Fedofsky Friday

Fedofsky Friday: Indoor Trainer Routines and to iPod or Not?

Every Friday, Elizabeth Fedofsky, a top age-group triathlete and national champ, drops in to answer your training questions and to brighten our day with her witty wisdom.

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1) Now that the weather is turning crappy I’m pulling the trainer out of the attic and setting it up in the garage. Any great suggestions for a 60-90-minute workout?

Fedofsky: Here’s one of my favorites:

Warm-up 15 minutes 95+ rpms, small ring, heart rate Zone 1. Do the following set 2-3 times, big ring, heart Zones 1–2 (each set is 30 minutes).

• 1:00 on
• 1:00 off, easy spin (small ring, 95+ rpms)
• 2:00 on
• 2:00 off
• 3:00 on
• 3:00 off
• 4:00 on
• 4:00 off
• 5:00 on
• 5:00 off

First is set stay seated, cadence @ 80 – 90 rpms.

Second set is standing, cadence 70 – 80 rpms. If you are looking for a longer ride, add another set seated @ 55 – 65 rpms. You could even add a fourth set doing one half seated/one half standing. You could also reverse the pyramid from 5 down to 1 and back up 1 to 5 again.

Cool down would be 15 minutes in Zone 1, 95+ rpms.

2) What are your thoughts on walk breaks during run training or racing? I’ve read where others, like Jeff Galloway, are huge proponents of this while others say it’s a waste of time. Galloway suggests running 4-minutes, walking 1 minute, and repeat throughout the half marathon or marathon.

Fedofsky: Every coach has their own philosophy for running success. Personally, I feel that if you are racing you are running and once you give yourself permission to walk you give yourself permission to give up little by little in a race. Even if you have to slow the pace down to gather yourself or “catch your breath” to keep running is to keep moving forward. Keep in mind, however, that if you find yourself missing nutrition or hydration stops because you are running, it’s best to slow down to the point where you can take in what you need. Again, keep moving as much as you can so your body doesn’t have to switch gears from walking to running.

3) When running, iPod or no iPod?

Fedofsky: There is a time and a run for iPod.

For sanity’s sake, the iPod is a nice diversion on the treadmill from all of the other noise, televisions, and the guy grunting every time he ups the pace on the treadmill next to you.

For safety reasons, I would not run with an iPod outdoors. It’s best to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Also, never ever ever ever run with an iPod during a race.

Aside from sanity and safety, there is good reason not to run with an iPod. When you run without distractions you learn to listen to yourself – the sound of your feet hitting the ground, your breathing. These sounds provide insight to your running form and learning to hone in on different sounds may help you develop a better sense of pace and more efficient
form.

There is, however, one place where I find the iPod helps. I might come under fire for saying this but I find using the IPod on the track is very useful. Sometimes it is the sound of your feet or breathing that can hold you back on the track. We all know the track is a place of pain and speed – neither of which is pretty or sounds nice. When I crank up the music, it drowns out my breathing on the verge of explode and my feet pounding around the track. I’ve run some of my fastest splits with the iPod on the track.

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If you have triathlon-related questions for Liz, or just want to know more about the ways she drives her husband nuts, fire ‘em off to us at questions@theoutdoorjourney.com. You can read more about Liz’s adventures on her blog at http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/

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