Q & A
M2 Question & Answer Forum
Question:
I am doing IM Wisconsin which is a challenging bike course with a lot of short,
but steep hills. Should I consider using a triple chain-ring?
Answer:
Ahh, gearing...an area where people tend to analyze a lot and then make the
wrong choices. We all know that the bigger the gear, the faster the potential
speed, but too often we forget that it takes muscle to push those gears, and too
often people have impressive gearing that they are not equipped to push.
* gearing a function of riding ability and the course
* you want to avoid getting bogged down on hills with gears that are too
difficult. this mashes your legs both for the bike and the ensuing run.
* it is better to err on the side of caution in making sure you have easy
enough gearing for climbs, than it is to have the macho gearing on the
other end of the cassette; far better!
* a flat course like IM Florida, or one with regularity, should see you
using a cassette with largely contiguous gearing, meaning that a gear change
is one tooth only and thus incremental. Non-contiguous gearing on a flat
course will result in gears that are not used and thus wasted, while the
gears you want in the middle of the cassette are not there; the analogy for
this would be a stick-shift automobile which has only 2nd and 4th gears
but not the 3rd gear.
* a triple chain ring offers the best of all worlds; you can have a tight
gearing set in the back, but the 3 chain rings give you tremendous range.
* if your current bike is not a triple and you can not accomodate the hills
of Wisconsin without really spreading out your cassette, you might consider
using smaller chain rings which would give your cassette greater range.
A general equivalent is 3 chain ring teeth equals one tooth on the cassette,
and we all have had moments where one simple tooth would have made life
a lot easier.
* For gearing aficionados, I have used the following gearing in my races,
bearing in mind that I am a strong rider.
Ironman Canada: 52/39 12-21 & 12-23
Hawaii: 55/42 & 11-21 Note: Hawaii has a unique course feature in that the
long gradual descent from Hawi is often accompanied by a huge following
wind; hence the bigger chain ring and 11 cog.
In one year of amazing winds, 1995, I rode @ 4 beats below threshold
on a flat in a 42/19, and on the return rode this same flat section
spinning out a 55/11----an amazing feeling.
Question:
Hi Michael,
I know we always do the drills where we focus on different parts of the
clock while pedaling - but I was wondering if you could talk a little about
how your foot should be positioned during the peddle stroke during one of
the next classes? Some lady that I was riding neck and neck with at Donner
last weekend kept telling me to drop my heel - I realized I have no idea what
kind of angles your foot should be at during different parts of the pedal
stroke. Not sure - maybe this is common knowledge to everyone else?
See you Thursday!
-Jill
Answer:
Jill, a good question for which there is no single right answer, but here
are some thoughts.
First of all, clearly the lady that was managing to ride neck and neck with
you on Donner is using performance enhancing substances. :)
If you look at the peloton in the Tour you will see almost as many styles as
there are riders; toe pointers, heel-downers, ankle-flexers, etc.
Foot angle usually should vary somewhat depending on grade/cadence. For a
climb or steep heel, it will be easier to pedal with a flatter foot. A higher
cadence on a flat or downhill will see the toe pointing down more. I do
not believe in flexing the ankle continually as this is inefficient and
will chop up the pedal stroke too much.
The drills we do in class where we isolate various parts of the pedal stroke are
intended to awaken the neuro-muscular senses to a wider range of pedaling versus
limiting oneself to the primary down phase, 2-5 o'clock. Moving in and out of
these distinct phases has the effect of spreading the workload over a
wider range of muscles and will delay fatigue. When you are doing these
on the road, there should be no apparent change in your pedal stroke or
foot angle, as these are simply subtle variations in muscle recruitment.
Hope that this is helpful, and the next time someone offers you singular
advice, you tell them to mind their own business, click into a larger gear,
vary those muscles, and ride away.
Question:
I keep working with my technique, body position, and speed. I'm still
doing Masters on Saturday. I may swim for leisure tonight. When I do this,
I usually just swim steadily, not looking at the clock and try to
relax. Do you recommend this?
Answer:
There are times when it is a very good thing to forget about pace, the
clock, etc. Some nights when I am clearly off and the interval times
are just not happening, I downgrade the workout to where I swim only
at that pace where my stroke feels comfortable and I am not fighting
the water.
Usually, I can save workout in this way and leave the pool with
positive sensations. In the rare case where I cannot find peace with
the water even at a reduced pace, I get out of the pool with no guilt
as clearly I was not meant to swim that day. :)
Lake swimming is a great way to simply swim without worrying about pace.
I did a lot of this when I lived in the Boston area, swimming in Walden
Pond. The one drawback to living in Marin County which is otherwise a
training paradise is the lack of swim-legal ponds/lakes. Of course,
there is the Bay and it has its disciples, but 50 degree murky water
with a variety of sea life just does not appeal to M2.
Question:
I have had a running injury which has prevented me from running. I have
maintained my cycling, swimming, and have been doing 3x/week water run
sessions. How much fitness will I have lost?
Answer:
After a 2 week readaption period of running, I think you will be
pleasantly surprised at the state of your running.
Water running, if properly done as is explained in my article on this
site, has long been proven to be an excellent way to preserve running
fitness when injured. Many runners and studies have confirmed this
over the years. The swimming and biking will have also helped preserve
your cardio-fitness.
Myself, the first year that I won Ironman Canada, I did not run the
entire month of July due to an achilles tendon injury, and while I
toed the starting line at IMC in late August with my longest run being
only 14 miles, I ended up running the 2nd fastest marathon of the day
and felt strong doing it.
The areas of running which will have suffered will be your legs' ability
to absorb impact, and also the push-off. Depending on the running
injury, doing stair work or step-ups can help address the push-off
training while not running.
Another example of the benefits and limits of water running is my 1994
Ironman in Hawaii. I did this race for personal reasons my dryland run
training was virtually non-existent due to a calf issue. Longest run was
1hr at an ez pace, and run frequency was on average once every 10 days.
Interestingly, I ran extremely well through 12 miles with my pace
through that point matching that of the top pros. It was at this point
where the expected "pavement" issues presented themselves and my quads
would eventually be screaming "no mas".
My general experience with water running and resumption of normal training,
is that after 2 weeks, very positive running sensations are largely
restored and one can train very purposefully thereafter and with large
fitness gains.
Question:
I frequently get cramps in my upper stomach during the run. Any idea
as to the cause of this?
Answer:
What you are most likely describing is referred to as a side stitch,
where pain/discomfort is felt high in the stomach just under the rib.
This pain can be very debilitating and can reduce you to a near walk.
The prevention is the same as the cure; deep belly-breathing where you
push the abdomen out on the inhale, and in on the exhale. One is
especially prone to stitches after the bike where you have been bent
over for a long period of time, and where the breathing pattern is
distinct. Focus especially on exaggerated belly-breathing as you
begin the run.
Downhill running can often produce stitches because people get lazy
with their breathing. Faster running at track causes stitches for
others because they tighten up and forget to establish a useful deep
breathing pattern.
In any case, just remember that if the best intentions go awry and a
stitch presents itself, deep belly-breathing will also be the cure.
Question:
I am getting a new bike which has more of a TT geometry (77 degree seat
tube angle) than my other bike (which is a regular road bike). Do you have
any recommendations as to which workouts to do on which bike? I've read
different things and would like to hear your opinion.
Answer:
I am a believer of training on the bike you race on, and this is what I have
always done. My frame geometry is steep like yours, yet this has not
inhibited me in any way from climbing arduous peaks far more difficult than
the terrain that even Mt. Tam and the surrounding areas present.
I know that traditionalists think differently, but my reasoning is very simple---we
all know how the slightest change in position makes a big difference in
muscle recruitment and how one will tire at an increasing rate as the
duration increases due to a lack of familiarity with a different position. To somehow
expect to have muscle endurance for a long TT while in a position one rides in relatively
infrequently simply does not make sense to me.
Question:
Some days I hav
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