Training and racing abroad

Posted on November 22nd, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

So, you want to travel to a foreign country, see some sites, stay fit and maybe even race. Training and racing abroad is a great experience and with a little bit of planning, you can make the most of your time abroad. Here are a few things to consider before you depart, during travel and once you have arrived.

Pre trip – Make a list! Sounds simple, but is most helpful. Take a few moments before you depart to educate yourself a little bit more about where you are traveling too. Paper maps are quite helpful to keep handy in case Google maps or the Garmin is not working. Make extra (Paper) copies of passport, credit cards, travel itinerary and any contact info in case you loose anything or your smart phone gets stolen/lost or won’t charge. Notify your credit card company of the dates you plan to travel to avoid delays making any purchases. Arrange for transportation to your accommodations ahead of time instead of trying to figure it out when you arrive and are tired.

Travel – Allow enough time to not have to rush. Check in, baggage, customs, all take a little more time than domestic travel. Have a small amount of local currency when you arrive to cover anything that may arise. Wear comfortable and functional clothes/shoes for travel. Sometimes you have a lot of walking to do along with baggage and possibly a bike box.

Food & Hydration - Drink plenty of water on the plane and during the travel day. Pack a few snacks in case you have delays or not feeling like eating the airline food. However, be aware of any food restrictions of your destination country, as you may have to declare items you are brining into country on your customs forms. Some countries you cannot bring certain foods in at all so, don’t bother bringing it along unless you plan to consume it on the plane or on any layovers.

Time change – Give you body a few days to adjust from the travel. Best thing I have found to help this is upon arrival get some kind of easy workout in. You are an athlete after all. Helps the body loosen up from the flight/train and starts getting your reset on local time. Set an alarm to get up the following morning on local time as well and keep drinking water!

Rules of the road, local customs – Here in Australia, when you ride a bike, you must wear a helmet otherwise be subject to a fine. Also, vehicles travel on the other side of the road compared to the states, so when you step off the curb, or merge into traffic look right first. Speed limit signs are in KMH not MPH. Dining out in some countries the tip is already include in the bill.

Check out the course – Course knowledge is always helpful so plan on driving or riding part of the course before race day to get more familiar. Pay attention to road surfaces, wind conditions and what parts of the course are and are not open to traffic on race day. Great to get in the water at the swim finish area so you can get some land based objects to site on for the end of your swim.

Where are you going to travel next? Don't forget the camera!

Make it a great week,

Coach Eric

What happened to common sense… if your exhausted… REST!

Posted on November 11th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

Aristotle, who is the first person known to have discussed "common sense". He was describing the ability with which animals (including humans) process sense perceptions, memories and imagination (phronein) in order to reach many types of basic judgments. But only humans have real reasoned thinking (noein).

I think endurance athletes are loosing touch with things a bit in particular their common sense. Often times I hear athletes say they were exhausted and wonder to myself, "why are they going to attempt a workout today". Now I know sometimes one can become tired from training and you need to stress the body from time to time to gain some improvement. But, if you had just raced an IM a little over 3 weeks ago and I am hearing you say you're are exhausted, don't ya think it might be better to take the day off instead of creating more fatigue which continues to delay the full recovery process.

People, when are you going to get it? Do you need to be sick, fevered and injured before you stop training or take a much deserved break? I am seeing this more and more with age group athletes who train like professional athletes, while working a full time job. Sure you can train like them in a physical way, but there is no way you are going to recover like they do because you just don't have that much free time for naps, weekly massages and general downtime to rejuvenate. Some age group athletes eventually gets to the point of being so run down from lack of adequate rest, combined with pushing their training limits, that even a 3 week taper is not going to bring them to race day fully prepared. Always better to be 10% undertrained than 1% over trained when going into your priority races for the season.

Take the runners from Kenya, when they are done for the season, they are done. Some will not run for 2 or 3 weeks some not even for a month. They just take a complete break, no cross training, just total downtime. I belief this downtime allows them to maintain the focus and intensity when they are training. Most elite Kenyan runners run 2 times a day and some 3 times a day. They usually start with a morning run around 6am, after that return to bed to rest for the main session around 10am. Lunch and more rest and some will run again in the afternoon. Now I know this is the elite, but my point is by having the real downtime, it allows them to hit a very high level focussed bit of training when called for.

In the western world, 2-3 weeks of downtime is going to drive the type A athlete and those around him/her completely NUTS! I have written about this before and will continue to do so in future posts, TRAINING IS RECOVERY BASED! Easy means easy, hard means hard, day off means, day off. Combine that with some common sense and you may just reach your next goal healthy and happy. Pay attention to your self talk. Are you saying "I have to workout" vs "I want to workout" When the have to's start becoming the norm, overtraining, burnout and injury are getting bigger in the rear view mirror for sure.

If you need help, get it. There are plenty of great coaches out there who can help you balance the training load with all your other activities. Don't be afraid to do a little less especially if this is supposed to be your off season.

Make it a great week!

Coach Eric

You are what you eat!

Posted on November 4th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

The foods we eat help nourish our body/mind for optimal health. But, not all foods are created equally.

There is debate whether organic foods are better from a nutritional standpoint than non-organic foods. But the bigger picture I think lies in the use of pesticides on non-organic foods.

Switching to an all organic diet can be more expensive, especially if you live where growing your own produce is challenging. One thing you can do however is to try eating organic on what the Environmental Working Group calls "The Dirty Dozen". Some research suggests that by going organic when purchasing these foods, you may be able to eliminate up to 80% of the pesticides in your diet.

"The Dirty Dozen"

Apples
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot Peppers
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach/Kale
Strawberries
Sweet Bell Peppers

So, try making your local farmers markets and the organic produce section a frequent place to shop for your fruits and veggies.

Make it a great week!

Coach Eric

You can make a difference!

Posted on October 27th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

This past weekend I had the opportunity to run a local Halloween 5K here in Fort Collins that the CSU Triathlon team was hosting. The morning weather was crisp, and the skies crystal clear making for a perfect running day with the fall colors in full bloom. This would be a different race experience for me as I would be pushing an athlete for Athletes in Tandem. During my life, I have been fortunate to work with all kinds of athletes in the water, on the bike or run and on the ski hill, that have have been challenged in one way or another. But this day was different. My athlete James was counting on me 100% so he could feel the warmth of the sun on his body and the wind in his face as we zoomed around the CSU campus.

Warming up and learning how to steer properly

We lined up at the start line and once the gun went off settled into a good pace. James was very vocal during the run and when we passed people along the course he was always raising his hands and just genuinely fired up. He is a competitor for sure. A couple of the other Athletes in Tandem athletes passed us during the race and when this happened, he would look up and stare at me for about 5-6 seconds. If I was reading his mind correctly I think he was telling me "could ya move a little bit faster"

The 5K went by very quick and we made it to the finish line along with all the other athletes. *Note even on a cool morning, running in a full tiger costume can get quite warm, but worth every drop of sweat!

Post race

Sometimes we take for granted all the choices we have for our own health and wellness. Today was a humble reminder that not everyone has those choices. So, I leave you with this challenge to do these 2 things as often as you can.

1. Keep making the most out of everyday as no one is promised tomorrow.

2. Take the time to make someone else's day, just a little bit better.

Make it a great week!

Coach Eric

Happy Shoulders… Happy Swimmer

Posted on October 21st, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

Dog paddle is a great drill!

In order to train consistently for swimming or any other sport, one needs to remain healthy. Deliberate, focussed practice must be implemented in all training sessions. That combined with consistency in your training will give you the best chance to progress.

Check out this video "Prevent swimmers shoulders...Injury prehab program" that the folks at Vasa Inc made back in 2010. Simple, effective, sport specific exercises that will keep your shoulders healthy and swimming through the winter months.

Make it a great week of training,
Coach Eric

Fall Fitness

Posted on October 14th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

The long days of summer are fading, but that does not mean your health and fitness needs to fade as well. From an exercise standpoint, there are plenty of things you can continue doing this fall to maintain your summer fitness gains. In addition to exercise, two other things play an equally important role in maintaining optimal fitness and they are balanced nutrition and adequate sleep. Just imagine if we could do just those three things consistently how much better we would feel every day.

#1 Regular Exercise – The benefits of exercise are to numerous to list. There are so many great ways to get exercise especially living along the Front Range. I would encourage you to have a variety of activities to choose from. Variety is the spice of life and participating in different forms of exercise is a great way to cross train and help keep overuse injuries down. With the weather changing, you may need to take some of your exercise indoors, or just get some better gear to handle the cooler weather. Either way, you need to keep moving regardless of the temperature. Exercise is probably one of the best ways to change your mood. Think about it, when was the last time you finished a workout and felt depressed, or grumpy? Yes, you may be tired, but it is a good tired that in turn may help you with #3 below. Whether you exercise by yourself or with a group just be consistent in trying to get some movement each and every day.

#2 Balanced Nutrition – Similar to sleep, everyone is going to have their own specific needs depending on age, level of activity or trying to lose, maintain or gain weight. A balanced diet of foods is fuel for optimal mental and physical energy. Here is a simple thing to do that just requires a little bit of discipline. Find out what you are really eating every day by keeping a food journal. Try the journal for three days and write down everything you eat & drink. This can be a big eye opener for a lot of people in terms of how much or little they are eating as well as the quality in food choices. Often times, just the act of keeping a food journal will help you make better food choices. From this you will have a better idea on what foods you may need to add to your diet as well as those that may need to be consumed in more moderation or eliminated to maintain a healthy body composition.

#3 Adequate Sleep – Our own personal energy level could be one of our most valuable resources and sleep plays a big role in this. With adequate sleep you have a much better chance of success with #1 and #2 above, so make it a priority. People have different sleep requirements, so the key is finding out what yours are and then doing your best to get those zzz’s. Some people do fine on 6-7 hours a night, others need 8+ and teenagers can never seem to get enough. Proper sleep allows our bodies to rejuvenate and recover from the day’s activities

We all have 24 hours each day, no more, no less. Make the choice to get a little exercise each and every day. This combined with balanced nutrition and adequate sleep is a great recipe for maintaining a healthy mind & body!

Make it a great week of training,

Coach Eric

Run drills then hit the trails!

Posted on October 7th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

Fall color along I-70 Vail, CO

Fall is a great time of year to get out on the trails for more XC running. This also means that if you have been running mostly on the roads with flat, level surfaces, your ankles and muscles of the lower leg may need a little tuning up. Here are some basic running drills that you can incorporate into any run as part of warm up, during the run or cool down.

Have a GREAT Monday and hope you're making the most of your day.

Coach Eric

Have a plan… Race your race

Posted on September 30th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

On October 12th, athletes from around the world will be stepping up to race at the IM World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. For some it will be a return to the Big Island of Hawaii, others there first attempt on the course that Julie Moss put on the map back in 1982 (See the video )

But what makes this race and the days leading up to it just a bit different from any other IM? Well there are a number of things but two stick out in my mind, the competition and the course.

Competition - You have the best of the best in 2013 bringing their "A" game ready to challenge their bodies and minds. As athletes start rolling into town (well flying), the energy starts to build. The morning swims down at the pier get more crowded as swimmers start getting used to the ocean conditions and race week there usually is a boat serving coffee about 400M off the pier. Out on the Queen K athletes are putting in their final miles/km doing, tempo work, seeing how the bike handles in gusty cross winds, headwinds, tailwinds and making sure all systems are in working order after being put back together. Along Ali' Drive runners scurry about and make new friends while striking up a conversation at the aid stations put out for training. It is easy to get psyched out as so many fit and fast bodies are zooming all over the place and you feel the urge to push a little hard. Now is not the time for that. Stick to your plan and don't go chasing down some uber cyclist, or keep pace with someone on Ali'i. Save it for race day!

#2 The course itself. Ocean swim...This may seem trivial to some, but can freak others out who have never swam in a body of water where you can see everything and the current or swells are moving your body all over the place. One minute you're headed for the Royal Kona, the next out to sea towards Maui. For 8 years I lived, trained and coached in Kona and was fortunate to race their 3 x with a PR of 10:06 in 2010. I have seen some pretty windy days out on the bike and that combined with the heat and humidity can humble even the most hardened athlete. That is why you have to have a plan to manage not only the race, but particularly the bike segment (50+% of your day) and stick to that plan. Should the winds decide to crank it up aka headwind from Kawaihae or Waikoloa all the way back to town, you must let go of any pre conceived notion of a time you are trying to achieve, otherwise you will bury yourself for the run. Accept the fact that you can be riding in the single digits when going up any of the rollers if Madame Pele is blowing hard. The Run is tough in any IM distance race, but running on a paved road in the middle of a lava field during the second 1/2 of the run will really test your limits both mentally and physically.

Kona is a special place to race no question about it. Whether your racing Kona or doing your first triathlon, Have a plan... Race your race!

Make it a great week of training.
Coach Eric

Wanna get faster….”Take a Walk”

Posted on September 23rd, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

Calling ALL athletes.... Do your Easy... EASY and your Hard... HARD!

So simple, yet so effective. Some of my best ideas have come while walking, (this post and others) because it allows me to slow down and get in tune with what I need for my mind & body. But how is walking going to help me get faster?

At work, a short, 3- 5 minute walk to get up from the computer or just stretch the legs out is a great way to get refocused. This length of walk is also a great way to start and finish a run or any workout in the gym. Try using walks in the 20-30 minute range on a day of no swim, bike, run, core strength, etc... as a way to just loosen up a bit, aid in the recovery process and quite your mind because you are not working out in your chosen sport(s)

Remember training is recovery based. Can't tell you how many athletes I have seen over the years that are stuck in the middle with performance and often injury prone. Active rest, recovery workouts, zone 1, whatever name you want to give it, it must be EASY! Otherwise, when it is time for endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2, Zone 5ab or C, Anaerobic, etc... you will be compromised in these sessions and struggle to meet the training objectives of the workout. Allow yourself the time to go easy when called for, so you can maximize your training time and adapt to the harder training sessions.

Finally, Taking a walk allows me the time to reflect on what I have accomplished both personally and professionally. A time to set my intensions & desires for what I want to accomplish in the future. A time to just practice present moment awareness and embrace where I am at right now!

If you have questions on setting up structured rest and specific training plans, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com

Make it a great week of training and try taking a walk if you do not already incorporate that into your day!

Coach Eric

Swim Technique 101 & the Vasa Ergometer

Posted on September 16th, 2013 by Eric Neilsen

Let's see... does anyone want to improve technique, reduce injuries and swim faster? Try incorporating some of these basic swimming principals in the video below during your next swim. (Video is about 5 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY1rmt7OcyQ&feature=youtu.be

These simple focus points can be included in warm up, part of a main set or cool down. By breaking the stroke down into components, it helps you identify not only your strengths, but your weaknesses. Is my entry to wide, too narrow? Am I setting a good catch or dropping my elbow? Is my recovery relaxed? Sometimes just focussing on one of these can help reset your swimming stroke and help you find balance in the water. Repetition through deliberate practice while training in the pool or on the Vasa Ergometer will help you maximize your time spent training.

For more questions on how I may be able to hep you with your swimming, please contact me at eric@coachericneilsen.com

Make it a great week of training.
Coach Eric