0 Train Like You Mean It! Making The Most Of Your Workouts.

 I've got a confession to make.  In the past I often didn't work as hard as I could when I trained.  I backed off momentarily during a run, slowed down for a light that was still green, or tucked in behind another cyclist for a couple of kilometres to enjoy the free ride that drafting provides.  Now these are not sins that will condemn me to eternal damnation, but as someone with limited time to train, I can't afford to be wasting time by not giving 100%.  So I made a promise to myself that I will always make the most out of every minute of every workout.

Realistically, most people aren't worried about preparing for races, or running personal bests every week.  Most of us just want to be a bit fitter and more in shape.  The one unifying factor is that none of us have a lot of time to fit in exercise around our increasingly hectic work, social and family commitments.  That's why it makes sense to treat every workout as if it is an Olympic final.

 

Here are some of the ways I try to boost the value of my workouts:

Keep track of your progress:

I run at least three times a week, and use Nike+ GPS to keep track of my speed and distance as I run.  To ensure that I'm not slacking off and to minimise any chance of coasting, I always decide on an average speed or split time that I want to maintain, and use the Nike+ audio feedback to keep me on target.  I've found that since I started doing this, as obsessive as it sounds, my average run speed has increased, and I'm regularly going faster over every distance that I run up to Half Marathon.  As a pretty competitive guy, I often find myself pushing a lot harder towards the end of my runs in order to beat a previous best or to come in ahead of target. If you don't have or use Nike+, you could do something as simple as taking note of the time it takes you to reach certain landmarks on your regular run routes, and try and match or beat this each time you hit the road.

Don't let someone else do the work for you:

Every cyclist out there has used a fellow rider as a rolling windbreak at one time or another.  Closely drafting another cyclist can mean you use about 30% less energy/power than if you were riding out there in the wind alone.  Whilst tucking out of a brutal headwind can be a blissful experience, particularly on a long ride, if you're not actually racing, you're just shortchanging yourself.  When I train on my own, I try to treat each ride as if it is an individual time trial.  I imagine that the people in front of me are other competitors in a triathlon and resist the temptation to draft them regardless of how knackered I'm feeling.  I've been riding regularly for a few years now and had found that my average speed had plateaued.  I eventually realised that this way because I was soft pedalling behind other riders for about half of every ride I did.  Since I began to ride solo, my average speed in a triathlon has increased between 12-15%.  Not much when you see it written, but a big difference when you consider the time savings over a long course triathlon.  The added leg strength and endurance has also greatly aided my run leg too.

Pretend you're in a race:

I run a couple of times a week with one of the guys from my office, and he has often laughed at my over the top competitiveness.  We run The Tan before work and I have a very real aversion to having people pass me as I run.    Should someone pass me, I invariably find myself lifting my cadence and trying to catch and re-pass them.  Much to the amusement of Tim, who just shakes his head at my ego.  I also like to imagine that runners ahead of me are competitors in some imaginary race, and push myself to reel them in before we reach some equally imaginary finish line.  Writing this, I realise how silly all of this is, but I think that this sort of internal competition is a great way to increase the intensity of a workout.  When I look at my run times, I can always tell when I've tried to "beat" some unknowing jogger and 've got no doubt that "racing" has helped my fitness greatly.  It also helps to condition me to pushing harder over the last few kms of a race in order to pass as many other people as possible.  If you can finish strong, you will be amazed at how many places you can pick up in the closing miles as others begin to tire.

Now I know that this approach to training will only appeal to certain people, but using these tips can add some much needed zip to a training session, and help to take your mind off the pain you're feeling.  If you are time poor, training during your lunchbreak, or finding your workout getting stale, give this a try. 

0 Can't We All Just Get Along? Sharing the Road With Cyclists

I love riding my bike.  I get out for a ride as often as I can.  I HATE riding my bike to work though.  Hate it with a passion.  The roads in Melbourne are by far the most hostile environment I've ever ridden in.  Any regular cycle commuter will have at least one "near-death" story to tell, and there was a highly publicised incident involving Shane Warne recently.

This morning I was riding along Macarthur Street near St Patricks Cathedral, when an attractive, impeccably dressed woman driving an expensive European car almost drove into me and then had the temerity to call me a less than flattering name that started with C and was followed by three other letters.  Now if I'd cut her off, run into her car or done something even vaguely annoying, I'd probably expect any self-respecting Australian motorist to give me a piece of her mind.  In this case though, my only crime was to be riding, in the marked bike lane, in the space that she wished to occupy with her car at that particular moment.  She decided to veer across the bike lane, without indicating, and when she saw me come to a screeching halt beside her passenger door, she slammed on her brakes and starting to abuse me through the open window.

Now let me get this out now.  I COMPLETELY understand how annoying, irresponsible, or even downright dangerous some cyclists  are.  Every day I see some idiot run a red light, veer erratically through traffic, or (my pet hate) wobble along the edge of the bike lane obstructing the flow of traffic.  I despise these morons as much as anyone.  They make motorists hate cyclists and they make life a more dangerous place for everyone.

I hear motorists talking about "hating" cyclists.  We've all heard someone joke abut running a cyclist off the road.  What people don't get is that this sort of attitude is dangerous, and is creating an environment that will inevitably lead to some cyclist being injured, or even killed by someone who feels it's OK to use their car as a weapon against some dopey bloke in Lycra.  When you're sitting in your SUV, it's very easy to forget just how vulnerable you truly are on a bike.  There are no airbags, ABS, seat belts or "side impact protection system" on a road bike.  Being forced off the road at speed, or being impacted by a car is going to cause serious pain to the cyclist. 

I guess the point I'm trying to make with this post is that we all need to CHILL OUT a bit.  Cyclists, pull your heads in.  Ride safely, predictably and within the law.  Motorists are expected to follow road rules, and cyclists should do the same.  Drivers, please just relax.  You're not going to miss anything vital if you just slow down around cyclists.  You don't have to force your way past, menace or try to intimidate a rider just to prove some sort of point.  If we all respect each other a little more, our roads will be a much nicer, and safer place to be.

The last thing anyone wants is more unnecessary deaths or serious injuries caused by people losing their perspective and causing fatal accidents.  We don't need anymore ghost bikes around Melbourne.

And lady.  Next time you almost kill me and then call me a "C#@T"  I'm going to ride my bike OVER your shiny new car!

0 Beat The Cold Weather Blues - Staying Motivated in Winter

“It’s too cold.  It’s too wet.  It’s dark.  I’ll go tomorrow.  Maybe I’ll go to the gym tonight after work.  I just can’t be bothered.”

If you’re anything like me, this is the conversation that you have with yourself every morning when the colder weather sets in.  Every morning when the alarm goes off, I lay for a few moments in the dark and try to work up the motivation to get my body out of bed and out the door to train.  Summer is ok, as it’s light, warm and the birds are singing.  In the colder months, it’s usually pitch bIack, freezing and lonely.  I often hear of people who “bounce out of bed” in the morning with a smile on their face, excited to be up at some ungodly hour to put themselves through more punishment.  In winter, I am not one of these people. 

   

These are some of the tricks that I use to ensure that I get my training done on those cold, dark mornings:

• ·     Get enough sleep.  If you are getting up at 5 or 6am, make sure you are in bed early enough that you feel rested in the morning when your alarm goes off.

• ·     Never, EVER, EVER, EVER hit snooze.  If you don’t get up straight away, it won’t happen.

• ·     Prepare the night before.  I have my clothes, shoes and any other gear I’ll need laid out ready to    go.  I roll out of bed and get dressed before I can talk myself out of it.

• ·    Have a hot coffee as soon as you wake up.  The warmth and the caffeine will make your life a little bit better.

• ·   Arrange to train with a friend.  It’s a lot harder to make excuses when you’ve got someone else waiting for you.

• ·    Set weekly goals.  Giving yourself a weekly mileage target to hit is a really powerful way to motivate yourself.

There’s no doubt that training in cold weather is nowhere near as fun as the summer months, but you can use this time to build a great summer body, improve your base fitness and set yourself up for a fantastic racing season.  One real positive is the uncrowded running trails and bike paths that would normally be clogged with joggers and people dawdling along.  If you run or ride to work, you will find your commute times come down as you don’t have to slow down for as many people on the way to work.

Remember, you’ve worked hard over the summer to get your fitness to its current level.  Don’t waste all that effort.  Get into a routine and stick with it.  The winter work you do will pay massive dividends when it comes to those first couple of races, or just putting on your bathing suit for the first time when summer rolls around again.

0 Real Men Do Pilates? Why Pilates could be the missing ingredient of your training mix.

I've always been suspicious of "new age" activities. I steered clear of Yoga and turned my nose up at meditation.  I always figured if you're not sweating, you're not working hard enough.  This led to one very, very uncomfortable and rather inelegant encounter with Bikram Yoga.  I always felt the spiritual element was a bit forced and that I was better off just sticking with "real" activities like running, cycling or boxing.  I could not have been more wrong.

Developed in the early part of the 20th Century by Joseph Pilates (above), the practice of Pilates is growing with startling speed.  Performed either on a mat or more commonly a "Reformer" (a device that bears a startling resemblance to a medieval torture device or some sort of kinky sex contraption), and with a focus on the strengthening of the core muscles, improving posture and creating a lean and toned physique, Pilates is becoming more and more popular with celebrities and athletes around the world.  Tiger Woods and NBA star Jason Kidd are vocal boosters of the edge that Pilates has added to their games.

As a pretty average athlete, I'm always looking for any possible advantage I can find.  I first tried Pilates for the first time about a year ago, and am absolutely thrilled that I did.  I wanted to try and improve my core strength and increase the flexibility in my hamstrings (great for cycling), and gained both of these in addition to a noticeable increase in my upper body strength.

Classes consist of a series of stretches and controlled movements (often with resistance provided by a series of springs), with the abdominals, glutes and stabiliser muscles constantly engaged to provide a stable platform and correct posture.  The key to successfully performing Pilates movements is precision.  You need to concentrate fully on your breathing, engagement of your core and moving with control at all times.  I've found this focus on correct technique to be invaluable in my other activities, particularly swimming.  In fact, there was a study of the benefits of this focus on sufferers of Parkinsons Syndrome that seemed to show a real improvement in the symptoms of those sufferers who regularly practised Pilates.

While I've seen real improvements in my strength and mobility since starting Pilates, I genuinely believe that regular sessions have kept me injury free.  Whilst the sessions provide a deep stretch in my legs, arms, chest and back, I think it is the increased strength in my core that has led to me staying fit and healthy.  With a stronger core my posture is better, my running stride is smoother and I'm able to hold my form longer.  I'm convinced this is the reason that I no longer get regular knee and ankle pain, despite increasing the volume and intensity of my training.

Don't just take my word for it.  Give Pilates a try, and I believe you'll be as convinced as I was.  Most gyms include Pilates classes in their group fitness timetable and you can easily do a class in your lunch break.

0 Running with baby. The easy way.

Mums (and Dads).  You need to be running.  With your babies.  Now before you lynch me for making such a presumptuous statement, hear me out.

Running is hands down one of the most effective ways of getting back in shape after childbirth.  It burns calories faster than almost any other activity, strengthens your cardio-vascular systems and tones your legs, core and butt. 

More importantly though, running with your baby lets your child experience all of the interesting sights and sounds of the outdoor world, in a fun way, whilst sharing time with you.  Your baby will love watching the world go by, and you can even turn your run into a learning experience for your child by describing the things you are seeing.  Colours, places, landmarks.  Kids love getting out and about in the world.

One of the things that puts a lot of parents get put off by is the cost of those super hi-tech "running prams" (see above) that we've all seen zooming around.  Let's be frank, you don't need one. "But it's easier to run with one of those fancy ones".  Yes it is.  But easy is not going to get you the fitness you want.  Amber and I push Asha around Princes Park in her busted up $69 travel stroller with small wheels.  As you may know, the track around Princes park is soft sand and dirt.  Certainly not ideal for pushing a stroller.  What a great workout though.  I'm forced to work a bit harder than I would normally and the end result is a better workout.

I see a lot of "Mum's and Bub's training sessions" advertised these days.  Don't get me wrong, these classes are a great way for Mums to get fit without having to get a babysitter or put their child in creche.  My suggestion is give running a try at least once a week for a month and I've no doubt you'll love it.  Best of all, it's FREE!!  You can do it at a time that's convenient for you instead of worrying if the class fits in with your babies sleep schedule, and you can go for as long, or as short a run as you want.

The moral of the story is, take whatever pram, stroller or carriage you have.  Get out of the house and enjoy some free exercise with your child.  It's been great for us, and I absolutely love the time I spend with Asha running around the neighbourhood.  Especially when she starts yelling "run faster, run faster!"

Obviously everyone recovers from childbirth at different speeds, so please be sure to speak with your doctor before starting to do strenuous exercise.  If you are unsure, just listen to your own body.  Enjoy your run.  Your baby will!

0 Hit The Dirt. Your Fitness Will Thank You

Best way to get an extra fitness boost from your weekend long run?  You don't have to go longer or faster.  You just need to hit one of the off-road trails that abound in Melbourne.  I took this photo this morning as I ran through the bush, next to the Yarra River less than 7kms from the centre of Melbourne.

There are so many benefits to running off road.  Let's start with fitness.  I could definitely feel myself working harder than I normally would on a smooth concrete path.  The trail undulated, twisted and was covered in rocks and roots that needed to be dodged.  This means that I had to adjust my stride and speed and direction constantly, working muscles harder and pushing my heart rate above where it would normally sit.    Experts agree that trail running has a definite fitness advantage over a similarly paced road run and apparently the constant adjustments to your body position are great for working your core and improving your overall balance.

The first thing you notice when running on dirt is how much softer and more forgiving it feels than concrete.  As someone that does quite a few miles on the roads around Melbourne, I definitely notice the constant jarring that road running inflicts on my body.  Running off-road, whilst making me work harder, leaves me feeling a lot less banged up after a long run, and I find that my body recovers a lot faster.

Running with music is great.  I love zoning out to music when I run, putting together playlists depending on the length of my run.  As I ran through the bush this morning I made a point of taking out my earphones to just enjoy the sound of birds, river and distinct lack of cars.  It was amazing how great it felt to not have SUVs and annoying trucks whizzing by a couple of feet away.  There was also the fact that I had the whole trail to myself.  We've all had close calls with people on bikes not paying attention, or got annoyed at the folks that like to walk two abreast on a narrow pathway, preventing anyone else from getting past.

Bottom line though, it's just great to run somewhere different, where your mind is forced to be present and you can feel like you have escaped the concrete jungle, if only for an hour or so.

The Yarra River around Fairfield and Studley park is the perfect place to get off-road, without having to leave the city, and if you plan your route right, you're still close to great cafes.

Shoe company Salomon are putting on a Trail Running Series around some picturesque locations in Victoria during the colder (muddier) months.  You can find some more info here.

0 Ditch The Car.......Hit the Road

The traffic in Melbourne sucks. Anyone who drives to work in this city knows the pain of being stuck on one of our "freeways" or, god forbid, Punt or St Kilda Roads.  I've always been a fan of public transport.  It's ecologically responsible, cheap and usually pretty quick.  Unless you're in Melbourne!

I live about 8kms from my office, the route taking me along Brunswick St, past Edinburgh Gardens and down Collins St.  I used to sit on the tram for 45 mind numbingly boring minutes each way (plus the 8 minute walk to the tram stop), paying $8 for the privilege of having some disgustingly smelly stranger grinding me in an inappropriate way. This is assuming that the service isn't delayed or cancelled.

As an avid cyclist, I regularly ride to work, braving the aggressive drivers, non-existent bike lanes and terrible road surfaces.  However, I was finding that the 8km stop-start ride really wasn't giving me the workout that I needed so I kept finding more and more circuitous routes to work so that I could justify the effort of putting on Lycra.  As someone who enjoys triathlon, and endurance events, I need to get the most out of the limited time that I have to train.  Fitting in a proper training session before work can be challenging.  Which is why you should be combining your commute and your workout.

Twice a week I run the 8kms to work in the morning, and depending on my schedule for the week, I run home at least once.  The 8km distance is perfect for me to get in a decent tempo run, pushing myself a little harder every week as my fitness improves.  I am covering the distance in around 33 minutes and I have to say that it was with great delight that I realised my own legs are much quicker than taking the tram or getting in my car.  I get a guilty jolt of pleasure as I cruise past the cars and trams jammed bumper to bumper.

Two of the ladies in my office have recently started running home instead of taking the tram.  In the month since they started, both Jade and Rachel have raved about how "much fitter" they feel, the weight they've lost, and the clothes that they now fit into again.  The extra energy, physically and mentally, is evident to everyone in the office also.

Other than taking pleasure in other people's discomfort, let's take a look at the benefits of run commuting for me:

Time saved:

• Daily - 20 mins (run time vs tram or car)
• Weekly - 60 mins (3 runs a week)
• Annually - 52 hours!

Calories:

• Approx 600 per run
• Weekly - 1800 (3 runs a week)
• Annually -  93,600!

When you add the time saved by not having to workout at the gym or after work on the days that you run to work, you are looking at some fairly substantial time benefits to the busy athlete. On the other hand, if you are struggling to find time to fit in extra training sessions for an upcoming long course race, run commuting be the perfect way to increase your volume without risking your relationship or sacrificing sleep.

You could also be saving around a $1000 a year worth of petrol or train/tram/bus tickets!

Take a look around next time you're sitting in your car wondering if the cars in front of you will ever move again.  You may just notice a growing number of people taking advantage of the very real fitness and time benefits of run commuting.

0 Climbing Mountains...slowly

It's funny how things just come together sometimes.  I had to go to Nagambie today for work,  and at first I was not exactly ecstatic about the idea of three hours in the car, but then I started to think more creatively.  "Aren't there some great climbs up north of Melbourne?"  Damn right there are!!  So when I packed my car this morning, my bike and some super sexy lycra came with me.  After all, we're all time-poor and fitting a great workout into a work-day is the perfect way to save time, and enjoy work a whole lot more.

The township of Kinglake is about 60kms north of Melbourne.  A couple of years ago, devastating bushfires ripped through this area, and you can still clearly see the damage done.

Thanks to The Climbing Cyclist I knew exactly where to head to find the start of the famous Kinglake Climb.  With a length of 7.2kms, and with an average gradient of 4.8% this is not exactly the Alpe D'Huez but let's face it, for the average Joe this is a bit of a mission, achievable, but not exactly a walk in the park.

As you can see from the picture above, I couldn't have asked for better weather.  Bright, clear skies with only a hint of a breeze.  Mild temperatures, and with school holidays, barely a car on the road.

I was pretty excited to get cracking, and to be honest I probably went a bit hard in the first couple of kilometres.  I tried to stay above 20kmh but after 3.5kms, I was puffing like an old steam train and my legs were starting to complain.  Thankfully I was able to channel the great Jens Voigt disregard for physical discomfort and keep my cadence high.  The road surface is pretty good, although the roadway is very narrow, with no shoulder (be careful of cars).  As the road snaked upwards through a serious of tight turns, the pitch of the road tilts up further before a couple of false flats.

About 5kms into the climb I was starting to question why I do things like this, but the sight of another rider a couple of corners ahead of me was the boost I needed to push a bit harder over the last stretch, and before I knew it, the road was flattening out and I was at the top.

The great thing about climbing a mountain is getting to descend it afterwards.  I made the most of the clear roads and pushed hard on my way back down the hill.  Gravity is a wonderful thing, and I have to say that the descent was a LOT more fun than the ascent.

If you get the chance to make the trip to Kinglake, I'd highly recommend it.  The town is pretty, the view is amazing, and there are plenty of places to record your best time online! (Let's just say that I won't be challenging the record holders anytime soon).

0 The Day of Rest

When you are training a lot, it is really easy to get obsessed with exercise and to try and "do something" every day.

After a few small niggles that turned into more serious injuries because I ignored them and kept training, I've come to realise the very real value of doing nothing sometimes.

I woke up this morning sore.  After a half marathon, a 5K effort and some hill climbs in the last few days it's not surprising really. Lying in bed my quads felt like they'd been kicked.  My calves are tight and I just generally feel a little run down.  So I went back to sleep.

The science is clear.  We get fitter, faster when we take some down time every now and then.  Abused muscle fibres re-knit and the restorative power of sleep do wonders for mind and body.  As a busy person, I do the majority of my training at "stupid o'clock" in the morning.  Coupled with a busy job, a young family, and some late night TV coverage of cycling, it means that I am certainly not getting 8 hours sleep at night.  That makes recovery days even more important.

Whilst it can sometimes feel that you are going to fall behind your training plan, or that you are missing out on an opportunity to put in some miles, you're actually just giving your body the preparation it needs to smash your next workout and go to the next level.

Your body will tell you when it's time to rest.  Ignore it at your peril.  Now for some pancakes... :-)

0 A Cold Morning Commute

This morning was the first really cold morning of 2012.  It was a real struggle dragging myself out of bed this morning at 6am, and I could very easily have stayed in my nice warm bed.

I made a great purchase last year and bought a long sleeve Merino wool jersey from Vintage Velos .  Not only is it warm on a chilly day, but super comfortable and harks back to a time when men were real men.

Suitably layered, I set out to ride some hills along Yarra Boulevard in Kew before work.  While Kew is a bit out of my way, I love being able to incorporate some hill climbing into my morning commute.  The great thing about Yarra Boulevard is that there is almost no traffic early in the morning, and there is usually some other cyclists around to either provide a cheeky draft if you're tired, or someone to chase if you're feeling fresh.

It was a nice easy trip to work after this along the new and improved Main Yarra Trail.  Because of the cold and rain, there was very few cyclists or pedestrians to contend with.

As you can see from the picture above, there was some absolutely cracking weather this morning in Melbourne.  Unfortunately there was also a LOT of icy showers that set in to an annoyingly constant rain by the time I was 30 minutes into my ride.  This is where the Merino wool became a liability, and by the time I got to work, I was soaked, freezing and feeling and looking like a drowned rat!

A great plus of my ride this morning was the performance of my new Continental GP4000 tires.  They are fast, smooth and corner with real stability in the wet.

0 New 5K PR and a healthy dose of disappointment

I woke up this morning feeling a bit under the weather.  Now that the excuses are out of the way, I'll get to the point.  I just ran a 5K PR of 20:01 around the Princes Park running track.  Whilst I am excited to be improving and happy to have knocked 36 seconds off my best time, I can't help but be a little disappointed to have not gone under 20 minutes.

My plan was to go out at a 4:00/km pace for the first 3 kilometres, and then to bring it home quite a bit quicker as  I've gotten some pretty good results by negative splitting my runs recently.  The first two kilometres went well, but for some reason I had heavy legs by the half way mark and really struggled to pick up the pace.  I did the last kilometre in 3:48, which was just not enough to get me under 20 minutes.

This is a prime example of the constant ups and downs that you get when you train a lot.  I had a great run three days ago and did a Half Marathon PR.  Going into today, I had just expected to run under 20 minutes.  I think it was that expectation and the fact the I was only 2 seconds off my goal that is annoying me.

In hindsight, running a half marathon on Friday then expecting to run my best ever 5K a couple of days later is probably a bit silly, but I'm nothing if not an optimist!

I'll try again later this week.  I'm determined to go under 20 minutes asap!  Perhaps it was all of the hot cross buns I ate this weekend....

0 Paris-Roubaix 2012

Congratulations Tom Boonen! Fourth victory at Paris-Roubaix

0 Norseman Extreme Triathlon

This is by far the most scary race I've ever seen.  I'm determined to one day finish this thing.

0 5K PR attempt tomorrow

I recently ran my fastest ever 5k. I ran a 20:37. The strange thing was that this was at the end of a triathlon. Normally I'm running quite a bit slower after T2.

This got me thinking that I should be able to go a bit quicker on fresh legs. So tomorrow I'm heading to Princes Park to try and go sub 20 min for the first time ever.

I'm relatively new to pacing my runs and negative splitting has been a revelation to me. My plan is to go out at 4:00/km for the first 3k and the. Try and bring it home somewhere between 3:15 an 3:30/km.

Wish me luck!

0 A picture is worth a thousand words

Approaching the finishing line of my first Olympic Distance Triathlon (that's me on the right).