Fast feet for all sports

Good day team,

We sometimes get caught up in strength, core and cardio training and forget about being responsive and agile. This week lets work in a few drills to keep us sharp on our feet. The downhill sections and turns require a bit of fast foot work to hop around the snow banking and should you find yourself in a traditional track, may need to bounce out quickly.

The old "fire feet" basketball exercise, front, back, left right, is a quick workout that will leave you panting so do it after a warmup but not after your anchor workout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-8aoQsmKjk remember nose, knees toes and an athletic posture.

Alternatives include ladder drills like these http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KYJX0Wt6OdM

For a full workout, try this batch of agility and polymetric drills http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2rkExDQq8P0

For more examples, try searching youtube for ladder drills, agility training, fast feet, etc.

Train well,

Jeff

Unique way to look at results

I thought this up last night as a way to view the results and to plan my next race and see how I was doing compared to our competition. I hope its useful to you.Aim for the center ring :)

Our race:

Oh and here is what a Word Cup event looks like just to compare. It makes sense now why a few seconds makes a huge difference in waxing advanatage. All these competitors are fighting for the top spot within 2 minutes.

Remember, on those days when you think about skipping out on training, your competitors arent.
Lastly, its raining today where I am and I did an inside workout called Cheeta Fast from Runnervals  Troy Jacobson (Spinervals). It specifically works on lactate threshold and strength and covers about 5 miles of high energy treadmill with elevations. Speed on the hills is critical as is the ability to breathe.

Jeff

More Competitions

I will keep adding to this post for New England Venues. Let me know if you find one to share. Yes I know NY isn't New England, but it has snow and its just as close as our home snow in VT and they seem to have quite a few clubs.

NH
http://pemi.org/biathlon.html

VT
Ethan Allen Biathlon of course

ME
http://www.somainebiathlon.com/
http://www.mainewsc.org/teams-and-programs/biathlon-program.html   Nothing here for 2012 yet

NY
http://polarbearbiathlon.com/
http://nybiathlon.org/blog/
http://lakeplacid.nybiathlon.org/
http://www.saratogabiathlon.com/blog/   Jan 28, Feb 18,19
Capital Region Nordic


Oh, and those wind stopper pants for $50 at the ski shoppe in WestYellow, well they are here for much less gents.

Article from last year's Snow Camp http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2010/12/121710-competition.aspx

Ontario Club and tips: http://www.biathlonontario.ca/Targets/W_Targets+_main.html

Notes from West Yellowstone

Hey Team! Oh my what a weekend. I hope you all had as much fun as I had. It's been a really long time since I had a weekend where work was so much fun and educational. A special thanks to Ernst, Doug, Rob and all the other great coaches and athletes for the many training tips and personable good nature. A special thank you to our own coach for actually getting us there. You are the man!

I think we all came away with more training ideas and technique than we know what to do with. Some things confused me and some things fell into place for me and clicked.  Everyone should be really proud of their accomplishments this week. Thank you all for preparing properly and staying on your training plans. I was very proud to be in such good company.

As you probably realized, the running/biking sports don't apply to strength or technique we just learned but do apply to cardio and endurance that we will use during the  8k & 10k events we are facing next month. Keep up the hard work, it pays off and makes you stronger for all your sports. You should all realize the leg and abdominal strength are key and we only have about three weeks left to make any changes that could make a difference by race day so focus on leg and abdominal strength then rest up the week of the race.

Onward and upward -

 I reviewed the attendance list and you might be surprised at who was on the ALL GUARD team and who are the up and coming hopefuls. Here is a hint, they are all in the top 12 finish positions. We may even see an olympian from this batch. We can say we knew them when, or they trained us and wouldn't that be cool.
So I took some notes along the way and wanted to share with you the most important ones first and the rest later in the week.

First a shout out for anyone who finds great equipment deal, please let me know to spread the word about pro team or Military discounts because we could use all the help we can get.

OK, lets go.

Next Biathlon competitions:
SKIREG.COM - schedule for nordic and biathlon events.

Regional Biathlon team sites or venues or schedules:
www.saratogabiathlon.com/nybiathlon.org
NYbiathlon.org  -  look at the right pane for regional schedule
www.syracusebiathlon.com
Western NY Biathlon

I'm looking for the Maine team sites, but can't find it yet. I'll keep you posted.

Ok, that should get you started, look for training sections and schedules. Anyone want to go halves with me on a rife so we don't have to share a state one?

Other useful information:
Hammer Nutrition, makers of gel and recovery products has a military discount and a deeper discount for deployed folk. Know anyone deployed?

Other great links I found and have been hoarding, sorry about that, just didn't have the time:
fasterskier dot com
skipost.com
skinnyskis.com They also have a race schedule on the right pane.
http://www.cross-country-ski.com/
http://www.bouldernordicsport.com/
http://www.cxcskiing.org/ - I'm going to purchase the coaching conditioning DVD kit for the next year, it has weekly workouts for us to periodize our efforts in the coming season for better performance.

Ok, so much more but for another day.
Remember to get out every day.

Jeff

Making the most of the workout

I'm sorry for the gap here in content, I've had some fun during the holiday and like most things in life, had to readjust to get back on track.

I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving and are staying on track with their training plan. Today I wanted to talk about having a reason for every workout, specifically the run, but it applies to any type of exercise. If you have become comfortable in your routine, then this is a good time for this conversation. Having a regular exercise pattern is key to constant progression but can become dull. The idea is to have a reason for each and every workout. Sometimes we need just a relaxing recovery workout during our normal slot, and sometimes we need a really hard push to break up some monotony on those days when we are feeling good and have the extra energy to push it. The trick comes in planning for those days.

The article here from Runners World has a great introduction to what many runners term a tempo run and how to add it to the cycle or weekly exercise. While this is geared toward running, it can be applied to snow sport training or other training as a means of maximizing your efforts. Pay particular attention to why it works in maximizing your workout time.

I am looking forward to working with everyone again and the snow in MT is looking sweet.

Jeff

Weston SKi Track First Timers

This just in!

Check out the Weston Ski Track Newsletter and see the First Timer season pass for only $110, normally $225 but act quickly.  What a deal!

Normal one day pass is $15, with rentals: +$18 but you won't need rentals for long (we hope).
Evening after 7:30 -$12.50
Three day: $39

Thats not all:

  Buy a Gift Certificate valued at $50 or more by Nov. 22 and get a free One-Day Skiing/Snowshoeing Trail Pass

This might be the better deal because its a free $15 if you use it for yourself getting a three day pass ($39) plus almost two more days for five total days of skiing for ~$54 (winter fuzzy math).

Jeff

Building Excitement & some answers

What a great weekend of dry land training and an all to brief introduction of roller skis. I am excited to really start thinking of our coming season. XC skiing has already begun in europe and in West Yellowstone.

RENDEZVOUS REPORTMONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 AT 12:09AM11/13/11- Another couple of inches of new overnight, light snow gusty winds. Winter is here, building more base today. Rendezvous, Deja View, Tele Hill, Biathlon Range, Sprint Loops including Biathlon Red. Good skis should be fine on what is groomed so far. Excellent coverage except on the very edges in a few places. Single track and skate lane 4 m wide.

I am so looking forward to this winter! I am so glad to meet you all this last weekend.

I had some questions over the weekend and wanted to get the answers in out.

Chafing - long runs or skin suits that abraid on the skin can be prevented by using a product called "Body Glide" or Chafing Relief Powder-gel. I have used both BEFORE getting hot spots. I took some of the powder gel on a 50 mile hike with our Boy Scout troop and saved a good number of feet from painful blisters. At the first sign of a hot spot in a boot or clothing abraision, apply, then every time in that spot before activity.

Nutrition - this one was much harder for a short response but here is a quick poke at the important bits.

• NO ONE should be eating a 2000 calorie a day diet. Each day is different so you should adjust every day knowing what you are about to do, or have done that day. I'm not a big counter and don't log my meals but I know even on my normal workout days, I am not hitting 2000. Find a base matabolism calculator and start working from there. 
• Eat when you are hungry, which can be 5 small meals a day. An apple at 10 AM makes lunch not so ravenous.
• Ditch the big dinner plates. Portion control is essential to any nutrition plan. Cleaning you plate is a big mistake and with smaller plates, its easy to start breaking in that habbit. Swap the 12" plates for 8's.
• DO not start a specialty diet during a new physical training plan. No one can judge the results of either and it makes tracking progress a problem without building any good habbits. 
• Avoid deep fried or batter fried food of any sort at any time. There are so many better choices for every meal. Ask restraints about how they prepare so you can order smart.
• Temptation foods are ok once in a while. Everyone loves that one food that is bad for them. Start a plan and mark it on the calendar that you can have ONE from the naughty list every other week or so. Many of these foods are things like prepared meats, hot dogs, potato chips.
• Fatty foods arent evil. Properly used, fatty foods fuel cold weather activity just fine, thank you very much. In fact, some high quality fuel burn is a combination of fatty and protien foods (nuts, peanut butter). Have you ever frozen at night after beer, salsa and chips? I have. But I never get cold at night from eating a bean and cheese dish. Fast burn carbs won't keep you warm in the winter.
• Complex carbs and fiber should be a primary component of a diet.
• Lots of fruit and veggies. I get 7 or 8 portions of these a day. Blueberries and strawberries are my favorite and have the added benefit of antioxidants. While the antioxidants that we create internally from exercise are many times what we consume, I can use all the age fighting/healt inspiring that I can get.
• Salt is horrible stuff to athletes when it isn't controlled. It leads to painful swelling and bad performance. Watch any processed foods from 300+mg per serving. Ever look at a can of beef stew with 800mg of sodium? Athletes do need salts if they sweat a lot, but they can be managed well with bananas and normal food intake. I would rather lightly salt an egg white than eat a can of stew. My personal guage is my ring finger swelling up past the point where I can't remove my weedding ring. Chinese or take out food is also another unexpected source of sodium.

Cold hands/feet - Bring a hand muffler and scarf for standing around in the wind waiting for the team to finish zero or other waiting activities. The wind layer and down insulated jackets are are the best for very cold teamps that we are likely to see. After exercising or racing, get another layer on immediatly to preserve the heat. Wind and sweat lead to rapid cooling and its far easier to stay warm then the get warm again. There are chemical tabs to help with heating and over boots for an added insulation layer. Delay putting on plastic boots unti right before the race and store them indoors to prevent foot shock (ice cold boots rob energy and are stiff and chafe). There is an old addage, if you feet are cold, put on a hat, and I do and it helps. A good hat, not a knitt one that the wind can blast through.

Energy managment - Any outdoor winter activity that lasts over 1 hour will need a supplement. An hour of all out activiity will require several hundred calories and leave your system needing assistance. If you ate breakfast at 6am, zero your rifle at 8am, race starts at 9am or 10am, you are already down several cold hours and your dinner from last night has just about run out, no go race. Trying to race without more fuel is dangerous and you will not have your best day. Have a bagle with peanut butter for a mid morning snack but leave 30 minutes after eating to digest. Practice this in your evening workout before dinner but after working all afternoon! If you like, eat a GEL/GU pack 15 minutes before a workout/race and know that they last about 40 minutes.If you wont finish in that time, know you will be very depleted and may "Hit the Wall" as runners say and have nothing left to even get up that last hill. This feeling sucks, so if you start with a Gel/GU, plan to continue with another at the 40 minute mark give or take (my wife likes 30 minutes, I like 40). Practice this on a long workout day. Some Gel/GU has cafeene which does wonders for attitude on the back part of the trail, ask any cyclist. But be warned that two GU/GEL with caffeine may leave your tummy in trouble.

Ok, thats enough for today. It was a great weekend. If you found that you were sore today. That is ok, we did a good amount of running for a weekend. While its ok to take a day off, don't take more than one, and if you can, at least go for a walk (mile or so) to keep your system flushing out the tender bits.

It was a pleasure to meet everyone and see you soon.

Jeff

First Tracks and Balance

Dry land training, while great for strength and endurance does not make a proficient skier. Balance and core control are vital to skiing well.

Snow conditions were lousy this week with frozen crust on top of rotten melt underneath for my first tracks of the season. I finally managed to get on my skis and skate around my yard before it all melted. I realized quickly how much balance did for my ability to even make small strides. By the end of my 30 minute session, I was skating again and doing well enough to not totally embarrass myself at the Weston Ski track next month. I fell a number of times before I could get my legs back under me and start using my body correctly and I'm glad it was dark during my outing or I may have had my kids laughing at me as well.

So what balance exercises will we need to focus on and which leg muscles are involved? This article from NENSA is a great example of some exercises to incorporate in your strength workout called Dryland Skate Progressions to gain the balance you will need for specific skate skiing.  Please pay attention to foot position and direction and your weight distribution. Don't land on your heels. Push and land evenly on your foot or you will be down hard once you get on skis. Ski boots will give some rigidity that you will find essential later.

It's also time to start thinking about getting your own balance board. I use mine during tv commercials for a quick 3 - 5 minute sessions every other day. There are many different styles to choose from round boards to full roller planks that can seriously challenge you.

Jeff

Storm survival workout

Well the Northeast was smashed by an early storm this weekend and while I had good intentions of enjoying some of the white stuff, I simply havent found the time. Heck getting internet and fuel for the generator was a challenge.

My own situation this weekend involved serveral hours of shoveling, plowing, and hours more of lifting the chain saw, logs and limbs. I'm told we have 4 more days without power so we are in lifeboat rules at our house with generator on critical circuits only. We and the neighbors are fine and I hope you all are as well.

 I hope to get back on track with my personal plan but I did count the lifting as a strenth training cross training workout. I do hope to get in a few laps at least around the yard before it all melts later this week. 14" takes a few days to melt.

In the mean time, here is an Nutrition Edge article from Jeff Galloway (a former olympian) I received as a subscriber to his free email newsletter. Good stuff for all athletes. I ran my first two Marathons with Jeff's run/walk interval training plan and think that this type of start/stop is very similar to the downhill/uphill combinations we will be doing in our biathlon.

Another great resource is beginnertriathlete.com for training, nutrition and motivation from multisport amature enthusiasts.

Stay warm, its a winter out there.

Jeff

SNOW Time

Well it won't stay long today, but we got a snow dusting in central/western MA last night and more expected this weekend. Time to really think about skiing and how much fun it will be this winter. I'm excited and cant wait! Lets hope the Ski track opens early so we can get some good practice and some lessons. I know I could always use another lesson. I found that I had a pass that I didn't use from last season and is still good for this one so I really can't wait.

I subscribe to the Endurance Planet RSS and this week they are talking about meds and sports nutrition that I thought it was valuable for us as endurance athletes. While the EP site is dedicated to the multisport life of triathlon, we can directly apply their lessons just on a reduced scale.

Oh, by the way, black ice has a much more profound effect on runners than it does to cars. Lets stay safe out there while exercising in the slush and cold.

Jeff

Leg workout - steps and isometric hold

Its time to work the legs. We will do some isometric hold drills as seen in the video link. Do not add weight for this workout until you have done it dry a few times then add slowly if you wish.

Twice this week I suggest:

Prepare with a 10 minute jog/fast walk -or- jumping jacks -or- jump rope; to get the legs warm and flexible. Get out the interval watch or set a timer app on your phone (RoundTimer for iphone).

Do FIVE sets of:
1 minute step up 8"-12" normal outdoor step (can be done indoors)
1 minute isometric hold in proper ski race form

Do some abs to close out the workout with:
Plank on elbows 30 sec to 1min raise one leg for a more advanced plank
Side plank each side 30 secs.

Cool down walk 10 minutes or as appropriate.

FOAM ROLLERS

Sore legs yet from the workouts? you might benefit from a foam roller massage. Its just like it sounds, a 6" diam foam roller you use to roll out sore muscles. I have used a roller now for a few years and can tell you that it works on sore shoulders, back, hips/glutes, IT band, Quads and hamstrings. I have had to invest in foot message devices (roller and lacrosse ball) as well because I developed some foot pain two years ago and have to work out the tender spots on my calves every few days to keep myself in good form.  A lot of foot pain might be caused by calf problems. Check out TriggerPoint if this might be you as well.

Train well,
Jeff

Video time!

I found some great video at the US Olympic web site.  http://biathlon.teamusa.org/video

Remember that rest and nutrition are a critical component of our training. If you weren't able to pick up the nutrion hand out at our first meeting, you can find them here:

http://www.nensa.net/docs/Nutrition_Part%201.pdf

http://www.nensa.net/docs/Nutrition_Part%202.pdf

Have a great weekend,
Jeff

Biathlon Specific Training Week 2

Howdy everyone, I had a teammate work with me for this exercise set this week. Thank you Steve for your comments and help. Steve has his own exercise site over at www.minutemancrossfit.com.

This workout is blatantly borrowed from a series of sport specific videos and will we will revisit this workout a few times this season as part of our regular mix.

10 exercises in two sets - total 20 minute total workout.

each exercise is 30 seconds on / 30 seconds rest - so 1 minute per exercise.

Video guide - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHMcsHR4lDY&feature=related

1 - Choppers (For beginners just use a basketball or light medicine ball if one is available to get the motion, flexibility and technique before a weight plate.)

2 - Pushup cross overs (Do a "traveling" push up, where you do the same motion as in the video but start flat if you can’t complete 30 seconds over an obstacle, add in an object to change height as strength increases)

3 - Crunch twist (using weight, start with that basketball or medball. Twisting motions should be started light, without someone checking your form use at the most 12 lbs)

4 - Supermans (with weight, 5 pound plate or similar so everyone should be able to handle this, but break it up to either 2 @15 sec sets, or 3 @ 10 sec sets if that is more manageable. Use a hand weight or convenient object/book if your not in a gym)

5 - Explosive step up (alternate leg each step up, focus on one side for 15, then the other, novice use a stair height to 12”, advancing in stages up toward 24” inches but not above 24”) 

6 - Triceps extensions (using a bench or phisio ball, This can be done on a standard bench, a box, your bed, etc. don’t go out and buy a phisio ball)

7 - Knee ups (These are Vee ups, a standard Army exercise, are going to be part of the new Army PT Test)  

8 - Ball squashes (heavy ball, tempo cable pull downs, elastic pull downs. Most gyms and none of us have this type of ball I suspect. Use a dip at home off a desk or chair to replace this exercise. 

9 - Lunges with weight - (Everyone needs to learn to LOVE lunges. Again at the start they should do these with just bodyweight as this eccentric motions is the type of movement that causes that muscle soreness that can be fairly intense in beginners. After they have mastered the bodyweight, move up to

hands behind the head (the prisoner lunge), then add any type of weight, plates, kettlebells, sandbags, small children, etc. Lunges should also be done in all directions. I make my athletes do one I call the asterisk lunge. It's a lunge in 8 directions, forward, 45 degrees forward, to the side, 45

degrees to the rear, rear lunge, etc.)

10 - Pullups - (Pull up are another one of my favorite.  Now unfortunately most folks can't do a pull up, so unless you have a Gravitron (the machine she is using), you are out of luck if you can't get at least one pull up.

Two at home options = Jumping Pull Ups, or bands.  Jumping pull ups are okay,

but you have to do lots of them to get the benefit.  I really like the bands,

and there are many other uses for them both in strength training and recovery

work.  A good local vendor is Perform Better out of RI.  Their "Superbands"

are a great product at a good price. http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product2_10151_10751_1

003889_-1_1000281_1000281_1000281_ProductDisplayErrorView

I would suggest the 1 ¾ band if you can't string together at least 3 full

pull ups, as in fully extended elbows at the bottom and your chest touching

the bar at the top.  The 1" band is also a great all around tool that we can

explore more of later.

I have other vendors too if anyone needs them.

One of the reasons I believe this is a good workout for this group is that it

is scalable in all directions for all levels.  Using commons sense the

athlete can adjust the time/weight/number of reps on their own.  

Personally I would bump this up to a 45/15 work/rest ratio, but I have been doing this for a while.  Someone who has never done this can bring it down to 20/40.

The most important thing is technique, do the exercises safely!   Bad form

mixed with weight or high reps is the recipe for injury.


Thank you Steve for working with me this week.


Jeff

How we train for Ethan Allen

The Vermont countryside is very scenic. Rolling hills and some steep terrain will welcome us on practice day and again on race day. The Camp Ethan Allen ski Biathlon track is almost universally hilly. The range area & finish line and one section out back are the only real flats that we will experience during the race. Its going to be hill climbing and fast downhills. We are training to not only survive the 10/12k ski events, but to do well. We will be accompanied by world class skiers on race day and just being in that company is worth the trip.

We are building our cardio fitness at effort level 2/3 most days of the training week and putting in two strength training days as either a second workout of the day or in place of a cardio. The cardio part will get you through the race, the strength will give you speed.

If you run or cycle on flat terrain, you will get the cardio benefit but not much new strength. If you choose rolling hills or interval treadmill settings, you will also get some strength training that will match the terrain we expect in VT. When you run a hill, shorten your stride and increase your tempo to ease over the hill instead of pounding up it. World class distance runners use a foot strike rate of about 180 steps a minute regardless of the incline which means they have to shorten up on the hill and stride out on the flats for speed. Practice counting just one side (right or left) strike during one minute to find your current strike rate. If you are like most runners, its slower than the champions but it doesn't have to be. I used an iPhone metronome to remind myself what tempo I should be running at. If you cant get your legs going that fast, then use your arm swing to help. Its been found that faster arm swing is critical to running fast.
Cyclists can do the same cadence work with 90RPM which oddly enough is just about the same cadence as running.  On the hills, shift down to keep the cadence as constant as you can. I use a cycle computer that shows me cadence/distance/speed/etc to check myself. This cadence was found to be an extremely consistent and efficient numer for human performance and is used by world class cyclists as a good average with some faster, some slower, but most in the 90RPM give or take a few percent.

Back to skiing: My first time racing on skis was a humbling experience and the reason I want to share so much about training with team. I thought I was fit and always do real well on my annual PT test. I want to make sure that we all have the opportunity to train well for the race so you can enjoy the race as well as do your personal best.

TIP:
Training log example from this morning: Run on street - 5 miles, 42 minutes, ~500 cal, Clear & 49F, Shorts tech shirt fleece sweater headlamp.

Jeff

How much cardio training?

As athletes, we need more than the human minimum exercise to prevent disease. The Mayo Clinic has a great statement on their page with the following:

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.

The CDC has the similar message to prevent disease.

2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every weekand
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest,  shoulders, and arms).

Now that we know the minimum, lets think about what we need as athletes. We are in a build up phase and we can't expect our bodies to suddenly accept that we are working them harder. We have time so lets take things slowly. Begin your first week looking to find those 30 minutes of training time a day. If this is all ready on your plan, then stick with your current plan and start looking on your own for other ski strengthening exercises. Biathlon is Nordic ski so search for Nordic ski exercise or nordic dryland drills.

 Concentrate on our specific task fitness by cycling or running or elliptical training that uses the lower body and the lungs at effort level two or three.  Because we will be doing outside competition in the cold, our lungs and bodies also have to adapt. This is easily done over time and while the Fall is here, enjoy the outdoors at least three of your training days. Pick one day to do a tempo run or fartlek drill. 

If you are on a 10k plan with a long run on the weekend, don't do any speed work while on the long run. Its there to give you cardio not strength.

For strength training this first week, concentrate on the basics:

pushups, situps, jumping jacks, 30 second planks, jump rope, squats, lunges, one leg squat, duck walk, etc.  Abs will come into play and you will want them to start getting used to movement. Luckily we are at a higher than average fitness already so we can jump next week into some specific ski training.

I'm jumping around a bit for these first few weeks because we need to get a common level of education and fitness so our later sessions will be more productive.

Train well.  

Jeff

Run Training Essential Equipment

For our team, running is for Cardio and base conditioning.  I will have more about XC ski specific essentials later.

Running generally has a low cost of entry compared to other sports. A pair of trainers is all your really needed to start. BUT, things can change fast after only a few training days when you realize your equipment isn't up to the task. Here is a list of what I consider to be essentials for outdoor fall/winter training.
(NOTE: For really bad weather, go ahead and use the treadmill at the gym or be flexible with your plan and take an early rest day. I wont run in lightning and neither should you, but do make it up later in the day or swap a rest day)

Sneakers

• A good fitted pair of runners sneakers from a good runners supply store will help prevent injury. The sales clerk will help identify if your feet are high/low arched, pronate or supernate and if your gait needs extra shock protection in the heel. Bring your last pair of running sneakers in so they can see the wear pattern. Last years models are usually discounted and you should walk out spending $70 - $110.

Safety

• Headlamps, reflective vests, and water carriers are all items that allow you to train longer outside during dusk or dark as we approach winter. You can run with a penlight and just a vest as long as you remember to stay on the Left side of the street facing oncoming traffic. Never assume the car will move out of your way and be prepared to jump if cars approach from both directions at once. You can hear traffic over your ipod right? A vest shouldn't cost more than $15 but nice models are out there for road flaggers that offer more reflection. Water carriers allow you to bring a drink with you to avoid dehydration. You can carry in hand or use a belt type but single bottle holders should be less than $40. 

Watch/Map

• How far and how fast are important. I prefer the Timex Ironman series with chrono and interval timers. I like the interval timers so I can make it beep during my run to do either walk breaks on long runs or fartlek (seed play) time for a minute without interrupting my run or relying on my foggy morning memory. The watch beeps and I know I have to speed up or slow down every 4 or 5 minutes. The chrono tells me if my run was faster or slower then the last time I ran the same route. $45-$65
• Where to run? www.mapmyrun.com allows a free street mapping program, click on a start location, follow the roads, then stop at your destination. It provided elevation and distance details. You can also find other runs in your area that others have used and saved. If you need to find a road loop and don't know the distance, hop in your car and drive it out. Don't be too concerned about matching a plan, you can always add a quarter mile just going out and back to make up some distance. FREE

Comfort

• Good socks reduce blisters. Coolmax is a great material and just about every sneaker manufacture makes them. ~$6 - $12 two/three pair 
• BodyGlide - reduces or eliminates chafing spots on the legs, feet, crotch, arms. $6 Most cyclists know about Chamois BUTT'r for abrasion reduction but I don't have personal experience with this brand.
• High-tech shirt/shorts/compression shorts wick water away and don't hold water weight (stay away from any cotton products in the winter). Less weight + water wicking = less blisters or chafing
• Fleece hat and gloves make those cold mornings a lot more tolerable. 
• Duct Tape over the toes of sneakers can eliminate winter drafts. I use an older pair with tape when running in the cold rain, high winds, or packed snow.

Log Book

• Nothing fancy, just a date/distance/time and maybe calories used and short journal of how you feel or went.  There are many online resources for Online Training Logs or online tools to record a workout or just us a simple note book (my favorite). By keeping a record of each day you can see your progress and keep up the motivation and consistency. I'd like to find an online plan for the team so we can all use together and maybe do a little competition. I'd take any suggestions if you find one.

Today is a rest day for me. I have a duathlon relay race (run-bike-run) this weekend in Scituate,wish me luck.

Getting started.

I'm fired up about this year's competition and training plan. We had a great first meeting and I'll do my part by sharing some great nutrition, conditioning and fitness tips and tricks between now and our event.

 Please select a 10k running or cycling endurance plan to get you that critical 60 minutes of sustained effort by the time we hit our event in January some 92 days away. This is the perfect time to start on this program and you should plan to spend 30 - 40 minutes at level 2 or 3 effort most days of the week for the first few weeks and ramp up as we go. Aerobic conditioning and specific strength training are our focus areas

Some useful links:
coolrunning - Look in the training section for a 10k race traning plan. Choose a beginner plan if you haven't run this distance before or its been a while. Choose intermediate if you are a current 5k or longer athlete.
Weston Ski Track - Plan on a lesson or just get a good workout. Let the team know if/when you are going and you might get lucky and have a training buddy some weekend or evening. Yes they have night hours and lights! Lets hope its cold early so they can make some snow. Planned opening is the first week of December.

By committing to a training plan and preparing for the Biathlon, you are an athlete in training. Please consider how you will educate yourself, eat wisely, train hard, remain healthy and have fun.  I look forward to working and playing with the team in the comming months.