Tips on how to improve your bike leg of the triathlon.

Last weekend, I competed in my second sprint triathlon of the year. The temperature was in the high 90’s by 8 o’clock in the morning. Normally, I’d wear my Velo Bella Jersey for both the run and the bike, but it was just too hot. The three mile course wrapped around the back of the University and there was absolutely no shade.

Mistake: inserting Spenco insoles prior to the run for extra cushioning only to find out that they do not allow your feet to sweat. My feet were on FIRE. Felt like I was running on hot lava. I had a terrible run time of like 24 minutes.

However, as soon as I got on my bike it felt like heaven. Cool, comfortable shoes, my bike and I was FLYING!! I was able to bring my heart rate down fairly quickly and then crank the intensity back up to pass other riders. Because of my bike leg of the triathlon, I managed to finish 10th overall for women and third in my age group.

So on to tips:

1. Confidence on your bike is key. Must be able to handle your bicycle in stressful situations.

2. High Cadence. Your leg speed is indicative of how fast you are going. The majority of the riders I was passing seemed to be in too big of a gear- “mashing their gears” (legs working in squares not circles) and they were struggling. Your legs should be going around as fast as possible- without bouncing in the saddle. This is tricky to describe but try to spin your legs in an effort to go faster using the biggest gear possible (90-100 RPM’s if you have a cadence monitor.) You want the best speed with the least effort. Bottom line: high speed, medium gear= FAST. Picture a perfectly rolling ball moving efficiently down the lane going at optimal speed.

3. Time Trial bars. Those bars attached to my handlebars will make you go faster because it puts you in an aerodynamic position. They do take practice! The key is to get in that position and DON’T MOVE. Anytime you move, you cause more air to hit you which slows you down. I tend to come out of the bars for tight corners then get back in position as soon as possible.

4. Heart Rate Zones: Make sure that you are racing in your high aerobic training zone. It’s easy to coast on a bike so in a race situation, focus on keeping your heart rate up high. You should be breathing hard but not gasping!

5. Drink on the bike! For a three mile run, I didn’t take any water, however, I drank a whole bottle of HEED on the ride. Learn how to drink in an aero position.

I truly feel that the bike length of a triathlon is really the most important leg. You can make up a TON of speed just understanding basic bike handling skills. The aerodynamic equipment and position can also save minutes off your time.

Questions, comments, suggestions are welcome here!

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You are sitting nice and comfy in the passenger seat getting ready for a long drive home from the beach, when SUDDENLY, your driver starts screaming at the top of their lungs. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!???!!??***”

You turn and look and you see your drivers’ legs have totally locked up in nasty, crippling leg cramps. They can’t drive, move their feet, or focus on the traffic, the lights or you (passenger). Driver must abandon driver position to suffer the rest of the way home. They are sore for the next five days and their training has been completely blown out of the water.

Or another instance, I compete in one sprint triathlon a year (except this year) and in the past, it was ALWAYS my goal to beat my husband. The second year I did it, I showed up to the starting line with like 3 weeks of barely running or riding. I didn’t care about anything other than beating my husband. I KILLED myself in the run and on the bike (granted he had some technical issues) but, I stayed ahead of him for both the run and the bike. I was almost to the transition area when I started feeling rolling cramps in my quads. Not debilitating but, if I didn’t stop I was going to be on the curb. I even got to the pool before him- then all of a sudden CRAMPSSSSSSSSSSS. Crap! There he goes past me. Inadequate training and ZERO performance drinks on the bike. He beat me by 2 seconds.

Once your body is cramping, you are basically STUCK. You’ve done too much and now all you can do is suffer. Good luck finishing the ride or race! If you can get your hands on a high quality performance drink it may help lessen the cramping, but don’t expect miracles. (ps. I do not refer to performance drinks as GATORADE!!)What causes muscle cramping? Complex question with many factors. Here are the basics:

1. Temperature

2. Duration of activity

3. Inappropriate preparation

4. Inappropriate hydration and caloric intake

5. Genetics

What I have witnessed in my many years of being married to a cyclist as well as from my father and brother (Hawaii Ironman Competitor for five years), cramping is more often caused by your body’s ability to adapt to the activity that YOU want it to do. In my humble opinion, I think muscle cramps are caused by the athletes assumption that they can do X on nothing. (not enough proper FUEL for too long of an effort) If you wait too long to rehydrate your body- it will “sputter and cough” like a car but if you “oil” it well throughout the effort, your body will reward you with a good effort.

Please READ the following resources:

Electrolyte Replinishment

Can Muscle Cramps Be Prevented?

The Athlete’s Kitchen

If you readers have experience muscle cramping, do you know WHY? What have you done to prevent muscle cramps?

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Have you ever experienced a time in your life ( an athletic experience) where you were working so hard that you couldn’t breathe? It’s a feeling that you cannot get enough air in. Your chest is closing in on you and you feel like you are going to pass out. I can picture SEVERAL times in my life where I pushed myself so hard that I actually got light headed, my chest hurt and fainting were virtually in the next moment. Climbing Mt. Whitney, sprinting up hill on a tandem and riding in Canada are the three times I can remember thinking, “I am not going to make it!” Hyperventilating is a common word for it. A few times I’ve mentally talked myself into a manic frenzy which lead me to hyperventilate. Mostly, in my athletic endeavors, I’ve just gone too hard and can’t breathe properly. Recently, in a bike race, I went so HARD that it took me thirty minutes for my chest to stop hurting! I tend to just go for BROKE in races. So, here’s a post of techniques that I’ve used to CALM down while exercising.

On a side note, for all you beginning runners out there, I checked in all my running books and there is NOT a word on breathing techniques! Wierd. Although, lots of you ask me questions on how you should be breathing when running. When running or riding, I use open mouth breathing. Get air in however way you can. In yoga and Pilates, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth (Pilates) and completely nose breathing in yoga. When running, just get air in and out!

So, let’s say your out running on a hill which has been progressively getting harder and keeping the pace is causing you to get out of breathe. There are three ways to handle this:

First, focus on breathing air OUT. It should sound like “whosh whosh whosh” the inhale will come naturally. Just focus on BIG puffs of air going OUT. Don’t think about your legs, your friends’ pace, the rocks, nothing, just breathe OUT. This can be very rhythmic if you really focus. The exhale can happen in sync with your steps.

Second, try taking three quick breaths IN and OUT, and then ONE BIG EXHALE OUT. I commonly will use this technique when climbing big hills on my bike. The kind of hill that you will fall over if you stop pedaling! Focus on your breathing only and you will get up the hill. Continue using this skill until you are over the hill.

Third, slow down, get your breathing under control then resume the pace.

Fourth, consult a doctor about exercise induced asthma.

Most importantly, is to not get overwhelmed in the situation that you’re in. Use your brain and your breath to regulate your heart rate. Visualization is another technique you can employ to help yourself out of a bad situation. The finish line, the margarita that is waiting for you, the extra calories you are burning with this workout, anything that will engage your mind away from “impending doom” will help as well.

Any other techniques? Tips you’d like to share?

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