Beacon Hill Triathlon #11 @ Capo Beach

Another great race is in the books.  

Thank you to all of the race volunteers.  Big thanks to Jesse the Lifeguard for giving everybody peace of mind.  And thanks, as always, to our sponsors, Cytomax, Clif, and Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel. 

The overall storyline in today’s results is consistency in training in all three disciplines.   It was obvious who was weak in certain areas as we had the most inter-discipline position changes of any Beacon Hill Triathlon. 

A finely-tuned Steve Austin took home first-place honors by clipping a sub-hour finishing time.  A few of the back-of-the-pack guys are making quick ascents to the top and beginning to consistently finish in higher positions.  As always, we had a good percentage of first-time triathletes who all thoroughly enjoyed their experience.      

I think we all agreed that this was the best venue of the eleven official Beacon Hill Tri races.  The new course was fast and flat with no street lights.  Every leg was out and back so it was easy to judge the distance of the athlete in front of, or behind, you.  For the first time, we had bike racks in the transition, five full splits, and an open-water swim.  We will definitely be racing at Capo Beach again. 

5 quick lessons from today’s race:

1. Always pre-ride the course.  At very least, thoroughly study the course map.  There is nothing more demoralizing than riding your hardest only to find out that you’ve been going the wrong way for fifteen minutes.
2. Practice your transitions.  You can shave 2-3 minutes with 10 minutes of practice.  There are NO other areas of this sport that give such great returns relative to practice time.   
3. When the water’s cold, bring a wetsuit.  The obvious benefit of a wetsuit is insulation from the cold water.  This allows you to retain body heat and thereby expend less energy.  The buoyancy of the wetsuit also helps to align your body in the proper swimming posture, and can act as a life preserving device.  Lastly, a wetsuit helps reduce body drag in the water.
4. Pack your transition bag the night before (and use a checklist–I will post one on the website before our next race).  You don’t need goggles to swim or shoes to run, but it makes the race a whole lot better.  More importantly, if you show up to a race without your bike or helmet, you won’t be able to compete.
5. Wear proper clothing.  This includes compression shorts and an aerodynamic shirt.  Most people will learn  this lesson quickly because not heeding the advice can leave a lasting “impression”.  Blisters and bruises are some of the less-painful injuries that can be caused by improper attire. 

Now I’d like to pay homage to our new course, and this amazing sport.    

…We descended upon Capo Beach on Saturday, well before sunrise.  Our newly designed PVC bike racks were assembled, and the aid stations were stocked with food and drinks.  Anticipation of our first open-water swim was high, and the ominous sights and sounds of the 58-degree Pacific Ocean inspired feelings of awe for some; dread, fear, or even terror for others.  For all, there was a serene calm of respect for the pain we were about to subject ourselves to. 

Triathlon is a special sport.  As you stare across the starting line at all of the competitors, you begin to feel like you have already accomplished something just by showing up.  It’s one of the greatest moments in life, when the frantic shuffle of the pre-race transition setup slows for a brief second just before the starting gun sounds and dozens of able-bodied athletes in slick, black wetsuits plunge into the icy waters for an all-out test of physical and mental endurance.  This is why We All Tri…  

Pose Method Running — My Story

First off, I’m not a natural distance runner.  In track and field, I learned to run heel to toe.  I spent years working on this form.  I was fast over shorter distances, but I didn’t have the endurance to run a mile, much less any distance that would be required by a triathlon.  

Several years ago, I began training for my first triathlon.  It stood to reason that if I was faster than somebody over 200 meters or a quarter mile, all I had to do was train really hard so that I could push myself to maintain that speed over longer and longer distances and I would win. 

My training would consist of picking a distance I intended to run in a race, let’s say 6.1 miles, and a time I wanted to run, let’s say 40 minutes.  That equates to 6:20 per mile, which is 1:35 per quarter mile–about half the speed of my 400 meter time.  That’s very slow by comparison, and the first couple of laps were a breeze.  But not even two miles in I would begin to fatigue.  Every week I would try to go an extra lap at the 1:35 pace, but it became increasingly difficult. 

Needless to say, I’ve been gutting through season after season of training and races with the same running form that I’ve used all of my life.  And my running times haven’t varied much from the first race. 

This season, I started training with a running group which is coached by Mike Collins, a Pose-certified running coach.  During our first track workout, he made comments about my stride length and heel-to-toe foot strike pattern.  He knew right away that I would quickly fatigue on longer distance runs.  I explained to him that I was born as a sprinter, not a distance runner.  He explained to me that he was going to correct my form and show me how to be more efficient.  After a lifetime of labored distance running, I wasn’t highly convinced.

Mike walked me through some drills and strength exercises, and explained the pose, fall, pull cadence.  At the time, I didn’t realize that there was an actual thing called the “Pose Method”, but one of the other runners in the group directed me to the website. 

I’m a fairly skeptical guy, but after my good experiences with heart-rate base training the past two seasons (another good post I’ll have to work on), I’ve become more willing to try new techniques. 

The first week, I had major calf and achilles discomfort, and the following week I had to stop mid-workout because my calves were cramping so badly that I thought I’d torn them.  So I hopped on the PoseTech website and sure enough, Dr. Romanov had already answered my question in his FAQ.  Calf cramping was a sign that I was landing on my toes and attempting to keep my heel completely off the groud.  

The correct form involves a quick strike of the entire sole at the same time, with the weight on the ball of the foot.  The feeling when it’s done right is almost as if your foot is landing slightly behind your body as you continue to move forward over the top.

I’ve been using the Pose method for about four months now, focusing on form without respect to speed.  I’ve recently been increasing my cadence, and it seems to be really effective.  My increased efficiency is unbelievable.  I can complete my training loop in the Dana Point Harbor in 40 minutes without exceeding 145bpm on my heart rate monitor.  By comparison, I was completing it in 45 minutes at the same heart rate last season, and I would have to redline at 175bpm+ to break 40.   

I’ve also set back-to-back personal bests in the Beacon Hill Triathlon run leg since switching to Pose.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be training for the June 16th mud run at Camp Pendleton.  As my training intensity increases to match that of past seasons, I’ll have a better indication of just how effective Pose running is.  

Pose Method Running

In triathlon everything is about efficiency.  The Pose Method was “invented” by Dr. Romanov as the physiologically most-efficient running method.    You should begin learning the Pose Method immediately.  Although it may take a while, the results will be well worth it.

Here, I’ll give you a bit of background and some places to start the learning process.  In future posts, I’ll follow with my personal experiences while learning the Pose Method.

For information straight from the source, go to www.posetech.com.  This is the official site for Dr. Romanov’s Pose Method.  There’s a bunch of articles and videos, and you can order the DVD and the official Pose Method book.  I’ve yet to see the book or the DVD, but I’ve heard that they are good enough to get you started.  I happen to train with two certified Pose coaches so I’m able to get critiqued throughout my workouts.  The best bet is probably either to attend a Pose clinic or to pay for a couple of individualized coaching lessons from a Pose-certified coach.

If you learn to run with proper Pose technique, you will be able to run almost effortlessly, and without injury!  I no longer wear cushioned shoes (as suggested by Dr. Romanov) and I do most of my runs on concrete and pavement.  I have absolutely no pain or discomfort.  Like I said, my experience will be expanded upon in upcoming posts.

The layman’s theory of Pose is that there is a certain running motion a runner can perform that will most efficiently utilize the force of gravity to assist in propulsion.  The running motion is broken down into three distinct steps: the pose, the fall, and the pull. 

The above picture demonstrates the actions of a runner moving through the Pose routine.  The actual “pose” that Dr. Romanov refers to is shown by the grayed figures.  Notice the slight forward bend in the body and the slight bend in the downward knee.  The upward knee is bent like the number “4″.  From this position, the runner’s natural inclination is to “fall” forward.  This is the second phase of the Pose method.  A quick strike off the ball of the falling foot is the only contact the runner has with the ground.  This is followed by pulling the striking foot straight up, with the heel approaching the buttocks.  The Pose is again reached and the fall and pull are repeated. 

To speed up, all you do is increase the cadence.  You don’t reach out further or extend your stride.  The Pose is maintained throughout the running cycle. 

Click on the picture below for a full-screen version of the Pose:

 

I found the following article on the Sports Injury Bulletin website:  Basics of Pose Running
The SIB website is difficult to navigate, although there are also videos and testimonials relative to Pose if you search hard enough.  I’ve PDF’d the article so it’s easier to print and read.  Here’s a excerpt from the article that I think is helpful: 

Pose running technique principles in summary

1. Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings
2. Keep your support time short
3. Your support is always on the balls of your feet
4. Do not touch the ground with your heels
5. Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the weight is on the ball of your foot
6. Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle
7. Keep knees bent at all times
8. Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees
9. Keep stride length short
10. Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed
11. Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing
12. Do not point or land on the toes
13. Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs
14. Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment
15. Arm movement is for balance, not for force production

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel Sponsors Beacon Hill Triathlon

Store Hours:
M-F 10am – 7pm
Sat 10am – 6pm
Sun 11am – 4pm

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel Website

32411 Golden Lantern Suite H (Next to Pier 1 Imports)
Laguna Niguel, CA. 92677
Phone: (949) 488-3356
Fax: (949) 488-3357 

The Beacon Hill Triathlon is excited about its most recent event sponsor!  Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel will now be providing nutrition and technical gear to event participants.  Also, tell them you participated in our race and they’ll give you an in-store discount.

A special thank you goes out to Craig Ames for telling Fleet Feet about the great time he had at the Beacon Hill Tri; and another big thank you to Scott White, the owner of Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel, who readily expressed his interest in supporting our community event. 

Fleet Feet Laguna Niguel is the premier hands-on running and triathlon shop in South Orange County.  You can sign up for their email newsletter from their homepage.  It comes about once a month and has information regarding local races, training programs, and current events. 

Fleet Feet is dedicated to serving the local fitness community; you will see their tent at many local events.  If you stop by the store, you’ll find that their employees are extremely knowledgable, as they are all dedicated athletes themselves. 

I’ve been shopping there since they opened and I’ve always had good experiences.  They turned me on to the racing flats (ASICS DS Racer) that I’ve been using for the past two seasons–I’ve competed injury free since the change!  They were recently able to get my malfunctioning Polar Foot Pod replaced after the warranty had expired.  And they’ll always order anything if it’s not in stock and call me when it arrives.    

In the store, you’ll find everything you need for the swim and run legs of the triathlon.  You’ll also be able to pick up any training tools or technical gear that you might need. 

You can get a personalized gait test which will help you select the right shoe.  Many running injuries can be alleviated or avoided by wearing proper shoes for your running style. 

You can also get properly fitted for a triathlon-specific wetsuit.  It is well worth your time to make sure you get the right wetsuit–if you don’t believe me, ask Kirk Lindahl or Chris Fetter about their near-death experiences. 

In addition, Fleet Feet offers many camps, clinics, and training programs.  Some are fee-based, many are free.  Oftentimes they are offered in conjunction with a local team event or training group.  Just sign up for their email newsletter for updates. 

We look forward to having Fleet Feet at our events.