EverymanTri.com

How To Test Your Lactic Acid Levels Without A Fancy Lab

Editor's Note: Ben Greenfield recently attended the Team Timex Training Camp and had his Lactic Acid Threshold tested. But that doesn't mean you can't test your own threshold as well. In this story Ben show's you his test and explains you how you can test yourself without a lab.

Lactic Acid Threshold (LT) is the highest highest intensity at which the body can recycle lactic acid as quickly as it is produced. Anaerobic metabolism, or the burning of sugar by the process of glycolysis, is slow enough that lactic acid, the substance that makes muscles burn during hard exercise, does not accumulate faster than it can be removed. At this intensity, you are working very hard, but can still maintain exercise because lactic acid levels in the blood and muscles are steady, not increasing.

Erbenova & Andreev repeat as ITU Winter Triathlon World Champions

Madrid, Spain (February, 24 2013) - Reigning champions Helena Erbenova (CZE) and Pavel Andreev (RUS) defended their world championship titles on Saturday at the 2013 Cogne ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships.
 
Erbenova led the elite women's race line to line to stamp out her second title. She blasted away straight from the start, rounding the first of three run laps in the top position, alongside teammate Sarka Grabmullerova (CZE).

Review: The new MIO Alpha watch does away with the sweaty heart rate sensor

Anyone who’s been racing triathlons for more than one season has more than likely been monitoring their heart rate.  EMT has posted an article HERE about heart rate training and HERE about VO2 testing which gives athletes direct correlations between effort and heart rate.  Heart rate talk is everywhere on the triathlon forums and if a triathlete is serious about improving their performance, they cannot afford to ignore their heart rate.
 
The problem is how can triathletes afford it?  The average GPS watch these days comes with the capabilities to read ANT+ devices, and more specifically heart rate straps.  Those sometimes awkward straps that going around a person’s sternum and sit there to track beats per minute and relay that to a GPS watch or running watch with ANT+ capabilities.  Garmin, Timex, Polar and a host of other GPS watches and then a whole other host of running watches without GPS all can provide the platform to track heart rate with the chest strap. 

Video: The 2012 Ironman World Championship in super cool & super slow motion

Podcast: Brett helps you find your bottleneck

 

 Click here to download or play the show.

This episode is a recording of Brett talks to the local triathlon club about how to train in Texas.  He goes over the Polarized training method, giving details on how to do it right.  

Brett covers everything you need to know, including:

LeStrange, MacLaren & Moss Named to USA Triathlon Hall of Fame

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Top age-grouper Missy LeStrange, groundbreaking paratriathlete Jim MacLaren and the iconic Julie Moss comprise the fifth induction class of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, the multisport National Governing Body announced today.

The three inductees will be honored at a banquet Thursday, April 18 at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego to open the ITU World Triathlon San Diego race weekend. Tickets to this exclusive event, which has sold out in each of the past four years, are on sale now via Active.com.

How to Run like an Olympian: Top 5 excercises to make you Run Faster (Part 6)

In this bonus part 6 video we show you how to run like an Olympian by teaching how to do well Belly Button Touch. Joanna Zeiger is a former professional triathlete, Olympian and Ironman 70.3 World Champion.

In other words, she's not only crazy fast but she's spent countless hours training and running. In this fifth video JZ along with her training partner Brandon discuss and demonstrate the Top five exercises for runners and triathletes who want to run faster like an Olympian.

Podcast: Brett goes back to the Rocky Raccoon 100 and 50 mile endurance run

 Click here to download or play the show.

We return to the famous Rocky Raccoon 100 and 50 mile endurance run for another round of fun.  We capture the race start, the kids race, and an interview with Devin Brown for his 3rd attempt.

At 90 minutes in, we are joined by the Suunto Ambit's lead software engineer.  He tells us how he came up with the idea for allowing apps on the watch and what is coming in the future.

The show includes very detailed techniques on training for and racing ultra runs.  I go over using weight vests, intervals, fuel, and much more.

ITU Triathlon TV exposure increased by 18 percent last year

Madrid, Spain (February 14 ) - The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce that television coverage of the ITU World Triathlon Series season achieved its widest distribution to date in 2012, underscoring the sport's continued increase in popularity.
 
 "Triathlon is a dynamic sport, with constant lead changes and surprise finishes," ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado said. "Its unpredictable nature provides exciting entertainment for viewers watching from home."

In 2012, television exposure increased by 18%, with broadcast duration reaching over 1,000 hours for the first time. The World Triathlon Series accumulated 5.43 billion contacts* in 2012 - up 168% from when it began after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

How to Run like an Olympian: Top 5 excercises to make you Run Faster (Part 5)

In this part 5 video we show you how to run like an Olympian by teaching how to do well wall quad stretch. Joanna Zeiger is a former professional triathlete, Olympian and Ironman 70.3 World Champion. In other words, she's not only crazy fast but she's spent countless hours training and running.

In this fifth video JZ along with her training partner Brandon discuss and demonstrate the Top five exercises for runners and triathletes who want to run faster like an Olympian.

Michael Phelps Is Back to Swimming but for how long?

Twitter knows all.

At least that's what we are lead to believe by this latest tweet and photp from Bob Bowman, who is the long time coach of Michael Phelps.

"Michael Phelps got in 3k with our HP group today and gave them some technique tips," Bowman tweeted earlier this week.

Followed by the Tweet, "What is going on here? Comeback?"

What's New: Triathlon Book shows the essential anatomy of the body needed to swim, bike & run

In the new book Triathlon Anatomy, step-by-step instructions for 82 exercises, depicted with more than 177 full-color anatomical illustrations, provide an inside look at developing muscles essential for swimming, biking, and running. See what it takes to maximize multisport strength, power, speed, and endurance. Triathlon Anatomy will show you how to improve your performance by increasing muscular strength and optimizing the efficiency of every movement.



"Troy Jacobson has been at the forefront of coaching athletes of all levels for more than 20 years. Triathlon Anatomy reflects his coaching philosophy, which has generated as much success for his clients as any coach in our sport." Kevin O'Connor-- Owner of Gear West Bike & Triathlon, Six-Time Ironman Hawaii Athlete (9:13 Kona PR), 2009 USAT Overall Duathlete of the Year

How to Run like an Olympian: Top 5 excercises to make you Run Faster (Part 4)

In this part 4 video  we show you how to run like an Olympian by teaching how to do well executed arm totations. Joanna Zeiger is a former professional triathlete, Olympian and Ironman 70.3 World Champion. In other words, she's not only crazy fast but she's spent countless hours training and running. In this third video JZ along with her training partner Brandon discuss and demonstrate the Top five exercises for runners and triathletes who want to run faster like an Olympian.

BTW: You can visit Joanna's blog HERE for a complete explination of these running excercise videos.

USA Triathlon names Groff & Shoemaker 2012 Elite Athletes of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - With U.S. Olympian Sarah Groff and elite national champion Jarrod Shoemaker headlining the honorees, USA Triathlon today announced its 2012 Elite Athletes of the Year.

Eligible athletes were nominated by their fellow elite competitors with the award selections being made by the USA Triathlon Athlete Advisory Council (AAC).

"2012 was truly a remarkable year in triathlon. With outstanding performances across all distances, picking the winners from our incredible list of nominees was a difficult task," said Barrett Brandon, chair of the USA Triathlon Athlete Advisory Council. "The AAC carefully examined the résumés and results and is proud to honor these exceptional athletes. The AAC congratulates all the 2012 winners."

Groff (Hanover, N.H.) is a repeat winner in the Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year category after posting a fourth-place showing at the 2012 Olympic Games and a seventh-place finish in the final International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Series rankings. She recorded four top-10 finishes on the ITU World Triathlon Series circuit last season and placed third in Hamburg, Germany, on July 21 to become the first American with multiple career WTS podium finishes.

Review: The Timex Run Trainer is a fabulous 5 Star GPS running watch

Quick, what word comes to mind when you think "Ironman"?

Robert Downey Jr.?
Marvel comics?
Torture?
Pain?
Chrissie Wellington?
Craig Alexander?
140.6 miles?

What about Timex? It seems as though Timex has been around since the beginning, but often gets overlooked within the triathlon world outside of brand loyalists.  They were tracking splits and miles before GPS was fully operational in 1994. Timex has been around since 1854, but not until recently have they ventured into the GPS game.

The Timex Run Trainer is their answer to bringing all of the features in Timex watches that have been loved by triathletes to a GPS watch that is now the staple training device. A triathlete without a GPS watch is like a duck without feathers. Splits, distance, speed, pace, heart rate... triathletes have to have it.