Archive for October, 2008

Gore Bike Wear Competition
To celebrate the launch of the new Gore Bike Wear 2008 winter range including the brilliant Oxygen Windstopper® and Alp-X collections Wiggle are giving away a complete set of gear to keep you warm and dry on your bike no-matter the weather! Whether your passion lies off road on the trails or zipping round the tarmac they have perfect additions for your cycling wardrobe. The first prize is a collection worth in-excess of £300 plus they have two high performance jackets to give away to the second and third place winners too!

Gore has been the market leader for many years in Germany and Europe, the GORE BIKE WEAR collection offers high-functional clothing for cyclists - from the spare time Rider to the full-on mountain biker right up to the professional road cyclists. And for all weather conditions! Until today GORE BIKE WEAR products have received more than 30 honours from European bike magazines.

The prizes
1st prize: Road: 1 x Oxygen Windstopper® Jacket, Oxygen Windstopper® Tights & Oxygen Windstopper® overshoe worth £315
or
MTB: 1 x Alp-X II GoreTex Jacket, Alp-X GoreTEX Shorts, Alp-X Thermo Jersey worth £325
2nd prize: Road: 1 x Oxygen III GoreTex Waterproof Jacket worth £129.99
or
MTB: 1 x Alp-X II GoreTex Jacket worth £165
3rd prize: Road: 1 x Oxygen Windstopper® Jacket worth £115
or
MTB: 1 x Alp-X Zip Off Windproof Jacket worth £120

How to enter
Buy any Gore Bike Wear product from wiggle to get entered into the draw for a chance to win these great prizes. Every product you buy will count for one competition entry each. Therefore, the more you buy, the greater your chance of winning!

Competition specific terms and conditions
1 entry to the draw per Gore Bike Wear product, per wiggle basket.
Competition closes 24th November 2008.
Winners will be published on wiggleblog along with their reaction / thoughts on the competition and their prize.
General Wiggle competition T&C’s apply. See here for details.

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It’s back to that time of year again when we’re base biking! I really enjoy this particular phase of the training cycle as you really don’t need to think too hard about it, just helmet on and steady away. Great time for the long social group rides in the great outdoors.

Your primary goal during the base phase is to lay a broad foundation of aerobic capacity and raw endurance. Secondary emphases are improving technique and increasing cadence and pedalling power. Your seasons racing goals and fitness levels will determine the length of this base period of your training, but typically can last between eight to twelve weeks (three lots of four week training blocks). Figure 1.0 shows a typical twelve week base period with three, four week training cycles. Notice the reduced training in week four of each block. This cut back will allow your body to absorb the training that you’ve already completed and prepare you for the next specific block.

Provided you’ve had a reasonable phase of general preparation, start the phase with low volume and low intensity and gradually increase both. At first, most workouts should take place at the lower end of the endurance intensity range. By the end of the phase, most workouts should take place in the middle and upper parts of this range, as in hard group rides. Throughout the phase, the majority of your endurance rides should entail spinning at a slightly higher than optimal pedalling cadence. Also in the first several weeks of the base phase, do one or two technique drills each week and a set of power intervals or jumps in one of your weekly endurance rides.

After the first couple of weeks of base building, begin doing one weekly or biweekly long ride and increase the duration of the ride slightly every other week. About the same time, begin performing a weekly brick workout.

Towards the end of the base phase, mix in some more high-intensity training in an informal way. One way to do this is to begin attacking the hills you encounter in your endurance rides. Another way is by participating in indoor cycling workout classes. Speaking of which, if your winter training can’t be done outdoors you may need to resort to indoor cycling or turbo sessions. Don’t be too scared of the weather, just be sensible out on the roads and be prepared.

Over the next fortnight we’ll have a look at some typical base sessions, as well as some cycling efficiency drills. In the mean time there’s no harm to just go ride your bike, make the most of the remaining daylight!!

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To help you with your healthy eating and meal planning Trispace have introduced a fortnightly recipe, all of which are quick, simple and fun to make. They are specially designed for sports people who need to eat a diet high in carbohydrate, low in fat and rich in essential nutrients. Each recipe provides nutritional analysis to help you put together numerous healthy menus.The main meal recipes are divided into sections based oh nigh carbohydrate foods t enable you to plan your meals according to the recommended nutritional guidelines. Recipes suitable for vegetarians contain no meat, poultry or fish and are marked with a ‘V’ symbol.

‘Lentil Loaf’ (Serves 4)

Ingredients
100g (4 oz) red lentils
1 onion (chopped)
1 tbsp (15 ml) concentrated vegetable stock, or 1 vegetable stock cube
300 ml (1/2 pint) of water
50g (2 oz) oats, or fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten

Method
Place lentils, onion, stock concentrate and water in a large pan
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or cook in a pressure cooker for 3 minutes and release steam slowly
Stir in oats, or breadcrumbs and egg
Spoon into 450g (1 lb) non-stick loaf tin
Cover with foil and bake at 190 C/375 F/ Gas Mark 5 for 30 mins
Leave in the tin for 2 minutes, then loosen and turn out
Serve with rice and vegetables

Done, Enjoy!!

Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories = 321
Carbohydrate = 50 g
Protein = 19.5 g
Fat = 6.1 g
Fibre = 4.9 g

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With the nasty weather on its way here’s a handy ‘cassette and chain’ cleaning guide, which will keep your bike it top condition throughout the entire winter.

Cleaning a tri bike is relatively easy. Use warm soapy water and a sponge to gently remove any road grime. For a gunked up chain, use biodegradeable chain degreaser.

You don’t need a snazzy chain cleaner, just use an old toothbrush to apply the degreaser to the cassette while you spin the pedals in order to spread it along the chain.

Leave for a few minutes, then you can wash it off, but not with a pressure washer. A sponge or stiff brush and water will be far better for your bike.

Apply water repellent to the chain (keep it away from the rims or where your brakes will touch) and wait 15 minutes for it to dry.

Now you can apply fresh chain lube and you’re done.

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I was browsing through the British Triathlon site earlier on today and came across this free music workout mix through the trinews section. I’ve had a listen through it and the music is really motivational. The length of the mix is only 30 minutes but would still be ideal to accompany a short turbo session. It’s very similar to a spinning type mix where there’s a specific structure to the session. It starts with a progressive warm up followed by the main session which includes a few increases in pace, before finishing off with a cool down.

The mix is courtesy Total Fitness Music, who also supply a whole host of other workout mixes which are available to download from iTunes from around £6/$11.

Track listing:
Ricky GZ ‘2 Can Play That Game’
South West Beats ‘It’s Love (Trippin’)’ (Original Mix)
Out Of Office ‘Break Of Dawn 2008′
Silverlake ‘Wide Open Space’ (Original Club Mix)
Karaoke Kids ‘Here (In Your Arms)’ (Extended Mix)
DP vs P&P ‘Get Your Kicks’ (12″ Vocal Mix)
The Potbelleez ‘Don’t Hold Back’ (Sam La More Club Dub)

Total time: 30.22

You can download the free music mix right here.

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Now the race season has well and truly ended, most of us will be enjoying a well-earned break before beginning to train for next year. But before that it’s important to reflect on this past year’s performances and set goals for the 2009 season.

It’s hard to plan or feel happy about training if you don’t have clear goals. So now is the time what you want to achieve next year. Do you want to finish sprint races faster or do you want to complete a 70.3 or full distance Ironman? Setting goals not only helps you build a training plan, but enables you to identify the sessions you must follow to achieve your aims.

Your training should be geared towards your ‘personal limiters’; such as ability, free time, family commitments and so on, as well being specific to the time of year – at this point pre-season.

As we all know, swimming is a technique intensive sport where workout and frequency plays an important role. At this stage in pre-season swim training the main aim is to ease your body back into training and also to:

Develop your training strategy for the upcoming season.
Prepare your body.
Improve your skills and technique (especially during early training) for greater efficiency.
Improve your endurance.

Pre-season training is intended to improve cardiovascular fitness (heart, lungs & blood) through aerobic exercise. By working aerobically you’ll condition your slow twitch muscle fibres and in time, you can add in resistance work to obtain greater body strength for a more powerful stroke.

This is also the time to work on technique, leading into building an endurance base prior to the race season. Technique and your ability to maintain the stroke’s mechanics should be the focus of your training, as this will reduce drag. Les drag means more speed for less effort, which is what we all endeavour to achieve in swimming, not to mention triathlon.

Front crawl can be broken down into its component parts and worked into drills during your training. Drills improve specific movements carried out repetitively before incorporating them back into your stroke as a whole. For ease, front crawl can be broken down into the following components;

Body position.
Leg mechanics.
Arm mechanics.
Breathing and timing.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be introducing various swim drills focusing on the four components in order to assist you in improving your swimming technique during the winter.

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If you ‘can’t get enough’ Triathlon, here’s a couple of televised events to keep you going. Due to the broadcst times I think I’ll be recording them!

Wed 22nd Oct 08 - Ironman (US Virgin Islands) - Channel 5 (UK) 04:10

Fri 24th Oct 08 - Ironman (Nice) - Channel 5 (UK) 04:20

Fri 24th Oct 08 - ITU Triathlon (Italy) - Setanta Sports Ireland (Sky) 11:00

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The latest issue of 220 triathlon magazine landed through the letterbox this morning and guess what caught my eye whilst browsing through the mag? No, not even the new Cervelo P4 managed to capture my attention, but instead this ‘Ceepo Viper’ did. Apparently this monster is one of the latest concept bikes from the Japanese manufacturer Ceepo, which is due to make it’s mark 2009.

Glancing at the bike, you straight away think ‘yep it’s going to cost my entire life’s savings’! Well, the estimated £4500/$8000 price tag may seem quite steep for a tri bike, but take the 2009 Felt DA, currently retailing around £5000. Now the price tag slapped on the Viper doesn’t seem so bad after all, does it?!?!

The bike itself boasts a unique carbon fibre time-trial frame reportedly among the thinnest in production with a mere 26mm thickest point on the down tube, along with a wheel set is to die for and an array of top end components on board too!!

Out and about at races this season I’ve seen a few of the DA’s doing the rounds which just goes to show that people are prepared to pay this kind of cash for a tri bike.

The only thing is,  even if you had the cash to buy the bike you’d have to perform rather well in races, otherwise you could end up looking a bit of a clown, or even worse a health conscious character out of a batman movie!!

What a beauty though!! I’d be interested know what other people think?

(Picture courtesy of gadgetlab)

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It’s a familiar scenario - you train three, four or five times a week and watch what you eat yet you feel you have less energy as well as carrying an extra few pounds.

Have you ever thought your metabolism, your calorie burning furnace, could be stuck on low? Especially if you’re older than 30 years, after which your metabolism begins to drop about one percent per year. You don’t have to take this lying down; you can fight back, as you can boost your metabolism in several ways.

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. It is broken down into three main burners;

Basal Metabolism
Sometimes called your resting metabolism, is the largest burner. It accounts for about 60 percent of the calories you expend each day. You burn these calories simply to exist, including when you’re sleeping.

Activity Metabolism
Is the second burner and makes up about 30 percent of your daily calorie burn. These are calories you burn during swimming, biking and running, as well as other activities such as sweeping the floor, walking upstairs or mowing the lawn.

Thermic Metabolism
Is the final burner and accounts for the calories you expend digesting food and since certain foods take more energy (calories) to digest, you’ll want to emphasise them whenever possible.

If you work it right a good metabolism boosting programme will turn on the heat on all three burners. Best of all, a few simple changes to your training routine and eating habits will have you on your way to becoming a leaner and faster athlete!

Run Fast
Adding speed sessions to your programme is one of the best ways to crank up your metabolism. Hard running burns lots of calories (activity metabolism) and comes with an after burn dividend (raised basal metabolism), but it has to be hard. Metabolism can remain elevated for at least a couple of hours after a session, assuming the session was somewhat ‘taxing’. These hard sessions are best completed once you’ve established a good period of longer slower base running but will incinerate calories and rev up your metabolism in the process. Some example workouts ( once a week) could be six to eight 400’s at your best one-mile pace; four or five 800’s at 5k race pace or three or four mile repetitions at 10k race pace.

Train Twice
It may sound somewhat over the top if you’re not a serious competitive racer, but twice day training can be very rewarding. It’ll raise your metabolism for extended periods of time thanks to two after burn peaks during the day not to mention the fact that you’ll burn more calories because of the extra exercise. Try to mix a morning swim session with either a run or bike session in the evening. Make sure you eat and drink steadily throughout the day to ensure you’re energised and hydrated.

Seek Protein
Protein generally takes longer to digest, meaning you’re burning more calories while your body is breaking it down. Try to eat some protein every meal and snack time. It doesn’t have to be a steak or chicken breast, it could be poached eggs for breakfast, or cottage cheese or low fact yoghurt instead of white breads. This will increase your thermic metabolism by up to a third during the day.

High Fibre All Year Round
Just like protein, high-fibre foods increase thermic metabolism because the fibre slows digestion, resulting in a higher calorie burn rate. Healthy high-fibre foods to eat throughout the day include beans, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads and pastas.
Stay Fluid
Dehydration slows your thermic metabolism because your stomach needs water to digest food. It also causes fatigue, which will definitely hamper your activity metabolism. Try for at least eight glasses of water a day.

Eat Early and Often
Skipping breakfast further decreases your thermic metabolism which is already low because you haven’t eaten since the night before. It also tends to slow your activity metabolism because you have less energy, making you more likely to use a lift instead of stairs. A good breakfast should include protein, carbohydrates and some fat, and contain enough calories to keep hunger at bay until your mid morning snack.

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Iliotibial band syndrome (ITB) is defined as an inflammatory condition of the iliotibial band. The iliotibial band is a band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh. This tendon runs down the side of the thigh and connects to the outside edge of the tibia (upper shinbone), below the middle of the knee joint. The iliotibial band provides stability to the knee and hip and prevents dislocation of those joints.

Signs and symptoms
Iliotibial Band Syndrome symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint (on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band) to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur.

The pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time, especially as the foot strikes the ground.Pain might persist after activity.

Pain may also be present below the knee, where the ITB actually attaches to the tibia.

Causes
Iliotibial Band Syndrome can result from one or more of the following training habits, anatomical abnormalities, or muscular imbalances:
Training habits:
Running on a banked surface (such as the shoulder of a road or an indoor track) bends the downhill leg slightly inward and causes extreme stretching of the band against the femur.
Inadequate warm-up or cool-down.
Increasing distance too quickly or excessive downhill running .
Abnormalities in leg/feet anatomy:
High or low arches.
Overpronation of the foot.
The force at the knee when the foot strikes.
Uneven leg length.
Bowlegs or tightness about the iliotibial band. Excessive wear on the outside heel edge of a running shoe (compared to the inside) is one common indicator of bowleggedness for runners.
Muscle Imbalance:
Weak hip abductor muscles.

Treatment
Reduce training load and intensity so running remains ‘pain free’. Apply ice to the knee (10mins approx every 2-3 hours). Wrap the ice pack in a damp cloth.
Use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (eg. Ibuprofen) regularly for 5-7 days. Consult your pharmacist or General Practitioner for the recommended dose.
Take massage therapy to decrease tightness of the iliotibial band. You can also try using a rolling band to self-treat.
Gentle stretching of the iliotibial band approx 3 times daily, holding stretches for 30 seconds.

Prevention
Ensure appropriate footwear. You may require motion control shoes or orthotics to control over pronation. Gait analysis can be used to determine this.
Avoid excessive downhill running or running on cambered surfaces.
If running on a track alternate between running clockwise and anti-clockwise.
On full recovery from iliotibial band syndrome decrease the risk of reoccurrence by the following preventative measures:
Gradually increase training intensity.
Continue iliotibial band stretches regularly.
Ensure footwear remains correct.
Ensure adequate strengthening of the gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calfs within your training program.
Avoid excessive downhill running or running on cambered surfaces.
Ensure adequate rest within your training programme.

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