From the Desk of Coach Al Lyman

Runner-Core Tip of the Day, Coach Al

The HURT 100, an  epic tale, "Scotty J"

The Triathlon of Life: Balance, "KOZ"

Tri Couture, Euro Stylin',  by Matt Shaffer

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"New" News - Coach Al speaks in Boston plus MORE

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MARCH 2008 Vol. 1 Issue 2

From the Desk of Coach Al Lyman

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

HOP Your Way to Improved Efficiency & Strength!

If you want to be able to run faster or longer more easily, it stands to reason that one of the key goals during your training should be to decrease the energy cost of running, or to put it in scientific terms, increase your efficiency or economy of movement. If you can do that, any given running speed will be at a lower percentage of your maximum "cost," and thus should feel easier for you. Before I tell you some quick and easy ways to improve your running efficiency, I want to tell you a little bit about what is actually going on during the run stride that directly effects how efficient you are.

As you may know, about 50% of the energy that propels you forward during the run stride comes from elastic and reactive "energy-return" of your muscles! Your legs are essentially acting like springs when you run. When your foot hits the ground, various muscles and tendons are stretched and this stretching process stores energy. When the muscles and other soft tissue recoil as you toe-off, that energy is returned to help you move forward. If you didn’t have this "energy return," then your heart and leg muscles would have to work a LOT harder for you to be able to run at any given speed.

The key to improving efficiency, or as I put it earlier, to "decrease the energy cost of running," is to train to enhance the energy return, or "springiness," of your legs. If they can store more energy, and release it more fully and more quickly during toe-off, your energy cost to run at that speed will decrease, and you’ll be able to run faster. This is the principal reason why you hear me say in Runner-CORE that one KEY to improved running form is to get your feet UP and OFF the ground as quickly as possible. Short ground contact time is unequivocally one of the most important elements to improved form, and improved efficiency.

Runner-CORE is a great program to help you begin to improve your functional strength and coordination so that your legs become more elastic, resilient and “springy.” To get even more benefit and take this to the next level however, you should begin to augment your training with some specific drills which will do a great job of enhancing this springiness, and thus your efficiency.

Incorporate the 3 drills below into your running and strength routine, and watch your energy cost drop and your leg speed and endurance soar! The first drill takes an existing exercise from Circuit #3 and enhances it. The 2nd and 3rd drills you can integrate into any run you do.

I highly recommend you try these as a part of your Runner-CORE workouts (as outlined below), or integrated right into your "quality" run workouts, AFTER your warm-up but prior to the “quality” portion of your run. Use caution as you progress – if you’ve never done hopping or bounding for any length of time, you may well be sore in the 26-48 hrs afterward. Have fun, train smart!

1) One-Leg Split Squats with Lateral Hops:

In circuit #3, one of the most challenging exercises are the 1-Leg Split Squats. You can progress with these by incorporating lateral hops on each leg. To do these, stand with one leg forward and one leg back up on a bench or block. As you lower the front leg to the point where these is about a 90degree bend in your front leg, explode UP and hop laterally about 10-12 inches, hop back to center, and then immediately hop to the other side about the same distance of 10-12 inches, before coming back to the center one last time. That’s 4 hops in all. Maintain good upright posture at all times and keep the back leg in position. Explode upward and to the side and really feel the enhanced SPRING in this action!

2) One-Leg Hopping:

Integrated into your run workouts or as part of a Runner-CORE session, these rapid "hops" (done in place or while you’re moving gradually forward) can get challenging! Begin with one foot up and the other in contact with the ground, with support right over your mid-foot. Begin hopping on one foot as fast as you can, as though your feet are in contact with a hot stove or hot coals! Your hips should remain nearly motionless and NOT move up or down. The action is at your feet! After hopping for 30 seconds on one leg, switch to the other side. Begin with 1 or 2 sets of 30-seconds on each side, and progress up to as much as 3-5 sets of 1-minute or more.

3) Skipping!

Occasionally integrate 2-3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of skipping into a run. Try to keep ground contact time as short as possible and explode forward, bounding farther and farther with each stride. Start with short segments until your body has time to adapt and build both duration and sets over time. Have fun with it!

To summarize, I like to integrate these "hopping" segments right into my runs, by mixing in short fast segments of running in between the hopping sets. Mix it up, challenge yourself, and have fun! When you do these, you’ll soon discover that they can tire you out quickly, and that as you fatigue, it becomes harder and harder to get your feet UP off the ground quickly!

As always, you should use caution and start conservatively as you implement these drills into your routine. They are challenging and will result in some soreness if you’re doing them for the first time. Train smart, be progressive, and have fun! 

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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The HURT 100, an epic tale

by Scott "Scotty J" Johnson

Within the World of Ultra Running...
They say we learn the most from those closest to us and this past January, my younger brother decided to help me understand the world of ultra running.

HURT 100 -- We Wouldn’t Want It To Be Easy!



Over the past two years several members of my local running club and training partners have taken to running ultra marathons. Needless to say this trend struck me as a bit odd. You see, not all that long ago I firmly believed the reason man invented the wheel and its future applications was to prevent one from ever having to use running as a mode of transportation. Yes, I am slowly starting to consider myself a runner and have even run a few marathons. But why on earth would anyone want to run more than the standard 26.2 miles?

I believe we learn the most from those closest to us and this past January, my younger brother decided to help me understand this strange trend. Doug, being a relative newcomer to the running world, alerted me last summer that he registered for the HURT 100. The first clue to his impending psychosis, I informed him, lay in the name of the race. After a few discussions focusing on his motivation, the time quickly arrived to support Doug anyway I could. Around October it was obvious Doug intended full well of jumping head first into the deep end when he requested my assistance in pacing him for a portion of the run. Well, now I was given the opportunity of a front row seat to learn about the world of ultra running from within. Thus, I floated the idea of a Hawaiian vacation to my wife.

Doug has been living in Hawaii for the past several years. During this time he started trail running with the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team or HURT. This group of serious ultra runners hosts a series of events throughout the year culminating each January with the HURT 100. This is not your typical, if there is such a thing, ultra event. The race encompasses five loops of 20 miles over some serious terrain. Serious terrain is defined by the race website as 24,935 feet of climbing and 24935 feet of descending. THIS LINK connects to the elevation profile and course map.  

Located in the rain-forested mountains due west of Honolulu, the event ranks among the toughest utras in the world. Aside from the terrain, the weather always plays a deciding factor. Unlike the sun-baked road that defines the Ironman World Championships on Kona, sun rarely impacts participants due to the thick canopy. Aside from the elevation changes and duration of the event, participants experience every weather pattern known minus snow. The deciding factor at the HURT 100 many years is rain. Rain brings the other impacting factors of mud and cold.

The afternoon after I arrived, Doug and I attended the pre-race meeting. Given that the event is capped at 100 participants and nearly half of the participants live in Hawaii, there is a decidedly laid back atmosphere leading into the event. Unlike other events where most participants do not attend the pre race meeting, at HURT the meeting serves as a bit of a family reunion. Of particular note was the lack of bravado and posing that is prevalent prior to triathlons, road races, and cycling races of any distance. This group understands that all the bravado and mind games in the world are useless when the single opponent faced by all is the course itself.

Race morning dawned cool and clear. Given that there is a 36 hour limit on this event and the course record is 20:43, the current weather was only a passing thought. Similar to Ironman racers deposit drop bags for use later in the event. Unlike Ironman these bags contained dry clothes and shoes, headlamps, and food. Like the three aid stations, there was real food being packed by all athletes. Most notable of the foodstuffs for my brother was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, plural (as in many!), ensure, coke, and even a couple iced coffees.
Once the racers climbed a set stairs, crossed a footbridge, and received a traditional Hawaiian blessing the race commenced with the sound of a conch shell. Unlike the start of any other road race or triathlon I have participated in, the HURT start draws a close resemblance to the call to tribal council on the TV show Survivor.

As the racers climbed towards the sky over rocks, roots, and other assorted obstacles the majority of spectators departed for a day filled with sightseeing interspersed with trips to one of the three check points to support their runner. My plan included heading back to Doug’s house for a relaxing day reading and preparing for my 20 plus miles that would begin between 3:00 and 4:00 am.

As I finished my dinner and began preparing for a nap, Trista’s (Doug’s wife) cell phone rang. Oh what impact a phone call can have on the best laid plans. From across the room I heard my brother’s voice saying, “get Scott and meet me at the Paradise Station in two and a half hours.“ This was about seven hours ahead of schedule and surely a sign that all was not well. As it turned out, he was not dramatically ahead of schedule. Despite training on the course, he was battling a newly developed ITB irritation. Towards the end of the second loop Doug developed tightness and discomfort along his right ITB. One look at the elevation profile (see link above) and you can understand the amount of descending on this course and the resulting impact to one’s ITBs, among other things. After spending time with a Physical Therapist / ART provider, Doug returned to the course as the sun went down and the rain started.

Given his slowed pace, Doug was separated from the group of racers with which he had been working. Here is where the race started peeling away the layers exposing just what fiber makes up Doug. He was on a trail alone in the dark dealing with the rain, his discomfort, slowed pace, and general fatigue. Fortunately, Doug trained on the course and had previously completed up to 50 miles in training. Thus, he knew all he had to do was to keep moving and at worst, he would be able to complete the 100K option of the race.

Around 9:00 pm Carol (my wife), Trista, and I arrived at the Paradise Station as requested. I quickly made my preparations to spend a night on the trail. After a cup of coffee I was ready to see just how I would function given that I had now been awake since 3:00 am. Yes, I know that Doug had been on the trail all day and all I had done was stay awake. In my mind I knew I had to be more alert and on top of things than Doug and I thought this might me a challenge.

After about 15 minutes at Paradise I heard some commotion about racer number 48 entering the station and I found Doug. It looked as if he was entering a minivan. Upon quick investigation I learned Doug was not ending his day but rather checking on his training partner and mentor Steve. As it turned out Steve, although an experienced HURT veteran with a 100 k and three 100 mile finishes to his credit, miscalculated the setting sun and developed significant hypothermia as the rain hit. Steve had spent the last hour or so in the van raising his core temperature. Doug paused an extra moment or two as Steve readied himself to rejoin the race. Ed, another annual HURT participant, who upon learning of Steve’s condition had sacrificed his shot at another 100 mile finish to attend to Steve’s as well as his own developing hypothermia. In quick fashion these guys were showing me a new level of dedication and honor.

These guys were incredible! Set aside the fact that their condition would end the day for the majority of folks, they realized that once warm, the 100K was still attainable. Mind you this required the completion of 15 more miles! Ed’s selfless actions showed true character and went well beyond the internal selfish focus so often witnessed not only in the world of sport but also in the world at large. In short fashion, the four of us hit the trail.

Nearly two third of the way to the next aid station, it was apparent that Doug was slowing and the 100 mile race was not in the cards today. Additionally, Steve was now experiencing significant GI distress on top of worsening hypothermia. At this point we altered our strategy. Steve and Ed forged on at a faster pace ensuring Steve made it to the next station for some warmth sooner vice later. Doug and I continued on at the fastest possible pace.

Upon arriving at the next station, Ed was already on his way back out onto the trail. Steve was in the hands of his pacer, Andy. We found Steve under a pile of shivering blankets on a cot in a large tent. As Andy was working on getting some warm fluids into Steve and Doug was getting into some dry clothes, Trista and I pulled her SUV closer to the station. After folding down the seats and cranking the heater we built an impromptu sauna for Steve. Once Steve was safely inside the sauna, Doug and I set out on the next eight-mile leg of our journey. The picture below shows Doug receiving a last minute equipment check from Steve’s pacer as an independent filmmaker captures the evolving spectacle.

Realizing we were working on the 100K goal, we progressed at a more comfortable pace and tried to take some pictures along the way.

Here Doug is straddling the side of a cliff. Although you cannot see it here, the cliff actually drops quite dramatically away to Honolulu some 800-1000 feet below!

As we arrived at the final aid station, the race directed discussed Doug’s options. Although not mathematically impossible to finish the 100-mile race, given Doug’s condition, a 100-mile completion was highly improbable and he was steered towards completing the 100K. At this time we came across Ed and the three of us headed out for our final 2.5 miles of HURT 2008.

Here is a picture of Doug completing the race. It is custom at HURT to touch the sign to show you are complete.

And below are the two of us after the race. How is it that Doug looks so much better than I do given he completed 47 more miles on the day?

In the end Doug finished 20th among the 51 finishers of the HURT 100K. Additionally, 21 participants completed the 100-mile, including one of Doug and Steve’s training partners, Tommy. Tommy finished the race with a mere 35 minutes to spare thanks to his ability to turn in a blistering final leg in his first 100 mile ultra. The final stats for HURT 100 2008 are as follows: 100 entrants, 89 started, 21 100 mile finishers, 51 100 K finishers, and 17 DNFs.

Unlike any other race I have been a part of, HURT 100 had a true post race party. The race ended Sunday evening but on Monday night we attended a huge five star buffet highlighted by the best roasting of athletes I have ever witnessed. Oh, one more point to make. Not one of the 21 100 mile finisher shirts was visible at the post race party!

So in the end I took away several lessons from the world of ultra running:

• You can race any day but how often can you save a life?
• Limits are self-imposed – if you can dream it, you can do it!
• Past performance is no guarantee of future success; sometimes the breaks don’t go your way…
• Never an ounce of ego was displayed and always a kind word was given
• All the plastic fluff of today’s world is stripped away by what it takes to reach your true potential
  

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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The Triathlon of Life: Balance

Life is like a triathlon...
Life is like triathlon. It requires balance between multiple related yet seemingly dichotomous disciplines. In triathlon it is swim, bike, run. All three are athletic pursuits in and of themselves, yet as triathletes we are required to combine them into one greater pursuit we call triathlon. In life it is family, work, sport. Sure you could say that there are other things we must focus on in life, but seeing as we are talking triathlon here, we’ll focus on these three life components.

For each one of us to get the most out of our lives, I believe it is important to keep these three life components in balance. We need to maintain balance in each individual area, as well as balance between the components of life. It is the interdependence of family, work and sport that makes this balance so critical. I could write pages about how each of these areas is independent from the other, yet without all three our lives would surely lack richness and fullness. When we are out of balance in one area it can affects the others in ways that are often difficult to understand.

It is up to each of us as individuals to find the perfect balance between family, work and sport. However, there are times when one area of our life demands enough focus that it disrupts the balance. What do we do at times like these? How do we regain the balance that we have worked so hard to achieve? Well, I’m here to tell you that sometimes the best way to find balance is to turn it into the Duathlon of life!

As I wrote this, it was one week from Christmas. Family commitments were a priority for many of us. With the end of the year approaching stress at work usually at an all time high. Your training may be suffering as a result of the added stress and time commitments required to maintain your family and work balance. It’s OK…really! From my experience, the best way to regain the balance is to focus on the areas that require your attention and put the others on cruise control for a while. It’s only when you regain balance in each of the individual life components that you can truly focus on balancing all three.

Rather than beating yourself up over your declining fitness and increased stress as your training suffers, think about enhancing your family balance and your work balance. Enjoy the extra time with family and friends. Be thankful that you have meaningful work which provides you an income. For without both of these things, sport would be meaningless.

Take this time to invest in what I call “training capital”. Training capital comes from putting extra money in the family and work bank. It comes from missing a workout to attend a family function. It comes from staying late at work to finish up a demanding project. Trust me, this training capital earns interest and will pay huge dividends at the time when you need to place additional focus on sport. There will come days in the spring and summer when you will need to make withdrawals.

Your training stress and time commitment will cause a shift in the balance of the Triathlon of Life. And only by having a healthy balance in the other two areas will you be able to maintain the delicate balance required to get the most out of your chosen sport.

Family, work and sport…the Triathlon of Life.

Find the Balance – 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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by Matt Shaffer

Let's be honest: looking good takes a lot of work and Triathletes are plagued by a fatal fashion flaw... Too much spandex! In an attempt to correct this tragic flaw I turn to the FINAL WORD on cycling style: the European peloton. 

Enter the euro-visor, a long awaited solution to the fashion crisis of what one wears on your neatly groomed haircut during a ride. The skullcap, while perhaps an effective means of wicking sweat from under a helmet, is only an effective fashion statement if your name contains a variation of “Marco” or “Pantani”.

The cycling cap is a long standing fashion item, but sometimes it can get a bit hot during your summer rides. Perhaps it was from this frustration that this issue’s fashion tip was created. But being functional is only the first of many high points of this fashion staple; more important is the fact that you can be the first of your local riders to make this fashion statement for only $12 (plus a pair of scissors). I’ll walk you through it!

What you’ll need: a pair of scissors, a cycling cap that matches both your kit and bike, and a sense of adventure.

Step 1: Find the end of the tops seams on the hat; these are your cutting guides.

Step 2: Cut from seam to seam, complet-ing a cut around the circumference of the hat. Ensure that when you cut the back of the hat, you crop as CLOSE to the logo as possible.

Step 3: Arch the cut so that the front of the visor has more fabric than the back.

Step 4: Wear, and be prepared to be WAY too good looking to ride a bike. There you go!

Now get out there, and remember:

LOOKING fast is 3/4 of the way to BEING fast! 

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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"New" News...

Did you know?

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Click this link to CHECK OUT THESE EVENTS NOW -- it's still not to late to register!

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• Swim Easier - Swim Faster, April 19, as part of TRi Workshop.  

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