If you’ve ever wanted to do Boston (or have done it) than you should know the race is not cheap.  To partake in the marathon (as an international) you must pay an entry fee of $150 ($110 for US citizens).  Most people forget this because you pay for the race 6 months in advance.

My total costs for the race, as it stands right now, total $960.  That’s for me and my wife, who are driving, leaving on Saturday, and returning on Monday.  Included in these costs are a baseball game ($86) and taking a short tour around the city ($75).

Where costs really add up is the hotels.  Expect to pay at least $200 per night from Friday before the race until the day after the race (Tuesday).  Add in food, transportation, and any excursion you want to do (like a Red Sox game) and your looking at a hefty bill!  Adding up these costs really makes me think of how important lactate testing really is…

If someone trained for Boston running on average 5 hours per week for 6 months, that would mean they trained for over 120 hours.  A lactate test would work out to be $1.25/hr of running.  Now comparing my race weekend to a test,  ($150/$960*100% = 15%), it’s just tax!  To train efficiently and steer clear of injury throughout the last 6 months, yeah, I definitely would recommend doing the assessment!

I’m definitely proud to be apart of this race.  And really, money isn’t everything especially if the end goal is the enjoyment of doing something you love.  If your looking at doing a test and worried about the expense, think of it this way, it’s minimal compared to the amount you could pay in physio bills!

I’m going to dissect the 400 TT further from my previous post.

Let’s look at the differences in 100m times:

1st 100: 1:28

2nd 100: 1:32

3rd 100: 1:34

4th 100: 1:34

The Start

The athlete who performed this time trial started in the pool.  This is important because a swimmer typically shaves off time starting from the blocks.  Since this swimmer started in the pool, his 100m times should be very similar throughout the 400.

Pacing

This athlete clearly went too fast for the first 100m and paid for it the final 200m.  More than 1 second difference in 100ms at elite levels showcases a major error in mental stamina or a mistake in the pool.  At lower tiers, greater than 2 seconds difference per 100ms shows there is a problem with pacing.

To remedy a pacing issue practicing descending intervals, so getting faster with each subsequent effort, is a great way to correct this problem.  You can also use a timer such as one offered by the company Finis.

Effort

The 400m TT is a tough event to master.  It requires consistent contribution of anaerobic energy to fuel the muscles demands.  This can be very intimidating for some athletes who rarely push themselves to their full potential.

This athlete who produced the times above went to full exertion.  I know this because it took him a solid 2 minutes to move again.  This is the effort needed to use the zones in the previous post.  If you do not give a full effort then the zones will underestimate your current fitness level.  Clarity for building your future training programs requires a maximal effort.

The individual is a competitive triathlete who is looking to focus on Olympic distance races.  Here was his swim zones as found by the 400m time trial (see this post)

Sprinting: <1:27

V02: 1:27-1:32

Interval: 1:32-1:37

Threshold: 1:37-1:41

Sub-Threshold: >1:41

Currently this athlete would average about 1:35/100 for 1500m, their goal swim distance during the triathlon.  The goal for this athlete is to get faster (obviously) while maximizing their time in the pool.  Since long sustained efforts are required for triathlon swims, focus should be on repetitions that improve the Interval zone.  Here are a few example sets on how to improve this specific zone.  Remember, there are many ways on how to do this I’m just providing a couple of examples!

Example Main Set # 1

This set allows the athlete to swim slightly faster than race pace while getting sufficient rest (30s).  The middle 100 is used to challenge the athlete both in speed and recovery making the second two 100s more of a challenge.   In the early part of the season, try doing at least 2 repeats of this set and build to 5 as race season begins.

2-5 sets of: 5 x 100m as 2 x 100m on 2 mins (goal is 1:30 pace), 1 x 100m on 1:50 (goal is <1:30 pace), 2 x 100 on 2 mins (goal is to maintain 1:30 pace).  Take 1-2 mins rest after each set.

Example Main Set # 2

The example set below challenges the athlete to swim fast throughout the entire set.  Sufficient rest is given after the 200 to allow the individual to maintain biomechanical form.  As the athlete gets closer to race season, rest or the goal times can be reduced.

2-5 sets of: 4 x 50 on 50s (goal is to swim <43s),1 x 200 on 4:30 (goal is to swim <1:32 pace)

Example Main Set #3

This set is good for swimmers who need to work/adapt to changing tempo.  Basically the athlete jumps right into the set with a couple strong 100s (make sure to hold them back) and then swims faster than interval pace throughout.  If the athlete cannot hit the times try increasing the rest time of the 50s or last set of 25s.

2-5 sets of: 2 x 100 on 1:45 (goal is <1:35), 2 x 25 on 40s (goal is < 19s), 4 x 50 on 1:00 (goal is <43s) , 2 x 25 on 1′ (goal is maximum effort)

Hope this helps and if you have any questions about what you might require in your swimming, please email me.

Probably the hardest sport to analyze the physiological improvements of training is swimming.   Submersion in water makes V02 max testing very difficult, almost impossible.  I’ve tried lactate analysis and had mixed results.   Generally I find lactate levels are always high and deciphering zones can be tricky.

I’m not a big fan of using time trials to assess fitness because it requires the testee to be consistent (and highly motivated!).  I’d rather use physiological markers mentioned above.  However one test which I do like for swimming is the 400 m time trial.  Do a quick search through scientific journal articles and you’ll find the 400 m time trial is one of the best tests to assess swim fitness because it correlates highly with V02 max.  The 400 m TT is also popular with coaches because of its relatively short length (<6 minutes for an average swimmer).

Warm-up

Because the test is relatively short, you can swim for a longer period of time prior to the test.  I like to use 50 m efforts prior to the test of varying intensity to get the heart rate up.  Remember, the 400 m TT is short and you need to almost reach maximum effort for the duration of the swim.

Example set: 12 x 50 m 3 on 60s @ 85% effort, 3 on 50s @ 90% effort, 3 on 60s @ 95% effort, 3 on 1:10 @ 100% effort

Testing

You’ll need to swim in a 25 or 50 meter pool.  Have a clock nearby so you can time your effort.  Ideally you’d have someone count your individual lap times and strokes (this is very useful and will be explained later) or better yet, video the entire session.

Results

Here is an example of test data recorded from a recent triathlete who did the 400 m TT in a 25 m pool.

Total time for the 400 m was 6 minutes and 8 seconds (6:08).  Below are the splits for each 100.

1st 100: 1:28

2nd 100: 1:32

3rd 100: 1:34

4th 100: 1:34

So using this data, zones (or efforts) can be assigned for the athlete to help them progress in the pool.  I’m going to use 100 m intervals to describe each zone.

There are 5 zones that I use for swimming: Sprinting (<105% of V02 pace), V02 (100-105% of V02 pace), Intervals (95-100% of V02 pace), Threshold (90-95% of V02 pace), and lastly Sub Threshold (<90% of V02 pace).

The V02 max pace as mentioned above is the average 100 m time from the 400 m effort.  From the data the average 100 m effort was 1:32.  So the zones for this athlete would be:

Sprinting: <1:27

V02: 1:27-1:32

Interval: 1:32-1:37

Threshold: 1:37-1:41

Sub-Threshold: >1:41

I’ll continue shortly on how to design swim sets based on these numbers.

Before recording a video, what is it that you want to see? Here are a few questions to think about:

• Do you want to see how fast an individual is moving?
• Are you interested in the biomechanical aspects such as observing imbalance or tightness?
• Are you interested in the basic performance of a certain skill or movement?
• Do you want to see how the individual performs in a certain position (think offence vs. defence)?

If you want to see how fast you’re moving any camera angle can work as long as you have a way of telling when you’ve started, and when you finish.  Similarly with observing a position, any camera angle can work as long as the subject is in constant view.

If you’re interested in improving biomechanics you should set the camera up parallel or perpendicular to the line of action, preferably both, so you can consistently compare at a later date.

Here are some YouTube videos that I chose to emphasize to help illustrate why it’s important to think about how you want to capture the video prior to filming. I’m going to use running video examples because there seems to be abundance on the web.

Video 1: Moses Mosop Running Technique

So this movie observes Moses Mosop, an elite Kenyan runner. This video is good for basic review of running skills (obviously using an elite runner was a great choice!).  Unfortunately there are no really good side shots so measuring angles of the runner’s body are lost.  Hypothetically if the individual wanted to compare hip angles in training versus racing, the angles would not be accurate because the camera was not positioned perpendicular to the runner.   So the biomechanical evaluation would be qualitative instead of accurately measurable.

Video 2: Good Form Running

This movie is a great example of how the director carefully planned each shot. The filmed runners individual’s movements can clearly be seen.  There are some good slow motion shots and normal speed filming.  Notice how the perpendicular and parallel shots make it very easy to measure and then compare future videos?  This is great work!

Video 3: Running : Running Stride Length & Frequency

So the creator of this film seemed to be more interested in talking then thinking about what they wanted to share. The skill and movements are difficult to understand because of the camera angles and short clips of the body. Very little is gained from this video.

Summary: Filming an individual playing a sport is very useful for recognizing skill development and understanding biomechanical limitations.  The next time you film, think about where you want to place the camera so you can create a video that will help the athlete further enhance their performance.

Camera basics: There are many important factors when choosing a camera but the first two you should know about are frame rate, and shutter speed.

Frame rate means the amount of individual frames the video camera can take per second.

Shutter speed is the speed at which the shutter opens and closes; basically, the amount of light that comes into the camera. For most endurance sports, a 30 frame per second camera with it’s preset shutter speed is sufficient.

Observing a slap shot or a golf swing can be done with the same camera but you will likely see a blur in some of the frames. Motion blur occurs when the subject moves within the frame while the shutter is open. The less time the shutter is open (i.e. the faster the shutter speed), the less movement will take place. Learn more about frame rate and shutter speed.

Software for analysis: Personally I like free software and there are plenty of good programs out there for analyzing human motion. What I look for in a program is: must be able to analyze video in slow motion, draw angles, save or print each frame with the angles on it, and measurements.My personal favorite is Kinovea.  It’s very easy to use and is of course free.  Others I’ve tried are, MaxTrag (trial offer), Pin Point (iPhone), and Silicon Coach.

Taking the video: The most important aspect of the video is making sure that your subject is always in view of the camera. This may seem redundant but in sports such as hockey where players can be shielded by the boards, you may not be able record the individual if your view is obstructed. Other aspects to keep in mind: make sure to have lots of light.  If you want to measure angles or distances be sure to video directly perpendicular.  Lastly, make sure to have a stand to keep the camera still.

That’s filming in a nut shell.  I’ll do another post shortly on exactly what to look for when capturing video.

Prior to my stint as a QC, I, maybe naively, thought we are more of less the same.  The harder worker won the race.  The loser just didn’t practice enough.

I know now that I was living on a cloud.  Everyone is different.  If simple products such as baseball bats can be so different, well, humans must be extra ordinary!

In the coming weeks, I’m going to contribute exercise tests that can you can do, on your own, that will help maximize your training.  Because eventually, the world is evolving to a point where everything is being customized to you.   Finally!

In sport, often you hear about athletes perfecting their performance. In hockey it could be a wrist shot or a tennis player’s backhand.  Each athlete concentrates on subtle changes that help them get maybe a quarter of a percent better.  Rarely do you hear or read about athletes starting over and rebuilding their technique.  

A good example of reconstructing their performance is Tiger Woods.  This past weekend was the US Open and a lot of the commentary was on his new stroke which, didn’t bring him a victory but has him playing better golf and more importantly, staying injury free.

Another athlete, Michael Phelps was at the top of his sport when he decided to redefine his stroke technique. With 10 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics why bother changing a successful motor pattern?

With the divorce rate so high, you would think starting over would be easy. Unfortunately years or even decades of repeated movements are ingrained in our neuromuscular systems that make change very difficult.  Further, most of us will settle for a mediocre amount of success because we fear that change may extinguish our current skill set.  Plus, where do we start? 

Like Woods, injury prevention would be key area of attention.  For example, runners who have constant hamstring problems may require more strengthening exercises to their glute muscles.  Next, if you began with success and are now falling behind, maybe it’s time to refocus on areas of weakness.  Or, if you need a new challenge, redefining your technique could invigorate your passion for the sport even more.

Focusing on long term development instead of brief success should be the aim for any athlete.  Technical changes in muscle memory take time but can be remodelled.  Injury prevention is the most suitable place to begin as this allows you to continue playing your sport. 

The race begins with a Super Sprint Triathlon which takes less than 25 minutes to complete.  On Saturday, there are two Olympic distance triathlons (~2.5 hours each) and on the third day, a half Ironman length triathlon (~ 5 hours).  Each race contained relentless hills, heat, and unsettling terrain.  The combined time for all the events for both racers was used to declare the winner. 

In the team format the second Olympic race and the half, racers must finish together so planning a strategy for success is crucial.  Jennifer and Cliff worked out a routine that came very close to paying off.  Their pace was built around the zones from a lactate test.  These numbers guided them throughout the weekend and on the final day, they almost raced into the winning seat passing Team Timex and finishing first of the co-ed teams in the toughest event.

This was the first time Jennifer had done this race.  This was the second time Cliff had done the race.  In 2010 he finished 3rd overall in the solo category.  

If your interested about learning more about testing, please contact us!

Sometimes you don’t need the fancy tests that TPT or other companies offer.  A very simple way to see if improvements are happening with your own training is to do a simple jump test.

Jumping is very good predictor of your overall power output (1).  So if your training for speed, you should see an increase in vertical height from your training in the jump test.  Conversely if your training for more aerobic work, you will probably see a decline in your vertical jump height.

The simplest way to perform a jump test is to put chalk dust on your hands and find a wall that is quite tall and straight.  For the jump: bend slightly at your knees with a straight back and arms 90deg by your side.  Push from this position and extend your arms up and make a mark on the wall.  Repeat 2-3 times with difference colours of chalk then use a tape measure to find the highest point reached.

You probably will not see much change in a few days or even a couple of weeks.  But in a month or two, you should see a difference in your overall vertical height.