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MARCH
2008 Vol. 1 Issue 1 |
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Welcome to the
inaugural issue of Coach Al's Endurance
Scoop presented by Coach Al Lyman and Friends. Together
they hope to reach more athletes than ever before. And,
through the newsletter,
Coach-Al.com
website and your valuable feedback, want to empower and inspire YOU
and others like you to strive for and achieve your personal
best. |
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From the Desk
of Coach Al Lyman |
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 Hello & welcome to our first edition of the
Scoop!
Seeing this newsletter finally come to life is the realization of a long-time goal of mine: to create a more efficient and effective way to communicate with all of YOU.
With the help of my partners in this journey - Christine, Scotty, Koz, Matt, and many others who will be contributing along the way - our collective goal is to help you achieve your dreams and goals in 2008 and beyond! With this first edition, I think we are on our way…
As I look back on 2007, I can tell you that it was a turbulent and exciting year for me, as I moved away from one career and began to chart a new course. And as you all know, change is hard. In many ways, it is a year I don’t want to repeat any time soon, yet at the same time, it was a year of growth and one where so many seeds have been planted that I hope come to full fruition. What about you? What do you hope to achieve in 2008? What is your plan to get there? Taking action and getting the “Scoop” in front of you is one step in my plan to help YOU achieve those goals, whatever they may be. Another step is the creation of a new website,
Coach-Al.com, which will be ready to serve you by the time you are reading this!
So again, I ask: what is YOUR plan? Do you have one?
Every day I talk to people who have dreams and goals in sport and life: to achieve something that at one time, they may not have believed was even possible. In fact, a part of them may still believe it isn’t possible…
What’s the difference between the people who do achieve their goals and those who only dream of them? Without fail, it comes down to one thing - a plan!
Planning will always beat luck in creating the life, and the fitness, you desire. When is the last time you heard this old cynical saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”?
:-) Too often, the future tends to repeat the past. We tend to do the same things and get the same results. It isn’t for lack of trying, that’s for sure. Heck…sometimes we try too hard!
When a person goes to prepare a meal, they won’t get anywhere unless they have a recipe to follow - a detailed plan! It’s the same with building a home: no builder would ever think of going from a few ideas about layout to putting in a foundation without a detailed set of plans for every step of the process! And yet, so many of us attempt to achieve our goal, whether it is having a “breakthrough” season of racing, learning a completely new skill, or moving up to a new race distance, without a plan!
As you look toward achieving your goals in 2008, take the time to define how you will measure your success, list the steps that you need to take to get what you want, sequence those steps so that you do what you need to at the right time, and then set incremental goals along the way and give yourself definite dates on the calendar to achieve those incremental goals! Most athletes, regardless of ability, have a sense of how to get what they want. They think they are on their way, but for most, they are fooling themselves unless they have a definite plan and some specific deadlines to put that plan into action! Within
Coach-Al.com, you will find training plans for running, triathlon, and cycling, for all distances and ability levels, as well as information about coaching services, upcoming events such as clinics and workshops, and other helpful info that I hope helps you achieve your goals! Remember, your success is like that dinner you will make today. Without a recipe or a plan, you have very little chance for the success you dream of. You’ve got goals and dreams, now get a plan and make it happen!
Thanks for joining me on this journey! The New Year is here and the sun is coming back! Begin again, get your plan, and make 2008 the best year ever! All the best,
-Coach Al
Coaching endurance athletes of all abilities for nearly 10 years, Coach Al Lyman, CSCS, continues to demonstrate his passion to help and inspire people of all ages and from every walk of life to achieve their dreams and goals through their participation in endurance sports -- most recently through his coaching company, Pursuit Fitness. In addition to being an Ultrafit Associate, he is certified with USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. As an endurance athlete, Coach Al has completed over two dozen marathons with a personal best Boston Marathon of 2:39, as well as having finished 8 Ironman Triathlons; including three trips to Kona, Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship. His personal best of 10:29 was achieved at Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY.
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by Coach Al Lyman
 Be
Consistent and Progressive for Optimal Results
Getting the maximum benefit from a program like Runner-Core,
or for that matter, any kind of strength training program
requires that the user do two things faithfully.
1. Be consistent: The true benefits begin to really accrue
from week in, week out consistent and methodical “knocking
out” of the circuits and exercises! Doing one or two
circuits every few weeks, or doing them two times in one
week, and then not doing them for three weeks, while
somewhat beneficial, is not nearly as effective for strength
and power and injury resistance, as is a consistent,
methodical approach.
2. Be progressive: For any training program to be effective,
it must be progressive, and it must be balanced with
appropriate periods of recovery. The human body adapts
quickly. If you were to continue to do the exercises and
circuits at the level I do them in the Runner-CORE DVD, you
would get some benefit, but not nearly as much as if you are
progressive in how you approach it from week to week.
By progressive, I mean adding resistance such as light
dumbbells, a medicine ball, or stretch cords to exercises
such as the one-leg squats and paw-back leg swings. You
should be adding repetitions and sets to the exercises in a
progressive manner, and lastly you should be increasing the
dynamic nature of the exercise so it is more closely mimics
actual running.
If you are consistent and progressive AND balance that with
the proper amount of recovery, you will be pleasantly
surprised at how much progress you make and how much of a
difference a program like this can make in your running!
Happy Trails!
- Coach Al
Coaching endurance athletes of all abilities for nearly 10 years, Coach Al Lyman, CSCS, continues to demonstrate his passion to help and inspire people of all ages and from every walk of life to achieve their dreams and goals through their participation in endurance sports -- most recently through his coaching company, Pursuit Fitness. In addition to being an Ultrafit Associate, he is certified with USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. As an endurance athlete, Coach Al has completed over two dozen marathons with a personal best Boston Marathon of 2:39, as well as having finished 8 Ironman Triathlons; including three trips to Kona, Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship. His personal best of 10:29 was achieved at Ironman USA in Lake Placid, NY.
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 by
Scott "Scotty J" Johnson
Transitioning to the pre-season, I have been looking back at
the 2007 race season. Unlike many, I actually love this time
of year. This is the point where the slate is wiped clean,
inventory of lessons learned is taken, and the goals for the
coming year are established. Although I can often be the
over analytical, type triple A, multisport personality, at
this point in my journey my greatest insights often follow
periods away from sport, competition, and training. You can
think of this as my attempt to channel Thoreau’s spirit of
deliberate living by catching up on family time, reading,
sleep, and creating as much distance between myself and my
training as possible.
Sitting here exactly two weeks removed from my last race of
2007, clarity is coming to my thoughts, goals for 2008 are
taking form, and the desire to train is building. During
this break I had the fortune of catching up on my reading.
One particularly good read was Quiet Strength: The
Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life
by Tony Dungy. Early in this book the author discusses the
link between attitude and goal achievement. Specifically he
noted the habits of settling for the status quo and
accepting rationalizations for underperformance. Countering
these thought and behavior patterns, Coach Dungy espoused
focusing on the fundamentals, the importance of the "small
things," and confidence in ones self. This admittedly simple
approach, ultimately led one of his teams to the mantra No
Excuses, No Explanations and the formation of a perennial
playoff caliber team.
Since reading Coach Dungy’s book, no excuses and no
explanations has been bouncing around by brain housing group
a bit. The mantra has crossed some interesting thoughts on
its journey around my mind. A question appeared along the
way. What would this approach look like applied to endurance
sports?
Being a student of endurance sports a few examples
immediately came to mind. Within the ironman world examples
abound. Pictures of Dave Scott and Mark Allen crushing each
other during the Iron War, Paula Newby Fraser collapsing in
the final mile never the less finishing, and Chris McCormack
leaving everything on the road during Kona 2006 immediately
come to mind. Digging a bit deeper there is Steve
Prefontaine and his approach to races. His famous quote “I’m
going to take this race out from the start so that it comes
down to a race of guts and when it does, I’m the only one
that can win it!” strikes some as arrogant. In my eye, it
speaks of a person who is confident not only in his ability
but also his preparedness.
My final examples come from
everyday life and the people I have surrounding me. What
about the friend who has such desire and belief that he
strikes out on his own to create a new company? Do you think
the 20 something year old training for his first 100 mile
run has this kind of self-belief? I can hear it now; someone
out there is saying, “All of those are people at the top of
their field, yada, yada, yada.” My response to the naysayers
is that you are buying into the mindset of rationalization
and accepting your status quo! As evidence I provide the
former body builder turned couch potato. After a year of
perseverance, hard work, and heading out the door when he
really didn’t want to this man has dropped over 40 pounds,
taken 10 minutes off his 5k time, and completed his first three
triathlons.
So as you head off into the bliss of winter will you choose
to focus on comfort foods, couches, and resting on your 2007
accomplishments? I encourage you to use this pre-season time
to assess your life and identify those things for which you
had an excuse and explanation. What will it take for you to
overcome these hurdles in 2008? Do you have the courage to
step beyond your comfort zone and do the work it takes to be
great? What are the small things, that when focused on will
provide the paint for your big picture?
No Excuses and No Explanations!
Scrums!
Scotty J
Scott Johnson entered the world of endurance sports in 1999 after a ten-year hiatus from an active lifestyle. A collegiate football player, he spent a decade establishing a career, starting a family, brewing beer, and sitting on the couch! Since 1999 he has completed many triathlons from sprint to iron distance and several marathons. Race highlights include a pr of 2:11 at the Olympic distance, 4:40 at 70.3, and twice competing at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Fl. Along the way he has reshaped his body and remains 50lbs lighter then he was in 1998. In 2008 he is focused on the marathon and 70.3 distance triathlons.
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by
Jeff "Koz" Kozlowski
 It’s the dead of winter and you’re still cycling outdoors, aren’t you? Of course you are! You have all the togs required to make it through your ride despite the frigid temperatures. Maybe you even have a “beater” bike set up for just this kind of weather. Well, here are some tips to maximize the time you can spend out on the open road without having to spend another dime. So go on, put these tips to good use and
ride baby, ride!
- Keep your feet warm – Use your aero covers over your shoes and under your booties. They provide an additional layer of warmth and are fantastic at blocking the wind and road spray from reaching your feet.
- Keep your feet and shins warm – Use high quality breathable socks that go up to or over your calves. Put those mid-weight skiing or hiking socks to good use and wear them in place of your traditional cycling socks. By pulling them all the way up and wearing them under your leg warmers, you will cover your shins and protect them from the wind and road spray. When it’s really cold (15-25° F), take out your footbeds and wear even thicker socks. I love smartwool socks as they breathe and manage moisture like no other sock. You can order them in different foot thicknesses and calf heights.
www.smartwool.com/default.cfm
- Keep your arms warm – Use your arm warmers under your cycling jacket to ward off the wind. I find this particularly helpful when it is cold and windy. It is a great way to add a layer to the upper body without overheating your core.
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Regulate core temperature – Speaking of overheating, wear multiple layers on your chest, but make sure that all except your base layer has zippers. This way you can open or close as many zippers as you need to keep the perfect core temperature. Downhill into a frigid headwind…zipper them up. Doing an uphill effort with no wind and the sun shining on you…unzip them all.
- Use
solar energy – Wear black! I know we all love to wear bright colors to be visible to drivers, but by wearing black for your outer layers, you can harness the energy of the sun to make it feel at least 5 degrees warmer than it really is.
- Reduce wind drag
– Wear your wind vest under your cycling jacket. On these cold and windy days, having a wind vest flapping in the breeze does nothing but allow cold air to get in between your layers. To get the most out of your windbreaker put it under your best fitting winter cycling jacket.
- Keep your hands warm and comfortable – Wear skiing gloves that cover your forearms to give you the ultimate in warmth, comfort and mobility. If you are going to invest any money in your winter riding apparel, this is THE place to do it. I have a pair of skiing gloves that are “the bomb” when it comes to winter riding. With these gloves I have never cut my ride short due to cold hands! They are called EMS Men’s Summit Gloves and right now they are on sale for $52 at
www.ems.com. In fact, they are soooo
good that I just bought myself a second pair!
There you have
it – seven tips to keep you toasty warm on your next chilly
winter ride. So what are you waiting for…get out there and
ride!
Be Great,
Koz (Jeff)
With a background in competitive college swimming and rowing providing the foundation, Jeff Kozlowski began his triathlon career in 1999. His career in endurance athletics includes finishing Ironman Lake Placid 5 times with a personal best of 10:48 and more than a dozen half-Ironman events with a personal best of 4:44. A four time finisher of the Mt. Washington Bicycle Hill
Climb, his personal best time of 1:14 was good enough to win the Clydesdale division in 2004. He has finished numerous marathons and holds a personal best time of 3:19. In 2008, Koz plans to take some time away from running and triathlon to focus purely on cycling.
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Tri Couture -- "Down & Dirty of Aero Helmets" |
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by Matt
Shaffer
Get the benefits of a
set of Zipp 404’s
for only $150!
So you’ve got your bike as aero as possible, right?
Congrats, you’ve accounted for 15-25% of your overall drag.
The other 75% of your drag comes from your body position.
It’s time to use your head!
Do I have your attention?
If you’re like most triathletes, you’ve probably spent an
unholy amount of money on an ultra-sleek, wind-invisible
triathlon bike (if you’ve got style, you probably got a
custom ultra-rigid aluminum frame to throw in the face of
all those “fancy” carbon bikes out there… but I digress).
You can make that bike a LOT faster with a set of
lightweight, aero wheels, and there’s a lot to choose from;
I could tell you which wheelset is the best, but that’s
another article for another day. The bottom-line is that as
long as you’re able to keep your speed above 18-20 mph, with
a set of aero wheels you are going to see some serious
benefits; I’m talking minutes off your 40k TT, not just
seconds.
So you’ve got your bike as aero as possible, right?
Congrats, you’ve accounted for 15-25% of your overall drag.
The other 75% of your drag comes from your body position.
It’s time to use your head!
Your head, and the helmet you have on it, lead the flow of
air over the top and down the back of a rider. Air wants to
flow as smoothly as possible, so anything you put in its way
will create resistance and inevitably slow you down. I’m not
just talking minimal amounts here. Do you know the drag of
your regular cycling helmet is FOUR TIMES that of the
non-aero wheelset you just swapped out for those fancy
carbon deep-dish rims? Wouldn’t it be great to minimize that
drag in order to take full advantage of the big bucks you’ve
spent on that aero frame and wheelset?
Enter the aerodynamic bicycle helmet: when the UCI enacted a
new regulation in 2004 requiring a fully-functional
protective helmet in all its sanctioned events, the market
was suddenly inundated with lids designed to simultaneously
protect your noggin in the event of a fall and to smooth
that turbulent air going over your head and down your body.
There are numerous options out there, but I’m going to break
it down for you: three of the most popular aero helmets out
there, and then I’m not only going to tell you which helmet
is the fastest, but where you can get it.
1. Rudy Project Syton – The Rudy Project was one of
the first commonly available aero helmets on the market.
Hugely popular with triathletes, largely because it’s
removable ear shields and visor make it easy to keep cool
during a hot race. Of course, comfort comes at a price. This
is the most comfortable helmet out of the bunch, but it’s
also the least aerodynamic, and it’s retail price is
significantly higher than the other at $180.
2. Giro Advantage 2 – The helmet used by the Discovery
Channel Pro Cycling Team, how can you argue with that? Well,
I’ll let you in on a little secret The marketing behind this Giro helmet is deceitful. The Advantage 2 is FOUR iterations
behind what the European pro squads are using now. If you
want the REAL Giro helmet the European teams are using get
ready to drop $800. This helmet was state of the art back in
’05, but it scores just slightly higher than the Syton with
regards to aerodynamics. However, it’s still very
comfortable, and at $150, a smarter choice than the Syton.
3. Louis Garneau Rocket – As much as I hate to admit it
(I’ve always been biased against the Louis Garneau brand),
this helmet is a winner. You’re looking at the most aero
helmet you can readily buy on the US market. And for a
retail price for $140, you can easily justify the fact that
it’s the least comfortable of the three.
So what is THE most aero helmet out there?
There’s one more
gem I haven’t mentioned: the legendary Bell Meteor II. Doubt
the wind tunnel tests? Check out what the winners of the
last two US Time Trial titles, the last three World Time
Trial Championships and the 2004 Olympic Time Trial Gold and
Bronze medals were wearing. The catch? Right now, Bell has
only gone for the European CE EN1078 safety certification;
without CPSC certification, you can’t buy it in the US. But
find a dealer from the UK, and you can pick one up for about
$150 US after shipping. Check your governing body’s
regulations, and you’ll find that they’ll accept CE
certified helmets. For what it’s worth, I’ve raced
everything from local tris to Ironman Canada in my Meteor,
and it was worth the trouble of ordering it from overseas.
Matt
Matt Shaffer made the transition from high school runner and
rower to triathlete by winning his first triathlon during
his senior year of high school in 2001. Since then, he’s
raced in triathlons at every distance, including two
finishes at Ironman Canada in 2004 and 2007, with a personal
best of 11:18. A self-proclaimed cycling specialist and
hopeless gear-junkie, he boasts a 5:21 Ironman bike split,
and spends the better part of his free time seeking out and
playing with the latest and greatest gear to either make him
faster, or at least look darn good doing it. In 2008, a ski
injury has cancelled his plans for Ironman Lake Placid, so
he now plans on tearing up the East Coast XTERRA scene on a
heavily modified, one-off, self-made mountain bike.
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by
Scott "Scotty J" Johnson
In today's world
of super sensational and ever-present "news" coverage, it is
easy to tune out and miss some key stories that may impact
our lives. One such story currently in the mainstream media
deals with methicillin-resisant
Staphylococcus
aureus or MRSA. Staphylococcus, "staph" in common language
is one of the most prevalent bacteria found on the skin and
nasal passages of healthy humans. It is the cause of the
majority of skin infections such as boils and does not
commonly require medical attention. However, if staph finds
its way to an open wound, the blood stream, or the lungs
serious infections requiring medical attention and
antibacterial therapy is required. This situation is taken a
step further when the infecting staph bacterium is resistant
to front line therapies as in the case of MRSA.
So just what is
this new super bug the media is telling us about?
MRSA is a
strain of staph that has mutated rendering it immune to
common antibiotics particularly the antibiotics methicillian,
penicillian, amoxicillian, and oxacillian. Recently the
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published
the results of a study conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). This study conducted in nine
communities during 2004 and 2005 concludes that invasive
MRSA is more prevalent in certain populations, is a public
health problem, and is not limited to intensive care units,
acute care hospitals, or any specific facility.
Nearly 20
years ago when I entered the nursing profession MRSA was a
concern within hospitals. The difference now is that it is
more prevalent and is no longer confined to the acute care
setting. Although nearly 85% of cases occur within hospital
settings, community acquired cases among healthy
individuals, particularly athletes involved in contact
sports are on the rise.
Do not think
because you are not involved in a contact sport that you are
immune. Recently a friend of mine was hospitalized for
several days to receive IV antibiotics to treat a MRSA
infected leg wound. My friend's best guess regarding the
origin of the infection is the gym he frequents using
obviously the exercise equipment but also the shower
facilities.
So what can you
do to remain safe? As in the vast majority of infections the
importance of frequent hand washing with soap and water
cannot be over stressed.
Other actions
include:
- Keep
open wounds clean and covered with a bandage
- Never
touch another person's wound
- Avoid
sharing personal items such as towels, razors, etc.
- Clean
recreational equipment prior to use
- Use a
barrier such as a towel on public exercise equipment
- Seek
medical attention should you develop an area of reddened
or inflamed skin, a sore that does not go away or that
does not respond to over the counter topical antibiotics
More information
can be found at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html
Scotty J
Scott Johnson entered the world of endurance sports in 1999 after a ten-year hiatus from an active lifestyle. A collegiate football player, he spent a decade establishing a career, starting a family, brewing beer, and sitting on the couch! Since 1999 he has completed many triathlons from sprint to iron distance and several marathons. Race highlights include a pr of 2:11 at the Olympic distance, 4:40 at 70.3, and twice competing at the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Fl. Along the way he has reshaped his body and remains 50lbs lighter then he was in 1998. In 2008 he is focused on the marathon and 70.3 distance triathlons.
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VISIT
