EverymanTri.com

Four High Energy Meals For Triathletes

One trick in triathlon is to figure out how to eat the thousands of calories necessary for fueling your body, without doing all the health, teeth and gut damage caused by sugary sports drinks, overconsumption of gels, huge portions of starches.

So here are four of my favorite high energy recipes for triathlon: meals I can I eat that are calorie-dense, nutrient-dense, and won't subtract years off my life from eating crappy food.

-Quinoa Salad

Soak, rinse and cook 1 cup quinoa, and then mix in a large bowl with 1 bunch of green or red kale, chopped into very small pieces, 2 grated carrots and 1/2 cup flax or chia seeds. For dressing, whisk together a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a teaspoon of tamari. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will make about 2-4 servings, depending on your hunger status.

If you want a PR Don’t skip workouts and Don’t half ass workouts

No matter if you ran 10 minute miles or 5 minute miles, averaged 23 mph or 17 mph on the bike, a personal record is a record non-the-less.  Fast, sort of fast and slower makes no difference.  If you shaved 2 minutes from your PR on a 5k or 10 minutes off your half Ironman PR, it’s a win.

Triathlon Lingo 101 (part 2)

Ever wish you had a quick resource to pick up some common triathlon terms that are frequently thrown around by veterans, but sometimes confuse newbies? Look no further - here are some common triathlon terms to add to your vocabulary...

Common Triathlon Run Terms:

5K: 3.2 mile run or race. Generally the distance in a Sprint triathlon.

10K: 6.4 mile run or race. Generally the distance in an Olympic triathlon.

Aerobic: This term is used to define the intensity of a run that is primarily conversational at a slow, easy pace. Generally, you burn more fat as a fuel and produce less “painful” lactic acid.

Anaerobic: High intensity pace that allows lactic acid to build-up, and can generally not be sustained much longer than a 10K.

Chip: a device worn above the ankle or on the shoe that allows timing during a race or event.

Triathlon Lingo 101 (part 1)

Ever wish you had a quick resource to pick up some common triathlon terms that are frequently thrown around by veterans, but sometimes confuse newbies? Look no further - here are some common triathlon terms to add to your vocabulary...

Common Triathlon Swim Terms:

Beach start: Starting from the beach and running into the water to begin a triathlon.

Buoy: The floating markers used on a triathlon course to indicated course layout, distance and turns.

Deck: The hard surface around the pool.

Draft: To swim directly behind or beside the swimmer in front of you, which makes it easier to swim.

Floating start: Starting from the water without the feet touching to begin a triathlon.

Top three core excercises to ride like the wins in 2012 (part 2)

1) Brick Walls

This is a strategy I will use during a long hilly ride or a hill interval workout, and can be performed on your indoor trainer or during an outdoor ride. Climb an entire hill in the standing position. While this may not be ideal for efficiency, it really works your core. As you climb, try to breathe from deep in your core, just behind the bellybutton. At the same time, visualize your abdomen as a "brick wall", and maintain a tight core, especially as you drive your knees up to your chest. If you do this properly, then every the leg comes past the top tube you'll feel your abdominal muscles contract. For added effect, avoid bouncing on the handlebars.

Top three core exercises to ride like the wind in 2012 (part 1)

A 2007 study in the National Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research outlined the importance of core training for cyclists. The title of this study was "Relationship Between Cycling Mechanics and Core Stability", and the purpose was to determine whether cycling mechanics are affected by core stability. Here is what study reported:

"Core fatigue resulted in altered cycling mechanics that might increase the risk of injury because the knee joint is potentially exposed to greater stress. Improved core stability and endurance could promote greater alignment of the lower extremity when riding for extended durations as the core is more resistant to fatigue."

Really! What's the point of a New Year's Resoltion?

Why do we need January 1, as the motivating factor to make a change in life?

That’s a HUGE theme around the online triathlon world this time of year.  New year’s resolutions filling up the gyms, filling up the message forums, and creating a glut of “what’s your resolutions for 2012” on blogs, Facebook and twitter.  Is it to fill up dead web space until the weather warms up and the tri season is in full force?  Do we have nothing better to talk about?

Before you lambast me with hate, consider this; who says you need to wait until Jan 1 to set a goal and start working towards it?  I want to challenge the notion you have to wait until a specific date to start achieving your goals, whether it be getting in shape, losing weight, eating better, start training for your first triathlon, etc.

Top 5 ways to compete in triathlon without looking like a depression era Nebraska farmer (part 2)

Editor's Note: Please click HERE for part one of Ben's advice.

3. Train Right

For years, sports scientists have know that short, hard and intense intervals give you just as much fitness and performance benefit as long, slow, aerobic exercise. But like a mouse on a wheel, it is tempting and even addictive for an endurance athlete to continue plugging away hours pounding the pavement, turning the pedals, or swimming back and forth.

Not only does this long, slow aerobic training completely nullify any attempts to add lean muscle or get a nice, defined body, but it also depletes hormones, causes overtraining syndrome, and takes away precious time from family, career and other hobbies.

Instead, for the triathlete who wants to avoid the skinny-fat look and get an amazing, muscular body, the training plan should incorporate strategically targeted high-intensity bursts of energy, a moderate amount of slightly longer 'tempo' work, and finally, a low amount of long aerobic training...

...strategically saving long rides, runs or swims for times when they are completely necessary and crucial to the program.

Top 5 ways to compete in triathlon without looking like a depression era Nebraska farmer (part 1)

So if you read the first six articles in this series, then you've learned so far how to get nice shoulders, a better butt, a flat stomach and an impressive chest. You've learned how to sculpt legs like Lance Armstrong and how to look very, very good in a t-shirt.

But can you keep that amazing body and still do endurance sports like triathlon? After all, it's pretty typical among the triathlon crowd to have tiny arms, a thin neck, a stick-like midsection, a weak body frame and even a 'skinny-fat' look, with a little bit of weight in the belly and waist.

Even though triathlon is the fastest growing sport on the planet, and races sell out thousands of slots in just a few minutes, it can still be a bit depressing when you realize that traditional triathlon training doesn't really give you a nice body ­ and just makes you either really skinny or skinny-fat.

And the fear of having that emaciated, marathoner-like appearance is a legitimate concern if having a nice body is important to you. I know that it was a big concern for me when I got into the sport of triathlon ­ I didn't want to watch in the mirror as my lean, hard muscle wasted away and I ended up looking like a skinny weakling.

But the truth is, when you train for triathlon, you don't have to lose precious muscle, get extremely skinny, or become a scrawny endurance athlete. You can actually train for triathlon while still adding incredibly functional muscle and athleticism. You can swim, bike and run fast ­ and still have an amazing body.

Here's how, in five easy steps:

Top smart Ten Ways to afford the triathlon lifestyle in 2012

Ah, a new year and with it, a new triathlon season.

All the nooks and crannies of the endurance interweb hangouts are abuzz with 2012 race schedules and training itineraries.  Where’s the best pool?  Is there a group training for this IM?  Will I be able to fit it all in?  Will I know my wife and kids after all that training?  How do I find the time to fit it all in?

That’s all good and fine, but can you really afford this endeavor?

Right before Christmas, every web site hawking something was touting the latest GPS unites and cyclo-computers for you to buy and give yourself or your favorite triathlete.  I don’t know about you, but having a wife and two kids leaves you with little to no discretionary income to spend on triathlon gear.

How do you afford this mess without getting a second job along with the training schedule additions?

Easy, sell a kidney.

Maybe you only have one kidney left and can’t spare it.  If that’s the case, here’s some less evasive suggestions to afford the tri lifestyle.

Top ten crazy New Year's workouts to start the year with a bang

New Year's Day is a time to do crazy things, and for a fitness-obsessed triathlete, there's nothing like starting things off with a bang by getting in a crazy New Year's workout.

Need some inspiration? Here's 10 crazy workout ideas to help you ring in the New Year with some very sore arms, but a very high sense of accomplishment!

#1: On December 31st: 100 Pushups or 100 Squats per hour from 8am to midnight

#2: Celebrate 01/01/2012 by swimming 1 mile, running 1 mile and biking 20.12 miles.

How to look great in a T-Shirt and still rule your next triathlon (part 2)

Step 3: Target Your Traps

It can be unflattering if you have a skinny neck that sticks up out of your t-shirt, even if the rest of your body looks good. If you have a skinny neck, the trick is not to work the neck muscles, but rather to target your trapezius, or 'traps' ­ since working these muscles will naturally give you a more muscular and defined neck.

The traps are primarily responsible for 'shrugging the shoulders', so you'll want to include exercises such as dumbbell shoulder shrugs, dumbbell or barbell deadlifts, farmer's walks, or walking lunges.

When you perform these exercises, make sure that you are allowing your shoulders to drop, but instead imagine the tops of your shoulders touching the bottom of your ear lobes, which will help you to keep your traps contracted.

Step 4: Squeeze Your Shoulders

How to look great in a T-Shirt and still rule your next triathlon (part 1)

The t-shirt became popularized by sailors and Marines, and eventually found it's way into pop culture during the 1950¹s.

But it originally evolved from 19th century underwear.

So if you're going to be walking around wearing your underwear, then you'd better know how to look good in a t-shirt. Using the five steps in this article, you're guaranteed to look good in a t-shirt, cut an impressive figure and wear your wardrobe with confidence.

Step 1: Remember Your Back

Back when I was a bodybuilder, it was tempting to simply pay attention the front of the body: the shoulders, the chest, the abs, and the front of the arms. But I quickly learned that to look good, you also need to pay attention to your backside.

Olympian and IM 70.3 Champ Joanna Zeiger's Top 5 Secrets of successful racing

Managing a race is like putting together a puzzle; the pieces have to fit together just so for a perfect day. Rarely, if ever, do the pieces coincide in such a manner during a race which always leaves me with a feeling that things can be better next time, that if I can change “x” than I can have that elusive perfect day. The problem is that once I think I have learned it all, a new “x” pops up and throws me for a loop and I am therefore enticed to the start line to fix that problem. You can see how this cycle repeats itself time and again, continuously beckoning me back to the races. Hence, the puzzle is never completed.

I have learned, though, that there are certain givens in racing, the so-called “tenets of racing”. If you learn these, you can at least eliminate some potential problems, which of course, leaves room for any number of new problems that will leave your puzzle forever incomplete.

Video: Racing vs Training shoes explained

What's the difference between a racing shoe versus a training shoe?

If you said weight...you would be correct, but there's more to it than just a few ounces.

In this video by Dave Erickson you can learn why you may want to actually train in training shoes and race in a racing shoes instead of just training and racing in the same pair of running shoes.

Check it out below:

Ben's slightly insane Holiday Workout Challenge

Do you ever feel like briefly getting away from the holiday rush, shopping, work, family, kids, loud relatives and yuletide stress? During this time of year, that feeling occasionally happens to me, and when it does, I head to the gym for a hard holiday workout. After all, multiple research studies have proven that exercise is stress relieving and produces loads of happy endorphins.

Plus it feels good to just throw some tunes in my .mp3 player and just lay down the hurt for a little while - burning a ton of calories and injecting an enormous amount of both cardiovascular and muscular fitness into my body during the process. So if Santa music at the mall isn't doing for you, then toss this full-body, hard holiday workout into your routine once or twice this holiday season, and I guarantee you'll leave the gym feeling refreshed, restored and (my apologies in advance) slightly sore.