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Transitions Key for Triathlon Success
The secrets to mastering bricks
Experienced triathletes know that quick transitions are necessary for low race times. But, according to George Dallam, PhD, USA Traithlon's first national team coach, transitions are often difficult to master because rapid changes in movement put stress on the body. "When you stop doing one activity and begin doing another very soon afterward, your body must make adjustments in blood flow, nervous system regulation, and muscular tension," Dallam says.
The bike-to-run transition, or brick, is the most difficult to master, making the body change from a static and crouched position on the bike to an upright and dynamic position on the run. In his new book, Championship Triathlon Training (Human Kinetics, 2008), Dallam offers tips for mastering bricks.
Prepare for the bike-to-run transition by flexing and extending your back on the bike and maintaining or increasing cadence to run-stride rate or above.
Pull your feet out of your shoes while riding and then dismount at speed, leaving your shoes clipped into your pedals.
Run with your bike.
Minimize equipment you will need to put on in the transition area for the run (that is, put on only your shoes in this area).
Put on your running shoes while standing.
Put on any other equipment-hat, glasses, and race belt-while running.
"Once these basic skills have been established, specific transition training sessions can be instituted for continued improvement in a race-specific environment," Dallam says. "These sessions can then be timed as intervals from entry to exit and can be used as a baseline for improving performance."
Championship Triathlon Training offers advice on complex speed and endurance training, race-specific training and strategy, and training for strength. For more information on Championship Triathlon Training, contact Human Kinetics at 800-747-4457 or visit www.HumanKinetics.com.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Championship Triathlon Training
George Dallam and Steven Jonas
2008 · Paperback · 320 pp
ISBN 0736069194 · $19.95
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
George Dallam, PhD, is the longtime coach of Hunter Kemper, the top-ranked triathlete in the ITU World Cup during 2005 and most of 2006. Dallam is the founding member of the National Coaching Commission of USA Triathlon, the sport's national governing body, and was USA Triathlon's first national team coach. In 2004 he was a finalist for the Doc Counsilman Award for the Science in Coaching category of the United States Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year Award. In 2005 he was USA Triathlon's Elite Coach of the Year.
Dallam is an associate professor of exercise science and health promotion at Colorado State University at Pueblo. As a sport scientist, he has authored and coauthored numerous scientific papers relating to triathlon. During his career at CSU-Pueblo, he has received each of the university-wide awards for teaching, scholarship, and service, becoming the only faculty member in the history of the institution to receive all three awards.
During his triathlon coaching career, Dallam has served as a personal coach to several elite triathletes, including Amanda Stevens, Marcel Vifian, Callahan Hatfield, Michael Smedley, and Ryan Bickerstaff. At the Olympic Training Center, he served as resident and collegiate programs coach for Olympians Nick Radkewich and Susan Williams as well as perennial international stars Laura Reback, Becky Lavelle, and Doug Friman. Before focusing on triathlon, he coached at various levels in swimming, water polo, and cross country.
Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS, FNYAS, has been a regular columnist and contributor to The East Coast Triathlete, Triathlon Today, Triathlon Times, and American TRI. Since 2006, he has written a column titled "Ordinary Mortals: Talking Triathlon with Steve Jonas" for USA Triathlon Life. He is the author of Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals and The Essential Triathlete. He also serves as editor in chief of American Medical Athletic Association Journal and has been a member of the editorial board of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal since 1999.
Jonas is a professor of preventive medicine in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York. As author, coauthor, editor, and coeditor, he has published more than 25 books and 135 academic papers on health policy, health promotion, disease prevention, and fitness and exercise.
The year 2007 marked Jonas' 25th season as a recreational triathlete. He has competed in more than 185 multisport races, including 115 triathlons, at distances up to the Ironman. He is also a certified professional ski instructor.
judythpiazza@newsblaze.com
Tags: The secrets to mastering bricks,bike-to-run transition,Experienced triathletes
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