FINALLY started training...and now the questions!
 

After talking and talking about it (and then talking about it more), I'm finally actually training for my first Sprint Tri in March. I'm out of excuses - healed from surgery, through with home renovation, etc. etc. Would some of you veterans mind fielding a few questions for me? I apologize in advance for the shotgun approach.

1. I put Profile Jammer GT aero bars on my road bike (Trek 2300). I'm not interested yet in a forward seat post, but I'm wondering if I'm going to gain much since the aero bars are actually higher than the regular bars. It was suggested in another forum that added wind resistance would negate any benefit? Thoughts ?( I could post a pic of my setup if that would help) At least they look faster ;) .

2. I'm on a Eric Harr's training program (yes, I'm a total newb), and he calls for swimming each week. I don't, and won't, really have access to a pool for a while (I could pay per use when the event gets closer at a local swim center, but it's VERY out of the way) Are there any strength training exercises I could do to help my swim? I have a home gym, but not sure what would be appropriate. I need a decent workout for my swim days . I swam competively as a youngster, and I'm still comfortable with the stroke, I think - Is triathlon swimming any different?

3. How in the world do you land just behind the ball of your foot when you run? I guess I'm what you would call a heel striker, and trying to run the correct way just feels, well, weird - suggestions?

Any help on any of these would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to train 3 to 4 days a week for at least the next 8 weeks. If the event doesn't kill me, and I like it, I may do more :) .

Hey Plainsman,
1. Your aero bars may still have a benefit, even though they're higher than your regular bars, because it brings your elbows in and narrows your shoulders. However, without a front picture comparing both positions, it's really difficult to tell.

2. The triathlon swim stroke is basically the same as a regular freestyle swimmer's stroke but with a few minor differences. You will be spending some time looking forward for navigation, which is something you don't do in a pool. Also, if the water has swells or is very choppy, you may end up modifying your stroke to bring your hands and arms a little higher out of the water. Very minor differences. . .

Weightlifting, in my experience, is a poor substitute for swimming. The exercises that provide the most benefit are lat pull downs and tricep push downs. However, I've found that even when I've been lifting weights religiously while taking a break from swimming, when I get a chance to get back into the pool, the first couple times are pretty pathetic. There may be a little carryover benefit to weightlifting, but it's very marginal, in my experience.

3. One cure for a heel striker may be to shorten your stride and increase your leg turnover. That said, I don't know if it's really necessary to go against what you feel comfortable doing. A heel striker isn't necessarily a bad thing. Faris Al Sultan won the Hawaii IM in 2005 and he's a heel striker.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4589/069da7.jpg

But before you take the advice from some fool on the internet (me!), you may want to consult someone locally who can watch you and give you feedback and tips.

Good luck on your training and race!

As far as #3 goes, everyone I have talked to has matched my experience - changing running form can take a lot of time. Think of the uncountably huge number of strides you have already taken in your current form - every one of these constitutes a reinforcement of current practice. Changing to be more of a mid/forefoot striker means that the your calves and balls of the feet are now getting the bulk of the impact, which for some people can have some (hopefully temporary) unfortunate side effects while you adapt.

For general approaches for changing your running to be less of a heel striker, you might pick up one of Ken Mierke's books (Evolution Running, for example), since he is an advocate of this form. If you have the time, money, and motivation you might look for a place that does video analysis of your running form to see if there is anything specific to you that might be changed to help. When I did this, I discovered that my upper body was bent forward at the waist much more than I thought, which put my hips farther back to balance, which in turn put my lower body weight back on my heels. Once I knew this I had my upper body become a bit more vertical which allowed my hips to come forward and I eventually came to land more on the balls of my feet and less on my heels.

1. I have Syntace C2 aerobars on my road bike. Similar to the jammers. IMHO I don't think they are worth it for a sprint distance tri. The only real benefit for me on longer rides is the ability to stay aero in a comfortable'ish position. Staying in the drops for 30+ miles sucks. But it is doable with aerobars. Totally different story if you have a TT style bike of course. My answer applys to a road bike with clip ons.

2. Also IMO there is no subsitute for swimming. Swimming, unlike the other events is far more about form than muscle. I have done better with my swim by working on my stroke. Swimming isn't something you can "just do more' of and get better. I would advise if you aren't going to be able to have a lot of swimming time that you consider a refresher swim class closer to the event and then practice on your form. Luckily for a sprint the swim isn't all that long anyhow.

-D

i have no problem getting to a pool and have been swimming three times a week for the last several months. now that i've decided to do a tri i'll probably cut that back to 2 days a week to make room for running in my schedule. my question is, how useful/necessary is it to supplement swimming workouts (and running/riding for that matter) with weights? i can't increase my workout time all that much due to job/school schedules, so should i spend that time swimming/running/riding as much as i can, or should i throw some weights in too?

this is my first tri, so i'm not aiming for some awesome finish, but i definitely want to finish and would like to do relatively well without having to become obessive (yet).

Generally speaking, if time is the limiting factor, your time is better spent working on swimming/biking/running rather than weightlifting. There are a few exceptions to this - if your weightlifting is critical to injury prevention or if "force" is a limiting factor, then weightlifting is definitely recommended.

[QUOTE=Sprocket Man]3. One cure for a heel striker may be to shorten your stride and increase your leg turnover. That said, I don't know if it's really necessary to go against what you feel comfortable doing. A heel striker isn't necessarily a bad thing. Faris Al Sultan won the Hawaii IM in 2005 and he's a heel striker.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4589/069da7.jpg
QUOTE]

Thanks for the advice! Is it true that heel striking is actually bad for you though? I seem to remember hearing that somewhere once upon a time. Looks like I also need to find a pool somewhere :) . Thanks for the help!

For running, the forefoot strike is the natural barefoot strike. Try running barefoot on soft sand or grass - you'll probably do it automatically. It's a bit of fuss to get used to but it is less jarring on your joints.