Triathlon specific Bike efficiency....

(5hr. ironman bike split... 112mi.)
I LOVE going fast!! But as fast as this bike looks, it's completely worthless without the proper engine to propel it. That engine must be powerful yet efficient. We will save the "power" discussion for another day, as it is worthy of it's own post. Today we will discuss how to maximize your current power and fitness levels while in a TT/Triathlon position. Keep in mind the majority of this is also applicable to road cycling as well.
Let's start with what I feel to be the absolute most pertinent question when dealing with pedaling efficiency, When do I exert force on the pedal?
Think of your crank like the hand on a clock, where the top is 12 and the bottom is 6 (as my left leg is in the photo above) Force should begin to be applied at roughly the 11 o'clock ( pushing the toes through the front of the shoe) and continued until around the 5 o'clock position (as if you were stepping up on a stair) At this time, the leg should relax as much as possible without causing additional resistance for the working leg. This gives a split second of recovery. (Over the course of 112mi. that split second can add up rather quickly) The reason for only applying force through 65-70% of your stroke is two fold. 1. The ability to recruit power from the hips and quads (drive and press phase) FAR exceeds your ability to recruit power from the hamstrings (pull phase) at a ratio of about 80/20. 2. Having fresh hamstrings is imperative to a fast run turn over. So resist the urge to pull up on your pedals if you are in a triathlon!!

Now that I know when to apply force, how often should I? This is what I tell my spin classes, "we need a good balance of resistance and cadence." Now there are triathletes that have found success grinding out a cadence of 60-65 for 112mi. but this is not something that I would recommend for everyone. I also don't advocate running at 11o the way many tour riders do. The fact is, cadence is something that is rather specific to the one pedaling. I find that a race cadence of around 90 in gear 7 or 8 in the flats is optimal for my power. Remember, a faster cadence allows for the removal of waste product form muscular contraction (lactate, carbon dioxide, ext.) due to increased heart rate. But increased heart rate also means lack of ability to absorb nutrients. (blood is pulled from digestive organs for use in peripherals)

In regard to body position, comfort is king! The most aggressive aerodynamic position is useless if you can not maintain it. At the 6 o'clock position there should be a slight bend at the knee and at the 12 o'clock the knee should be close to the elbow. The upper body is relaxed, the jaw, the finger tips, the shoulders, all relaxed. By relaxing every muscle not in active use, we allow more blood/oxygen/power/energy where it is needed. By practicing yoga we teach ourselves to relax in the most strenuous of positions. We also gain a very intuitive, almost visceral sense of body awareness. In other words, being able to feel exactly where that 11 0'clock position is every rotation. In addition to this, the tight curved body position that allows for better aerodynamics is made possible by our increased range of motion and flexibility.

This is a subject that I could go on and on about, but for the sake of brevity I will cease. If I left anything out or if you have questions please comment and I will respond. Remember that the point of a triathlon is not to have the fastest bike split, but to have the fastest race possible. This means being able to run off of the bike with speed and efficiency. (again, this is why we save our hamstrings)

Mechanical efficiency in Swimming

(1.2 mile open water swim PR, 26min. flat)
Before we get started please note that I am not a "swimmer" I did not swim in high school or college. Actually I have only been swimming for about 2 years now and Lindsay for less than 6 months. Because of this we feel that what we lack in experience we MUST make up for with proper technique. Of the countless laps that we swim each week, I would estimate that at least 50% are dedicated to swimming slow with as close to perfect technique as possible. Swim slow to race fast!! This is not to say that the other half of our pool time is dedicated to shaving seconds off of our 100m. intervals. By establishing muscle memory 25 slow, controlled meters at a time we are able to swim with good technique at a fast pace naturally.

Here is the question. How do i get the most distance out of each stroke, while using the least amount of energy possible?? First things first, having someone on deck who can evaluate your stroke and even video tape makes a world of difference. Often times we are not aware of our deficiencies until they are pointed out by others. (I know I have a patchy beard... Thanks for pointing that out!) Things that your deck mate should make you aware of; 1. A low or sinking back half (this GREATLY increases your drag and makes your top half have to work harder.) Try using a pull buoy between your legs. Also concentrate on pushing your lungs down. Try to envision yourself swimming downhill. 2. The rotational axis of the body. Your shoulders should NOT be level with the waters surface. Many people think that it is there arms that propel them forward in the water, these are the same people that can't hit a baseball out of the infield. Much like swinging a bat, or throwing a punch, the majority of the energy should come from the hips where we are most powerful. By driving the hip downward, our torso and shoulders follow causing us to swim on our side. This action not only creates more force with less muscular contraction, it also significantly reduces the amount of drag created. So swim with your hips! 3. Point of hands entry into the water. The hand should not make a slapping action on the water but rather enter in a flat manor at a shallow angle. Imagine that your hand is a letter being inserted into a very narrow mail slot. Once in the water, don't begin your catch immediately, give your body (which should be on it's side) a split second of glide, then hitch your wrist slightly followed by your elbow. While this is taking place your opposite elbow is high. (see picture)

My suggestion is that these techniques should be practiced at a very low intensity, one length at a time with a 10-15 second recovery between each. That recovery time should be spent in an incredibly focused state of mind. Think about the strokes that were done correctly on the previous length and how you will make them even better on the next length. This can be done as an effective warm up and cool down, (about 10 lengths) similar to doing strides before and after a track workout.
When our newly increased oxygen economy is combined with our improved mechanical efficiency we are able to go further, faster, and with less fuel! Which you are going to need to hammer out that bike split!!!

Efficiency vs, Economy

Let us talk for a moment on the subject of efficiency and economy. Efficiency is a rather complex subject, for this reason, we will be breaking it down over the course of the next few days. Today we will be discussing how our body's oxygen consumption (fuel economy) effects our ability to perform a given exercise. In the next few days we will break down the mechanical efficiency required to swim, bike, and run more fluidly.
Without getting too deep into muscular contraction on a cellular level, it is important to know about ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the main energy source for the majority of cellular functions and it needs oxygen in order to work. Therefore, oxygen is a key component in the fuel that allows our engine to run. Since we know this there are two things we should be asking ourselves as endurance athletes. 1. How can I take in more oxygen (increase the capacity of my fuel tank)? and 2. How do I get the maximum amount of distance out of each molecule of oxygen (improve my MPG)?
1. In response to question one...Yoga!! (what did you think I was going to say?!?!) Positions like Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) are designed to improve oxygen intake, improve digestion and promote flexibility in the spine. (an additional advantage for anyone looking to obtain a more aggressive aerodynamic bike position.) In fact, most yoga flows encourage breathing in a deep, slow, almost scrupulous manor. This act increases our lungs tidal volume by utilizing and strengthening our secondary breathing muscles such as the intercostals. By practicing taking in deep breath our ability to take in more oxygen is increased.
2. To answer question two.... Be more mechanically efficient! By breaking down each movement in swimming, biking, and running assessing our deficiency and making corrections, we are able to get the most out of every muscle contraction.
Tomorrow, we will break down the movements of swimming in order to make ourselves faster without having to use any more fuel than we currently are. Until then, find some beauty and practice breathing!!!!