How one gets better at almost anything in life is to spend time doing whatever task, or activity is at hand. Go ahead and make time during your day to improve whatever skill or task that needs improvement. This will help your productivity at work and make you a better person because you will make measurable advancements in your athletic performance (or whatever your desire is). Don’t wait! Plan your work and work your plan. Of course you will have some valleys to climb out of, but do not let that deter you. Ride the wave, don’t let it take you under! Make time for yourself everyday. We’ll keep you posted on more information about self-mastery and enrich practices you can perform every day!
Jan 10
Thanks to a little coaching, and a lot of drill work, my Nordic skiing is improving. I have yet to perform a time trial of any sorts (waiting for the first race), but would have to say that all three techniques are coming around. V2 alternate finally got hammered into my head this past weekend. I will have to say that incorporating some ice skating on a regular basis has helped immensely as well. Oh yeah, the other main component has been the excellent ski conditions. It has only been this past few days that Bozeman Creek hasn’t been that great. Even then, once you are past the pooper, it is good to go.
I am not going to set any world records, but when you see improvements in any athletic endeavor, you should be happy (and a little proud) of yourself. The rhyme and reason is to get some assistance with your training plan/coaching. Whether you need help with your technique (whatever discipline: swim, bike, run, ski, etc.), seek out a coach willing to analyze and determine what you need OR if you just need a sound training plan based upon your goals and lifestyle, go ahead and hire that person who has the education and experience.
Enjoy the training, make the fun last!
Jan 07
Tips to Improve Your Self-Efficacy
Performance Mastery
This is the “hands on” training of learning through personal experience. Athletes should be properly instructed then allowed to practice with guidance. Repeated successes=increased self-efficacy.
Vicarious Experience
This is “modeling” where athletes observe others successfully performing an exercise. Modeling is extremely important for any age category—they need to see others their age or ability level performing an exercise task properly and successfully without getting hurt.
Verbal Persuasion
Relates to compliments (for excellent technique), congratulations (when athletes finish a difficult set or training session), and encouragement (for accepting new challenges such as learning a new skill). All of these are forms of positive reinforcement that work best to boost self-efficacy when it occurs immediately after the accomplishment praised and is very specific to the task just performed.
Emotional Arousal
At a basic level this is the education about all the benefits of staying active, participating or competing and the consequences and health risks of sedentary lifestyles. Athletes should ask themselves why they do what they do. Typically, an emotional attachment will enhance the experience even more
Dec 21
Recently, I have been approached by several triathletes for some coaching. I responded, asking about what their expectations are related to coaching. They in turn responded they would like a training plan written up for them, and that was about the extent of it. As our conversation progressed down further avenues such as regular benchmark testing, bike fitting, etc. the triathletes soon realized that there is a difference between coaching and training plans. Let’s explain some of the pros and cons of each.
Benefits of Coaching:
- training zones and future training can be adjusted without the need to wait until the next testing protocol
- it is designed for the individual athlete and the individual athlete’s unique physiology, schedule, and goals
- if an athlete becomes injured or ill, etc. the training can be adjusted moving forward to take into account the injury, illness, or otherwise missed training
- there is accountability for the athlete to one specific person
Drawbacks of Coaching:
- significantly more expensive that training plans.
- requires detailed feedback from the athlete on how the workouts went.
- requires the athletes to be committed and complete the workouts as prescribed.
At Moving Forward, we like to meet with our athletes as frequently as possible. Whether it is to improve your swim technique, perform a power profile test on your bike, or to determine your run pacing, we want to see you! If you have a busy schedule, perhaps the training plan is what will work best for you! If you can schedule an almost weekly session (or something on a regular interval), coaching could be right up your alley!
Benefits of Training Plans:
- they are less expensive than individualized coaching
- they provide guidance for new athletes as well as those athletes that cannot or choose not to invest in coaching
- they generally lead to improved performance when compared to unstructured training
- they allow a wider range of people to experience the sport of triathlon in a more structured way than training on their own
Drawbacks of Training Plans:
- they only work to their full potential if you are exactly the same type of athlete (physiologically and mentally) the training plan was originally written for
- they ignore the uniqueness of the individual athlete
- they do not take into account that an athlete will have a sick day, an injury, an emergency, family trip, or any other reason for missing workouts
- there is no accountability to one specific person
To put it simply; Coaching is more specific than training plans are. Training plans are part of coaching, but not the same. If and when you decide to hire a coach, make sure to ask them about their philosophy toward racing/training. At Moving Forward, we will be happy to write you a thorough training plan and provide you with some excellent coaching . . . if you decide you want that as well!
Dec 18
When an athlete trains with lower muscle glycogen or with lower availability of pre- and during-workout snacks of carbohydrate foods/drinks, the potential outcomes are:
- It may enhance skeletal muscle capacity for endurance performance at the cellular level
- It may increase the use of muscular triglycerides and adipose tissue to meet training needs
With that being said, low carbohydrate availability can also compromise your immune system and can negatively affect your balance, coordination, and quickness. You may become very irritable. (Yes, you) Remember, as an endurance athlete, it is important for you to determine what is the necessary amount of macronutrient intake before, during , and after your training sessions and races. Your nutrition plan is highly individual! Try not to pay attention what someone else is doing. Make sure to track what works good, better, and best for you! Write down what and when you eat, how you felt, and what your performance levels were.
Dec 15
If you are like us, we like to get out and Nordic ski during the winter to help build the base, work on some athleticism, and of course have some fun. With that being said, indoor cycling is very effective in also making you a better cyclist. The question is, how do you know what the optimal training loads are? Power profile testing is a fantastic way to get your training on track. This requires the use of a computrainer or other ergonomic trainer. You, the athlete, performs a thorough warm up. Then proceeds with a battery of tests at varying intensities to see what you have in the tank. This is a great benchmark test to use no matter what time of year to assess your fitness levels. There are multiple modalities to use, Moving Forward will help you with choosing the correct test protocol to use.
Results from the test will help you optimize your pacing for whatever you are training while on the bike, whether it be sprinting, threshold, or otherwise. Typical percentages of power and sample intervals to use are:
Power Output Training examples
|
Sprinting |
200+% |
5x150m (complete rest) |
|
Anaerobic Endurance |
100 – 130% |
5x(1+6min) |
|
VO2 max |
90 – 105% |
3x(3+2min) |
|
Threshold |
85-90% |
3x(8+4min) |
|
Endurance |
50-85% |
up to 3 hours |
|
Recovery/Junk |
40-50% |
1 hour |
Typical Wattages for Cyclists are:
|
Peak Power for Time (Watts) |
|||||
|
Males |
2 hours |
1 hour |
30 minutes |
5 minutes |
30 seconds |
|
Average Joe |
147-170 |
172-192 |
194-206 |
213-239 |
452-565 |
|
Cat 4 Rider |
182-209 |
212-237 |
240-254 |
266-293 |
559-698 |
|
Domestic Pro |
252-291 |
295-330 |
334-353 |
372-404 |
777-971 |
|
International Pro |
275-317 |
321-359 |
364-388 |
394-452 |
846-1057 |
taken from:
Vogt, S., Heinrich, L. et.al. “Power Output during Stage Racing in Professional Road Cycling,” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, January, 2006. Volume 38:1 pp 147-151.
Sorry, we don’t have any ranges for females, however, during a recent review from the European Journal of Applied Physiology, those female World Cup athletes on a hilly course had maximal numbers of 800+Watts with and average of about 170 Watts.
Remember that training with power is nothing new, it has been around for quite some time. If you don’t have a power meter, you can still reap benefits from the power profile test(s). You’ll have a little guess work, but it can still be associated with your rate of perceived exertion or heart rate. Remember that regular testing will help you train optimally. You can minimize your guesswork about your training zones. Let us know if you have any questions.
Nov 29
Moving forward is a process in life that many people loathe because moving forward is a time that requires one to make changes. Being able to move forward in life is a true test of a person’s maturity level, and a true test of the confidence that they have within themselves. In order to succeed in the accomplishment of the dreams and goals that we have in our hearts we must be able to not only look forward, but also have the capacity to move forward as well. We must resist looking back, and trying to relive the past, because our past can only be lived but once, and the mistakes that we made in it can not be redone. We can choose to make wiser decisions, and learn from the experiences that we went through in order to become the best person possible in moving forward in our lives.
From a coaching perspective, we like to make sure to review what was done in the past to help improve your performance; regular performance testing, current lifestyle, along with training and racing goals will help dictate future accomplishments.
Nov 15
Pix from 25 Hours of Frog Hollow. It was an enjoyable race; the weather was colder than usual, but friends and family made it a great weekend. The race directors encouraged costumes and the mighty bumblebee was perfect to wear on the colder laps! It is always nice to add levity into the seriousness of a race 
Nov 13
Dressing appropriately for the colder weather can affect your sport performance whether it be running, nordic skiing, cycling, or other favorite winter sport. Let’s take look at your body from the ground up.
- Socks – they should be made out of wool or any synthetic material; no cotton because it won’t wick away any of the sweat from your feet.
- Pants/Tights – your legs produce a lot of heat, so be careful about how many layers you put on. Again, one synthetic layer will suffice, unless it is very cold (10 degrees F or below). Add on a wind-breaking layer after that.
- Gloves/mittens – you can lose a significant amount of your body heat through you hands. Choose materials which will wick that sweat away from your body. Mittens can be a better choice during colder temperatures due to the shred warmth of your fingers
- Upper Body – use a wicking base layer (no cotton) then add an insulating layer such as fleece, or a heavier weight base layer; if it is windy or very cold, add a wind/waterproof outer layer
- Hat,headband, balaclava, and/or neck gaiter are important pieces as well. Find what works best for you. Try some of the products at Sauce.
- Other items to include are some chapstick, vaseline, and sunscreen; winter time can still be a time for windburn and sunburn
What you wear is highly individual, just like your training. Make sure to assess and reassess what you do to achieve optimal performance. Matt
Nov 10
- Don’t Skip Breakfast – Some fiber in the morning means less hunger in the afternoon; this when you most likely feel tired and gorge on sugar
- Hit the Sack – 7 – 8 hours of sleep per night not only helps you live longer, but also lowers your stress, sharpens your memory, and reduces cravings
- Taste the Colors – Foods with bright, rich colors are more than just nice to look at. They are also packed with flavonoids and carotenoids, which are powerful compounds that bind the damaging free radicals in your body, thus lowering inflammation.
- Avoid Fad Diets – The real trick to losing weight is to decrease your overall daily calorie intake. Try taking in 100 calories less per day, over the course of a year, this will add up to 10 pounds.
- Lift some weight – Just 30 minutes of strength training can build significant muscle mass. You’ll be stronger and also burn more calories because of the increased muscle mass.
- Dance Dance Dance! – Any kind of dancing with complex moves is stimulating enough to give your neurons a workout. Even the simplest moves provide some physical exercise. Quit being the wallflower on your next night out!
- Learn to Cook – If you cook your own meals, you not only save money, but will also have more control over what goes into your meals.
