What a triathlete can learn from US Soccer in Copa America?

Tonight, (Tuesday, June 21st, 2016), I watched the US lose to the #1 team in the world, Argentina, in the COPA America Centario Semi-Final, which is one of the most prestigious soccer tournaments in the world. (I know many may say the UEFA Cup is better, but the US can't play in that, since they are not in Europe.) Tonight the US lost 0-4, to a team which was flat out better than they were. There is no shame in losing to a team that's better than you. But it is an opportunity to review.

As the game went on and I was frustrated to watch as a fan, I realized so many of the feelings and things I was saying out loud at the TV were things I see in triathletes, and frustrations I have with many of them, from elites to age groupers to elite juniors. I can make it very clear in 2 simple concepts, which if you are a triathlete, you need to seriously consider if you value your performances in the sport.

Lesson #1 - Fundamentals are Key
Passing a soccer ball isn't cool on the playground. Scoring is cool. Being the best passer on the field isn't cool. Saving shots from the goalie position are cool. Headers into goals are cool. Passing isn't cool, that is, until you see a team that has such a basic fundamental skill down so well, they make it beautiful. Argentina passed the ball like it was effortless, while the US passed like they didn't know where it was going. It was such a clear depiction of what the difference of what the best do and what the US does, that I had to write about it, in relation to triathlon. It's a fundamental skill.

What are fundamentals in triathlon? They are bike fit, proper run shoes, basic swim skills, pacing skills, basic aerobic conditioning, injury prevention and therapy, race nutrition, equipment maintenance and its preparation for race day, proper rest and recovery, and of course, consistency of training.

So many triathletes are chasing the highest goals against the stiffest of competition, and don't bother making these fundamentals a focus. They are more concerned with hours of training or their FTP. And it's no surprise when many don't reach their potential or even close to their goals when they haven't addressed the fundamentals! I've literally had athletes supremely prepared and ready to perform exceptionally, only to get in an Ironman and realize they didn't charge the battery of the Di2, and they can't shift! There's no training plan or world renowned coach who can overcome that basic fundamental of making sure your equipment is ready for race day!

There are no nutritional plans which can overcome poor pacing. If it could, then whoever ate the most would win! You can't run your first few miles off the bike at 10K pace in a long course triathlon! There's no way I can help you with training to perform at a high level if you don't have a proper bike fit, giving up effective watts. I can't help you if you treat the swim and transitions as times for photo opps with the family or warm-ups for bike and run, instead of opportunities to close the gap on the best in your Age Group.

There is no training plan a coach can write, or workouts you can do, which can make up for a lack of consistency in your training. You must be committed, and you must put in the work, EVERYDAY.

These are the fundamentals of triathlon, which too often get overlooked. They aren't sexy, like a power file, or bike split, or even passing in a major soccer game, but as Argentina proved, the best in the world are masters of fundamentals.


Lesson #2 - It doesn't matter how good or bad your competition is, if you are your own worst enemy

This concept is related to Lesson #1, but it needs to be stated by itself. If you're ignoring the fundamentals, you are your own worst enemy. If you think you can brush over the fundamentals, as though they are just fodder for a blog, then you will be exposed, especially as your goals get higher, and you face stiffer competition.

There's no way around it, you need to address the fundamentals. If you don't know what they are, or feel like you're never racing to a level which is indicative of your performance potential, then you need a coach, and they should address the fundamentals with you. You can even watch the best, and notice they have the fundamentals down. They don't screw up the basics, they are well beyond them.

I'm pissed off to see a US Men's National Team perform so poorly on the biggest stage, against the best in the world, in a way which shows they lack the fundamentals. I would be embarrassed as a coach of a triathlete if they did the same.

In the postgame, Alexi Lalas stated, "The number of times the US lost the ball, clear unforced errors which have nothing to with the fact you're playing Argentina..." What he was saying is it doesn't matter if they are more talented than you if you give them the victory anyway. Think about that. How much are you giving your competition just because you are not addressing or doing the things which are basic?

Address your fundamentals, stop being your own worst enemy.

Coach Vance

Interview on Triathlete Training Podcast

I was recently invited to be a guest on another top triathlon podcast, Triathlete Training Podcast, conducted by Eric Schwartz. Eric does great work, and it was a great conversation, from my swim coaching to the books I am releasing this year, and a few laughs even!

You can listen to the podcast here:



You can also download the interview from the site:
http://triathletetraining.com/tt072-triathlon-2-0-data-driven-performance-training-wjim-vance/

If you read this blog, I know you'll love Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training, as it takes what I talk about on here to another level, and completes the picture. As of the date of this post, there are 7 reviews on Amazon, with 6 being 5-star, one being 4-star. You can order a copy here.

Enjoy, and please feel free to reach out to me on social media, via Twitter, @jimvance, and Instagram, @coachjimvance.

Coach Vance

IM Talk Podcast - Triathlon 2.0

I had the privilege of being on another one of the top Ironman podcasts, IM Talk, which is based out of New Zealand. The topic was my new book, Triathlon 2.0, but we also just dipped into Run With Power, which they discussed having me come back on the show to chat about in the future as well.

If you're a long course triathlete, this is a podcast you certainly know. They are on episode 513!

Thanks and enjoy! The interview starts at about 44:00.

http://www.imtalk.me/home/2016/4/25/imtalk-episode-513-jim-vance.html

Coach Vance

Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training Now Available

I am happy to announce that a book I have been working on for almost 4 years has finally come to fruition. Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training is a book for those athletes who want to use numbers, data and technology to maximize performance. If you use a power meter for cycling, and a GPS for running, this will help you maximize it.

The idea of this book is not to be a numbers drone, training without creativity. In fact, it's the exact opposite. This book is about identifying what metrics are most important to you, as an individual athlete, based on your strengths and weaknesses, and then following those metrics to see how you are responding to the training plan you create. This book will also help you set up some goal thresholds to meet, and ways to assess how you're racing, what your training might need to address.

There's never been a book like this. It doesn't have training plans, it lets you be the coach and learn to be better at coaching, whether coaching other athletes or yourself. I am sure you will enjoy this book, and learn at least a few things you can use and learn to better examine your power and run data. The better you train, the more confident and fitter you are at the start line. 

You can order the book by clicking on the image, or going to this link: http://amzn.to/1Kcgks3

Good luck! 

Coach Vance

Stop It! - 16 Things You Likely Do and Need to Stop

1. Stop ignoring recovery. What you eat, how much you sleep, the beers, it all affects you. The intensity you go on easy workouts is also vital.

2. Stop doing everyone else's workouts, and start focusing on what workouts YOU need. Sometimes, (in fact many times), that means you need to train alone. Peer pressure is no way to train effectively. If you train with a lot of egos, let them go. Limit group workouts to those which are in line with your goals and specific needs. This especially includes recovery workouts. (See #1).

3. Stop sabotaging your training. When life gets stressful, skipping workouts because you're not in the mood only brings about more stress and frustration with training and lack of results. Training is your escape, keep it that way. Skipping that transition run because you think you're too tired, is a missed opportunity to build confidence with a great run, or to learn to better pace your bike.

4. Stop ignoring your weight. If you aren't thin, you aren't as fast as you can be. I'm not saying you should look anorexic, but to think those 10 lbs you could lose aren't affecting your performance, is ignoring the obvious. If you're 20+lbs over an ideal race weight, there is no training plan or lightweight bike that can overcome that handicap. The weight also means higher risk for injuries, which can sabotage your training. (See #3).

5. Stop ignoring your diet. (See #1 and #4).

6. Stop obsessing about volume. If it really mattered, the athlete who did the most volume would win every race. Ultraman competitors would be the best Ironman and sprint racers. It's about the quality of training you can do. You're not training for the Tour de France.

7. Stop ignoring the swim. The higher your goals, the more it matters.

8. Stop ignoring your warm-ups for your workouts and races. The older you are, and the higher your goals, the more it matters. It's like sabotage. (See #3)

9. Stop ignoring your cool-down sets, they are vital to proper recovery. (See #1) Poor recovery sabotages training and racing. (See #3).

10. Stop ignoring technology in your training. You use technology in every aspect of your life, from your iPhone/Android to your laptop and software at your job or at home. Why is it so hard to believe power and pace data can help your training and racing on a daily basis? (See #3).

11. Stop thinking you need a faster/newer/better bike. You need to get training right. (See #1 thru #10).

12. Stop paying a coach if you're not going to do the training as they write it. (See #3)

13. Stop being negative with yourself. There is nothing anyone or any coach can tell you that will supersede what you say to yourself. If you don't believe in yourself when you toe that start line, the result is pretty much already determined.

14. Stop focusing on the competition, and start focusing on yourself, and how to execute your training and racing better. (See #1 thru #13)

15. Stop doing the same thing over and over. The body responds best to variance in training. If you've been doing the same things over and over for years, and aren't happy with the results, or notice a plateau, it's time to address the real issue.

16. Stop thinking salt and electrolyte losses cause cramps, there's no scientific proof of this. The people who promote this are the ones trying to sell it to you. Get fitter, and you'll cramp less. Get training right, you'll get fitter. Stop shoving so much salt into your gut during races, and you'll likely get rid of all that GI distress you've been bothered by in races.

Bonus tip...
17. Stop thinking Ironman is the only important race in triathlon. It's far from it.

Coach Vance

Confident my athlete is ready...

I spent the day watching the Collegiate Triathlon Championships, today being the first ever draft-legal championship race. It was exciting, and a great start to an event which will likely grow the sport exponentially in the US and greatly help our US development. 

I had an athlete in the race today, and he is racing tomorrow. He swam great, out in the top 10, about 17 seconds off the lead. He followed the plan, and dropped out at the start of the run. Tomorrow he races the Olympic distance non-drafting, and he is ready to do well tomorrow. How do I know this? Besides using my own intuition as a coach and my own eyes which show me, his data shows me as well. 

Here's his Performance Management Chart for the bike and the run, which has calculated his training stress, (TSS), from each session we've done over the months.

There are some important numbers which help show how much rest is enough, and how much is too much. CTL is the blue line, basically represents his fitness. His loss of "fitness" during the taper was only, but he dropped so much fatigue that the short term training stress, (ATL = pink line), is now less than his CTL value. This difference is positive 1.7. These values help show he has had an excellent taper, and is ready to go for the race tomorrow. 

Is this perfect? No. Will these numbers mean he is going to perform to his absolute best and win the race? No, but they do increase the odds and probability that he will race to his potential at this point in time. There are a number of things that go into racing well, like mental prep, technical skill, and race execution. But so much of performance comes from training, and putting your odds in your favor that you're doing that right should help your confidence as an athlete. We will see tomorrow how he does.

Of course, if you're not using data, then you're just flat out guessing. We are all guessing and making judgments on what the right amount is, especially coaches. At least this guess as a coach is backed with data and evidence, in addition to my intuition, sight and experience.

Coach Vance

"Going by Feel" Part 2

As I mentioned in the last post, there is a disconnect among many athletes, high level triathletes especially, that using data or science means you can't go by feel, when actually, going by feel is paramount at the highest level of sport.

When you're trying to eek out the extra half percent to 5 percent, depending on where you sit on the performance continuum, you have to maximize each training day, and a great sense of "feel" for what is best on the day is critical. Everyone is working hard, those are working smartest and getting the most of every session, (BOTH hard AND recovery sessions), are the ones advancing.

Darren Smith, one of the most successful coaches in ITU history, uses his own metrics of having the athlete tell him how they are feeling before each session. They have to have a number to give him, on a scale. This number is 100% feel! It's a metric though that allows Darren to give the right amount of stimulus on the day.

Those of you who don't have a Darren Smith on deck or at your side for each workout need something to help you assess. Knowing your numbers and how they are responding to the training stress you are giving them, is only going to help the feel process, giving more confidence with evidence of what the right decision is, whether to push or back off, what energy system to train, and how much.

Feel is the best way to train for those last few percentages of improvement, but at the highest levels it is crucial to get it right. Margin of error is too small.

Coach Vance

Triathlon Science - Release Date March 8th

Order Triathlon Science Here

A 2-year project I worked on with Joe Friel and a host of incredible minds and names in endurance sports, comes to fruition on March 8th, 2013. I wrote one chapter, and edited each chapter, (more than once!) It was a huge project, but one that I am extremely proud of, as there has NEVER been a book like this. 

This book takes a look at what science and research has to tell us about EVERY aspect of the sport, and how we can apply that information to training. We went and got the best and brightest, coaches, MD's, PhD's and more, and had them write for us. It is an amazing compilation, and I believe most national governing bodies for the sport will make this 600+ page book their textbook for coaching education courses.

Here's a list of some of the contributors, which is impressive in its own right:

Bob Seebohar
Matt Fitzgerald

Bruce Mason

Dave Pease

Ross Tucker 

Neal Henderson 

John Post, MD

George Dallam

Gale Bernhardt

Hunter Allen

David Warden

Stephen McGregor 

and more...

Here's some of the reviews already...

“The scientific information discussed in Triathlon Science will give every reader a deeper understanding of the how and why behind a training program. It is a great resource for coaches and athletes alike.”

Linda Cleveland-- Coach Development Manager USA Triathlon

“Triathlon Science is invaluable for any athlete looking to decipher the vast information available and achieve immediate results.”

Adam Zucco-- Triathlon Coach 2009 USAT Developmental Coach of the Year, Five-Time Hawaii Ironman Finisher

“Joe Friel is a founding father of our sport, so you can be confident that Triathlon Science will be a valuable addition to your triathlon library.”

Gordon Byrn-- Founder of EnduranceCorner.Com, 2002 Ultra Man World Champion

Hope you get a chance to enjoy this great book, and send me your thoughts on it. I'm already working on book #2!

Coach Vance

Routine Race Week

This week I have a number of high school cross country athletes getting ready for the state meet, and a number of athletes competing at Ironman Cozumel this week. It's interesting how much similarity there is in the race week approach for high school cross country runners and Ironman triathletes.

This week is especially challenging, due to the holiday. Kids are out of school for the week, which means they tempted to change their sleep patterns, staying up late or sleeping in, and sitting around on the couch, munching on snacks they don't normally get to eat. Changes in sleep and diet patterns during a race week is NOT a formula for success, no matter what you're preparing to race. I hear athletes starting to carbo load, which is simply changing your diet, unnecessarily.

Try to keep things as routine as possible. Might be difficult with the holiday, and the normal diet change that happens with Thanksgiving dinner, as well as travel to your big race. But try to resist changing your diet dramatically, and keep the sleep patterns at night the same. Napping during the day is fine, and I encourage that, but stick to what the body is used to, as much as possible.

Good luck to all those competing this weekend!

Coach Vance

Ironman Tapering Tip

We are entering the final week or two for many Ironman athletes, with Arizona this Sunday, and Cozumel the following. Some athletes I consult with by reviewing the program they write themselves, and I give feedback on that. When it comes to tapering, it can be as much art as science. Many athletes struggle to find the balance of what is enough, what is too much.

Here's a tip for tapering for Ironman; if you are going to risk overdoing the volume, make sure it is more on the bike than the run. If you really want to do more, add more bike volume, do less run volume. Running in general poses more risk of injury, and requires more recovery time. For example, instead of doing a 90 min run 1 week out from the race, do 60 mins and then add some bike time, say 30-90 mins spin afterward.

Best of luck!

Coach Vance

Recovery Week? Not really needed.

We all need recovery, especially when training hard. A common approach is to install a "recovery week" in the training plan. Many do a 3 weeks hard or building intensity/volume, followed by 1 week recovery. Some do a 2:1, or even a 1:1.

But is that really what you need? And how do you define a recovery week? Sitting on your butt? How much recovery do you need? The answer is: it's complicated. It depends on a number of factors, not limited to:
- Amount of fatigue athlete is facing
- History of athlete's response to training
- Weather
- Stress outside of training

Most of my athletes never take a "recovery week". We do recovery "days", but never a week. Too much good work can be lost if given too much recovery. And if you need an entire week to recover, you likely are training too hard during the week.

I find if an athlete can't have great performances in training after 2 light days of training, 3 at most, then the load the athlete is under is too much. 

If you're looking for a jump in performance, perhaps you simply need to reevaluate the recovery you're giving yourself, or the intensity and volume of the training you're doing.

Coach Vance

Coaching Triathletes with Power Meters Seminar

If you're in the Southern California area, or will be here for the ITU San Diego race, and are interested in learning more about how to train with power, or how to coach different triathletes, (Sprint to Ironman, drafting or non-drafting), then you should check out this seminar I'm conducting...


What: Coaching Triathletes with Power Meters, Sprint and Olympic to Ironman
When: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 9 AM to 12 PM
Where: DoubleTree Hotel, Hotel Circle, (Balboa Room)
Why: 3 CEU's for USAT Coaches, and lots of learning!

Elite Coach Jim Vance will present how to coach triathletes with power meters, using the data to plan and assess training, for triathletes using a power meter, from Sprint and Olympic distance to Ironman.

Jim will compare and contrast the different power files of varying athletes, from elites, to top age-groupers, middle of the pack athletes, and those just trying to beat the midnight cut-off. Citing the differences between the demands of the different athlete levels, Jim will discuss the training strategies for coaches to consider.

Topics Include:

-          What is power?

-          How to analyze a power file

-          How to track improvement within athletes

-          Examples of different race files, from varying abilities and distances

-          Power differences for draft-legal vs. non-drafting events

-          Understanding the differences in order to better plan training

-          Quadrant Analysis

-          Q & A

-          And more…

You can register here:
http://www.active.com/triathlon-conference/san-diego-ca/coaching-triathletes-with-power-meters-2012


Hope to see you there!


Coach Vance

What if there's a better way?

Sure, you can do the regular routine of Saturday long ride, Sunday long run, but what if there's a better way? Most athletes follow this schedule, but does that mean it is the most effective? Plenty of people do things which aren't necessarily the most effective, but is popular enough to bring comfort to the decision.

What if a 10 day cycle worked better? Or 14 days? Or what if you simply did 2 days in a row of biking, and moved your long run to the middle of the week?

Think about your training and performance. If you've hit a plateau, and aren't seeing the steady gains, maybe it's time to try a new routine. Change it up! Plenty of options, as your mind and creativeness, (or your coach's), are the only things holding you back.

If everyone else is doing the same thing, how do you expect to get ahead?

Coach Vance

Twitter Answers #5

Each week I ask over Twitter if people have training topics they are interested in learning about. I get a number of responses and questions, and 140 characters doesn't provide good opportunity to answer them all. So I hope every few weeks to post some of the questions and my responses here.

From: @tamcknight

"@jimvance living in chicago i am looking for some indoor cycling advise for the offseason.Ways to mix it up on trainer or trainer alternative"

and...

From: @skottmckenna

"@jimvance some great indoor trainer workouts."

I actually coach 2 athletes in the Chicago area, (2 very successful Ironman/70.3 athletes, Scott Iott and Adam Zucco), and the trainer is a key item to our success in the cold winter, but also during the year. One of the best things you can do to help with your trainer sets is to use a power meter, as now the sessions are objective and you can track improvement, set goals, etc. Power meters make trainer sets much more rewarding and fun, I tend to find.

Another great tool is a book by Dirk Friel, son of Joe Friel, called Trainer Workouts in a Binder. This really helps to give some fun and different workouts, based on your needs. I use a number of them, and even my wife uses the book. I'm looking forward to a 2nd edition!

From: @fedrozo

"@jimvance How about recovery benefits of yoga on endurance athletes?"

This is an interesting topic. People often say, "Yoga is great for cross-training" and also say, "Yoga is great for recovery". I'm often puzzled how something can have a great cross-training effect and be great for recovery at the same time.

I have done yoga/pilates combined classes, and have found them to be challenging, and helpful at increasing my range of motion. I was doing this at the end of long training days, twice a week. I think a lot of it depends on the type of yoga an athlete is doing, and how much of it is stretching based, how much of it is "hot yoga", and how much of it includes strengthening movements. If done on a recovery day, and done lightly, with a range of motion centralized focus, then it could be beneficial for recovery. BUT, there is still the question of whether or not it is better than passive recovery. In a time when active recovery is so popular, sometimes good old passive recovery is better.

From: @DanDan1982

"@jimvance how to taper for half ironman?? No idea what I'm doing!"

I understand the feeling, as there is so much information out there, and even then tapering can be very individual. Some athletes hardly ever taper, or barely do, others seem to live in a state of taper! There are considerations such as how long you've been training coming into the race, how important the race is, and what you have after it.

You can see and follow some of the writings I've done on the subject here. I also have done a webinar on how to use WKO+ software to help with tapering. My best advice beyond that is to keep a record of what you do during the taper, so you can tweak it if you need to for the future, or replicate it perfectly if it works very well for you. Also, during race week, keep the workouts short and to the point, replicating race intensity, a little bit about every day or every other day.

From:@Ironmom10

"@jimvance How to tell when u should train through fatigue vs. take a day off. Specifically interested re: Ironman training."

and...

From:@seeksboston26mi

"@jimvance How to overcome overtraining!"

This is a tough one, as the line between training and overtraining is not clear cut, and varies greatly with each person. I have 3 athletes training in a group together right now in Chicago, and they have 3 different recovery styles/timings/abilities, which I have to consider with each.

Some tips I can tell you...

- As you get fitter, you ability to recover increases. You will bounce back faster, so recovery is not a standard number of hours or days.

- Keep a log, so you can get a better idea of how you're doing with interpreting what your body can take and how much is enough/too-much.

- If you pack 3 days together of good quality work, (and you work full-time), chances are you need one very light day after that. If you do 4-5, you need 2-3.

- If you can't get back to normal after 2-3 days off or extremely light, you've dug way too deep.

- Sleep is your best recovery tool/method. Nothing beats it.

- If you use a power meter, you can tell when you need a day off, as the data is objective. Same with a Garmin or speed-distance device for running.

- If your attitude is poor, motivation is low, you need more recovery.

From:@ClydeWatts

"@jimvance I want a more thorough handling of long course training/racing via Performance management chart on @TrainingPeaks"

I have written a number of blog posts on WKO+, and how to use the PMC to effectively monitor and guide training decisions. You can also find a number of webinars I've done on using WKO+, from the PMC to other charts I use. Don't fall into the trap of looking at only one chart, as there's always many variables to consider. I think you'll find the webinars especially helpful.

From:@JusticeJill

"@jimvance What are ur takes on coconut water?"

I think if you like it, drink it. Is it magical? No. Is better than soda, or sugary drinks? Depends on the timing of when you're planning to drink it. Drink according to your needs, and drink what tastes good to you. Do I drink it personally? No, but I retired from being a pro athlete a few years ago, so what I drink now is not what I used to drink.

From:@run_on_texas

"@jimvance Humidity training advantages/ conversion rates to normal temps"

Hate to be the barer of bad news, but there is no conversion you can do. The variables are just too great, including:

- Pre-event/session hydration levels

- Fitness level

- Distance/length of session/race to be completed

- Course differences

- Intensities and paces

- Prior heat adaptation training

This is all art and takes getting to know your own body and its needs. This is part of the art of racing and training.

Thanks for the great questions!

Coach Vance

Darren Smith - "Recovery on Demand"

I had the great pleasure this weekend of meeting Darren Smith, one of the best triathlon coaches in the world. You may not have heard much about him, because he maintains a low profile, but you have certainly seen/heard of his athletes and their performances, including Lisa Norden, 2010 ITU Sprint World Champion, who accompanied him here to our camp in Switzerland.

Darren and I spoke a bit about junior development, as he has extensive experience in both elite and junior development, and I was happy to hear him reinforce a lot of what I'm thinking currently. He also gave me some fresh ideas and even helped clarify a missing piece of a tapering strategy and philosophy I've been working on with a number of my athletes for a few seasons. I'm excited to try it out!

I also heard him talk about a popular new concept of "Rest on Demand," which is also something I've been working with my athletes on, especially my juniors, over the past few seasons.

Here's a great post by Joe Friel, on Darren and the topic of Rest on Demand:

http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/06/recovery-on-demand-for-the-advanced-athlete.html

For an interview on Darren:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/Picking_the_brain_of_Darren_Smith_1893.html

Coach Vance

Wildflower Tips

Here's an article I wrote for Triathlete Magazine's website....

Avoid basic mistakes to guarantee a successful race at California’s premier triathlon event.

The biggest festival in the sport of triathlon is nearly upon us! Thousands of triathletes, media, vendors, college students, volunteers, fans and families will descend upon the Wildflower Triathlon Festival at Lake San Antonio, in the hills, vineyards and plains of Monterey County, California. The May 1–3 event is known as much as for its fun—with three different races—as it is for its challenging courses. Whether you’re planning to experience this great event for the first time or the twenty-seventh (it’s been around that long!), there are certain pitfalls and mistakes every competing athlete should avoid.


Read the rest at Triathlete Magazine.

Coach Vance

Renata Bucher wins XTERRA Saipan

Renata Bucher captured her 5th straight XTERRA Saipan Championship yesterday, her 3rd win in 4 races this season. In doing so, she beat Julie Dibens, the 2-time defending XTERRA World Champion, and Shonny Vanlandingham, who finished 3rd in Maui last year, 17 seconds in front of Renata.

It was a very strong performance for Renata, as she continues to show herself as factor to be considered in Maui come October. She is the only female to beat Julie Dibens anytime in the last 3 years in XTERRA, with victories in 2007, 2008 and now 2009. Julie had defeated her 2 weeks prior to Saipan, at XTERRA Guam.


After her victory at the SuperFrog Half in San Diego, we knew she would probably be too tired to beat Julie at the race in Guam, since there was only 5 days between them, (4 with crossing the International Date Line). We discussed all the options and felt a victory at SuperFrog would be better financially for her, when compared to the money available at XTERRA Guam. There was still 2 weeks between Guam and Saipan, giving her enough time to recover, still put in some quality training, and get the win against the tough field at Saipan, with the much bigger prize purse. This is the decision we made, and it played out just as we planned it.

Most athletes want to win every race, and Renata is no exception to that rule. Getting second was a tough pill for her to swallow in Guam, but she stuck to the plan, and it paid off. She trusted in the science and approach we took, and it came through for her.

Athletes need to see the bigger picture sometimes, and not get caught up in the smaller, C-priority races. Focus on the races which matter most, since those are what you truly evaluate your success and season on.

Coach Vance

All photos courtesy of Nils Nelson

New Tapering Strategy Pays Off

This past Saturday was the California 70.3 Oceanside race. I had one athlete who came to me this year, Adam Zucco, who performed exceptionally well, winning the Men's 30-34 age group. He has been wanting to improve his run, which we have focused on and resulted in a 1:25 off the bike, a 2+ minute PR.

Adam claimed to have tried the traditional taper many times, yet always seemed to perform poorly. Luckily, he had been collecting his data from power meters and a GPS for his running, so we were able to go back and see how his tapers in the past were conducted, and see if what he said was truly accurate. His assessments on his performances from traditional tapers were fairly accurate. (This is yet another huge advantage of using "gadgets" in training and coaching, but that's an older post).

I have been working on a big change of focus for Adam's training. Because he's been an Ironman guy for so long, he needed to change to more and higher intensity in his training. Knowing this change, and tracking his improvement in his running and cycling from it, I didn't necessarily think his past taper issues would still be a problem with the change of emphasis in his new training, but sending him to the start line with the same old taper he has had in the past would have probably hurt his confidence in both me and his race readiness. Instead, I came up with a different taper strategy to prepare him, and we discussed it. We both agreed it would be a gamble, but the fact we agreed in the principles of the taper, meant he would at least be fairly confident in it. (Never underestimate the effect of the mind on performance!)

If you look at the standard taper found in most plans, and with most athletes' training, it's a regressive and steady decline in volume and intensity. Or another way of putting it is to say it's steady and progressive with rest and recovery. Adam claimed this rest made him feel flat, which is common, but he was never able to perform near his potential despite these flat feelings.

The basic idea of a taper is to remove fatigue from the body, while trying to maintain as high a fitness level as possible, and allow the body to perform well. When you remove fatigue, you lose some fitness, and most people have trouble understanding that. Without fatigue, there can't be fitness gains. So too much rest, and the athlete loses too much fitness to perform to their potential.

Oceanside was a B priority race, but it was the first of the year, and the opportunity to get to Kona made it more like an A-/B+ race. This meant we wouldn't do a complete taper for a peak race, but certainly wouldn't train thru the race.

So my dilemma with Adam was trying to find a way to remove fatigue, but not via the traditional means. Adam has traditionally been very resilient, with impressive ability to recover from hard efforts rather quickly, so this was something I needed to use to his advantage. He was coming off a big training camp in Tucson, 3 weeks out from the race, and when he got back to Chicago, he would have to meet his work and family obligations, so training would be lower in volume.

Normally I find 2 days of light activity are sufficient for getting athletes recovered and ready to perform well. 3 days with the third day out having some small amount of intensity works even better. So we decided we would do 1.5 weeks of normal taper style of reducing volume, maintaining intensity, followed by 2 blocks of 3 days light, (a little intensity on that 3rd day out), with a 3 day block of intensity in the middle of them.

The plan was to reduce fatigue with the light days, then keep sharpness with a short 3 day block, then remove the fatigue again.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

This photo shows how the taper looked in the WKO+ Performance Management Chart was not steady and smooth in its decline of fatigue, but rather staircased and jagged, but still holding fitness. His CTL went from 117 to 110, so only a 6% decline in fitness, where up to 10% is considered acceptable.

On Tuesday, when we did a controlled, triple-brick interval workout, Adam was doubting the strategy a bit. On Saturday, for the final mile of the race, he was celebrating his first major win and a Kona slot!

Would he have performed better with the traditional taper? We'll never know, but I think he is happy with the result.

This is what I love about coaching, and what a coach is supposed to do. I would not conduct this taper strategy with every athlete, because each athlete is different. The job of a coach is to learn all they can about each athlete and choose strategies which will benefit them, and are specific to them. I was pleased to accomplish that with Adam at Oceanside.