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2005-03-28 3:17 PM

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Subject: Back to training and a few dumb questions
Well, last week on vacation was not exactly a training week: lots of fatty foods, beer and even a few cigarettes when stumbling around pleasantly jingled. However, I am back on track now and gearing up for my final thirteen weeks. Ran 20 minutes 2+ miles yesterday and swam 900meters in 21 minutes today! So I am feeling good, the weather has finally rounded the corner and I am getting excited for my first race. I have a few dumb questions though that I am a bit embarassed to ask:

1) How exactly does gearing on a bike work? I get the 1-7 gears and how they work, but what about the 1-3? in other words if going from easiest to hardest what order would the gears be in? ex. 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 1-2 or 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 etc. This confuses me and I think that i don't shift 1-3 gears often enough when riding.

2) When swimming am I supposed to have my shoulders burning? I usually swim 1:50-2:10 hundreds depending on the day and overall distance, but I know that I am swimming a bit "lazily". If I turn it up a notch my arms start to burn (anaerobic?). Should I be pushing myself more on this? How do people guage their swimming threshold? You can't wear most HRMs in the water,can you?

3) Does anyone have a good site for running form? I was experimenting a bit with my form yesterday and realized that there are ways to put much lower stress on my knees (by sort of pushing off the ground with my feet rather than jarring down) and I want to make sure my running form is good to prevent injury as I start training harder in these final 3 months.

4) Does anyone have a recommendation on a cheap HRM that also has a watch/timer? I am a poor student so anything over 100 bucks is out of the question.

That's all. Had a nice binge but glad to be back! Thanks as always for all the advice and help.


2005-03-28 3:38 PM
in reply to: #134907

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions

OK, I'll take on #1, someone else get the others:

lablover - 2005-03-28 2:17 PM

1) How exactly does gearing on a bike work? I get the 1-7 gears and how they work, but what about the 1-3? in other words if going from easiest to hardest what order would the gears be in? ex. 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 1-2 or 1-1, 1-2, 2-1 etc. This confuses me and I think that i don't shift 1-3 gears often enough when riding.

You're referring to your chainring, the  three big gears in the front controlled by your front derailleur, and how that interfaces with your rear casette (the other seven? gears). Simple answer is that the smaller chainring is the easiest gear, and each larger chainring is progressively harder.

Not so simple answer:  let's assume you have a 52/42/30 on the front and, since you said 7-speed, a 12-21 on the back. (After a few other assumptions,) Your gain ratio chart would look like this :

5223.8 %4240.0 %30
128.67.05.0
8.3 %
138.06.44.6
7.7 %
147.46.04.3
7.1 %
156.95.64.0
13.3 %
176.14.93.5
11.8 %
195.44.43.1
10.5 %
214.94.02.8

Source: http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

Each higher ratio number is a harder gear than a lower number, with your 30-21 being your easiest gear (gainratio of 2.8), and your 52-12 being your hardest (at 8.6). A true progressive shift pattern would hit each gain ratio in order, but this is way too cumbersome. Actual shift patterns vary with personal preference. Truth be told, I stay on the middle chainring except for extreme uphills and downhills.

Note that the 52-12, 13, and 14 are all harder gears than your 42-12.



Edited by the bear 2005-03-28 3:49 PM
2005-03-28 4:35 PM
in reply to: #134907

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
Running technique: I cannot reccomend ChiRunning enough:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/074325144X/qid%3D1112...

It has taken so much pressure off my knees and hips, not to mention my shins (I've had chronic shin splints for about 15 years). Running now feels so easy and enjoyable to me, which I never ever expected in my wildest dreams. Its my favorite part of training.

The idea of Chi Running is to use your core and gravity to propell you forward, and your legs are just kind of along for the ride (you pick up your feet, rather than pushing off). But you really have to read the whole book to get the principles behind it.
2005-03-28 5:11 PM
in reply to: #134932

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
You guys are fantastic. Thanks Bear for your chart and explanation. I figured that the ratios were something like that but I was unsure of how it all worked out. I stay in my middle large gear (42?) usually as well, so I guess I will keep doing that unless I am on a major hill.

jtat: That book looks great. I am going to order it right now.

Come on people keep those answers coming!
2005-03-28 6:12 PM
in reply to: #134907

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
Thanks for that chart, bear. I now have a drivetrain question but I'll start a new thread on it.

With respect to the swim question, in general, my shoulders don't burn during a workout. But I'm not a fast swimmer, so perhaps they should.
2005-03-29 9:23 PM
in reply to: #134907

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
Can anyone answer this swim question for me? How do you know when you are swimming at the right pace for building endurance/speed? I want to know before my next swim session on Thursday


2005-03-29 9:39 PM
in reply to: #135523

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
lablover - 2005-03-29 8:23 PM

Can anyone answer this swim question for me? How do you know when you are swimming at the right pace for building endurance/speed? I want to know before my next swim session on Thursday


Ballpark would be perceived exertion of 6-7 (out of 10) if you don't want to stop and check your pulse every few 100 yards. Depends a lot on what kind of distance you're going for.

bts
2005-03-29 9:42 PM
in reply to: #135523

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Subject: RE: Back to training and a few dumb questions
As with the other events, you can train in a range of VO2 Max or as a % of your maximum HR to get the best results from your workouts. Generally the HR ranges for swimming is about 10-15 beats per minute lower than with running. (This is just an estimate, but you are using fewer muscles, so your body doesn`t need as much oxygen) When training for long distance, I usually try to stay at 130-137 BPM, and for speed workouts I`m training at over 160-170 BPM. These values are different for every swimmer, and you should try to find the best HR ranges for you (I think that there are some articles\threads that address this on the site)

Also, it`s important to listen to the signals from your body. When you are training for endurance you want to be breathing deeper/harder, but you should be able to talk to someone fairly comfortably between sets. For speed, go fast, but you don`t want to get that rubbery feeling in your arms or legs!

Happy swimming!
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