When I speak with someone who’s interested in getting faster, I always ask them if their workouts include Heart Rate Training (HRT). The answer is typically “No”, “A little…” or “Well, I have a heart rate monitor…but I’m not really sure how to use it properly.” All too often, a training buddy might have suggested they need a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) or they see someone else wearing one, and they go about trying to figure out how to use it and see if they can improve. Other reasons include having GPS functions so they can see their distance and pacing more accurately. But if you’re not using it to train specific to the cardiovascular system, it’s kind of like installing a GPS system in your vehicle, not turning it on, then wondering why you can’t get to those unknown destinations faster.

Training with a HRM is specific to the cardiovascular system (your engine), while actually using a HRM can provide feedback of your performance in all areas of physical activity. So just what does that mean? It means that if you train correctly with a HRM, you can actually see performance gains in the muscular system as well as the Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE in different tasks such as swimming, cycling or running. What you’re achieving is a strengthening of the your engine through adaptation, and by doing so you can perform at a higher level with less effort, both physical and perceived. As a result, your efforts get easier, while pace and endurance improves. And really, that’s the basis of getting faster. Think of it as your engine becoming more fuel efficient, and being able to work at a higher speed at less of a fuel cost. That’s a goal we should all strive to hit.

All HRT is accomplished based on specific zones, established through an Anaerobic Threshold (AT) test, also known as a VO2 Max test. This test might also be called Aerobic Threshold (AeT)  or Lactate Threshold (LT) testing. Your body will burn glucose as fuel, two ways, aerobically (with oxygen) and anaerobically (without oxygen). In the case of an all out effort, requiring high power output, the body uses the anaerobic system. Energy is rapidly available, but the anaerobic pathways are not very efficient for producing long-term energy. In turn, the energy stores deplete, lactic acid builds up in the muscles, and the effort must cease. In contrast, distance events requiring steady output and pacing over extended periods, use the aerobic system. The aerobic pathways can’t generate near the power of the anaerobic system, but they are more efficient and will sustain higher endurance type efforts. Distance and effort will actually see both of these systems contributing in different proportions. So by definition, your AT, which you test for, is the point where lactate (lactic acid) begins to accumulate in the bloodstream. Higher levels of effort mean higher accumulations of lactate, to a point where the body cannot keep it within a range that allows it to be easily cleared from the bloodstream. When this occurs, effort will drop, as will performance. Your threshold is an important point or value to know, as all training will be based on the value found through testing. Working below your threshold point works your anaerobic system, while working above it works the anaerobic system. When you work at or around your threshold point, you are working at an intensity that can teach your body how to handle the accumulation of lactate, and learn how to flush it more efficiently. By doing this, you can actually raise your AT. This won’t necessarily raise your maximum heart rate, but there’s little can be done to raise this genetically determined marker.

Typically, anywhere from five to six zones are used in establishing your aerobic and anaerobic intensity levels, with Zone 1 or Z1 being the lowest intensity. The number of zones is usually based on the method you choose to test with. For illustration purposes, Z1 would be a slow jog or maybe a moderately brisk walk. Effort is low and most of the fuel energy is derived from stored fats. The highest zones are at intensities high enough that you’d only be able to maintain them for several seconds at most. At this level you are consuming pure glycogen (sugars) energy without the benefit of oxygen. Most folks would assume that the faster (harder) they train, the faster they will become. This thinking is flawed, in that efforts at high intensity do little to build the aerobic engine. The heart is a muscle that, like other muscles, responds to training adaptations through stressing and recovery. The strong foundation needs to be in place to support those efforts, before one can build on them.

Let’s touch on equipment for a moment. There are tons of options for HRMs out there. I have owned several in my time, and I now believe the product I currently own is the perfect all-round HRM for the multisport athlete. The following features are what I consider to be basic necessity, and you should not settle for a model with less than these features.

Chest Strap with Removable Transmitter. Why a removable transmitter? They are easier to clean, you can change the battery yourself, and because it’s detachable, females have the option of using them in sports bras that feature a built in sensor material. Snaps are built in to the lower front of the sports bra, which allows the transmitter to attach sans strap. One less item to worry about, and most women report less chaffing as a result.

Programmable Workouts. This feature allows your to input workout profiles for such things as intervals, tempo runs and speed workouts. Be cautioned though, as there are Pros and Cons between the two leaders in HRMs. Polar requires the workout to be developed on a computer (PC) and transferred to the wristwatch as an exercise file, whereas Garmin allows you to build the workout on the watch just before starting the actual workout. This comes in very handy when you’ve forgotten to download the workout of the day.

Downloadable Capability. This function allows for downloading and analyzing your data on a PC, Mac or any of the online services such as Garmin Connect or Training Peaks. Graphical analysis and storage of your data is invaluable for comparison purposes. Also, if you’re working with a coach, most will require your data in the form of a file, or file upload to a designated site for analyzing. Handwritten data that’s been plucked off the watch each time you use it is near worthless.

Distance Foot Pod or GPS Tracking. This may seem like a luxury, be really, how many times will you want to plan your route to the extent that you have to know every single mileage marker along the way, so you can hit the lap button and figure out your pace? The value of being able to head out on a run or ride, without having to worry about remembering every mileage mark, becomes priceless. If you want to get 8 miles in, run out 4 miles and run back 4 miles, no matter what direction or route you choose to go.

Long Battery Life. Polar has an advantage here, in that it has a replaceable battery and can run for hours, days or weeks. Battery life with regular use has lasted me for a good two years. Garmin requires disciplined recharging. The latest Garmin multisport model touts battery life up to 20 hours on a recharge. Although I’ve never pushed mine that far, I have used it for 14+ hours without it showing signs of an impending DNF. Shop around and shop wisely.

For lack of space, I will say that there are many publications and training plans for using HRT. Certified coaches are a good source for developing training plans to target your heart rate improvements. The plans I design for HRT will vary throughout the month and weeks of a training cycle phase, thereby targeting specific zones to challenge, adapt and improve. You can usually find AT testing in your area through local health clubs, triathlon clubs, cycling clubs or through your doctor’s office. Just remember, if you want to get faster, sometimes you just have to slow down a bit. You heart will respond favorably.

FYI: I use the Garmin 310XT. It has a lot of features, most of which I actually use, and it’s rated Swim Capable which bodes well for triathletes. I was very pleased to see a lot of the pro field at Rev3 using this model too. With its ANT+ capability, it pairs nicely with the Power Tap hub system.

[Part 1 can be found here]

Strength Exercises Based on One Repetition Max Lift or Progressive Overload

My strength training incorporates the major muscle groups, as well as the secondary support or stabilizing muscles. The body is an integrated “machine” that functions dynamically, based on demands and the signals sent by the brain, both consciously and unconsciously. The same thing happens when you swim, bike or run. Everything plays i’s part, and all parts are important to performance efficiency. My starting weight for any of the following exercises is based on a One Rep Maximum Lift. After a few warmup lifts at a lighter weight, I’ll perform a single repetition at what I think would be the maximum weight I can lift for that exercise. This sets the initial baseline weight in my base period of training or when coming out of any extended off-season…which quite honestly has not been more than a couple of weeks for a few years now. It’s also a good place to start if you’ve been slowly working at or maintaining strength training.

For those just starting out in a training program, I would suggest a Progressive Overload method of coming up to your base. This would be working for the first three to four weeks just performing the exercises in about 12 repetition sets, and increasing the weight as you begin to feel stronger. The intention with all of these exercises is train the muscles to near exhaustion, but only through recovery will they become stronger. Depending on what phase of your training plan you’re in, the reps performed could be anywhere from 8-10 and even up to as many as 20 reps. The actual weight will vary between 40% and 80% of the One Repetition Maximum, again, training phase dependent.

Adductor & Abductor Machine ~ This is sometimes a combination machine. You know the one I speak of, because we fear it. Subjecting yourself to a machine that wants to treat your legs like a wishbone is no picnic, but neither is a pulled adductor or gluteus medius.

Biceps & Triceps ~ Swimming and biking place demands on these muscle groups for good stroke recovery and pull phase, and climbing seated or standing.

Hip Extensions & Flexions ~ Strong hips will benefits your kick in swimming, pedal stroke in biking and gait or stride in running. An extension gets the gluteus firing, while a flexion fires the sartorius, what we refer to as our hip flexor. The hip flexor plays an important role in bringing the knee up and forward, especially on the bike and run. It’s not a very large muscle and tends to exhaust fairly easily. Train it well and you’ll feel the difference.

Shoulder Press & Chest Press ~ Again, swimming muscles for strong propulsion through the water, as well as arm carry and swing on the run.

Leg Extension & Leg Curl ~ Strengthens the quads and hamstrings for power on the bike and run.

Seated Row & Lat Pulldowns ~ Works the large latissimus muscles of the back, for strength after the “catch” and during the “pull” phases of your swim stroke.

Leg Press & Squats ~ Gluteus, quads and stabilizing muscles for power and core stability on swim, bike and run.

Lunges ~ These can be performed weighted or un-weighted by holding small weights in both hands.  Great primarily for the quads, and secondarily for the gluteus maximus, adductor and calf muscles.

Heel Raises ~ Works the calf muscles, so important for biking and running. These can be performed weighted or un-weighted by holding a weight down to your side as you stabilize yourself with your other hand.

Finish with some light stretching of the worked muscles. Rehydrate yourself and get that recovery nutrition into your system within 30 minutes if possible, but no longer then 60 minutes post-workout. I use a recovery drink with a ratio of 3:1, Carbohydrates to Protein, and also includes 3 grams of L-Glutamine. Carbs will replenish muscle glycogen, protein helps with muscle tissue repair, and L-Glutamine does wonders in relieving D.O.M.S.

And don’t forget to Train With Grain!!

Strength training can be a beneficial part of any training plan, if it is executed properly in both method and timing. In multisport training schedules, it can often be difficult to determine the best place to insert the workout, due to the hours already dedicated to the two, or three, core sports. It has to be challenging, yet still adjust intensity based on the periodization, or phase, of the entire training plan. I have found that Mondays tend to be the best days for my gym visits, and I can look forward to that workout being the singular thing I do for training that day. It’s the workout that starts my week, and it affects how the rest of the week will play out.

Proper nutrition is absolutely essential to your training, especially in this case where the workouts may come after a weekend schedule of long training sessions or doubled up workouts such as “bricks”. If you’re lacking in proper recovery nutrition, it will show up in the following days as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (D.O.M.S.). D.O.M.S has the ability to sabotage your workouts due to soreness experienced in the days following hard efforts. It’s a snowball effect that can derail the rest of your week, and over time, your mechanical function and performance improvements.

Different gyms will offer you different equipment options in which to perform your workouts. Maybe you have a home-gym setup, use a community center, private gym or national chain. The better equipped it is, the more you targeted your resistance training can be. My workouts have taken place in both well-equipped community centers and national chain clubs. The investment in equipment options and maintenance of the equipment is worth it to me. I’ll point out some of the exercises that I’ve found make a difference for my performance. Hygiene note: Be sure to wipe down the equipment after you complete your set of repetitions, especially if you’re working on other machines during multiple sets. Nobody should have to clean up after you, nor should you after somebody else.

Stretching and Core Work

Let’s not forget that long relaxed muscles and a strong core are a foundation for preventing injuries, being mechanically efficient and decreased recovery time. If you can spend the first 15-20 minutes of your gym routine stretching and working on your core muscles, your body will likely respond better for it. I like to use a combination of yoga stretches, core work on the Swiss ball and foam rolling. There are a lot of resources out there for Swiss ball exercises. I would recommend getting instruction from a qualified yoga instructor on proper technique and form. I would also seek a knowledgeable person – perhaps a friend who’s a physical therapist – to instruct you on foam rolling. Ask other athletes if they know of coaches or experts in that area. You might start to love the foam roller as much as I do!

[To be continued]

Doug gives us insight into getting ready for Rev 3 Portland.

Racing for 13 years means one thing—I have logged countless training hours on my bike. Racing as a professional for the last 9 years means that many of those hours have been structured and demanding as I have very specific goals that are important to my own performance and to the success of my team. If you are like me, I train to race. I don’t race to train. Don’t get me wrong—I love to ride my bike, but sometimes training can become mundane. Over the years I have learned to incorporate key elements in my training to keep it fresh and exciting and to help me continually improve even when I think I might have hit my peak.

KEEP IT FUN

Always keep it fun. Sure, there are days when it feels like a chore to ride my bike, especially on days when I’m alone pushing through intervals in the freezing cold, feeling like a slave to my power meter, but then there are days when I would not want to do anything else but ride my bike. Those are the days when I leave my power meter and heart rate monitor at home, meet friends for a casual coffee shop ride, and breathe in the fresh air while my legs feel like they could pedal forever.

Social group rides are naturally fun, but hard group rides can also be fun in a painful sort of way. Instead of staring at a power meter during a hard interval session, you can use a group ride to raise the bar. They’re an opportunity for you to forget the numbers and let the excitement of the group motivate and push you harder and longer than you can go on your own.

QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY

My philosophy for my own training and for those that I coach is quality versus quantity. I am lucky because I have all day to ride my bike, but I don’t spend unnecessary hours training just because I can. Years ago I had to spend six monotonous, frustrating weeks on a trainer due to an injury. It was mentally challenging to say the least, but because my training was totally dialed for 60-90 minutes each day I was relatively prepared for my first race back—a World Cup nonetheless—immediately after getting off the trainer. This same sort of structure can be taken to the road—make every minute and hour count for something. I’m not saying to never give yourself the freedom to ride as long as you want and enjoy the scenery now and then, but don’t feel as if limited training time means success is out of reach.

REST IS TRAINING

Equally important, if not even more important than quality versus quantity, is getting enough rest. Many people feel that if they take a rest day they are going to lose fitness or they’ve missed an opportunity to train, when in fact it’s quite the opposite. Rest IS training. Not getting enough rest can be detrimental to performance. During a hard workout, we impose a lot of stress on our bodies. In order for our bodies to adapt to that stress, rest is essential. Without the proper rest not only will our bodies not adapt to the stress imposed on them but we won’t be able to continually push our bodies to the same extent time and time again. If training intensity can’t be increased, performance gains will hit a plateau if not even take a step back. Rest doesn’t only mean riding super duper easy (I am talking about 100W and barely above resting heart rate), but taking naps if possible, eating well, staying hydrated, doing yoga, stretching, getting a massage … doing all the things you wouldn’t normally have time to do on a big training day.

TRAINING CYCLES

There are many different ways to prioritize a training program, but the most basic is usually based around several “build” weeks followed by a rest week. Build weeks can be organized to focus on endurance, speed, power, etc., but typically there should be one major focus for that training block. As mentioned before, finishing the block with a rest week is important for the body to adapt to the stress of the previous strenuous weeks of training before moving on to the next block. With a well-rounded and thought out training program, your body should be ready for whatever is thrown its way and performance will continue to improve.

KEEP IT REAL

Cycling is hard—but don’t let it become a chore. Get the most out of your training. It’s not always how much you do but WHAT you do that counts the most. Give your body the rest it needs when it needs it. Listen to your body, not always your head. Train your weaknesses, build your strengths with a plan that focuses on all the different physiological systems. And above all always remember to keep it real—cycling is supposed to be fun, right?

Any one who is or has been a cyclist for any appreciable amount of time has run into “THAT guy”, or “that F—-IN’ guy” once or twice.  He shows up on group rides, races and sometimes he’s spotted riding solo.  I’ve run into him at bars before and after races and I’ve also spotted him in bike shops.  You know the guy…

I was on a group ride that was supposed to be a “no drop” friendly ride to acclimate beginning riders to pack riding.  Shortly after we left the parking lot of the coffee shop THAT guy went to the front of the ride and began to treat it like a race, proving to the world despite his lack of results in years of Cat 3 races that he really was one of the strongest riders in the state.  As the pace got faster and faster, the beginner riders for whom the ride was formed were being shelled off the back while THAT guy was attacking the “no drop” ride through a stop sign!

I saw THAT guy in the bike shop a couple of days later and he was badgering the mechanic about getting a wheel trued like “RIGHT NOW” despite the line up of work the mechanic had been working through.  THAT guy needed the wheel worked on immediately because he had to have it ready for the epic Thursday night “world championships” group ride.  When he saw me; he left the mechanic alone long enough to recount for me how he had “destroyed” the no drop ride on Tuesday.  He was quite impressed with himself that he was able to ride away from a bunch of new bike club members, some of whom were 40 something ladies on hybrids and gentlemen on their first group ride ever.  So full of himself he was that he didn’t realize I was on the ride as well and didn’t need the pedal stroke by pedal stroke replay as I saw him up the road blasting around cars and through stop signs in order to “drop” any riders foolish enough to follow him.

Last year my team mates and I were eating out before a race.  We were waiting for a team mate to show up and I was talking with his girlfriend at the restaurant bar.  THAT guy walked up and said “Hi” to me then turned his back and started trying to mack on my team mate’s girlfriend.  She’s a pretty sharp lady, so she gave THAT guy a bit of rope with which he would eventually hang himself.  Conversation was something like this:

THAT guy:  “Hi, my name is THAT guy.  I’m a bike racer” (THAT guy’s standard salutation in social settings)

Girl friend:  “Hi, I’m Steph”

TG:  “You a bike racer too?”

GF:  “No, I’m just here to watch”

TG:  “Cool, you know much about bike racing?” 

GF:  A little.  You know- Tour de France and stuff like that…

TG: (interrupting) I hope some day to compete in the Tour de France.  Like I said I’m pretty good.  Since you don’t know that much about bike racing it may not mean much to you but I’m a CAT 3” He said it quite loftily.

GF:  “Yeah?  My boyfriend is a pro. You may recognize him, he won the NRC race last weekend and used to race in Europe.  Ever heard of him?” 

THAT guy realizing he’d just been hung grabbed his beer and slunk away. It was classic stuff.

I saw THAT guy last summer riding alone wearing a pro team kit he bought off the internet.  He wasn’t wearing a helmet.  I saw him stop at a stop light (a rare thing for him) and rather than unclipping and putting a foot down to wait for the light he was doing a track stand.  As he struggled to maintain balance he was inching into the intersection.  The driver of a car that had the right of way came to a stop because she didn’t know if THAT guy was actually stopped or was preparing to run through the light.  She honked her horn at him and he went off on the poor lady, screaming at her that she shouldn’t be driving if she couldn’t drive with bikes on the roads and that he was a “pro” bike racer and he knew what he was doing.

Geez…THAT guy…

Once on a group ride – again with newer riders – THAT guy and I were riding at the back of the pack.  I to make sure no one was dropped off the back and he to fill my ears with a stroke by stroke recounting of why he didn’t win the race last weekend even though he could have if he wanted.  No one would work with him in the break and the other racers and especially the guy that won were just lucky that his coach told him not to make the race an “A Priority” race; otherwise he would have crushed them all.

Anyway, he got done with his story and decided that it was time to move forward.  So, he went around the group on the left, crossed the yellow line into on coming traffic.  When a car in the on coming lane had to slam on the brakes, THAT guy swerved back into the group ride and cause about 10 riders to crash.  Instead of stopping to help the downed riders and see if everyone was okay, THAT guy started yelling at the riders he’d just knocked down about “not knowing how to handle their bikes and they should go back to riding tricycles and stay away from group rides until they’re not a risk to others.”  Then, he rode off and never looked back.

Don’t be THAT guy…

I moved from the bike friendly University of Illinois community, Champaign-Urbana, IL to the mean streets of Chicago 2 years ago come Labor Day 2011.  This move was the source of a great deal of angst for me as I could not imagine myself being able to train with any consistency or effectiveness.  Despite the large number of racers I know who live in the city and that I’ve been racing with for years, I was used to the largely rural roads surrounding Champaign-Urbana where I could literally go on a 5 hour training ride and encounter only a dozen vehicles the entire trip.

I knew it could be done though and I was determined to not let the move to Chicago be the Waterloo for my competitive cycling days.  I have a good friend and former team mate who won the Masters Nationals 30-34 road race championship in 2000. It is possible to be an urban bike racer, and also be very, very good at it.  You just have to adapt to the environment.

Here are some bullet points in no particular order of importance that will help you if you are a racer based in a large metropolitan setting.

• Find and use the bike lanes.  Most metropolitan areas have designated bike lanes.  I was pleasantly surprised after my move to Chicago by how many miles of bike lanes there are and how well most motorists pay attention to people on bikes.  True story – I was actually pulled over by one of Chicago’s Finest on a frigid February morning, on a snow packed road for driving 200 feet in the bike lane in order to get around the line of cars at a stop light so I could make a right on red.  No bikes were present, there was a blizzard going on, but the police officer made sure I knew to stay out of the bike lane with my car.
• Pay attention and ride defensively.  Never assume that a motorist sees you even when you make eye contact.  Follow the rule of the road.  Don’t be one of those riders that weaves through traffic at stop lights, running through stop signs and rolling through red lights.  Remember you’re not a bike messenger, you’re trying to get somewhere you can train.  There is ALWAYS somebody in a car that will be pushing to beat the stale yellow light or attempting to beat the green turn arrow.  Relax, wait your turn and make your way to clearer roads safely before you begin to “train”.
• Do not attempt “interval” training in heavy traffic. It’s virtually impossible to ride defensively when you’re riding on the rivet.  City streets are fraught with peril, bumps, pot holes, inattentive motorists in a hurry, cracks and pedestrians walking across the street while texting.  Your interval training can wait until you’re in the clear.
  Bike paths and bike lanes are NOT for training.  They’re designed for commuters and leisure riders.  Use bike paths and bike lanes as a means to get yourself TO your training roads, never AS your training ground.  I will ride occasionally on the Lake Michigan Bike Path on days when I need to go slow and recover. The path is notorious for attracting large crowds of cyclists, pedi cabs, runners, in line skaters, and tourist who despite the presence of 50 feet of concrete or grass on either side of the bike pack insist on standing in the center of the bike path to take photos of Chicago’s beautiful sky line.  Despite this, I am never ceased to be amazed by the number of athletes, riding full bore, head down in their aero bars trying to “train” in this setting.  I once witnessed a guy blasting down the bike lane plow directly into the back of another cyclist who had stopped to greet a friend who was riding in the opposite direction. The guy in the aero bars never saw the stopped rider. He was checking his computer for his wattage output or heart rate I assume. He certainly wasn’t looking where he was going. I also had a friend relate a story of how an angry cyclist yelled at his 11-year-old son who was riding on a Forest Preserve bike path.  Seems my friend’s son had made the mistake of getting in the way of this jerk who was “training”.
• Try, if possible, to time your rides when traffic will be lighter.  You’ll practically never have roads completely to yourself but traffic outside of the city center will tend to be much lighter early in the morning and in the summer, after rush hour.  Midday in my neighborhood on the Northwest side of Chicago is also a pretty decent time to ride.
• Find the most direct path out to the suburbs and use the lighter traveled roads for your training.  If you go on group rides, be safe and obey traffic rules.  Nothing makes motorists angry and aggressive more than a group of 50 cyclists “racing” on the shoulder of crowded roads during rush hour and blowing stop signs.
• Use the urban sprawl to your advantage.  Try doing 20-25 pedal stroke jumps or seated “stomps” out of the numerous stop lights and signs you encounter on your way out of and back into town – but be wise about staying out of the way of heavy traffic when doing so and make sure all the cars at the intersection have stopped before you go. Pick a moderately heavy gear like 53×17 and do the first 20 pedal strokes from the standing start as hard as you can. A workout like this will help increase your acceleration for sprints and attacks.
• The fact is, you’ll need to allow yourself more time.  When I lived in Champaign-Urbana, I could do a 100k training ride in under 3 hours.  In the city and suburbs, 100k takes about 20 minutes more due to the stopping and starting and another 10 minutes or so of stationary time waiting for lights to change.  Be realistic with your time and expectations when you’re planning your training time

It is possible to be a competitive cyclist at a high level if you live in an urban environment.  You just need to ride defensively to make sure you get to more open roads in one piece before you begin your actual “training”.  I know that the first and last half hour of my rides are going to be interrupted by stop and go traffic.  I have learned to adjust, and use the stop and go to my advantage to do stomps and jumps.  I also make plans once or twice a month to pack my bike and drive out to some place that allows me to go on long uninterrupted rides just to keep my sanity.

Good luck and stay safe!

Keyon gives you tips on prepping for a big race. Tips and tricks for making your next big race a success (plus some great ideas for pre-race meals).