The McCarthy Project is a proud sponsor of the Tuesday Night Time Trial Series in Minnesota. For over 10 years on Tuesdays, 60-80 riders have tested themselves against the clock over the 10 mile course just outside Minneapolis, MN.
2016 TNT schedule:
June 7 and 21
July 5 and 19
August 2 and 16
Opens at 6pm
First rider off at 7pm
The course is a 10 mile out and back on scenic rolling Co. Rd 24 which has 8′ wide shoulders and decent pavement. Results are posted and points earned based on time and class.
For additional information, contact Jeremy Baker, race director, via email at TNT@TribesES.com or visit the TNT website.
Payment options:
Full series: $75
1/2 series: $45
Day of: $20
Who are the participants?
While the race is a time-trial and the majority of the athletes are serious about their time and their sport, anyone is welcome to ride TNT. there are riders of all abilities, who ride all styles of bikes. recumbents, hand cycles, fixies, adult and youth. Anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian present with their signature on the waiver. Anyone 14 or under will need to have a rider with them on the course.
Oxygen Supplementation in Athletes a radical, new and old, thought?
Live o2, Oxygen Supplementation in Athletes
The great thing about life is perspective. You can use the information intended for one purpose, but with a different perspective you can look from a different angle, you can see an entirely new conclusion. My hope is to walk you down the road to see that we have missed one of the most basic building blocks of performance in sport, oxygen.
The question I have always wanted to answer is how Native Americans were able to go on physically demanding hunts, maintain a slendor, muscular build without motor learning research performed during practice sessions or treadmills for endurance work or completed Olympic lifts in their weight room. So how could it be that they were able to accomplish such feats of endurance and strength without all the training?
My first hypothesis is oxygen and our current lack there of, in our current lives.
Here are my thoughts that lead me to this conclusion.
Otto Warburg, a mid 20th century cell biologist in Germany, cellular respiration is simple truth: cells that cannot breathe, cannot, and will not ever, work properly. Anything that skips the first and obvious neglects the
metabolism of life.
Current Atmospheric levels: Compared to prehistoric times, the level of oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere has declined by over a third and in polluted cities the decline may be more than 50%. This change in the makeup of the air we breathe has potentially serious implications for our health and performance, according to Roddy Newman and his book, The Oxygen Crisis.
Manfred von Ardenne, developed in the late 1960s by Professor von Ardenne, (a student of Dr. Otto Warburg), Oxygen Multistep Therapy combines oxygen therapy, elements that facilitate intracellular oxygen turnover, and physical exercise adapted to individual performance levels.
Dr. Mark Sircus states, “long and hard is the search for substances that athletes can use to increase sports performance. There are more than several substances that are natural, legal, non-toxic and safe that athletes can use, but like everywhere else in the world of medicine most still prefer dangerous pharmaceuticals to natural medicinals even with the risk of being discovered and banned from competition.” and, “extra oxygen increases muscles’ energy production improving athletic output ability; intensity and duration. The secret to Olympic success is higher concentrations of oxygen delivery to the cells.. ” For entire post, click here
Oxygen has been proven to be a natural, ethical & legal way to stimulate biologically effective levels of growth hormones, especially the ones ethic-challenged athletes use illegally, like EPO, erythropoietin AND HGH, Human Growth Hormone?
I realize that additional details may be needed to connect these dots into a more detailed, comprehensive study, suffice to say that increasing your oxygen intake would benefit athletes, both in the short and long run.
Exercise With Oxygen Training Sessions For Elite Performance in Life and Sport
Over the years, The McCarthy Project has developed gestalt theory of elite performance and oxygen is a major component of that philosophy. Each session is 30 minutes in length: a 5-10 warm-up on a treadmill, or a bike trainer (you can use your own bike. if desired) followed by a 15 minute training session and a 5 minute cool down.
Each session package includes a 60 minute consultation to review your current fitness level and your goals. All sessions are by appointment only.
For more information on how we may be able to take your training to the next level, contact Stephen McCarthy at 612-741-0982 or cs(at)themccarthyproject.com.
LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast System
Some EWOT Training benefits include:
1. Increased oxygen saturation for the purpose of delayed onset of muscle soreness
2. Development of auto-immune system
3. Super charge current nutrition strategies with the increased oxygen levels
4. Amplify body’s natural hormones for an increase in muscle mass
Exercise With Oxygen Training: A part of the The McCarthy Project’s Gestalt Theory of Elite Performance
Over the years, The McCarthy Project has seen or worked with hyperbaric tents and systems, altitude training, elevation masks, and virtual reality trainers for the simple purpose of gaining an edge for athletes. After many years of searching, The McCarthy Project believes that adding oxygen and oxygen training (i.e. exercise with oxygen training or EWOT) could be one of those Rosetta stones for athletes. It amazes the mind that you could move all around the idea of oxygen by taking oxygen away, sleeping low, training high and then the opposite (sleeping high, training low) to sleeping in a tent, but the idea of adding oxygen during a 15 minute workout could or would be the answer, but if you take the time to understand the science behind oxygen training, you will uncover that their are major benefits for working with oxygen and the Live O2 system.
Benefits Include:
1. Increased oxygen saturation for the purpose of delayed onset of muscle soreness
2. Development of auto-immune system
3. Super charge current nutrition strategies with the increased oxygen levels
4. Amplify body’s natural hormones for an increase in muscle mass
LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast System
For EWOT/Live O2 training sessions at our location, visit here. Or how you would be able to take your training to the next level by purchasing a system, contact Stephen McCarthy at 612-741-0982 or cs(at)themccarthyproject.com.
Additional Information:
” LiveO2 Adaptive Contrast lets you switch between oxygen-reduced and oxygen-rich air during exercise. This creates a “magic moment” of super-oxygenation for the brain, liver and kidneys,” Live O2
Secondly, The following quote is from a post on the subject of Dara Torres, US Olympic swimmer. For entire post, visit here
“Dara Torres started to see some unexpected effects beyond endurance and strength. She gained a lot of muscle — fast. The scale showed about 12 pounds of muscle gain from Jan thru March. Don’t get me wrong – Dara is the totally awesome athlete – but how could she add that much muscle that fast at 45? The new muscle mass made her look much stronger than the Time Magazine cover. Her shoulders were at least 2 inches broader this year – and her already awesome legs were wicked ripped. Why?”
Dr. Palacios compares his experience with LiveO2 performance to his 15 years of experience with medical hyperbaric treatment.
A Part of The McCarthy Project Triathlon Camp Series
This one day camp in Annandale, MN located on Clearwater Lake is focused entirely on you receiving high-quality information and training ideas in one location. Spend one day with The McCarthy Project staff, where we will address the major areas of technique, training and racing and then have time for a campfire for questions and answers.
Camp Includes:
1. Swim: Swim technique instruction
2. Cycling skills, equipment selection and basic maintenance
3. Running assessment
4. Wetsuit and apparel selection
5. Transition process and gear selection
For additional questions or registration information, contact Stephen McCarthy at 612-741-0982 or email cs(at)themccarthyproject.com.
Camp Itinerary
Below is a sample camp itinerary. Times and order of the sessions will be adjusted based on the groups needs.
9:00 am – 10:30 am – Running Analysis; Field Testing
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – Swim Technique/Analysis in pool and lake
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Cycling Skills/Pedaling Analysis
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Choice of Workout: Swim, Run or Bike
4:00pm -7:00 pm – Campfire Question and Answer
Registration:
$175.00 USD
Experience Level of participants: Each camp can be attended by each level. Our hope is to create a unique mix of beginner to experienced athletes that will add to the community feel of the weekend. With that said, here are our classifications:
Beginner:: Just signed up for first event or completed one and I need more information
Novice: I have completed a couple and I would like to really improve my results
Intermediate: I have completed 4-5 races and I am looking for new approaches and ideas to can take me to the next level.
Advanced: Seasoned triathlete looking for the edge or looking to review all aspects of the race with the hopes of finding the one, two or three ideas I can add.
Camp #1: Saturday, June 5th
Beginner to Novice Level
Camp #2: Sunday, June 12th
Beginner to Novice Level
If you would prefer, call Stephen at 612-741-0982 to reserve your attendance and receive a list of gear needed, waiver, and other camp details.
Registration fee includes all sessions, camp t-shirt, sponsor goodie bag, lunch and dinner and if available, digital copies of your swimming and running gait analyses.
Camps are open to all levels of participants aged 15 and up and limited to 20 participants per camp. If you have any questions, contact us at 612-741-0982.
Location:
Uncle Fogy Nature Center
10509 108th Street Nw
Annandale, MN 55302
612-741-0982
About The McCarthy Project:
Stephen McCarthy, BES, CFT, Director of The McCarthy Project, Stephen has researched and developed innovative training and skill development techniques specific to life and sport for over 15 years. His corporate and individual clients have accomplished their goals of a higher standard of health and wellness. He has trained numerous endurance athletes, outfitted over 1000 triathletes, as well as, being a certified personal trainer holding a degree in Liberal Studies from St. Cloud State University.
For additional information on The McCarthy Project, clink on the following link for posts and interviews from the world of triathlon.
Quotes from Clients:
“Stephen worked with my daughter after a high ankle sprain. He did more in 3 days then any other trainer had done for her in 10 days. The methods he used to get her walking again were awesome. Stephen is one who thinks outside the box and gets his kids back to the sports they love quickly and stronger. ” – Marit Larson, Mom of a young athlete.
“Stephen’s dedication to athletes of all ages and sport is unquestioned. He uses programs that benefit the athlete no matter the sport. I witnessed his work with a local swim team and not only did the athletes improve from the conditioning and strength, they looked forward to doing them again and again.” – Colby Fuller, youth coach
Part of The McCarthy Project Triathlon Camp Series
This two day camp in Annandale, MN located on Clearwater Lake is focused entirely on you receiving high-quality information and training ideas in one location. Spend a two full days with The McCarthy Project staff, where we will address the major areas of technique, training and racing. This camp was created for addressing as many areas and information transfer as possible during the two days, not just a group of workouts.
Camp Includes:
1. Swim: Pool and Lake swim technique instruction and video analysis
2. Cycling skills, equipment selection and basic maintenance
3. Running assessment and video analysis
4. Introduction of Exercise With Oxygen Training and LiveO2 training. (As seen on Minnesota Tri News)
5. Group discussions with other participants and staff to review your specific goals, equipment and race selection, training recommendations, race strategy and nutritional consideration.
6. Digital copies of your swimming and running footage.
7. Entry into the Capitol City Triathlon in St. Paul, MN (Race info) March 31st, 2016 deadline for registration.
For additional questions or information, contact Stephen McCarthy at 612-741-0982 or email cs(at)themccarthyproject.com.
Camp Itinerary:
Below is a sample camp itinerary. Times and order of the sessions will be adjusted based on the groups needs.
Day 1
9:00 am – 10:30 am – Running Analysis; Field Testing
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – Swim Technique/Analysis in pool and lake
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Cycling Skills/Pedaling Analysis
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Training and Weight Room Concepts
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Campfire question and answer session
Day 2
10:00 am – 11:00 am – Nutrition: Pre, Race Day, and Post Race
11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Wetsuit, Gear, and Apparel Selection
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Outdoor Experiential Games for the purpose of discussing training and race day strategies
For additional information on The McCarthy Project, clink on the following link for posts and interviews from the world of triathlon.
Registration
$300.00 USD
Experience Level of participants: The mentioned levels are not considered written in stone, they are intended as a general outline only. With that said, here are our classifications:
Beginner: Just signed up for first event or completed one and I need more information
Novice: I have completed a couple races and I would like to really improve my results
Intermediate: I have completed 4-5 races and I am looking for new approaches and ideas to can take me to the next level.
Advanced: Seasoned triathlete looking for the edge or looking to review all aspects of the race with the hopes of finding the one, two or three ideas I can add.
Camp #1: April 16th and 17th
Beginner to Novice Level
Camp #2: May 21st and 22nd
Novice to Intermediate Level
Registration fee includes all sessions, Triathlon Boot Camp t-shirt, sponsor goodie bag, lunch on both days and digital copies of your swimming and running gait analyses.
Camps are open to all levels of participants aged 15 and up and limited to 20 participants per camp. If you have any questions, contact us at 612-741-0982.
Location:
Uncle Fogy Nature Center
10509 108th Street Nw
Annandale, MN 55302
612-741-0982
Overnight stay at Uncle Fogy is not included. Hotels are available in Clearwater and St. Cloud area.
About The McCarthy Project:
Stephen McCarthy, BES, CFT, Director of The McCarthy Project, Stephen has researched and developed innovative training and skill development techniques specific to life and sport for over 15 years. His corporate and individual clients have accomplished their goals of a higher standard of health and wellness. He has trained numerous endurance athletes, outfitted over 1000 triathletes, as well as, being a certified personal trainer holding a degree in Liberal Studies from St. Cloud State University.
Quotes from Clients:
“Stephen worked with my daughter after a high ankle sprain. He did more in 3 days then any other trainer had done for her in 10 days. The methods he used to get her walking again were awesome. Stephen is one who thinks outside the box and gets his kids back to the sports they love quickly and stronger. ” – Marit Larson, mom of a young athlete.
“Stephen’s dedication to athletes of all ages and sport is unquestioned. He uses programs that benefit the athlete no matter the sport. I witnessed his work with a local swim team and not only did the athletes improve from the conditioning and strength, they looked forward to doing them again and again.” – Colby Fuller, youth coach
Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project put together a special report on the coaches and athletes who will be participating in Kona Ironman.
1. Kris Swarthout, USA Triathlon Coach for Cindy Blackstock, on the history and the importance of helping athletes on the journey of life. To listen click here.
2. Cindy Blackstock, cancer survivor and Kona Ironman participant, has been chosen to be one of the featured athletes in this years race. She will share her story of victory over breast cancer less than a year ago to compete in this years race. To listen click here.
Cindy Blackstock
3. Winter Vinecki, 14 year old triathlete, on her father’s untimely death from prostate cancer and how she turns the negatives in life into positives. To listen click here.
Triathlon World Champion Mark Allen on Overtraining and Recovery
Triathlon World Champion Mark Allen
Mark Allen, 6-time Ironman world champion will be discussing the world of endurance training and talent development. More specifically, the difference between the “science-only” programs or “the art of what works best for me” program.
Mark’s storied career will give us unique perspective and insights into the mind of a triathlete and the potential results of the proper training program.
Lastly, we will briefly cover the areas of recovery, strength training, and proper nutrition. Listen to a portion of the interview with Stephen McCarthy, The Art of Training.
No triathlete has gained the recognition or success that Mark Allen has. After competing and losing in the Ironman Triathlon Championships six times, he emerged victorious in 1989, winning the most difficult one-day sporting event in the world.
It would be the first of six Ironman victories for Allen, the last coming in 1995 at age 37, making him the oldest champion ever. He has also excelled at the Olympic distance, winning the sport’s inaugural World Championships in 1989 in Avignon, France, by more than a minute. He went undefeated in 10 trips to the Nice International Championships, and from 1988-1990 he put together a winning streak of 20 races.
Sports Illustrated Writer and Author David Epstein on Genetics Role in Training and Sport
Author David Epstein of The Sports Gene:Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance joined Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to discuss his book and his motive for writing Sports Gene. Secondly, we discussed how to apply his findings to athletes and the future application of dna or genetic research. Complete interview will be aired on Friday September 6th at 8am CST.
David’s motive was his joy for researching, science and sports. He has always been fascinated with elite performance and why certain athletes from certain areas of the world perform at higher levels. To listen to this portion of the interview, visit David Epstein and His Story.
During the second part of the interview, we talk about future applications of his research and the trend of analyzing your DNA for the purpose of understanding how you can train at a higher level. We also discussed some of the pitfalls of the science and how athletes can use the information for their benefit. Click here to listen to David and Stephen’s thoughts on The Future of Genetic Testing and Its Application.
Author and Writer David Epstein
Sports Illustrated Senior Writer David Epstein writes about sports science and medicine, Olympic sports, and is an investigative reporter for SI. His science writing has won a number of awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Deadline Club Award for an article on the genetics of sports performance; Time Inc.’s Henry R. Luce Award for public service for an article on the dangers of the dietary supplement industry; and the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association’s “Big Hearted Journalism” award for his story “Following the Trail of Broken Hearts,” on sudden cardiac death in athletes. Epstein was a 2011 Livingston Award finalist for a package that included articles on pain in sports and the anticipatory skills that allow Major Leaguers to hit 100 mph fastballs.
Triathlon Legend and Hall of Famer Dave Scott on Developing Young Talent within Endurance Sports
Dave Scott and Mark Allen from 1989 Iron War
6-Time Triathlon World Champion Dave Scott joined Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to discuss current trends in the world of triathlon and the development of young athletes.
We covered the following areas specific to endurance athletes.
1. Strength and Conditioning needs to remain or become a vital part of a triathlete’s overall program.
2. Balance within each athlete’s training program is a key to success, not survival of the fittest training or who works the hardest as method of choice to develop your talent as an endurance athlete.
3. Art and Science are feathered together to find the best program based on the individual athlete, not “mythical, old-wives tales or “science says do this” training programs.
4. Recovery must be promoted as one of the pillars to success in triathlon.
Dave currently devotes his time educating and inspiring athletes of
all abilities and ages, leading sport camps, clinics and races across the country and running his own training group in Boulder, CO. Dave combines years of wisdom, wit and creativity to his passion for helping others. He has been the head coach for Team In Training since 1999, helping to certify TNT coaches nationwide and is actively involved in the running of his business.
Dave Scott, Inc. offers individual and group fitness and nutrition consultations, innovative strength & flexibility e-program exercises, multi-media sport analysis and training tips, video analysis and corporate and tri club speaking engagements and clinics. Dave is based in Boulder, Colorado and greatly enjoys spending time with his three children and maintaining a healthy and physically fit lifestyle.
It was a great day in the world of cycling today. It was 81 degrees and sunny for the final stage at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Stillwater, MN.
Congrats to all the winners on the mens and womens side of the race and thank you to Dave Laporte, Jason Lardy and the rest of the crew for putting on a great race. Secondly, thank you for allowing The McCarthy Project to be a part of the run-up to the race this year.
Here are some of the pics from the finish line earlier today.
Start Line Nature Valley Grand Prix Stillwater, MNOptum Pro Cycling on the Final Turn For the FinishFinal Turn For the FinishNature Valley Grand Prix Hill Finish Stillwater, MNOptum Pro Cycling Controlled the Race Stillwater, MN
Kris Swarthout from Optum Health and USA Triathlon joined Stephen McCarthy to talk about the new trends in Triathlon gear for 2013.
Kris and Stephen covered the following gadgets:
1. Swimp3 players
2. Swimmers Snorkels
3. GPS Monitoring of the Swim, Bike and Run
4. New fabrics for triathlon apparel
In the second part of the show, Tricia O’Hara talked about her challenges with the latest and greatest Polar GPS heart rate monitor and the use of a swimp3 player for her training.
Tricia O’Hara: Mental Toughness From Her Perspective
Tricia O’Hara on Mental Toughness
Today Tricia O’Hara and Stephen discussed mental toughness from two different angles. The first viewpoint was one of having lived it out in real life being an orphan as a child, passed from home to home and having to pick herself up mentally every day. The second as a person who has accomplished some of her goals in life and what young people of today need to hear.
Tricia knows a thing or two about Adversity. Having to overcome the death of her parents as an infant and finding herself in foster care w/ numerous families till age 7, she learned through relentless pursuit of not giving up, not giving in, to rise above it all. At this time she along with her biological brother and sister were adopted by a family that was unable to have children of their own. Though it seemed to Tricia their reasoning for adopting was for all the wrong reasons, she would remain here for the next 7 years. She believed it wasn’t so much to provide a loving, stable environment, rather to replicate the “Perfect Children” they could never have.” “When they found that we weren’t amenable to this, they would use control tactics such as grounding, whipping, locking us out so we had to sleep in the garage, verbal, physical and psychological abuse.”
Although Tricia excelled at academics, with straight A’s and advanced studies,and was a high level athlete, “Good” was not good enough.
In their eyes she still was not the perfect child and was constantly reminded she would never amount to anything and not make anything of her Life.” yet with Tricia’s Iron Will, she would not fall prey to these negative words, instead, this was the “fuel to the fire” that instilled in her –
“Your words will not Define Me…You will not Break Me”
Tricia made up her mind at a young age that she would not except these “Jaws of Defeat” She knew somewhere there was a door to a better life, a more positive, supportive environment. “I WILL find a way”
As a way to rise above it all, Tricia turned to sports as a coping mechanism. “Sports,namely running was something no one could take from me. It was my way of temporarily escaping the constant chaos I was living in” Also at this time Tricia was told frequently, “I don’t care what you think, it doesn’t matter!” So she learned to be silent and keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. “My only release was to transform these thoughts into writing, poems mainly, as well as drawing.
~ which years later, I won awards for my writing and at age 15 was awarded a certificate from the House of Representatives
for my artistic talent and was given the honor to display a piece of my artwork in the Bellevue Art Museum.” Tricia wrote this when she was 13, along with a hundred others.
“What are you thinking
and how are you feeling,
for your mask cover up is un-revealing
Why, when I look into your eyes
you’re close by yet far away…
Just that, I try to mold and shape,
Only blank expressions, I observe
fly free from escape”
Finally,when it was apparent that Tricia would never be the child they could manipulate into being the person they wanted, she was kicked out. Tricia was 14. “Being homeless, living with friends, living on the streets, on a park bench and at one point, my girlfriend’s horse barn, I had a choice to go left or right, I chose to go right.” “Fast forward to years later, Tricia felt this compelling need to give back, and to share her story. To help others to find their path of greatness through academics and sports.” Not having a family to spend holidays with, she began to volunteer feeding the homeless; delivering food.
It was then she realized how much these people needed love and attention too and having experienced a version of their lives in her formative years,she felt her presence was needed more than just the holidays. “Its easy to do a grand gesture like this when it’s publicized, but what about the 363 other days of the year?” She would continue to help serve food and also volunteer doing odd jobs at a Convalescent home. “I would always love to hear their stories…and when you’re 98, you have a lot of stories!”
Last winter Tricia spent the holidays back home in San Francisco where she volunteered feeding the homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, one of the worst Ghetto’s in America. It was here she was inspired to volunteer and work with the low-income kids, tutoring and involving them in sports. “It was so rewarding for me that I continued to volunteer the duration of my stay. …and the hardest part was, leaving. They had become a part of me.
As I was leaving, one little girl said to me with a tear in her eye, “You can’t leave, you’re my mommy.” “I know in my heart, this is one facet in my Life I must continue to pursue. There’s too many children out there that are not provided with the right role model, peer group or motivation to push beyond their current limits.”
Recently, Tricia was asked to appear as a Guest Speaker on The McCarthy Project, Sports Talk Radio. The Producer had come across her story and felt it needed to be heard. The listeners and staff were so moved, she was asked to come on air weekly. “I am truly flattered that someone would want to hear my story. If I can help inspire, motivate and encourage people that with a lot hard work, anything is possible then I will do whatever it takes to get the message across.”
Sports Model and Trainer Tricia O’Hara Shares Wisdom on Life and Sport
Sports Model and Coach Tricia Ohara
Sports Model Tricia O’Hara talked about the life of living as a trainer and business person in the French Riviera and the United States. It seems like a life of dreams, but sometimes life does not work out as planned. The ultimate solution is to invest your time in relationships that will make a difference in your life, not ones that break you down.
Lesley Paterson Xterra Triathlon World Champion, Film Producer, Writer, and Coach
Lesley Paterson of Braveheart Coaching and Xterra Triathlon Champion
Lesley Paterson will be talking about the numerous projects she is currently working. As most of you know, she is the current Xterra Triathlon World Champion. But she has many other talents as well. Lesley is currently working on a reality series with triathletes and several other film projects. If you have not seen her short videos on youtube, they are worth watching. Check out The McCarthy Project facebook page for the links to the Braveheart Brick and Dont Be That Triathlete.
Secondly, her Braveheart brand of coaching is making waves in the world of the personal coaching ranks. She will break down her philosophy of personal attention, rather than online coaching.
Barefoot Training and Natural Running Are Becoming Mainstream Trends
Revolution Natural Running
Over the years information has been pushed aside, Kyle Roberts of Revolution Natural Running talked about the history of barefoot training and natural running.
Kyle talked about the science of barefoot, the downplaying of the the science that proves the trend does decrease the number of injuries in athletes and much more.
Stephanie Freeman Shares her 2013 Boston Marathon Experience
Stephanie Freeman of Stephanie Chasing Boston
Stephanie Freemen of Stephanie Chasing Boston talked about here experience on Monday at the Boston Marathon and how things change quickly from a great event to one of sadness.
Secondly, she will be announcing a couple projects to help people affected by the tragedy. She talked about a few of her ideas on the show.
Cal Dietz, author of Triphasic Training and XLAthlete, developed out the concept and methods of speed training for swimming he uses with the University of Minnesota.
Swimmers need to train for speed, but it is not called as such. To them at least.
Check out the complete interview with one of the thought leaders in the strength training world. Cal comes on the show around 65 minute mark.
Kris Swarthout, Co-host of The McCarthy Project and Bike Travel Cases
Co-Host Kris Swarthout broke down about 10 different variables when it comes to bike travel cases and traveling with your bike.
We talked about hard-sided vs cardboard, renting vs taking your own, if the box dont fit in the rental car, what should you do. Kris also talked about the circumstances he would or would take his bike with him.
Chris Balser, the Bike Fit Guru, Discussed Womens Saddles
Chris Balser, The Bike Fit Guru
Chris has been working with cyclists for a long time. In fact, over 20 years and he still is trying to figure out how to fit womens saddles. He talked about a couple things to look for when fitting a saddle for your bike.
Tricia O’Hara joined The McCarthy Project to talk about her journey from a homeless person, owned by the state to sports model, accomplished triathlete and runner, and personal trainer. You will be inspired to accomplish your dreams after hearing her story.
Triathlon Wetsuits: Five Questions to Ask When Fitting Your Next Wetsuit
Triathlon Wetsuits by Orca
Fitting triathlon wetsuits can be a big task and the marketing hype add to the overwhelming feeling of information overload. Ask yourself the following 5 questions the next time you are in the market and you will be happy with your purchase for a long time.
Are you a good swimmer? Are you a club swimmer or collegiate swimmer in your past? If you are an above average swimmer, you will benefit from the better technology and the higher quality wetsuits. If you are like me or not a good swimmer, I don’t care how much technology and cool features in a wetsuit, I am not going to go any faster. Just get me in the water and out of the water. The least expensive wetsuit will do.
What is your body shape? Long arms? Long legs? Shaped like a pear, or a fire hydrant? Each of these body types will fit better in a particular brand. Make sure you ask the question of what type of model athlete does this brand fit the best. You will save yourself a lot of frustration with sizing up.
What is the goal of the wetsuit? Fast in the water, able to float better, warmth, etc. If you are just looking to survive the swim, any good quality wetsuit will do. But for the athletes who want to go faster or more buoyancy, make sure the technology of the wetsuit matches your goal.
What is your budget? You can spend anywhere from $100 to $800 on a suit. Make sure you set your budget before you start, or the “cool factor” will take over and you checkbook will be a lot lighter.
Are you looking for the performance fit or good fit? The general rule of thumb is that the tighter the wetsuit, the better it works. So if you can stand the tightness you feel with a triathlon wetsuit, the tighter the better. A great fitting wetsuit might take 20 minutes to put on. On the other hand, too loose and you will take on water, not good.
In the end, spending the time up front will save your race. I wish I had a dollar for all the athletes, who have just ran out and purchased the same wetsuit your buddy recommended, and chaffed all over. They became claustrophobic and can barely breathe during the swim, not a great start to the day. Remember.. a great fitting wetsuit will make our break your whole day.
For the complete show on fitting triathlon wetsuits, visit here. The wetsuit portion of the show started around 35 minutes in the the show.
Barefoot Training and Natural Running: Truth or Myth?
Rick Leier of Inov8 Running Shoes
The barefoot training and natural running philosophy for a long time was thrown under the bus as quackery. Recently, the barefoot world has made great strides to change the paradigm. Rick Leier of Inov8 broke down the general theories behind the barefoot world and how you could take advantage of the improved performance.
Shannon Coates, an accomplished triathlete, joined The McCarthy Project to talk about her thoughts on using an altitude tent and training at altitude. She has been using here altitude tent for 4 weeks and will be back to give us an update in a couple weeks.
•Member of Timex Multisport Team •2x Ironman World Championship Qualifier •4th Place Age Group at 2010 Ironman World Championship •Podium placed at every Ironman 2009-present •Ironman Florida 2009 Age Group champion • Florida State University cross country and track teams 2004-2009 •B.S. degree from Florida State University in Biology. Visit Shannon.
Organic Nutrition Expert Erin Demarines of Tri3Bar
and vegetarians and how she developed the original non-gmo, gluten-free energy bar. She started from humble beginnings in Brentwood, CA to create a bar that has great taste and top notch nutrition.
So much of triathlon training is myth’s and fallacies mixed with slivers of truth. One of the major trends or sliver’s of truth is the use of the physio ball or swiss ball. Today’s personal trainers would have you believe that it is the silver bullet to the next level in your training. If you do “the ball workout,” your performance will go through the roof.
Well, I have some unfortunate news. The swiss ball does assist in the development of core strength, but it is a learned event. What do you mean by that you might ask? Well, once you have consistently completed exercises properly on the ball, your body will adapt to the stimulus and learn how to repeat the action without further development. In essence, you are doing lots of work to look cool, but it does not have any benefit to you on the bike, the run, or the swim.
Just don t accept my word; Paul Rogers, the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Australian National Sprint Cycling Team, posted an article on the Supertraining blog mentioning this very concept. The ball is a learned event and does not improve performance. It worth your time to read the post, it will talk about the scientific ways to develop speed on the bike. Secondly, I have found through my own experience that this is true. The ball exercises that I mastered 5-6 years ago, I am able to complete today and I have not done them for 2-3 years.
In conclusion, take the time to research and develop your triathlon training program without the swiss ball, you will gain more benefit with less work over the entirety of your program.
This time of year northerners and some brave southerners get the itch to ride outside in the cold. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had related to winter cycling apparel and the trick to staying warm.
So check out the post on the coachfitter.com site. We reviewed Assos, Skins Compression, Desoto, and miscellaneous other pieces of winter cycling apparel.
Topics covered:
What do you use for keeping your feet warm?
What gloves system is the best on the market today?
You spend 2 hours researching the right gear, study the size chart for accuracy, and then pull the trigger. You receive your gear and you can’t get it over your shoulders.
First question… I followed the size chart. Why doesn’t it fit?
This is a very common occurrence in endurance sports.
Here are a couple scenarios to prove a point. A traditional endurance athlete has strong legs and no shoulders. On the other side, a swimmer will have broad shoulders and no legs. They have the same height and weight. Can you see the reason for your frustration?
Secondly, your body type will work better for one brand versus another. Using our two athletes from above, 2xu will fit the traditional athlete and the Synergy will fit the later. Each sport has specific brands that follow the same guidelines. In cycling, Assos is the extreme euro cut and Skins is the broader cut.
Here are a couple rules for you to follow for your next gear purchase.
1. Each brand has a certain type of athlete that will work the best
2. Add your torso length and width into the discussion.
3. There are always special cases related to an athlete’s body composition.
And remember fitting gear tight to the body is an art form, not a science. What one person thinks is the right fit, another will feel is too tight.
Hope that helps and give me a call if you have any questions.
What are the special cases and are there some additional rules to follow?
The answer is yes.
Rule #1 Take into account your body composition. Fit in this order: torso, legs, arms.
Rule #2 Be accepting of the fact that your gear will fit 90% perfect.
Rule #3 Choose comfort over the sizing chart.
Rule #4 Where possible, eliminate one piece garments.
Rule #5 Plan your purchase far in advance of your deadline and allow time for returns.
Here are few examples and their solutions:
1. Short Torso, Long Legs: The big problem will be the distance from the shoulders to pelvic area and you need extra length on the bottom. Making the top too large if you fit your legs. Solution: A two piece system. If none available, then fit your legs first and realize your top may be a little big. With some gear, like a triathlon wetsuit, it may be best to fit the torso and live with short legs.
2. Broad Shoulders/Back: Probably the hardest situation to gauge because how broad is broad. Solution: Make sure the brand will accommodate your body. Fit your shoulders foremost. Be accepting of the extra material around your waist and lower body. Your comfort is more important than the garment fitting your whole body.
3. Longer Torso, Short Legs: Fit the torso first. Legs second. Solution: Two piece system. If none, realize that you will have extra material on your legs.
4. Longer Arms: Decide which body part is more important. Torso or arms. More times than not, torso will win. Hopefully, you have a long torso with long arms.
5. Claustrophobic: Sleeveless gear might be the quickest solution. Or size up and a little extra material will go a long way to taking away that feeling.
6. Over 6″ Tall or Over 200 lbs: 80 to 90% of the gear is not made to fit your body. Realize that you are not able to buy any brand in the market and once you do find a brand that works well for you, don’t change. Then follow the rules based on body composition.
Remember sizing is an art form and your comfort is worth the extra time and effort.
The area I would like to cover today is…. Which brand will fit my body?
One disclaimer before we get started…. The categorizations that follow are generalized statements. Each brand does have different pieces that will fit different athletes. We just need to make sure that we make the adjustments as mentioned in the previous posts.
With that said, we go to ranking the brands….
For the sake of simplicity, we will have 3 categories:
A: Smaller shoulders, Tight lower body. Euro cut.
B: Bigger shoulders, Average lower body, but could go either way.
C: Larger shoulders, Loose lower body. Traditional Cut
Triathlon
1, 2xu – B
2. Synergy – C
3. Orca – A
4. Blue Seventy – B
5. TYR – A
6. Desoto – C
In today’s post we are going to deviate from the traditional path of gear reviews and such. Let’s move over to a subject related to performance, flexibility. My goal with this edition is simply to challenge the status quo. If you have some additional research, I would be open-minded to receiving it.
How many of you have heard that if you increased your flexibility, you will perform at a higher level. I think most of us have heard this our whole life.
A couple years ago, I went down to the University of Minnesota to talk with a PHD on staff. And one of the subjects that came up was the value of traditional stretching in human performance. She said that she did not believe that the use of stretching would increase performance. The use of a dynamic warm-up and participating in your sport would produce the necessary flexibility. I almost fell off my chair!! It seemed almost Un-American to say that stretching or increased flexibility would not improve your performance.
Then 2 months ago, I came across the following post, “Running Economy: Increased joint flexibility may damage your distance running performance” Click here.
be at the Lifetime Triathlon Expo this Friday, 7/9 from 10 am-8 pm at the Minneapolis Convention Center! Come and check out the gear we’ll have there to purchase, which will include items from K-Swiss, Skins Compression, and Thorlos socks.
Matt Reed, the accomplished elite triathlete (he’ll be one of the pros racing in the Lifetime Tri), will be at our booth to meet fans and answer questions…he’s sure to be an inspiration for your athletic endeavors!
And whether you are participating in the race or are there to cheer on others as a spectator, be there on Saturday, 7/10, as the race kicks off at 7 am at Lake Nokomis!
I just came across a new product. A Finis Aqua Pulse heart rate monitor. One of the questions we get all the time is .. Can our heart rate monitor work in the water. And for the most part the answer is no and it will void the warranty if you do. So the Finis Aqua Pulse is very timely and very cool. It looks like the May-June 2009 time frame for availability. The retail price is $139.99.
Synergt Sport has arrived in the US market and brought their line of high quality triathlon wetsuits, tri apparel and bike wheels.
But first of all a little background of the company, Stefan Laursen is the founder and owner of Synergy Sport. He has quite a background in competing at the world level, check him out on google. On the business side, he was the person behind bringing Orca into the US and making it the brand that it is today. About 2 years ago, he decided to start is own company and brand, the result Synergy Sport. The main focus of the brand is to bring their passion for triathlon into apparel and components at a fair price. They would rather work with you to accomplish your goals than simply sell you the most expensive gear and say it is the best. Stefan is pictured at 70.3 Ironman World Championships Clearwater, FL in 2008.
The Synergy Sport line includes 3 models of tri wetsuits, a line of tri tops, aero helmets, and accessories. Pictured is an athlete coming out of the water in a Synergy Hybrid at Clearwater, FL in 2008.
Gray wheels have been rock solid for two years and with thousands in the mareketplace. They are starting to gain a reputation for high ratings in durability, customer service, and quality of product.
In the future we will bring more detailed reviews on each model of wetsuits, helmets, and wheels, but for now it seems like a brand that you can trust to help you accomplish your goals.
When purchasing a new triathlon wetsuits, it is not as simple as looking at the size chart and picking one. The following questions will guide you through the initial thoughts needed before actually picking a wetsuit.
1. How would you rate yourself as swimmer? Excellent swam in high school or college, intermediate: good swimmer, but not great. or beginner: I just want to get out of the water.
2. What is your body composition? Long Torso, wide torso, big hips, long legs, etc
3. What is your goal for the triathlon wetsuit? Warmth, buoyancy, make me faster, etc.
4. What is your budget? Wetsuits range from $150 to $600. So have an idea going into the purchase what you are willing to spend.
5. Do you want the performance fit or comfort fit? There are always 2 to 3 wetsuits in each model that you can fit into. Remember the tighter the wetsuit, the better it will perform. But too tight and it is not comfortable. There is always a balance based on what you would like to accomplish.
Next we will come back and talk about the brands, like Synergy Sports, 2xu, and Blue Seventy and the types of athletes they fit.
The importance of aerodynamics in cycling and triathlon cannot be stressed enough. To set the importance, here are a couple quotes from industry leaders in the area of aerodynamics.“This Nike Skin suit should give about 30 sec to 1 minute advantages in a 58km Tour de France Individual Time Trial depending on what version of the suit is worn.“ Chester Kyle, the cycling areodynamist who headed up the Nike Skin suit Project for Lance Armstrong. (Zinn 2003)
Also, stated by Scott Duabert, one of the lead individuals working with Lance Armstrong, “We measured less drag with aerodynamically designed pieces, so I know it makes a difference” (Overton 2004)
With those kinds of statements from high-level experts, if you would like to perform to the elite level, you must take into account the choices you will be making in equipment.
For the sake of this discussion, we are going to limit our application of aerodynamics to clothing, helmets, and shoes. We understand the majority of the drag created by your body position while you are riding, swimming and running. But we will cover those areas in future newsletters.
An additional thought is aero drag and how it applies to swimming and running. Swimming is a totally different discussion for another newsletter, so we will not be covering this area today. Generally speaking, the rules only apply when you are moving faster than 8 mph as the main forces you are attempting to overcome are inertial and related to acceleration. If you are running faster than 8 mph, you might look into the type of clothing and shoes you are using and follow the same general rules. (Burke and Kyle 2003)
So lets dig in.
First of all lets start with an overview statement of aerodynamic drag and how we can improve or lower its forces against your efforts.
“You can decrease aerodynamic forces by choosing shapes that move through the air efficiently. This streamlining, an energy conserving process used by all creatures that must move rapidly through air. Hence, each shape, fabric, or material has a drag coefficient related to it. The lower the number, the less energy it takes to move it through air, as well as the possibility of going faster at the same time. (Burke and Kyle 2003) Summarized another way by Scott Daubert, “For the most part you want air to remain as close the subject as possible. By varying types of textures or the orientation of textures, you can start to control some of how the air flows over the subject. We wanted the air to remain attached to as much of Lance’s body as possible, especially on the trailing side of his hips.” (Overton 2004)
So how does that apply to the gear we are using and what are some general rules to follow when purchasing your gear.
Gloves, Suits, Bibs, Shorts, and Jerseys:
The type of fabric makes a difference. Regular materials such as wool or polypropylene used in jerseys or tights could slow the rider down over 1 min in 40km (Burke and Kyle 2004)
Are the seams hidden. If they are showing, make sure they are not across your body.
The amount of body coverage, the more the better. They have found that the newer fabrics have a lower drag than shaved legs. (Overton 2004)
Helmets
You must make a decision between an aero helmet and a standard racing helmet. Aero helmets should be used when cooling is not critical. Standard helmets can loose more than 1 sec per mile to an aero helmet.
Rounded edges are better than hard square, pointed edges. (Burke and Kyle 2003)
Shoes
A smooth upper with the fewest interruptions to air flow. Shoe covers are the best, when cooling is not an issue.
In some cases the type of material the shoe is made of can influence the drag, but we did not find any specific numbers related to this subject. (Burke and Kyle 2003)
After doing all your research and starting down the path of making yourself more aerodynamic, that leaves one question: How do I test aerodynamics if I don’t have access to a wind tunnel? Steve Hed of HED Cycling has a great solution,
“One way to find trends is to do roll-down tests. You’ll need a calm day, a friend on his bike to be the control and a gradual hill 1-2 minutes long. Coast top to bottom next to your friend and make a note or time the difference the two of you at the bottom. Make one change to your position or equipment and do it again. Make sure your friend doesn’t change anything- he is the control. (Overton 2004)
A closing thought.
After all your research, remember sometimes in cycling and triathlon elite performance is an art. What is the best for one person does not mean it is the best for you. If a piece of equipment is the best in class for drag and your friends all think it is the greatest, but it does not fit with your style or makes you feel totally uncomfortable, then stick with the product that makes you feel the fastest. Even Lance Armstrong used the some of the same gear for almost 10 years, because the other solutions did not feel right.
See you next month.
Stephen McCarthy
Extreme Performance Gear and Training
References
Zinn, Lennard, July 25,2003, Tour Tech-It’s Gotta be the Suit, VeloNews.
Overton, Frank, July 6, 2004, F One Aerodynamics: What Lance Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel testing means for your time trial, PezCycling News.
Burke, Edmund and Kyle, Chester, 2003, High-Tech Cycling, Human Kinetics, pg. 1-46.
February Coupon: Take 5% off your next purchase from Extreme Performance. Simply, visit http://www.gearandtraining.com/ and use the discount code of “Aero” or bring a copy of this newsletter to our store.
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over the 10 mile course just outside Minneapolis, MN.
