Don’t forget the the Strength Training for Triathlete workouts start this Tuesday, so make just you get registered before it fills up!

Strength Training Exercises for Triathletes – Circuit #1

One Leg Squats

How to begin

• Start standing on right foot
• Keep head and chest up at all times
• Allow right knee to bend and lower body down
• Advanced move:Reach with left hand to touch right knee, shin, or toe

Watch the video

How many to do: Start with ten on each side

Push-Up with Rotation

How to begin

• Start in push-up position
• Allow elbows to bend bringing chest down towards ground
• Contract chest muscles (pecs) to return to starting position
• Continue into the Plank Rotation
• Alternate direction of rotation with each repetition

Watch the video

How many to do: Start with twelve on each side

Lunge Jumps

How to begin

• Start in a split squat stance with right leg in front adn left leg back
• Lower body down by going into lunge by bending front knee
• Press through the front leg to jump off ground
• Advanced move: While in air switch front legs (scissor style)

Watch the video

How many to do: Start with ten on each side
Repeat the circuit three to five times with a brief rest after the the Lunge Jumps.

We’re not here as triathletes to win a power-lifting competition or try to look good while wearing a leather weight lifting belt. In fact, the only belts we have are race belts and Fuel Belts to carry our hydration and carbs with us on triathlon training rides or races.

Here’s a brief example of some of the body weight dynamic warm-up exercises that you can do – each with a link to a YouTube video to help demonstrate each exercise.

Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Triathletes

Squat Jumps for triathletes

• Stand with feet at shoulder width
• Squat down keeping weight back on heels
• Use arms to help propel off the ground
• Only jump about 50% of maximum height
• Upon landing, immediately begin next rep
• Try for a total of 20 reps for your warmup

Here’s the Jump Squat video on YouTube

Up-Downs

• Stand with feet at shoulder width
• Squat down placing one hand on ground behind your body
• Sit down on ground
• Lay down flat on the ground
• Sit up and then bend knees to place feet on ground
• Use one arm to come back to squat position
• Press through heels to return to full standing position
• Number of reps: 4 to 6

Plank Rotations

• Start in push up position with shoulders over hands
• Rotate torso 90 degrees
• Turn on to outside of one foot and inside of opposite foot
• Lift one arm off ground and come into “T” position
• Replace hand on ground and return to push up position
• Repeat to opposite side

Stationary Hurdle Step-Overs

• Start standing with feet at shoulder width
• Lift right knee up in front of body as high as comfortably possible
• Lift and rotate lifted leg towards side mimicking stepping over a hurdle
• Bring leg back down to ground on side
• Repeat with opposite leg

Bootstrappers

• Start in push up position
• Walk feet in 3 steps so that hips are raised well above shoulder height
• Allow knees to bend to bring butt to heels
• Extend legs to come back to starting “hip up” position

Ever want to see how you’d stack up against Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador climbing up Tour de France classic mountain climbs like Mount Ventoux?

Well now you can!

On San Diego’s first Computrainer MultiRider Center at Coastal Sports and Wellness, you can now climb some of the classic Tour de France climbs in our indoor door cycling classes!

Watch on our two giant screen televisions as you climb up Mount Ventoux and suffer through the ride that Lance Armstrong calls the toughest climb in the Tour de France.

Find out more about our San Diego indoor cycling center.

He’s sent a few pictures back and promises more over the next few days.

View from the front of the hotel in Kitzbuhel Austria

You can also follow along with him at the TriathlonDoctor.com blog

Dr Martinez has been part of the USA Triathlon Team USA support staff for the Age Group World Championships since 2004. He has also been part of the medical staff of the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships since 1999.

This is his first year as part of the medical staff supporting the USA Triathlon elite athletes. Dr Martinez will be covering the ITU triathlon races in Madrid Spain and Kitzbeuhl, Austria with Alex Keith, DC, a Palm Beach Florida sports chiropractor.

For more information about our San Diego sports medicine clinic, call us at 858-678-0300

 
Demonstrators:
Although not protesting the race itself, many of the local villagers tried to disrupt the activities, including blocking all traffic to and from the host hotel and blocking the swim course on days leading up to the race.  There was talk about them trying to block the run course as well, so the day before the race the course was changed.  Even though it was inconvenient, it is very sad that the land that they have lived on and have there ancestors buried on is being taken from them to build hotels and having to work in such poor conditions.

Swim:
The swim was a 2 loop course in a river close to the city.  Although it didn’t feel polluted, is was so muddy that you couldn’t see past your elbow with your arm in the water.  The current was extremely strong so the race director decided to cut that one leg about in half, have people exit the water and run along the shore.  Even then, then strategy of most people seemed to be to swim close enough to the shore so you could walk that leg.  I had to hold on to a buoy line to rest and it felt like you were being pulled through the water.

Bike:
The bike was also a two loop course with most of it being on nice paved roads.  There was about a 3 mile stretch that went through a small village, and even though it had the worst road conditions, it had the best crowd support.  There was virtually none on the rest of the course. The steepest part was similar in grade and length to Torrey Pines inner loop.  The rest was rolling hills, like riding along the coast.  Despite putting on zinc oxide sunscreen that was supposed to last all day, I noticed my arms and legs getting sunburned by 11am.  I tried putting on more at the aid stations, but by then it was too late.  I almost think that putting more on just trapped the heat in.  There was a pretty significant side wind that felt to be up to 20 mph, and with the high temperature it was a hot wind.  It was an interesting sensation having trained my legs to go harder, but my body just not letting them.  They ran out of water on the bike course about 4 hours in to it.  They had some cold water you could dump on yourself, but nothing you could drink.  I personally thought they should have more aid stations closer together, or at least stagger them so your could access them more frequently.  There was also little roaming support as I saw a couple of athletes walking there bike, and I all I could do was tell the next aid station.

Run:
With my legs feeling good after the bike I thought I would be able to make up some time on the run, but that was not the case.  Again there was no shade and even the pros were walking.  Someone told me that 17 of the pros dropped out, and if that is true, then that would have been half of them.  The course was really flat, but it was too far in between aid stations.  At every one I was dumping cold water on my neck, arms, and legs, but just couldn’t seem to get my body to cool down.  I wasn’t able to take in much nutrition.  I only went through about 5 oz of what I brought with me, and then some cups of water or cola at a few of the aid stations.  There didn’t seem to be any walkie-talkies on the course as some athletes were trying to drop out of the race and they were told they had to walk another 2 km to the next aid station to do it!  Most of the medical staff didn’t speak English.  There were a number of times that I had to translate for an athlete as I was going through an aid station about where they hurt, or what they wanted done.  Even at the finish they were reluctant to give IVs.  Athletes were asking for them but were told that since their vitals weren’t dangerous, they had to just rest and drink water.

Despite the conditions of the day, I am glad that I did it.  My feet are blistered, I lost a few toenails, and my arms and legs are fried, but at least I was able to finish.  It was definitely not the time I wanted, but crossing that finish line after all that happened was unforgettable.  Thanks for all of the support and I’ll see you guys when I get back in the states!

- Scott

More info on the Velonews website 

Steve Larsen’s athletic career crossed from road cycling, into mountain biking and then into triathlons. He managed to win two NORBA National Mountain Biking Championships as well as taking the 2001 Ironman USA Triathon title in Lake Placid, New York and a 9th place in the Ironman Triathlon World Championships.

His road cycling career include time on the US-based Motorola cyling team with appearances in the Giro d’Italia and other top European cycling races.

Recently he was living in Bend, Oregon with his wife and 5 children and working in the real estate field.

I had the opportunity to meet Steve several times through out his career(s). First was way back in the 1990′s when he was competing on the pro mountain bike circuit and the last time out in Kona at the Ironman triathlon. Very gracious both times, one when he wasn’t feeling too well after Ironman. Also watched him completely destroy the field at Ironman Lake Placid in 2001 where he shattered the bike course record (and my first Ironman triathlon)

A very talented athlete and person – our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

The original topic was supposed to be about the recent 50 game suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez, but sports anchor Rick Willis is a big marathon fan and decided to focus more on the healthy aspects of running and training for running races from the local 5 km fun runs to the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon.

Note that Dr Martinez had to slouch down to fit in the camera shot, and if the beginning seems a little disjointed – apparently the wireless microphone box kept unclipping and falling to to ground as they were about to come back from the commerical break!

SANTALLA, NARANJO, J and  TERRADOS, N, Muscle Efficiency Improves over Time in World-Class Cyclists , Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 41(5):1096-1101, May 2009.

Goes to show that even at the elite/profression level of cycling, performance gains can still be made by improving the basics.