Healthy Habits for the New Year

Four Simple Ways to Become a Better Athlete

By Adam Hodges

January 1, 2012 (Boulder, CO) — As you make your resolutions for the year ahead, here are four healthy habits to add to the list. Working these positive practices into your life will help you become a better athlete.
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How to Maintain Fitness over the Holidays

By Adam Hodges

December 16, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — Getting through the holidays with fitness intact can sometimes be a challenge. If your usual training routine takes a hit due to holiday travels and disrupted schedules, think “maintenance.”
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Long Run Hydration Strategies, Part 2

A Review of Hydration Systems for When You Must Carry Water

By Adam Hodges

November 1, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — In the first article of this two-part series, I provided a few strategies for organizing your long run so that you can get the aid you need without having to carry it with you. However, often the easiest solution for staying hydrated/fueled during long runs is to simply carry what you need. Whereas in the past the choices runners had in this regard were limited and ill-conceived, now there are more options than ever. 
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Long Run Hydration Strategies

The Logistics of a Long Run When Aid is Mandatory

By Adam Hodges

October 29, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — Thanks to bike jerseys with pockets and bikes with water bottle cages, staying hydrated and fueled during long bike rides tends to be a fairly straightforward task. In contrast, figuring out how to stay hydrated and fueled during long runs always seems to be a challenge. Below are the pros and cons of a few long run hydration strategies. Experimentation is the key to finding the strategy or strategies that work best for you given the type of run, terrain and weather conditions.
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Tips for High Altitude Trail Running

Reach New Heights with a Smart Race Strategy

By Adam Hodges

September 1, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — There’s nothing quite like running on mountain trails to experience the freedom of running and the breathtaking beauty of the world. And racing on high altitude trails adds a whole new dimension to the competitive challenge of running, dishing out steep ascents and elevation gains that are rarely found in tamer road races. If you are a road racer ready for a change of scenery, keep these tips in mind as you head up high to test your mettle against challenging new terrain.
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Cadence Counts for Improved Running Form

Optimize Your Stride Rate for More Efficient Running

By Adam Hodges

August 1, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — One thing that all elite distance runners have in common is a remarkably similar stride rate. They run at a cadence of about 90 or more steps per foot each minute. This cadence remains similar whether it’s the start of a race, the middle or the finishing kick. The rest of us can learn from their example.
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Tips for a Speedier Recovery

How to Rebound from Hard Training Days

By Adam Hodges

July 1, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — Everyone knows that improving athletic performance requires putting in the requisite amount of work during training sessions. Yet given the propensity for type-A athletes to pile on as much training as possible in the quest for greater performance gains, the flip side of the training equation can easily be neglected. In short, it is important to remember that the effects of training are not gained during a training session itself but during the recovery periods between sessions. Given that recovery is an integral part of the training equation, here are seven items that can help speed your recovery from those hard training and racing days.
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Mental Skills Training

Keeping Your Head in the Game

By Adam Hodges

January 6, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — Given that optimal performance relies as much on psychology as physiology, the best physical preparation in the world can only take an athlete so far. As anyone who has ever engaged in a performance activity knows, the situation can induce a significant level of mental stress in addition to the physical stress placed on the body. So how can we minimize that mental stress to best support performance?
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Goal Setting Guidelines for the New Season

How to Use Goals to Achieve Desired Results

By Adam Hodges

January 1, 2011 (Boulder, CO) — Although the start of the new year is associated with new year's resolutions, the goal setting process involves much more than simply resolving to finish in the top ten of that target race next season. Yet when properly implemented, goal setting can play a central role in helping an athlete achieve desired race results. So how does one go about setting goals for the season ahead? Below are ten guidelines to help you make the most of goal setting. 
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Anaerobic Training with Oxygen Debt Drills

By Adam Hodges

June 3, 2010 (Boulder, CO) – For many triathletes focused on sprint and Olympic distance events, this time of the year is marked by a move to higher intensity anaerobic training. You have built a strong foundation with endurance base training over the winter and spring months, and now it’s time to prepare for those upcoming races by adding intervals in Zones 5b-5c to your training. These intensity levels help to develop anaerobic endurance and the capacity to manage high levels of lactate—that metabolic by-product that accumulates during short course racing. 
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If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

A Guide to Analyzing Your Running Shoe Needs

By Adam Hodges

April 28, 2010 (Boulder, CO) – One of the prime aspects of running I enjoy most is its simplicity. In the equipment intensive sport that can be triathlon, the most technical equipment needed for running is a good pair of running shoes. Although wading through the terminology and range of products can be daunting for those new to the sport, choosing the right shoes for your individual biomechanics need not be difficult. This article provides an overview of some basic terminology, and shows you how to analyze your foot biomechanics so you'll have a better idea of what to look for when you choose your running shoes.
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Building Intensive Endurance during Base Training

By Adam Hodges

March 12, 2010 (Boulder, CO) – Mention base training and the mantra “long slow distance” (LSD) often comes to mind. When this is translated into long duration aerobic workouts primarily performed in Zone 2, this type of training certainly forms the backbone to any endurance athlete’s aerobic development. However, while swimming, biking and running in Zone 2 forms a necessary component of base training, it is not fully sufficient by itself and needs to be complemented with more intensive endurance training as the base phase progresses. 
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How to Determine Your Swimming Pace Zones

By Adam Hodges

February 8, 2010 (Boulder, CO) – Any triathlete with limited time understands the value of making every workout count. This means monitoring not just training volume, but training intensity. Although many triathletes use heart rate monitors while running and/or power meters while cycling, this same equipment is impractical while swimming. So how can you effectively monitor your training intensity in the pool?
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Two Drills and Two Sets to Improve Your Swimming

By Adam Hodges

January 16, 2010 (Boulder, CO) – While attention to good form is a year round project, this time of the year is particularly conducive to establishing good habits in the water. As you transition from your off-season to begin preparing for the rigors of early season base training, you have an opportunity to leave bad habits behind and start fresh with your training. As you dive back into the pool, here are two drills and two workout sets to help improve your efficiency in the water.
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Top 10 List: Improve your cycling now!

By Melissa Mantak

January 14, 2010 (Denver, CO) – These suggestions will help keep you on track with your training through the darker, colder months. This list is not necessarily in a specific order. It is just one possible order of priorities. Put them in the order that best suits you. The “off season” (now!) is the most important time to make changes and improvements to your riding next season.
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Stretching for Triathletes

By Kristen McFarland, MS, ATC, CMT

With Nicole DeBoom

There are probably as many philosophies out there about stretching as there are stretches. A good flexibility program is absolutely essential in order to train and race hard without injury, however, so no matter how you choose to go about it you need to make it part of your routine. And stretching will not only help prevent injuries, but also enhance performance.
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How to Prepare for Race Day

By Matt Eagan

Race day has arrived. You have trained religiously, your body is ready to go, but have you prepared for what will happen on race day? Without proper preparation you may not perform at your best. The following guidelines will help you in your preparation. Race day preparation begins a week or so before the race with an inspection of all of your equipment, a couple of days (or at the latest one day) before the race you pack your race bag; on race morning you go through your "pre-race ritual", and finally on race day you get to show off!
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Enhancing Your Talent... Mental Talent, That Is

By Wes Hobson

So, what is your pain threshold? Too many people give up too early in a race. They feel pain and say that is enough, and instantly slow down or pull back to provide the body with relief. You won't know your pain threshold unless you push through it a few times, usually reaching a higher level each time. Leave no doubts when you race. Don't second guess your effort at the end. Your heart rate will never be able to tell you your pain threshold. Only your rate of perceived exertion can make you realize your pain threshold. Go for the 20 on the scale of 1 to 20 and see how long you can hold it. Only then will you realize true achievement and satisfaction with yourself during competition.
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On Developing Force on the Bike

By Wes Hobson

For this article, we will concentrate on how to improve your bike performance. Being more specific, I want to provide you with ideas for developing one of the two major shortcomings triathletes have with the bike, developing force. After endurance, the most fundamental fitness component for the cyclist to develop is force, or the ability to produce a forceful muscle contraction.
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Why Train?

By Wes Hobson

This picture tells the tale of why you should train. This was my first triathlon back in 1983, when I was 16 years old. As you can see, I was in fashion at the time with touring bike shorts and calf high socks. I also had a 27-pound Soma Sport bike to go with it.
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On the Lighter Side: Training - Be Like My Dog!

By Wes Hobson

My dog, Doccer, and I went for a thirty-five minute run today on a mountain trail near my house. While we ran side by side, I thought how we athletes should be like my dog. Here are a few examples we can take from Doccer to help us with our training.
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Eating Right - Hobson's Simple Philosophy

By Wes Hobson

Nutrition information is one of the most asked topics by triathletes. Although many people take nutrition to extremes such as counting every calorie, I try to simplify the consumption of what you eat and how much. My philosophy is that once you break the habit of eating junk food, excess carbs, even excess butter on foods and in cooking (habit breaking takes about two months), then you can really understand what to eat by what the body is telling you to eat. This "listening" is very important as your "engine" is telling you what it needs.
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Open Water Swimming

By Wes Hobson

Open water swimming is never boring. Whether you are an accomplished swimmer or a first timer, there is never the "same" open water swim. Variables are always changing such as water temperature, air temperature, currents, river speed, wind, waves, not to mention a possible two hundred bodies starting at the same time and trying to get to the same end point. In as minimal words as possible (I talked for an hour and a half to a group in a hotel conference room on this topic and I still could have discussed the finer points of open water swimming), here are a few pointers, which help alleviate some of your race morning anxieties.
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Transitions - The Fourth Sport

By Wes Hobson

Although triathlon consists of three primary sports - swimming, biking and running, there is a fourth sport, transition, which is often overlooked. The time spent between the swim to bike (T1) and the bike to run (T2) is essential to beating the clock and the competition. Improving your transitions has its rewards. First, it doesn't take a lot of sweat and training to improve your transition efficiency. Second, it's a lot easier to gain time on competitors in transition than having to run or bike faster to gain time. And third, a quicker transition won't crank your heart rate or drain your energy. Here are a few basic tips to help improve your time.
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Mental Toughness and Visualization

By Wes Hobson

Okay, during the past three months you have neglected work and let it pile up on your desk. It would be chivalrous of you to say that you did this to spend more time with your family. However, family time has also been sacrificed as you train for that type "A" triathlon race. You have followed a great training plan and your taper is going well. Since you have dedicated so much time to this endeavor, let's get you that extra edge, the mental edge. There is a motto that has been around for years stating, "Racing is 10% physical and 90% mental." It's a slight exaggeration, but there is sense to it. Do you have any training partners who kick your butt in training only to finish ten minutes behind you in a race? If so, they lack that mental toughness and preparation.
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