Age-Group Athletes and Lifestyle Considerations
I was contacted by IRONMAN.COM yesterday for a couple quotes on an upcoming article that will address an age-grouper and the main lifestyle issues they should take into consideration when interviewing a coach and the benefits of hiring a coach.
Here’s a brief recap of my comments:
A couple lifestyle issues that should be considered when looking for a coach would be the time that you need to spend working, with your family and with the rest of your life. A good coach should be able to write a program that fits into your life instead of telling you to stuff your life into their schedule. A good coach should also be able to provide schedule updates and adjustments when things pop up in the middle of the week, ensuring your schedule continues to flow without any real bumps.
If you’re looking for a coach or will be looking soon, please keep these considerations in mind!
Triathlon as a Scholarship Sport!
There was a huge announcement last week as reported by TriTrackers.com about the NCAA and triathlon titled “NCAA Triathlon Proposal Reaches Milestone, Teams Possible by 2015”.
TriTrackers reported the following:
“On April 29th, a group of individuals that represent the sport and the NCAA proposal will travel to the NCAA’s headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., to meet with the Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) to answer final questions about the proposal to name triathlon an “emerging sport for women.
This route to NCAA recognition was established in 1994 as a means of correcting widespread gender-equity issues that plagued varsity sports and placed many schools in violation of federal Title XI regulations. The multistep process requires 1) 10 written letters of support from NCAA schools, signed by the university president and athletic director 2) adoption by the CWA and 3) a vote of approval from NCAA membership at its annual January meeting.
If approved by one or more of the NCAA’s three divisions in January, we could see varsity teams with scholarship athletes as soon as August 2015.”
I am very happy to announce that late last week, the CWA voted “YES” to support triathlon as an emerging sport for women!
The next step is moving the proposal to the DI, II and III Governance groups, which then has to decide if they will pass it on to their members, which usually happens once the CWA supports a proposal!
This is a very exciting time for triathlon, especially for youth and junior triathletes that will have the possibility of being rewarded with a scholarship as of August 2015!
The first place that colleges will go for recruiting is the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior High Performance Teams, which have been identifying and developing young triathletes at an elite and nationally recognized level!
If you are in the Phoenix area, you are in luck, there is a USA Triathlon Youth and Junior High Performance Team in your area! Please visit http://breakthroughmultisport.com/high-performance-teams/ for more information!
If you know anyone who is 12-19 years old, lives in the Phoenix, AZ area and is interested in learning more about triathlon, please check out the link below to register for our FREE youth and junior triathlon camp from May 24-26!
http://breakthroughmultisport.com/free-camp/
Youth Triathletes and Swimming Skill Development
Youth triathlon coaches have a very serious responsibility when it comes to teaching young athletes to swim. An organized and systematic approach to teaching the young triathletes to swim is the best bet.
We have created a sticker “skills” book for each of our Youth Development Program athletes. In this book, we have a complete list of skills and drills that each youth athlete is expected to master prior to trying out for our Y/J USA Triathlon High Performance Team. After the successful completion of a skill or drill, the athlete earns a sticker for their book!
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
1. Bubble Blowing
A swimmers ability to exhale while their face is submerged is a basic swimming skill and the starting point for our youth athletes. They have to swim two lengths of the pool, blowing bubbles while their face is submerged and breathing in air when their heads come up out of the water.
2. Treading Water
While this seems easy, for some youth athletes, it is not. The thought of getting into water that is deeper than they are tall is very intimidating. Our goal is to make them comfortable with treading water, which makes them comfortable in deep water. To earn their sticker, the youth athlete has to be able to tread water for 5 minutes unassisted.
3. Float on Back
This is straight forward, but must be done while remaining still (no kick). To earn their sticker, they must float on their back, absolutely still, for 3 minutes.
4. Kicking on Their Back
This is a great way to teach a young swimmer to relax in the water. Our focus now turns to body position and tautness. We are looking for a tight streamline position with the kick being generated from the glutes and the upper leg muscles. To earn their sticker, the athletes must kick on their back, in a taut, streamline position, kicking from their glutes and upper legs for one length of the pool.
Once our youth athletes have mastered these skills, passed the testing and earned their sticker, we then teach them a basic set of technique drills with the main focus on body position, body tautness and the catch/pull.
For our older and/or more advanced youth swimmers, we focus in on more advanced skills that will be required as they progress as athletes.
ADVANCED SKILLS
1. Counting Strokes
Each athlete is taught to count the number of swim strokes they take for a 50 yard or meter effort.
2. Kicking Pattern
We expect each athlete to know the difference between a 2-beat, 4-beat and 6-beat kick and to generate each upon request for a 25 yard effort.
3. Dolphin Kicking
This is a key ability to improve a swimmers speed while swimming the freestyle stroke, teaching the athlete to kick while engaging their core.
4. Flip Turns
This one is self-explanatory. Each athlete is expected to swim a 100 yard effort, conducting a flip turn each time they reach the wall to turn.
5. Butterfly, Back Stroke and Breast Stroke
We take the time to teach each athlete all four competitive swimming strokes, which is a great method for balancing out the athletes musculature and increasing their “feel” for the water! Each swimmer needs to be able to swim a 100 yard effort in “Individual Medley” (IM) order (butterfly, back stroke, breast stroke then freestyle).
6. Reading a Pace Clock
Each of our youth triathletes is taught how to read a pace clock and to understand the terminology such as “at the top” or “at the bottom.” To earn their sticker, they will be tested on the terminology and their ability to read a pace clock while in the middle of a swim workout, to include their ability to do basic addition and subtraction.
If you have any questions, please contact us or feel free to give us a call at (888) 963-9530.
Early Season Observations
With race season upon us, this time of year it’s very exciting. Break Through athletes are getting into the swing of racing and have already posted very good results along with a growing set of new PR’s!
At this point, the U25/Elite team has already competed in two draft legal traffic wants, both with a lot of success. The first draft legal triathlon was at the end of February in San Diego, with the race Supporting the UCSD triathlon team and the second race in Clermont, FL which was a USA Triathlon “Elite Development Race (EDR) this past weekend.
Two of the most impressive performances in San Diego came from Tim Gentry and Kristi Johnson (coming off a hamstring injury), whom each ran the 5k off the bike within 15-20 seconds of their open 5k PR’s they each set in January!
We took two U25 athletes down to Clermont for their first USA Triathlon Elite Development Race (EDR), which was a great learning experience and a ton of fun. Tim Gentry and Oscar Solache both 
raced well while continuing the learning process that everybody goes through when getting into draft legal racing.
Oscar finished 29th and Tim finished 39th. There is provided us with a ton of information, but that identifying both strengths and weaknesses for both athletes. We have a lot of work to do, but with the never quit attitude of both athletes, we’ll be faster in June!
Let’s not forget about Heidi down in Australia who finished 3rd in the AG triathlon at the Mooloolaba World Cup event this past weekend.
The next race is coming out that the entire team will be at will be the Marquee triathlon on April 14. The team will Actually be competing in three different races on the same day: the Lead man triathlon, the Marquee sprint distance triathlon and the Marquee Olympic distance triathlon.
It will be very exciting to see the results at the end of the day with three of our top athletes each a different races. Peter Ney will be racing for long course Leadman event, Oscar will be racing the sprint and Tim is racing the Olympic distance event, all three with a chance to win.
Youth Triathlon Racing Frequency and Distance
Two critical questions that we get from parents on a regular basis are “how many races should my child do?” and “what distance should they race?”
While creating a schedule for youth and junior athletes is similar to creating a Yearly Training Plan (YTP) for adult athletes, there are additional considerations that must be considered.
- Interest Level
- Goals
- Developmental Age
- Readiness for Competition
- School Sports Commitments
- Family Commitments
- Finances
- Appropriate Recovery Between Events
Youth and junior coaches also need to be aware of the age-appropriate distances of races, the total volume of training 
and the mix of intensity that allows success at a given distance.
6-10 Year Olds
Fun and safety need to be the top 2 priorities. This is an introduction period for young athletes, while they are introduced to other sports at the same time. The recommended number of triathlon competitions per month is 1-2, lasting no more than 25-30 minutes on average.
11-15 Year Olds
This is a very important phase in their physical and psychological development. Age appropriate race selection is very important at this point in a young athletes development, and can make all the difference if they athlete sticks with the sport or leaves.
The recommended distance for athletes in the age range is a super-sprint (375 meter swim, 10 kilometer bike [6.2 miles], 2.5 kilometer run [1.55 miles]). There are three main reasons:
1. The emphasis should be placed on skill development, not endurance training at this age.
2. Shorter races such as the super-sprint promote speed ahead of endurance, which will pay off much more in the long run.
3. This reduces the need to specialize in triathlon at an early age at the expense of other sports and overall development.
This is just scratching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the intricacies of coaching youth and junior athletes. It is NOT the same as coaching adults and simply scaling it back that is a recipe for injuring a child and/or burning them out in the sport of triathlon.
How much do you sit?
I came across an interesting article about how much a person sits throughout the day, whether it be for working or watching TV. I had come across some other interesting articles about the same topic and how it relates to metabolism, which was more than enough to get me to stand up and work on the computer instead of sitting down. For around $30, I purchased a bunch of PVC pipe and a thin wooden board and 20 minutes later, I had a makeshift desk that allows me to stand and work on the computer!
Most of the research was from Dr. Henson, published in the Journal of Diabetologica. Here are some interesting points of the article with my thoughts.
Studies suggest the average person sits for 9-10 hours every day
There is evidence that suggests being seated for long periods of time can increase your risk for type II diabetes.
“The longer the time you spend sitting, the higher the amount of sugars and fats that accumulate in your bloodstream regardless of the time you spend exercising,” Dr Henson said.
Scientists have found that a person’s metabolic rate crashes to a minimum when sitting and that standing up for an extra three hours a day, even without exercising, would on average burn off about 3.6kg of fat a year.
When a person is standing still they are using their muscles more than when they are sitting still. The muscles that keep someone standing up seem to produce more of the enzymes that break down sugar and fats in the bloodstream, Dr Henson said.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/desk-workers–stand-up-for-your-health-millions-may-be-making-themselves-ill-by-spending-their-working-lives-sitting-down-8513806.html
Ideal Benchmark Swim Test: 200/800 (Part 3/3)
In this last segment, we’ll cover the analysis of the 800 yard/meter segment of the 200/800 benchmark test.
800 yd/m Segment Analysis
Now lets take a look at the 800 yd/m segment of this test. The main purpose is to evaluate the athletes swimming ability at and around threshold, to include aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.
800 Split vs. USA Triathlon Benchmarks
The first thing we want to look at is where the athletes time puts them relative to the USAT Benchmark standards.
U25 Athlete
800 Split: 10:23 SC yards
Benchmark “Swim Pack”: Missed the National Championships- Pack 3
Junior Athlete
800 Split: 11:20 SC yards
Benchmark “Swim Pack”: Missed the National Championships- Pack 3
800 yard/meter analysis
When analyzing the data from the 800 yd/meter segment, there are several things we want to look at:
- Average time per 100 yd/m
- 100 yd/m split analysis
- Fatigue Rate
- Stroke Count Analysis
Average time per 100 yd/m
The first thing we need to do is determine the average time per 100 yd/m of the 800 yd/m segment of the test. From there, we can see where we are at with our pace per 100 and where we need to go in more simple terms.
U25 Athlete: 100 yd/m Splits for the 800 yd/m segment
Our U25 athlete averaged a 1:18 per 100, which put them just off the back of the 3rd pack and out of contention in a draft legal event and in poor position in a non-drafting event. Their time per 100 needs to come down to 1:17 average per 100 (8 seconds is more than enough to create a major issue in a draft legal event). In order to get to the 2nd pack, they will need to reduce their time per 100 down to 1:13, and down to 1:06 to be in the lead pack.
Junior Athlete: 100 yd/m Splits for the 800 yd/m segment
Our junior athlete averaged a 1:28 per 100, which put them well off the back of the 3rd pack and out of contention in a draft legal event and in poor position in a non-drafting event. Their time per 100 needs to come down by 11 seconds per 100 to get to the 3rd pack, which averages a 1:17 per 100.
Split Analysis
The split analysis for the 800 yd/m segment of this test is not as straight forward as it was with the 200 yd/m segment. This is where an experienced coach has the ability to cut through the numbers using not only the science, but their experience in working with these numbers and having seen and evaluated hundreds of these tests! We are going to look at the following splits and their relationships:
- Outliers
- Overall Fatigue Rate
- Split #2 v. #7
- First 400 v. Second 400
Outliers
The first thing we need to do is determine if the athlete went out to fast on the first 100 yd/m segment of the test. If they did, we need to know that before getting to involved in the analysis of the splits. A general observation: the first 100 is usually 3-4 seconds faster than the 2nd 100 for a trained athlete.
There are two things to look at to determine if the first 100 is an outlier:
- If the first 100 split is more than 5 seconds faster than the 2nd 100 split, it’s most likely an outlier and throwing off the average
- If the first 100 split is more than 6 seconds faster than the average 100 split for the entire 800 yd/m segment, it’s most likely an outlier.
You will definitely want to look at both indicators above before labeling the first 100 an outlier. Doing so makes the analysis of the 100 yd/m splits more difficult, providing less reliable results.
Looking at the results from our U25 and junior athlete, we can see they are both within the accepted ranges that does not make their first 100 yd/m segment an outlier.
U25 Athlete: 100 yd/m Splits for the 800 yd/m segment
Split 1 v. Split 2: 0:04
Split 1 v. Average: 0:06
Junior Athlete: 100 yd/m Splits for the 800 yd/m segment
Split 1 v. Split 2: 0:03
Split 1 v. Average: 0:04
Overall Fatigue Rate
Now that we know we don’t have any outliers, we can look at the most simple part of the 800 segment analysis. We want to see what the athletes fatigue rate is, based on the first and last 100 yd/m segment.
The table above is a great estimate of fatigue rate and ability. Let’s look at the two athlete’s splits again.
U25 Athlete: Splits #1 vs. #8 for the 800 yd/m segment
Time Differential: +0:06 (1:12 vs. 1:18)
Fatigue Rate: 7.7%
Junior Athlete: Splits #1 vs. #8 for the 800 yd/m segment
Time Differential: +0:04 (1:24 vs. 1:28)
Fatigue Rate: 6.7%
Both performances fall into the “average” category, which is an indicator of the need to increase muscular endurance or to examine their pacing strategies a little more closely due to the sizeable drop off.
Split #2 v. #7
When looking at the fatigue rate for the 800 yd/m segment, we want to examine splits 2 and 7. We chose these splits because they are the most representative of what the athlete has done in the test with the excitement/nervousness of the start and the increased effort for the last 100 (end spurt), both of which are responsible for the faster times for those two splits.
U25 Athlete: Splits #2 vs. #7 for the 800 yd/m segment
Time Differential: +0:06 (1:16 vs. 1:19)
Fatigue Rate: 3.8%
Junior Athlete: Splits #2 vs. #7 for the 800 yd/m segment
Time Differential: +0:04 (1:27 vs. 1:30)
Fatigue Rate: 3.3%
We would like to see these splits be as close to each other as possible. Looking at the numbers for out two athletes, they again fell into the average category. The drop off in splits is an indicator of either poor muscular and/or aerobic endurance or again, could be related to the pacing strategy, especially if the athlete went out too hard on the first 100.
First 400 v. Second 400
The first thing we need to do is determine the average time per 100 yd/m for the first 400 and the second 400. From there, we calculate the fatigue rate.
U25 Athlete: First 400 v. Second 400
First 400 average: 1:16/100 yd
Second 400 average: 1:19/100 yd
Fatigue Rate: 3.5%
Junior Athlete: First 400 v. Second 400
First 400 average: 1:27/100 yd
Second 400 average: 1:30/100 yd
Fatigue Rate: 3.3%
Again, average performances based on fatigue rate, most likely due to a lack of muscular endurance or a pacing issue.
Stroke Count Analysis
When looking at the stroke count for 800 yd/m segment, there are a few places we want to look:
- Overall Fatigue Rate (split #1 vs. split #8)
- Split #2 vs. Split #7
- First 400 vs. Second 400
We will expect a increase in the stroke count per 50 due to normal fatigue, but when examining these numbers closely, it should really shine some light on the issues that remain.
Keep in mind, the percentages above are measuring the increase in stroke count.
Overall Fatigue Rate (1 vs. 8)
The overall decay is a good indicator of muscular endurance. We know the athlete will swim the first 100 as their fastest 100, with the last 100 as the second fastest. This number is measuring their ability to maintain a stroke count over the entire test.
U25 Athlete: Overall Fatigue Rate (1 vs. 8)
First 100 Count: 31 strokes/50 yds
Second 100 Count: 35 strokes/50 yds
Fatigue Rate: 11%
Junior Athlete: Overall Fatigue Rate (1 vs. 8)
First 100 Count: 40 strokes/50 yds
Second 100 Count: 50 strokes/50 yds
Fatigue Rate: 20%
These numbers are starting to shed some light on these swimmers weaknesses. The U25 athlete has a FR of 11% (31 strokes up to 35 strokes, 2 additional strokes per 25 yards) is an indicator of low muscular endurance, they are not able to keep their stroke rate consistent throughout the full 800. Looking at the junior athlete, their FR was 20%, which is definitively indicating muscular endurance, the ability to continue turning your arms over at a high rate.
These numbers are pointing at muscular endurance as the major issue, not pacing.
Split #2 vs. Split #7
For the same reasons that we examined the times for these splits, we want to examine the stroke count.
U25 Athlete: Overall Fatigue Rate (1 vs. 8)
Split #2 Count: 32 strokes/50 yds
Split #7 Count: 35 strokes/50 yds
Fatigue Rate: 9%
Junior Athlete: Overall Fatigue Rate (1 vs. 8)
Split #2 Count: 44 strokes/50 yds
Split #7 Count: 48 strokes/50 yds
Fatigue Rate: 8%
Again, an indicator of the need to increase muscular endurance.
Summary: 800 yd/m Segment
Remember, the goal is to examine the athletes aerobic capacity and their muscular endurance, which are two major players in an 800 yd/m swim for time. We have provided you with all the tool that you will need to dig into these numbers and make the appropriate conclusions.
For the U25 athlete, the conclusion is they need to increase their muscular endurance in order to maintain a more even pace over the full 800 yard segment. While their speed needs to be increased, maintaining what they currently have is an issue over 800 yards.
For the junior athlete, the biggest thing that pops out at us is the stroke count per 50. This athlete is NOT getting a lot of distance per stroke, which is usually an indicator of the need to increase the catch and pull of the stroke, which is its own separate article. To illustrate this point, the junior athlete is averaging 1.09 yards per swim stroke while the U25 athlete is averaging 1.47 yards per stroke (keeping in mind this does not account for flip turns and/or the push off the wall).
Harlem Shake- Break Through Style!
Today’s blog post is not about business or training.
It’s about the Harlem Shake.
If you don’t know what the Harlem Shake is, just search for it on YouTube… it’s going viral!
On Sunday, the High Performance Teams did their very own version of this at transition practice.
And I’m challenging everyone in the triathlon community to do their own version, let’s see who can come up with the best triathlon version of the Harmlem Shake!
Ryan
Learning to Suffer
I wanted to share this article with you from Lava Magazine. Author Ryan Schneider has touched on what is perhaps the most underrated aspect of racing and racing well… suffering and the mental aspects of it.
In the article, he quoted elite triathlon coach Siri Lindley “Day after day they are showing that their fitness, strength and speed is all there, but then they get into a race and perform under what you know they are capable of… that is where you can get an idea of perhaps there is a mental barrier preventing them from tapping into their utmost potential.”
After working with hundreds of athletes, the common denominator amongst triathletes is there willingness and/or ability to suffer… to dig deep, perhaps deeper than they think they are capable of, not only while racing, but while training.
In my time as an infantry officer in the US Army, time and time again, we were pushed to what we thought was our physical limits, only to be shown that we were capable of a LOT more than we thought.
Whether it was physical training or a training exercise at Fort Campbell or a 72 hour operation in Iraq, time and time again, I learned and was amazed to see how far I could push my physical limits.
Putting this in terms of triathlon, most triathletes that I have seen and that I worked with are far more capable of “more” than they think they are from a physical standpoint.
When the situation arises, whether it be a direct action mission in Iraq or a training session on a track, it boils down to the persons willingness to hurt.
In my opinion, Lindley hit the nail on the head with this quote: “If they want it bad enough, they will be willing to push their limits of pain, face their fears, and take their suffering to the next level.”
You can find the full article here, it is worth your time to read:
http://lavamagazine.com/features/mind-games-learning-to-suffer/#.UBwi7_XFIzI.facebook
Calcium for Youth and Junior Athletes
A few posts ago, I discussed the mineral iron and how it is an important part of a well-rounded diet and necessary for proper growth and development. In this post, I’ll cover the mineral calcium, which is just as, if not more important.
Calcium is the key mineral required for proper bone formation and strength, nearly 40% of which takes place during puberty. Inadequate calcium intake in youth and junior athletes has the potential to impact proper bone growth and strength, which increases the potential for injury.
For youth and junior athletes to develop into a structurally sound manner, the parents and young athletes need to be aware of the RDA for calcium and natural sources that are readily available. The RDA for calcium is 1300 mg for athletes 8-18 years old. Ensuring the proper intake of calcium before and during puberty appears to have the most importance. Young athletes that are regularly consuming 3 or more services of dairy products are most likely meeting their calcium needs. For athletes that do not drink milk, soybeans, kale, broccoli and almonds are outstanding sources of calcium, but are less absorbable. Another option is calcium fortified juices, cereal and breads that are commonly available at a grocery store.
As the young athletes get older, dairy products such as milk tend to be replaced with sports drinks, soda and other junk foods. This trend places these athletes at a greater danger of being deficient in terms of calcium intake. Youth and junior female athletes are at a higher risk of insufficient calcium intake due to dietary restrictions in an attempt to control their body composition.
It is imperative that young athletes receive the proper amount of calcium on a daily basis in order to avoid a higher risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis as they get older.
For more information, please contact the head coach of the Break Through Elite Racing Y/J USA Triathlon High Performance Team and Development Program, Ryan Riell by email at ryan@breakthroughmultisport.com.
D5 Creation