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Fat burning amongst endurance athletes

December 21, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE, Nutrition and Training · Comment 

Fat burning is a very popular, and often used term amongst endurance athletes, but is it really important to burn fat and, if so how can it be best achieved.

The term fat burning refers to the ability to oxidise or burn fat and thus use fat. Instead of carbohydrate as a fuel .

For an Athlete, this is where fat burning is associated with weight loss

Factors affecting fat oxidisation.

Exercise intensity

in absolute terms, carbohydrate oxidization increases proportionally with exercise intensity, whereas the rate fat oxidization increases this decreases again at a higher exercise intensity.

So although it is often claimed that you have to exercise at low intensity to burn fat is not necessarily true.

Again exercise intensity may have importance for weight loss programs health-related exercise programs and endurance training.

The important fact is diet high in carbohydrate, suppress fat oxidisation. a Diet low in carbohydrates will result in high fat oxidisation.

Endurance athletes often used exercise with out breakfast as a way to increase the fat oxitative capacity of the muscle.

Nutritional supplements.

There are many nutrition supplements on the market that claim to increase fact oxidisation these supplements include caffeine, carnitine, guarana, asian ginseng, there are quite a few others, of the ones mentioned Green tea extract is found to increase fat oxidisation by up to 20% during exercise.

At present, the only proven way to increase fat oxidization during exercise is to perform regular physical activity.

Brides
Image by size8jeans via Flickr

Exercise training will up- regulate the enzymes of the fat oxidization pathways, increased blood flow etc. All of which will enable higher rates of fat oxidization.

higher fat oxidation rates during exercise Is generally reflective of good training status, the vast majority of nutrition supplements do not have any desired effects and currently the only effective way to increase fat oxidization is through exercise training. it is still not clear what the best training routine is to get the greatest improvements as each individual has different fat oxidation rates.

Be reminded oxidation rates on average, are very small during exercise so for weight loss in order to oxidise one KG of fat mass more then 33 hours of exercise would be needed.

For efficient burning of fat for energy, longer training, is  not so much the order of the day it could be more the intensity, and of course  you cannot go past the need to fuel the body with correct nutritional food sources that is the likes of fruit and vegetables ,seeds,nuts and good water.

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Exercise intensity and Weight loss

December 16, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE · Comment 

Exercise intensity and weight loss

What workouts lead to greater weight loss, high-intensity, or low intensity exercise that expends the same amount of overall energy.

Turnier der Meister 2006, Gymnastics World Cup...
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According to a new study carried out on 14 healthy untrained women ,these women exercised on the treadmill at either 45 or 73% of VO2 max four times a week for three months expanding 300 calories per exercise session and eating as normal.

All participants lost weight but the low intensity group lost 1.4 kg more than the high-intensity group.

The researchers speculate that this may have been due to the different effects of the two intensities on the dietary and activity habits for example high-intensity exercise might stimulate appetite and or encourage relaxation more effectively the low intensity variety percentage body fat and fat mass decreased in all participants.

It’s a obvious thing to go faster apart from obvious strength training and form training by losing weight every kilo you drop off you don’t have to carry around a race track.

You would keep weight off, but still have muscle by looking at the very simple things as opposed to complicated training patterns and worrying about rest and injury just be very cautious and conscious of what your dietary restrictions or dietary plan are and create exercises that encourage fat loss burning that don’t require the endless kilometres.

If you don’t have time, you can set up training intensities within the gym in a very short time that will continue to burn fat as you would in an endurance run.

In the study, percentage body fat and fat and decreased in all participants with no particular significant differences between the groups.

To say these findings are conclusive in any manner apart from the obvious fact that weight loss was gained through low intensity training should bring you to the conclusion yourself on what is possible in your training regime

Fat-free mass by contrast decreased in most members of the low intensity group but increased in most of the high-intensity groups the findings either suggest that the high intensity exercise elicits some degree of muscle growth in untrained women or simply reflects the fact that was a less effective in reducing bodyweight or is due to a combination of the two

So what then is the lesson that we can take away from this if the goal is to lose weight and by doing so gained better performance by getting rid of unwanted fat mass but still keeping essential muscle, diet and nutrition play an important role in sports performance and training understanding low intensity training and fitting it in to a lifestyle it is possible to achieve a great deal of success both on the home front and in the sporting arena

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Kerryn McCann Marathon Ispiration dead at 41

December 12, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE · Comment 

Some things come along and just rock you and I felt this way when I learned of the death of the 41-year-old dual Commonwealth Games gold medalist Kerryn McCann from breast cancer. Damn I get a tear in my eye as I write this, you see so many tales of extrodanary feats but as an Ozzie when

she won gold in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. i cheered for a bloody great effort by a real person her victory rightly taking its place as a great moment in Australia’s history.

Tributes have been paid to the humility and unassuming character of marathon runner Kerry at her funeral her death leaves behind husband Greg and children Benton (11), Josie (5) and Cooper (14 months).

McCann was diagnosed last year while she was pregnant but held off having treatment until Cooper was born.

Former Olympian and breast cancer survivor Raelene Boyle and long distance runners Steve Moneghetti and Craig Mottram were among the mourners.

Husband Greg delivered the eulogy,his hurt apparent by his statements of heartfelt descriptions of his champion wife of 17-and-a-half years,

the memory of a vibrant,sweetest person I ever metkerryn McCann and husband

Photo: Danielle Smith

there was a short time there we had absolutely everything. We couldn’t have wanted any more.”

He said she made sure their family was OK before she died.

“Just before 20 past 11 at night she said goodbye. She was so exhuasted but she never gave in,” he said.

Kerry has been an inspiration to many Australians and Australian athletes… she will continue to be an inspiration,

her legacy stretched beyond the track and pavement, for mothers across Australia, Kerryn McCann was their athlete

all mourn the loss of a wonderful wife and mother, a champion athlete and a truly great Australian.”

Sprint star Raelene Boyle, a breast cancer survivor herself, said her friend was as brave in life as she was in running

She said she spoke to McCann just a week ago and the mother of three was still speaking hopefully of making progress

against her aggressive form of breast cancer. “She wanted to win,” Boyle said.
McCann was diagnosed with breast cancer in August last year while she was pregnant with her third child.

McCann noticed the lump in her breast months before she did anything about it

She had a 2.5cm lump removed from her right breast when she was 31 weeks pregnant, but McCann delayed having chemotherapy until after the birth of her son Cooper Patrick.

She underwent an 18-week course of chemotherapy after the birth, with her treatment ending in January this year.

Soon after McCann was diagnosed with secondary cancer in her liver.

McCann won the hearts of Australia

McCann’s marathon win was judged the most memorable moment of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and made into a stamp.

McCann was aged 38 when she provided one of the dramatic highlights of Melbourne’s 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Exchanging the lead several times with Kenyan Hellen Cherono Koskei as they approached the MCG, McCann hit the front and entered the stadium to a massive roar from the crowd.

As the pair battled the final stretch around the stadium, McCann lost the lead before summoning an inspiring home straight burst to eclipse Koskei and snatch victory by two seconds.

She described it as “probably the greatest victory I’ve ever had, or the greatest race I’ve ever run”.

She also won gold in the marathon at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 and represented Australia in the event at three Olympic Games.

When McCann revealed last year that she had beaten breast cancer after it was detected during her third pregnancy.

“The surgeon was confident he got it all and he was right. It’s fantastic news,” McCann told New Idea in October 2007.

However, in September of this year, her husband said his wife was undergoing a “few problems”.

Leaving you with a statment from Kerry do you think she stepped up to the start line, Oh people be bold, you do not know when the sand empty’s from the hour glass of our time here, step up to the start line now

But you ride with it. Yes, it’s just the way it had to be

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Suzuki 24 Hours of Moab MTB Racing

December 11, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE, REVIEWS, VIDEO REPORTS, cycling, race reports · Comment 

I love technology and all the gret things that go with it

not including wepons of mass destruction and the like ,but fasinating stuff lilke they have at.

The Moab 24 Hour race In USA

Using Radio Frequency ID (RFID) cards, which racer’s use to log-in and log-out of each lap, RealTime™ tracks the results and publishes the standings on the web at grannygear.com, in real time. Now, anyone can follow the event from anywhere—every team, every racer, every lap, every time. They have RealTime™ terminals at the races and there’s a wireless LAN so folks can log-on locally with wireless laptops.

Your family and friends can follow your entire race on the internet at www.grannygear.com using this cutting-edge technology.

I hope it get to Ozz there must be away to stop dickhe**ds knocking of trail signs and arrows on course by having some sort of electronic beacon system

In thirteen years time this race has become one of the single greatest mountain bike races in the history of the sport.

For one short weekend, a mountain bike city grows up out of the desert graze-lands.

They host more than 5,000 racers, support crews, and spectators in a stunningly beautiful, completely remote venue and then, in two days, it’s gone. October 11th & 12th, 2008 , was this years Suzuki 24 Hours of Moab, it looks to be a world-class event that draws teams from all over the world.

There is a field limit of 450 teams plus solos and the race books up faster every year, Well i am working on my plan to get me the where withall to travel to these places with my trusty Raceline.

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Short course or sprint Triathlon for beginers

December 5, 2008 · Filed Under Nutrition and Training, REVIEWS, race reports · Comment 
Bay Islands Triathlon 2007
Image by matt coats via Flickr

Mini Triathlon

Training for a triathlon can seem overwhelming to athletes who are just beginning or who aren’t quite physically ready for multisports racing.

Just the thought of having to swim, bike AND run successively in one race is probably enough to turn anyone off from even trying the event. If this sounds familiar, why not try for a mini triathlon? These small but challenging races are popping up all over the world and are proving to be great fun for every aspiring multi sporter.

You Know I used to POH HA these events as I was firmly in the camp of purist Olympic distance racing but as the insurance and ligative arm of human interaction reared its ugly head the short course became a viable option for getting people into the sport of triathlon

Some mini races feature different distances for each of the three disciplines of the sport. Some are separated into different age group categories, such as a mini triathlon for kids and one for seniors, but most are open to virtually any athlete that cares to join.

Some start as small as a ( I have put this in old money distances as I am surprised how many people outside Ozzie read this The distance I would be talking about in Ks is 300 mtr swim 20k bike 3k run ) 250 yard swim in a pool, a 4 mile bike ride and finally a 1.5 mile run, some are a bit longer and include a ¼ mile swim, twelve mile ride and three mile run to the finish.

Why subject yourself to a mini triathlon? Many athletes would admit that training for and finishing a triathlon is one of their most memorable accomplishments as well as most enjoyable.

Wherever you end up on the finishers results list, you’ll probably get hooked and want to try another race which is a great thing to promote

With every finish comes the natural desire to push a little bit harder to get a little bit quicker. Trying to beat your last finish time is always a huge personal motivator for most athletes! .

However, a full Olympic or Half-Ironman tri could prove to be too much of a challenge so you have to be realistic and safe, so aiming for a mini triathlon is a much better and more realistic choice.

If you set your goals too high, the likelihood of giving up half way along your triathlon journey is much greater, whereas having a goal that’s attainable - such as first completing your first sprint triathlon.

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Technorati Profile

How To Determine Lactate Threshold Heart Rate

December 2, 2008 · Filed Under Nutrition and Training, REVIEWS, race reports · Comment 
{{en}} Exercise work zones (Fox and Haskell fo...
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Why Should You Know Your Own Lactate Threshold Heart Rate

Many people are confused by this term, the definition of lactate threshold heart rate is is a measurement of the level of exercise intensity in which the body can no longer clear any one of the by-products created by exercise, and as a result there is an accumulation of these by-products in the blood. The result is the burning feeling which is felt in the muscles during extreme load such as lifting weights, endurance racing, and other such intense exercise.

The reason that you need to determine your own specific lactate threshold heart rate, Exercising within your target heart rate zone has important long-term health implications.

The aerobic base is derived by analyzing where your lactate threshold heart rate is. typically 65% to 75% of your lactate threshold heart rate is your aerobic base.

It burns fat and aids weight loss, and reduces the risk of obesity, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, some types of cancer, and diabetes. It helps prevent heart disease and reduces the risk of heart attack.

Aerobic exercise even helps to ease depression and improves mood. All in all, regular aerobic activity promotes general well-being, and helps to ensure you stay healthy, fit and active in your later years. In order to train your heart and lungs – which make up your aerobic system and to be an strong endurance athlete, you need to work on developing a solid aerobic base.

Some have used a simple formula as a basic guideline to determine their aerobic base, typically 220 minus their age and then multiply by 60% as well as 90%.

As an example, a 30-year old would calculate his optimal heart rate zone using the formula: 220-30=190. 190x.60=114 and 190x.90=171. This individual would try to keep his heart rate between 114 (aerobic base) and 171 (lactate threshold) beats per minute. ( this does not allow for other factors )

This is not a very accurate formula as it is simply far too vague and general for everyone to use.

To accurately determine your own individual lactate threshold heart rate, you would need to visit your doctor or exercise physiologist for an endurance test where blood tests would be administered while exercising.

You can also use a heart rate monitor

Photo of a heart rate monitor (made by Polar) ...
Image via Wikipedia

and do a self assessment while running or cycling and measure your heart rates in a 30 minute field test. Start the heart rate monitor to begin recording from the beginning of the trial and push yourself to complete the interval, just not so hard that you need to slow down significantly at the end. You should start the first 10 minutes easily and accelerate your way up to what feels like your max. output. You can roughly determine your own lactate threshold heart rate by calculating your average heart rate over the 30 minute duration.

Of course this won’t be 100% scientifically accurate, but it will be close enough to understand your own rough lactate threshold heart rate and from there, be able to estimate your own aerobic base.

For example, if your estimated lactate threshold heart rate is 120, then you want to be exercising at 65%-75% of that, or 78-90 beats, for as long as possible. As a multisports athlete or triathlete, this develops your aerobic base and strengthens your heart and lungs in the most efficient manner for endurance sports.

Once you’ve established a solid aerobic base fitness level, then you can focus on other aspects such as developing sports specific strength for swimming, biking, or running by weight training, thus allowing for faster times in each component of your triathlon event and ultimately your overall finish.

The other benefits of a heart rate monitor are as follows:

  1. - Improves your level of fitness by monitoring your heart rate. Monitoring your heart rate keeps you in the “zone”.
  2. Is an aid to prevent injury by monitoring your heart rate, if your heart rate climbs too high, you can slow down accordingly.
  3. It helps in monitoring you overall level of fitness. You can see improvements with time, and makes your progress measurable.
  4. It  can motivate you  and help with better performance as long as you do not become a slave to it
  5. . It can make  goals  measurable and thereby not so subjective
  6. It allows for effective and efficient exercise  which is important if you are counting calories to loose weight

What it does not allow for is what is known as heart rate drift, as with all techno toys  they are and aid and a measurement  tool not  the absolute authority

Air Force’s Lamoureux overcomes depression

November 29, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE · 2 Comments 
Ice Hockey

Image by Auntie P via Flickr

I like to write or comment on any sport related motivational story for those who are into ice hockey this guy has a great story and timely observations.

Jacques Lamoureux, a
accolades typical of a team leader quickly fill the air. amoureux, according to consensus, is a rink rat,
Lone of those guys who is the first one on the ice and the last one off.

So it hardly is a surprise to learn that when Lamoureux was at his lowest point, when it seemed as if nothing could relieve the pain except a more forceful squeeze on the shotgun he was curled beside, ‘lamoureux’s wake-up call did not occur due to any surrender to his own misery.

It happened because his depression was putting someone else he cared for in jeopardy.
Lamoureux, then a teenager battling a depressive state that seemed all-encompassing, did not want his misery to bring harm to his brother sleeping beside him.

“When it got to the point where I recognized myself that I needed help was when I was sleeping with my dad’s shotgun and my little brother was sleeping on the mattress next to my bed,” I was trying to make little cries for help, but I don’t think they were being taken as serious as they should have been. I just said I needed to get help, or something might happen.”

Lamoureux got help, setting off a journey through depression that would involve heartache, recovery, dedication and frustration

Dark days

Teenage depression often is not identified until it is too late, after a child hurts himself, or worse.

Lamoureux was aware enough to reach out when he needed help, an act of admission made easier by the support he knew he had within his family.

Raised in Grand Forks, N.D., Lamoureux grew up in a hockey household. Feeling the pressure of following in the footsteps of his father and brother, while also enduring a painful breakup, Lamoureux finally confided in his mother about the full extent of his depression.

After an immediate trip to the emergency room, Lamoureux was paired with a psychologist and prescribed antidepressants.

” I put a lot of pressure on myself to play well and be recognized. I think that kind of snowballed.

“You see that a lot with teenagers today. . . . They break up with people and they think their world is coming down. I think that happened with me, and it spiraled out of control before I could get a handle on it.”

It was during this time in Bismarck that Lamoureux discovered another outlet for his demons. For a composition assignment, Lamoureux recounted a small portion of his tale.

Encouraged by his teacher as well as a psychology instructor, Lamoureux began speaking to classes at his school about what he had endured and how they too could get help if they ever fell into such dire straits.

After his story was published in several local news outlets, a representative from Yellow Ribbon, a national organization dedicated to preventing suicide, helped arrange for Lamoureux to speak at several schools in Pennsylvania.

Lamoureux’s demands at the academy have not allowed him to schedule similar speaking engagements around Colorado Springs, but he said he would welcome the opportunity.

“The responses that I got and my teacher got helped a lot of people into the process of getting help,” La- moureux said. “There are a lot of kids that have the same type of problems, but you don’t know about it because it’s not talked about. If it helps one person, then I’m doing my job.”

The long road

His hockey and academic careers back on track, Lamoureux set his sights on college - specifically, Air Force.

Yet while Lamoureux more than fulfilled academic and athletic requirements, his depression, combined with the medication he had been prescribed years earlier, came back to haunt him.

The academy failed to clear Lamoureux medically, denying his admission.

Lamoureux couldn’t help thinking he should have been on that team.

given that Lamoureux had been off medication for years and had excelled academically at Northern Michigan, a window of opportunity was open.

Lamoureux eventually was accepted, spending last season getting acclimated to the academy while taking a redshirt season because of NCAA transfer rules.

“I hoped they would think that I was over the depression now that it had been four or five years,” Lamoureux said. “I did well in school, did well in hockey. I figured I’d give it another shot and, hopefully, they’d let me in this time. Thankfully, they did.”

Flying start

“We knew he would be a great addition to our team, but I don’t think anyone thought in their wildest dreams that he would be doing the things that he’s done and contributing like he has been. He’s worked hard and pushed himself and put himself in the position he’s in.”

Lamoureux stormed out of the gate, posting multiple points in the first six games before hitting a three-game lull that ended with a two-assist effort during a sweep of Sacred Heart last week.

Chances are, Lamoureux, like all hockey players, will hit another scoring drought at some point this season. But after surviving the trials that brought him to this time and place, he never will feel so despondent and lost regarding something as simple as a disappointing game.

“You always hear, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ ” La- moureux said. “I’ve read a lot of books on different players’ approaches to the game, and it’s the hardships you go through playing hockey that make you a better player. It’s the same thing in your personal life. When you go through tough times, it’s going to make you stronger mentally and make you more prepared for things that come up.

So  what is the take home for us, may be, it is, a dark time is not always the end of the road if you are involved in sport and you take a dive in your results, take a step back and connect with a passion not a result.

If you are part of the 1 in five statistics of insistences of depression get help, find a friend, hell man I don’t know you but I care speak up you can be heard by people who understand.

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Benefits of Heart Rate Training

November 29, 2008 · Filed Under Nutrition and Training, REVIEWS, race reports · Comment 
Blood circulation:  Red = oxygenated  Blue = d...
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What is Involved in Heart Rate Training?

Most people who believe they are out of shape or overweight will tell you that as soon as they push themselves physically – like jogging, cycling, walking up a flight stairs - they feel as if their heart is going to pound out of their chest. during exercise, doing it without proper understanding of the consequences is not exactly healthy or safe and can possibly be more dangerous than beneficial. Understanding the concept of proper heart rate training is very important so that you can maximize your fitness gains while exercising.

Since the heart itself is a muscle, Heart rate training is much like training any other muscle in your body. Training your biceps or quadriceps, you would normally start off with a lower amount of weight and gradually increased the load as you got became stronger.

As your muscles adapt to repeated exposure to added load, you are naturally able to lift more weight, and increase the number of reps with your added gains in strength.

One great aspect of specific heart rate training is your heart is getting a workout as soon as you increase your heart rate – regardless of what exercise you may be performing. Unlike your other specific muscles - if you simply run, your arms aren’t going to be worked. If you are working on your chest and doing bench press, your legs won’t be worked.

But your heart IS getting a work out working harder to support your blood circulation and is feeding your muscles under increased aerobic activity while pushing weights. As a multisports athlete, aerobic exercise which is essentially heart rate specific training, as well as core & strength training is required since you’ll need not just overall endurance, but have extended core muscle strength & endurance which will also come with increased aerobic capacity. When you swim, you use your muscles to propel you through the water but it’s an aerobic activity as well; this is also true for the basic strength and muscle requirements of biking and running as well.

Investing in a good heart rate monitor is necessary uphill and you’re anaerobic the whole time, you may need to work on your leg strength to cope with the added load of cycling – as your legs grow stronger, your cardiovascular system won’t have to work as hard to move yourself up that hill. While heart rate training, remember to work your way up slowly to your desired level of fitness and endurance.

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There is a Toad in my shoe

November 24, 2008 · Filed Under MAIN PAGE, motivation/depression · Comment 
A toad American Toad (Bufo Americanus). Pictur...

Image via Wikipedia

There is a toad in my shoe

Here in Australia you are always told as a child that if you get into the habit of checking your shoes

left on the porch or outside you will ensure no little critters will get into your boots and attack your

toes as you slide your foot in. I was not thinking of this when I sat down on the porch

and pulled my shoes on getting the most horrible shock, when after realizing my foot was not going

to slip in, I hastily withdrew my foot and up ended the shoe, only to have a very startled

toad drop out and hop off.

Now this can be a cause for a laugh as we both got quite a shock but after I got over it I

started to reflect on why the toad was in there in the first place.

Toads as in the manner of all creatures, are not pushy types and they will make a home in a cool environment

that not being used for anything else .

My running shoes have not been used for a while, now admittedly I have an injury that keeps me from running so they they not much in demand.

I paused then to reflect on the possible learning that could be in this incidence without being too deep and meaningful.

I realized that by not accepting I could not train and run competitively and cast of my shoes , I had really pushed away  a lifestyle and  an Identity that I had before my injury,  tying self and identity to success in my sport.

I used my sport as a lot of things, one was a tool in keeping my depression under management and feeling good about myself

By finding a worthiness in being a high achieving athlete, I had created a void that I have been experiencing

since my inability to compete.

What had happened is that I had forgotten about life outside triathlon, long runs

and Sunday races that’s why when I tried to slip into other boots that haven’t been

used for a while I discovered a toad in them.

Struth bit of a wake up call so where do I go from here ,well I will check my shoes before I put

my toe’s in them that’s for sure, but back to the lesson.

Being fixated on one thing, and it is real easy to do in an athletic pursuit

you have to remember that there is more going on than your narrow point of focus

or may be that is just me?

Finding out I could not run was a very big thing for me, which turned up the depression knob,

but the realization that I really struggled with, was I had so much identity attached to being a

successful triathlete that I could not even think about doing something for fun and not having

to be the best, or as I am prone to saying, to being at the pointy end of the race.

So lesson learned, enjoyment in sport is about social connection, participation at what ever level

you get your success from , having an understanding and appreciation that all aspects of life

are contributers to success.

So do not leave areas of your life to sit outside, and be cast off or you might just end up with

something worse than a toad sneaking in to to bite you on the toe.

Talking about shoes sort of :-)   These Guys have gone out on a limb and put a new trail running shoe on the market

For the past 15 years have designed top-of-the line gear for almost every major athletic company. They started as staffers for Nike in the late 1990s and most recently were independent contractors assisting Under Armour launch a line of football cleats.

But late last year the two launched their own company, 20 Degrees North, and started seeking their own piece of the $46 billion outdoor-recreation market.

“It’s probably not the best time to start a shoe company,” “But we’ve been designing for everyone else for years, so why not do it ourselves? How hard can it really be?”

Last month the duo launched their first product, a line of bright-colored running shoes for the 40 million

American joggers who run on off-road trails, here in Australia we are seeing a big interest in of road

Triathlon  where the uneven terrain of mountain passes, beaches, and forests necessitates a wider, more

stable running shoe than those worn by track-and-field athletes.

About a dozen companies, including Adidas and Asics, already sell trail-running shoes, but 20 Degrees’ founders say the market lacks a clear leader.

For research, they examined photos and Internet footage of big cats’ paws, discovering that their pads - not claws - wrapped around rocks and uneven terrain to give them better stability.

“Other companies look at putting hard teeth and large pieces on the bottom of shoes to give them stability - that adds weight,”

Instead, 20 Degrees fitted the bottom of its shoes with lightweight, blown-rubber traction pads and grooves to make them work more like paws. The company also used an injection-molded manufacturing process that is generally associated with Crocs not high-performance sneakers. And although that makes the shoes almost twice as expensive to make, it resulted in a trainer that is almost two ounces lighter than competitors’.

But no matter how light and agile their shoes are, it’s hard to break into the shoe market, especially in such a niche.

To build credibility among die-hard athletes, 20 Degrees is targeting the some 28,000 runners that participate each year in Xterra races, a series of triathlons held all over the world. In 2007, 20 Degrees inked a deal with Team Unlimited, the Maui firm that runs the Xterra races, and is selling its shoe under the Xterra name. The Maui location is also the inspiration for 20 Degrees’ name: Hawaii is found at 20 degrees latitude.

As a result, the Xterra shoe will get exposure at races and on Xterra Planet TV, a sports cable network that, according to Team Unlimited CEO Tom Kiely, gets about 50 million viewers a year. The company also has access to five Xterra-sponsored athletes, competitive runners who have been testing 20 Degrees’ shoes since spring.

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How To Train For Your First Triathlon

November 21, 2008 · Filed Under Nutrition and Training, REVIEWS, race reports · Comment 
made specific for the triathlon wikipedia page...

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How To Train For A Triathlon:

The sport of Triathlon focuses on 3 primary sporting disciplines and these are swimming, cycling, and running.

To excel at this particular sport, triathletes have to understand how to train for a triathlon properly.

You will need to focus training to improve skills for swimming, cycling, as well as running.

You also need to think about everything beyond just the fundamental task of how to train for a triathlon itself.

All the other little details that are related,

  1. transitions,
  2. bike maintenance,
  3. how to swim in open water,
  4. pre/during/race nutrition,
  5. pacing for racing

Each of these components are different for each type of triathlon distance ranging from short sprint races

to the 8 hour plus races such as Ironman.

Increase In Requirements

When learning about how to train for a triathlon as a person increase in their capacity to train in a multisport event the

training requirements will increase.

For example, a sprint distance triathlete will only need to swim 300mtrs bike for about 20 k and then run 3k

The training regime will be very different than what is required for an Ironman event, without knowing about how to train

for a triathlon of any distance, your triathlon running abilities,swimming and bike skills will be well beyond your normal capabilities.

When you start getting quicker with you will probably progress from the shorter distance onto the next longer distance

and then perhaps even to the Ironman distance.

Athletes who are just beginners in terms of their triathlon experience, a few simple tips when training for triathlon

starts I beleive not only with the physical training but also the mental attitude.

All sporting activity is about getting a result be olympic gold or soscial interaction, set out your objectives look at your

BEIJING - AUGUST 18:  Gold medalist Emma Snows...

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present state of health and the allways tie to your social connection within your family structure to your time spent training.

as you will allways want to have a support team do not leave the family back at the training shed as it is not a recipy for successs.

If you have a family get them onside as obsesive compulsion is quite a real aspect of trying to achieve a result in this sport.

By taking a shot at racing the shortest triathlon distance to gauge how well your body and mind cope with the separate disciplines.

To learn how to how to train for a triathlon, you need to learn how to pace during the race, train how best to make the change or

transition from one sport to the next.

It is allways good to get to understand the finer points like how you feel after having ridden a bicycle at race pace then learning

how to make the easiest transition to running.

In Australia most swims are open water swims so training in open water really helps to find out whether or not you can swim the

entire distance knowing how to pop your head up somewhere along the way to keep direction.

One key type of training method, by implementing some ‘brick workouts’ combining two or even three of the disciplines

Triathlon de Vioreau

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together in one workout – ie. A hard bike interval immediately followed by an tempo run, or doing a long distance cycling

and then a short recovery run immediately after to work out the legs and get you used to turning your legs over.

Another useful training tip worth following in terms of the fundamentals of how to train for a triathlon is course knowledge,

train on a similar type of terrain and to not try any aspect different on the actual race day – like nutrition or shoes.

You should always wear the same type of clothes you wear for your racing on a training day , so as you know you feel comfortable

on race day. And never, never, never, try a new piece of equipment or food source on race day

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  • Ten Tips for Optimum Athletic Recovery

    Ten Tips for Optimum Athletic Recovery

       1. Drink water, all you care for, before during and after engaging in

       strenuous activity


       2. Eat fruit upon completion of activity to bring blood sugar back

      to normal levels and provide sugar for conversion to muscle glycogen.


       3. Consume celery and/or tomatoes to provide necessary

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       in strenuous activity.


       4. When possible, rest after meals to foster optimum digestion.


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        Sleep as much as you desire.


       6. During long duration activities, drink sports drinks of fruit blended

       with water. This works very well. For "ultra" events, add celery to the mixture.


       7. Monitor your water losses by using a scale to measure your weight before

        and after workouts.


       8. Raw foods provide the maximum nutrients for the minimal calories 


        encouraging the most rapid recovery. Gradually raise the raw percentage

        of your diet until you approach or reach 100%.


       9. Develop the habit of going to bed earlier to obtain a good night's sleep.


      10. Keep meals simple for optimum digestion, and varied to insure optimum nutrition.

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