Triathlon Training
GPP Endurance Tri Camp, Tucson AZ
22 months ago
part of Mccain Loop by Gates Pass
This past week I got the opportunity to help out and train with the GPP Endurance Tri Camp in Tucson, AZ. It was 3 days of intense triathlon training ranging from Olympic distance to full Ironman athletes. I did most of the workouts with the group but also helped map out routes for our workouts. For the past few years, I have been coming down to Tucson to get out of the harsh Utah winters. Tucson is a great place for endurance athletes with weekly group rides and nice pools to swim in.
After 1000 yard time trial
The first day of camp consisted of a 75 min swim workout with a 1000 yard time trial(fun!) mixed in, a 3 hour bike with 6×20 min tempo efforts and a 1 hour progressive run. I was pretty cracked after the first day but knew that my body would eventually adapt.
Coming back from the Biosphere(one of the many wonders of Tucson)
The second day kicked off with a 90 min swim workout followed by a double duathlon brick.(90 min ride up and over Gates Pass and a 30 min trail run x2) Once again my body felt like it was being hit by a truck and i couldnt even imagine how the other athletes were feeling.
giving directions for bike/run workout
The third day was the most epic day of camp with a 25 mile, 7,000 vertical feet climb up the infamous Mt. Lemmon. It takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to climb to the top from the base. I’ve done it a ton on my road bike, but never on my TT setup so i was unsure of how my body would respond to that much climbing. To my surprise, my Fezzari T-5 got me all the way to the top without any discomfort. A group of us got to the summit around the same time and rested up for the long descent at the Cookie Cabin where they serve Cookies as big as your head!
on top of Mt. Lemmon at the Cookie Cabin
Everyone at camp had great attitudes and were super motivated durring each workout. Each athlete made it to the summit of Mt.Lemmon with huge smiles on their faces and nothing but positive things to say about the ride up. I love surrounding myself with people like this because it can really push you to a higher level.
Hanging out before ride
GPP Endurance will be hosting a few more camps this year.
March 16-19 in St. George, Utah
April 13-16 in Henderson, Nevada
You can sign up on www.Active.com.
Also be sure to ‘like’ GPP Endurance on facebook where you can get current news and updates for each of these camps.
Riding my Fezzari T-5!
Doing some run drills before progression run
Dr. Tom Fletcher giving a seminar about injury prevention
Fezzari Triathlete Kelsey Withrow
13 months ago
Fezzari Triathlete Kesley Withrow
Kelsey is a pro triathlete from Park City, Utah who races heavily in the Olympic distance triathlons. She spent 5 years training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado as a part of the National Team aiming for a spot in the Olympics. She also comes from a college swimming background and has had numberless wins in her young career. She was even named the Junior Duathlete of the Year by USA Triathlon.
In 2011 Kelsey set an age group national swimming record for the 6,000-yd. freestyle. In 2012 she is planning to focus on the Half Ironman distance in triathlon. Kelsey is also an avid cyclist where she competes in road and mountain bike races. In the off-season, Kelsey enjoys going on week-long backpacking excursions and taking trips to the south for good country music and honky-tonks!
We were able to sit down with Kelsey and learn more about what makes her tick.
Where are you from originally? What brought you to Utah?
I grew up in Seattle, Washington. After a 5 year stint at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, I moved to Utah for a change in scenery.
What got you into biking and triathlon?
When I was 17, I had a life guarding job at a local country club north of Seattle. Sara Graham, a triathlon coach and spinning instructor saw me running on a treadmill on my lunch break, and asked me if i had ever tried triathlon. I kept her in the back of my mind until I did a half marathon a few months later. I was not untrained and was wearing shoes two sizes too small. I ended up winning my age division and getting a top 10 overall. I called Sara and she helped me discover the wonderful sport of triathlon.
What has been the highlight of your triathlon career so far?
I had a lot of success early on in my career, winning a junior triathlon national championship and being named Junior Duathlete of the year in 2001. I was fortunate enough to get picked to live and train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as a part of the National team from 2002-2007. On the second day of training there i broke my hip in a bike crash and was sidelined for several months. From that day on it has been a path of perseverance and struggle to get my body healthy and injury free. The highlight of my career was taking 2nd place at Canadian Nationals. I shared the podium with several Olympians including Simon Whitfield(Olympic gold medalist) and Sharon Donalley. It was a surreal moment and I proved to myself that I could compete at the worlds highest levels.
How many miles did you ride last week?
225 miles.
What is your favorite race?
My favorite local races are the Dinoland Tri in Vernal, UT and Battle of Midway Triathlon in Midway, UT. On the world scale, I loved the course from the 2003 worlds in Queenstown, New Zealand.
When did you start biking?
I started biking in 2001 as soon as i got into triathlons.
What was your first bike?
My first bike was a Wal-Mart bought Norco that my coach Sara Graham loaned to me.
What bike setup do you ride now?
I ride the Fezzari T5 TT bike with a Dura-Ace groupset. Only the best!
Why do you bike?
Besides the obvious fact that cycling is the second leg of every triathlon, I love the feeling of freedom cycling gives me and exploring new place on my bike!
What is your favorite ride or route?
In Salt Lake City I love the Emigration and Big Cottonwood canyons. In St. George, I love the Gunlock Loop (part of the Ironman St. George Course).
What is your favorite time of day to ride?
I am not much of a morning person so I prefer to ride in the afternoon when the sun is out and warm!
What is your biggest goal with cycling and triathlon?
From the first day i entered the sport of triathlon my goal was to make the Olympic Team. In 2008 I came close but got injured and had to sit out of an important part of the season. Since the 2012 Olympics spots are all but accounted for, I am taking a break from Olympic distance, draft legal triathlon in 2012 to try my hand at non-drafting Olympic and half ironman distance racing.
What does an average training wee look like for you? Training hours? Type? Where?
An average week is anywhere from 18-24 hours. This winter my coach has me aiming towards quality vs quantity so I am not putting in the huge hours like i have in the past. I have immediately noticed that with this approach, I am never sick, rarely injured, and my motivation stays high so that I can attack every workout. I’m doing 3-4 swims per week, riding 4 times per week, and running 4 times per week. I am also spending time in the weight room, doing yoga, and focusing on rest, nutrition, hydration, and all of the little things that make the big differences!
What do you do for training during the winter?
I typically spend the winter in Tucson, AZ. It’s an ideal training location because of the stable, warm weather, infinite training options, and amazing training partners! This winter has been very mild in Utah and I have been doing most of my training here, but I did get in 3 weeks of training on Maui (where I got to train with members of the Canadian National Triathlon Team) and have a Tucson trip planned for later in February.
What do you do for nutrition on long rides?
I’ll use anything from energy bars to drink mix, but my preferred ride fuel is fresh dates. I can pack a lot of calories into a ziplock bag with dates, and they provide excellent carbohydrate source that is packed with nutrients!
What races do you have planned for this year?
I have a big list of races planned this year. I am planning the RAGE Tri series, as well as the REV3 series in Tennessee, Connecticut, Portland, and Wisconsin. I’ll compete in a bunch of local Olympic distance races as well as do some local road stage races and crits with a TT and endurance mountain bike races mixed in there too.
What’s on your iPod?
I’ve got a bit of everything. For intervals, i really like electronic and euro pop music:) For easy rides and runs I’m usually rocking the country music!
What’s your favorite recovery meal?
After workouts I usually make a smoothie with 6-10 bananas, soy milk and ice.
Do you have a pre-race routine? If so, what?
The night before my race i listen to chill music on my ipod and visualize myself on the podium!
Winter Training Exercises
03 months ago
If you’re like me, you hate to see the warm weather go. Cold temperatures force us back to the trainers or Indoor Spinning classes from great rides like Moab’s Slick rock, the Alpine Loop, and endurance races like Ranatad, Lotoja, and Salt to Saint. Consequently, this can be a good opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of cycling for both the road bike and the mountain bike. Winter is also the perfect time to rejuvenate your body with a periodization schedule.
At the end of the season I go back to a base building period that involves keeping my heart rate in an aerobic zone. I do this for 2 ½ months then I add strength zone which takes heart rate up about 10%. This is followed by adding in intervals at 92% Heart Rate (HR). This base building has many rewards including fully recovering from the stresses of intense exercise and competition, and gaining a larger cardiovascular base. Many athletes believe that the path to increasing fitness, power, and speed is to keep a high intensity or volume of training without interruption. Although it is easy to feel that any break in this kind of training will result in setback, the truth is that the real gains in fitness and strength come in the rest and regeneration periods between hard workouts or training cycles.
You’ll enjoy these other numerous benefits from aerobic training:
Increased fat metabolism: the body prefers fat for fuel at this rate.
Better performance: improves VO2 max (oxygen use during exercise).
Stronger immune system: increases number of macrophage and T-cells (our fighter cells).
Increased resistance to fatigue: The more effective the heart is as a pump, the better it efficiently provides more oxygen to the body.
Lower risk of heart disease.
Increased general stamina: We build more capillaries thereby creating less work for the heart over time for the same cardiac output.
I suggest finding a good spinning instructor who knows how to train for endurance, strength, and competition. I train my students at the Orem Fitness Center. We have just started our Periodization program so we’ll be more fit; ready to compete and enjoy staying with the pack on group rides and centuries. Come indoors and spend some time training with me until you can get reacquainted with your good friend, the road bike. I have taught Spinning for over 8 years. I do endurance races and triathlons for Fezzari Bicycles. Let’s build a stronger body together. Here is a good aerobic workout that I tried out in my class for you who prefer the trainers.
Objective: increase leg strength in aerobic zone
10 min. warm-up
3 min. small hill climb (elevate HR to 75% or level 5)
2 min. mod. Hill climb ( HR to 80% or level 6)
1 min. heavy hill climb ( maintain HR. focus on relaxation and breathing)
1 min. on flat road. Repeat
Rolling Hills: In the saddle
Add gear every 20 sec. 3 gears ( try and hold same cadence) off 3 gears
Add gear every 15 sec. 4 gears ( know your limits) off 4 gears
Add gear every 10 sec. 5 gears (put your ego aside and slow cadence) off 5 ( I take 30 sec. In between each set to recover)
Add gear every 30 sec. 6 gears ( last gear out of saddle for 15 sec.) off 5
Add gear every 20 sec. 5 gears (last gear out of saddle for 15 sec.) off 4
Add gear every 15 sec. 4 gears (last gear out of saddle for 15 sec.) off 3
Add gear every 10 sec. 3 gears (stay seated) off 3
(take 1-2 min. to recover)
Flat road. Cadence 100 rpm. Add 3 gears without slowing cadence. Hold for 30 sec. Slow down to about 80rpm. Add 3 gears w/o slowing down. Hold for 20 sec.
Slow down to 60 rpm. Add 3 gears w/o slowing down. Hold for 10 sec. Recover 1 min. Repeat.
Finish off with light resistance hold for 2 min. then add tempo bursts until HR leaves zone (maybe 10-20 sec.) slow down and wait for HR drop.
Repeat. See how many you can do in 5 min.
Cool Down 10 min. Easy pedal.
For information about Orem Fitness Center Spinning classes: visit http://rec.orem.org
Written by: Audra Jeske
Heart Rate Training: The Importance of Base Building
26 months ago
Heart rate training has gone through its ups and downs throughout the years. To some it is considered a fad, much like fads such as low-carb diets. To others it’s considered the most effective training method still. In my reviews of literature, I fall somewhere in between, however, I sway more toward the side of heart rate training being one of the most effective means by which to train (with important considerations…so make sure you read the entire article).
How Long
The majority of people that monitor their heart rates during workouts really don’t have much of a clue about why they are doing this or what their goal is in doing it. The goal of heart rate training should be to build a base fitness level that is enough to take you through your goal event feeling strong. To adequately build this base, science generally says it will take 4-6 months of heart rate training to build a base, depending on the distance/amount of time the event will take. Fezzari Bicycles sells many different heart rate monitors and cycling computers. Give them a call and they can help you find the one best for your training needs.
How Do You Determine Your Optimal Heart Rate In Training?
The ideal heart rate to train at is debated a bit, however most equations result in numbers that are similar. The equation for determining your ideal training heart rate I like best (because of the research behind it) is the one developed by Dr. Phil Maffetone. His equation is 180 minus your age. If you have had injuries caused by training (knee pain, ITB syndrome, etc), or have been sick in the last 3 months you should subtract 5. If you have been training consistently for at least 6 months without any sickness or injuries, you can add 5. If you have a chronic health problem, such as heart disease or diabetes, subtract 10.
Dr. Phil Maffetone’s Heart Rate Training Calculation Example
As an example of calculating an ideal base building heart rate, we will use a 32 year old that has only been consistently training for 2 months, so we will not add or subtract anything. Their ideal heart rate would be 148.
| Value | Age Example | Ideal Training Rate | |
| Base | 180 | - 32 | 148 bpm |
| Base – Injury | 180 | - (32 – 5) | 153 bpm |
| Base + Healthy | 180 | - (32 + 5) | 143 bpm |
In setting a plan for base building, you first must consider your race distance. If your goal is an Ironman 70.3, most evidence says you will need at least 4 months of base building at your ideal heart rate. If it is a full Ironman (140.6), at least 6 months of base building is necessary.
While base building, all of your training is done at your ideal heart rate. Speed work, intervals, progressions, and such are thrown away. For most triathletes, this concept is VERY hard to do because we have it engrained in us that we will lose speed if we don’t do speed work. I ensure you, this is not true at all, and in fact the research, both anecdotal and empirical says you will gain speed. The goal of base building is to increase aerobic speed (the speed you can go at heart rate). Building aerobic speed is relatively easy with heart rate training. After 3-4 weeks of base building you will find that you are able to run faster at the same heart rate. Throughout the rest of base building, you will continue to improve.
What Were My Personal Heart Rate Training Results?
Now, let me share my personal experience with training in this manner. When I first began, I had been training 4 months consecutively without injuries. I was doing a lot of speed work and going anaerobic in nearly every workout. My body constantly felt like it was recovering. Initially, I could run a 7:50 pace at a heart rate of 148. While training at heart rate, I felt MUCH better. My body nearly always felt fresh, long runs didn’t kill me, back to back runs were now possible, and I got sick less often. After 3 months I was able to run a 7:25 pace at a heart rate of 148. Then I hit race season (without having done any speed work at all). Here are the results in the run:
- Race 1 (sprint tri) - 6:14 pace (compared to 6:55 the prior year)
- Race 2 (sprint tri)- 6:13 pace after averaging 25.0 mph on bike (didn’t do this race the prior year)
- Race 3 (olympic tri) – 6:37 pace after averaging 24.1 mph on bike (compared to 6:53 the prior year)
- Race 4 (olympic plus tri) – 6:23 pace after a bike route that had 1500 ft of climbing (7:03 prior year)
I would look at my watch after each race and wonder where these times were coming from because I was now standing on the podium.
Regarding my improvements, they fall exactly in line with what the research says you can expect. After your base building period, I usually recommend adding speed work 1-2 days per week. In my case in the year referenced above, I didn’t get to add speed work because I began my base building so late. I used my races as my speed work.
Heart rate training is effective, reduces injuries, and reduces general stress on the body. It remains one of the most effective means of training for endurance athletes.
Aero Helmets: Are They Worth It or Not?
07 months ago
First Off, What Exactly Is an Aero Helmet?
We’ll let the picture do the talking.
Is it worth putting on one of those hot, goofy looking helmets or not? This is a question I have asked myself again and again.
I have been very resistant to aero helmets because of my doubts about them to date. In fact, my wife and training partners have been reminding me that I have said several times that I will never use an aero helmet, but I also said years ago that I would never wear tight bike shorts. Now I am perfectly fine walking around in triathlon shorts and no shirt, and I even stopped in the grocery store the other day in bike shorts. So, being my tolerance for goofy-looking apparel and gear is greater, I finally decided to look more deeply at the science behind the effectiveness of aero helmets. Here is what I’ve found…
Wind Tunnel Testing of Aero Helmets
In a wind tunnel setting, aero helmets definitely appear to be a lot of bang for the buck (compared to other things). They are definitely a better deal than the outragously expensive wheelsets we are all riding on nowadays. Some of these studies make aero helmets out to be incredibly effective, however when you look at comparisons to other products and clothing (such as bike gloves and water bottle placement), you will start to wonder if it is really worth the criticism when your dad sees a picture of you in this helmet.
Unfortunately, wind tunnels are our only meaningful methods of gaining evidence for the effectiveness of helmets, bike designs, wheels, etc. due to real life conditions having too many variables at any given time. Although wind tunnels are generally accepted as accurate, they are not the real world. For example, a specific wheelset may provide much greater benefit than your stock wheelset in a 12 degree headwind, however it may have no advantage at all in a straight headwind with 70% humidity and the temperature at 93 degrees. Conditions in the real world are never completely predictable. There is not adequate real-world evidence to help make a clear decision about whether an aero helmet is beneficial or not. Anecdotally, there are many people out there claiming they help, BUT of course they are going to say they help if they dropped $150-350 on a funny looking helmet.
I have read blogs about people experimenting with their new aero helmets. Some have tried to be as objective as possible by riding the same course in similar conditions. Most of these people find benefit. BUT, centuries of experiments have clearly concluded that when you put an expectation or hope into the mind of the “scientist” (aka athlete in this case) and the “scientist” is in control of the experiment, you will almost always get a placebo affect. In the cases of these amateur experiments, there is undoubtedly going to be some degree of placebo effect.
The conclusion I have come to is that certain people will find benefit, while others will not.
Will You Find Benefit in Wearing an Aero Helmet?
A huge factor in determining if an aero helmet will decrease your time is your abilities, riding position, technique, and race distance. Wind tunnel studies are very clear in showing that those with an optimal aero bike fit and good position (riding technique) will find benefit in using an aero helmet. Studies also show this benefit doesn’t become apparent unless you are averaging over 22mph. The benefits at 22mph aren’t big, however the benefits grow exponentially as your average rises above 22mph. So, if you are a strong rider that averages greater than 22mph, ride in an aggressive time trial position and have a superb, custom bike fit done by an aero trained specialist (see my blog about bike fits), and are doing a longer race such as a 70.3 or 140.6 triathlon, you will likely find benefit. If you don’t fit this mold, save your pride.
Fezzari Bicycles Carries a number of bike helmets, including the Giro Atmos and the Giro Ionos road helmets. If you are interested in an aero helmet, please call us direct at 1-888-8FEZZARI.
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