

For additional cross training, use Pilates or yoga for added flexibility and stability. I suggest basketball, volleyball, dodge ball and other side-to-side activities which require changing direction—unlike the linear methods used in running, biking and swimming. The ligaments will be stronger around the knees/ankles and prepare you for the upcoming season by balancing out weaknesses that are not often worked on in triathlon... which happens to be the side-to-side recruitment of muscles. The off season shouldn’t be a time to wind down, but a time to explore and enhance. Treat the off season as the start of the season to give you a new perspective and adding incentive to “get a leg up on competition.”

Rollerblading is another great way of improving cardiovascular system and strength. I have come out of winter starting with personal bests at the start of the season, from rollerblading all winter. The crouched tuck used while blading creates a deep and low push that mimics a mini-squat. Repeatedly, this over time can be every bit as beneficial as being in the weight room to develop raw power. What about wall climbing/rock climbing? If there is a local “wall” and you have ever been interested in doing it, wall climbing requires enormous amounts of upper body strength. If you ever were curious about different activities, the off season is the best way to discover those, or re-introduce yourself to the once-lost activities you used to enjoy.

If it is physical, and different, it is bound to translate into some benefit for triathlon in one way or another. Cross training not only gives you the physical break you need, but the mental break as well. The results can be a fresh mindset upon returning to the monotony of treadmills, pool laps, or bike trainers. Get out there with a partner to share in your experience, especially if you need a little motivation to take that first step. It can only help you, and you may end up finding a new sport you can share and meet others while doing. Best of all, you may meet people with common interests away from sporting activity, or introduce them to the sport of triathlon. Best of luck, and see you at the races!

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

Racing and Training Apparel for Women, Cont'd
By Amy Kuitse

Regardless of how we decide to purchase our tri clothing, it is essential for the clothing to be comfortable. There is nothing worse then being distracted in a race situation by what we are wearing. It is something we do not want to be thinking about on race day. There are great companies out there that make a wide variety of clothing for both training and racing. One of the best ways to find out what will be most effective is by talking to other women. We are usually pretty good at sharing with each other the details of what is good and not so good about certain materials and how they fit our bodies.

Future D3 Athlete, Alex, took 2nd place at the Nevis Junior Triathlon.

How training and racing clothes fit is a personal preference. Tri clothing is by nature on the tight side, and the reality is we want it to be a little snug. Sizing does vary depending on the material used, and of course by clothing company; so trying clothing on is recommended, even more so if you are trying out a new item. Each athlete must consider how comfortable she is with the fit of the clothing she is going to wear. Do you feel comfortable training in a swim suit, but feel self-conscious at the thought of racing in it? Race in it, everyone else is and buy your self one of the great skirts out on the tri market for post race activities. The important thing is not to test clothes on race day. If you find your choice un-comfortable, there is not the time or the place to make a switch.

I would recommend trying out all new clothing in a training environment. If the fit is not comfortable, you can switch; or if you are training you can always bring a change of clothes just in case. This gives us the opportunity to determine if the clothing will be comfortable to race or train in. Consider also the distance you will be going, something tolerable for a shorter distance might be a nightmare on a longer day. The superstitious among us may feel that “you don’t race in the same gear that you train in.” I do believe the best thing we can do is to wash and wear our race clothes a couple of times before race day to ‘break it in’ so to speak. I like to have clothes specific for race day, as I it helps me focus and leads me to believe that I will go faster on race day – so why tempt fate?

The point is that you want to give thought to what you are racing in. Once we have found something that works we do not want to spend time thinking about it. On race day the last thing we want to be thinking about is what we are going to wear. Make that decision and be done with it. Be prepared with various options to accommodate for the thing you cannot control – the weather; consider having the following extras available: long and short sleeve tops, and riding shorts versus a tri suit. The key again is, have these clothing decisions made and readily available prior to race day; on race day your attention should be on racing not on clothing. Training and race clothing is a very personal choice and preference. It is based on the materials, the company, sizing, and availability of women’s specific clothing. Choose to wear that which is comfortable, both physically and psychologically. Have fun tri-ing new things out and share your findings with the rest of us gals. I love trying new things out. My husband refers to me as “a marketers dream come true.” Below is a list of some of my favorite tri gear. Happy Training...

Zoot... Sugoi... Louis Garneau... TYR... Speedo... Terry... Tricks...

Amy Kuitse is a USAT Level I certified coach. She can be reached for personal coaching at amy@d3multisport.com.

Power 101 – Key Workouts: Using a Power Meter in your training
By AJ Johnson

In creating a plan for the 2007 season, identifying your goal races is the first step. From there, you need to plan for proper base, build, taper and peak phases. Of these phases, the base and build are the most critical. 10 to 6 weeks out from your A priority race is a very crucial time in your training. It is the point where you start to transition from a base phase into a build phase. The base phase is spent getting in miles at a more aerobic effort and gaining endurance. In the build phase you introduce more time in the tempo and functional threshold zones. Being able to accurately monitor your time in these zones is crucial. That is where your power meter comes in to play.

First you need to perform a test to determine your power zones. I prefer the CP 12, or Critical Power 12 test. It is basically a 12 minute steady time trial that will give you CP values for several intervals from 5 seconds to 1 hour. From that data you can determine what your recovery, endurance, tempo, LT, VO2 max and anaerobic capacity power zones are. Make sure the test is repeatable as you will want to re-test yourself every 4 to 6 weeks to see your gains and adjust your zones accordingly. Armed with that data you can start to dial in each bike workout to ensure you are in the right zones for the right amount of time. From the CP 12 we can extrapolate the power training zones.

Future D3 Athlete, Siobhan, took 4th place at the Nevis Junior Triathlon.

Let’s start with the long course athletes first. 10 weeks out from a long course event, half ironman or longer, you need to be getting longer miles on the bike. Your weekend ride for a half should be 60-75 miles, and for an IM, 80-100 miles or more is needed. The key here is that there is some, but not much intensity. You can use your power meter to monitor the intensity of your ride by noting the IF, or Intensity Factor, during the ride. That number should be around .65 to .75 for a base oriented ride. That number means that you were basically at 65 to 75 % of your threshold, which is what you want for a base oriented ride. During that ride you can still throw in some steady intervals, but the overall ride needs to be relatively moderate. These rides are fairly basic in that you want to stay steady and put most of your time in at your endurance wattage zone. You can throw in some 10-20 minute sections at a tempo wattage, but no more than 20% of your total ride time should be in that zone.

As you move into the build phase about 8 weeks out, you need to start incorporating more intensity into your rides, including your long ride of the week. Again, use the IF number to moderate where you are. At this point you want to start seeing some .75 to .85 IF numbers. To do this, add in periods of 30 to 60 minutes of riding at differing wattages. An example would be riding 30’ warm up at your recovery wattage, then move to 40’ at your endurance wattage, 20’ at your tempo wattage, 30’ at endurance wattage, 20’ at tempo done with a lower cadence, then do 2 x 15’ at LT wattage with 10’ at recovery wattage between, finish the ride with 30-60’ at endurance watts to give you a 3:30 to 4 hour ride.

For short course athletes the same principles apply, the numbers just need to be adjusted. Your long base oriented miles will be shorter, but a bit more intense. Short course athletes should see an IF of .7 to .8 on their longer rides. These rides really need to be 50-60 miles. Again, you can spend some time pushing the watts up, but you don’t need to see your LT wattage during this type of ride.

Getting closer to the race you need to simulate the high intensity demands of a hard 40k time trial. Approximately 8 weeks out from your goal race start to add in hard intervals that will teach your body how to deal with the physiological demands of these shorter but intense races. During this phase your IF number should be higher during these rides with .85 to .95 being a good range. A good ride might look like this 20’ warm up at recovery wattage, then 4 x 2’ at VO2 max wattage with 3’ at recovery wattage between, 15’ at endurance wattage, 2 x 20’ at tempo wattage with 10’ at endurance wattage between, 10’ at recovery wattage, 2 x 10’ at LT with 4’ at recovery wattage, add in endurance or recovery watts and you have a hard 2:30 bike ride that incorporates tempo, LT and endurance. You can also do a ride as simple as warm up for 20’ then do 2x10’ at LT wattage with 3’ recovery and a short cool down to get an effective ride in about an hour.

A quick review, start with a power test that you feel comfortable with and determine your recovery, endurance, tempo, LT and VO2 max power zones. Then check your calendar and determine how many weeks out you are from your A priority race. As you are nearing the end of your base phase you still want to get in the longer miles, but start to test the higher end wattages a little. Monitor your intensity by checking the IF number. Long course athletes should see a .6 to .75 while short course athletes want it a little higher at .7 to .85. Moving closer to the race, you start to add what would be considered race wattage in to the program. Long course athletes should do so with longer periods spent at tempo and some LT, while short course should spend shorter amounts of time up in the LT and VO2 max zone.

You have an awesome tool at your disposal in the power meter. Take the time to learn all of its functions so you can unlock its full potential. In doing so, you will help yourself reach your full potential. Power UP!

Coach AJ Johnson is a USAT Certified Coach and can be reached for personal coaching at AJ@D3Multisport.com.