Top Ten Ways to Prepare For An Xterra Event
10. Start a swim program
Starting a swim program means enrolling yourself in coached practices. Because swimming is such an incredibly technical sport, hacking out miles and miles with a bad stroke is not as effective as less distance with more efficiency. You need someone to help you improve your stroke mechanics first and foremost, so enlist the experts at your local pool, YMCA or triathlon club.
I have had a lot of reasons to learn about altitude, most of which revolve around my struggle to find good performances at elevation. Over the years I have learned largely from trial and error out of necessity given the XTERRA tour culminates with an event in Utah that starts at 6,300 feet and going up to about 7,800 feet. I will discuss the physiological effects of altitude on the body and in particular explore the consequence of altitude on athletic performance. The use of altitude training to improve athletic performance is widely accepted, evidenced by the massive migration of superstar athletes to Boulder, Colorado. Either by traveling to high altitude locations or by using hypoxic tents (which increase the concentration of nitrogen in the environment and thus simulate a lower partial pressure oxygen environment) athletes seek to reap the physiological benefits of altitude exposure. (more…)
Many people overlook that there is a technical aspect of cycling. A better pedalstroke means better power transfer to your bike from your body.. so working a little bit on smoothing out your power application on the bike can make a lot of difference.
I think that strength training is very useful for all athletes but given limited time, I would choose sport specific training versus the gym. The only gym work that is non-negotiable is core. If you want to make the best use of your time, doing a bit of technical work on the bike during your core workout time would be ideal.
I will give you some ideas in two parts that will allow you to continue to work on your muscle imbalances that you might be targeting, while at the same time building some volume on the bike. The good thing about these workouts is that they also will improve your technique. I think a lot of people overlook how beneficial a nice, smooth pedal stroke and quiet upper body can be for your cycling. (more…)