WINTER’S
TRAINING SECRET
Oh no,
not winter! Many of us are facing a cold, dark winter.
Here in Lake Placid, our tri-bikes don’t see the light of day
from late October until late April. Are we imprisoned in the
chlorine chamber of the pool, and chained to the stationary
stand and treadmill all winter? Should we just pull the covers
over our eyes and go into hibernation?
This
winter, discover the secret behind perfect form and technique:
In previous issues, I have emphasized the powerful returns we
enjoy as we perfect our swimming, biking and running form and
technique – going faster and farther with less energy and
effort. Constantly improving form and technique, we minimize
injury and recovery time and maximize the effectiveness of our
training. But what are we really pursuing as we strive for the
economy, efficiency and grace that constitute perfect form and
athletic excellence?
We are
pursuing proprioception. Proprioception is our inner
body awareness, our ability to monitor and respond to the
location, orientation and movement status of our many joints and
muscles. Think of it as a vast computer matrix in your body,
with millions of receptors talking to one another via the
central nervous system. Proprioception is the secret behind
perfect form and technique.
In the
Spring 2007 issue, I mentioned that we train three systems:
muscular, metabolic and neurological. The system that responds
and improves the most to training is the neurological. If you
want to be more efficient, economical and graceful, you must
earnestly train your neurologically-based proprioceptive
ability.
The
good news for this winter? It’s the perfect time to
implement a proprioception component to your training program.
The first step is to orient your strength training towards
multi-joint and multi-planar exercises that challenge your
balance and stability. As an example, rather than performing
conventional squats with a barbell weight, do them on inflatable
pillow discs; or perform split squats with dumbells, elevating
the back foot on a bench, a stability ball or suspending it.
Functional strength training teaches the neurological system to
recruit and engage more muscle fibers, to stabilize joints and
to maintain accurate balance, alignment and orientation during
high intensity activity. It develops proprioception. Earnest
endurance athletes train functional strength 2-3 times per week
in the off-season, with a focus on proprioception. Seek out a
strength and conditioning trainer experienced in this approach
to help you develop a program.
Most
strength training takes place in that noisy weight room.
However, don’t be afraid of the studio – that room with
the wood floor and mirrors. It’s not just for fairies. What
kind of winter studio work benefits triathletes, and how is it
different than the gym? The gym can be loud and distracting –
weights clanging together, high-energy music blaring and
treadmills churning. The gym is about output, about
pumping iron in reps and sets, about cranking out miles on the
treadmill. However, the studio is usually quieter, more
intimate. The studio is about input, about going inside
to find balance, harmony and creativity.
In that
studio there is a gold mine of opportunities for effective
proprioceptive training that just might give you the graceful
athletic edge you are looking for. Pilates, yoga and T’ai chi
are very effective ways for developing proprioception. (I’ve
practiced T’ai chi for over 30 years. It is the very best
investment I have made in my life, both as an athlete and as a
healthy, balanced human being.) These disciplines, taught in a
quiet, intimate studio, strengthen your muscles and educate your
neurological system, but they develop your mindfulness as
well. Mindfulness is your capacity to accurately perceive what
is occurring here and now, both within your body and around
you. That inner body awareness is essential for
proprioception. (See the Summer 2007 issue for more on
Mindfulness and Athletic Excellence.)
Technique time! Winter is the perfect time to
deconstruct and reconstruct your swim, bike and running
techniques, using such sport-specific programs as Total
Immersion Swimming, Zendurance Cycling and ChiRunning. The
common denominator among these programs is their emphasis on
proprioception and mindfulness. A weekend workshop in one of
these can inspire and guide your winter routine. By the time
spring rolls around you will have successfully integrated these
technique upgrades into your form and will be prepared to apply
this newly acquired kinetic intelligence to progressively
higher levels of intensity and longer durations.
Balance sports: Finally, if you are fortunate enough to
live near a winter sports venue, activities such as skating and
skiing (alpine or nordic) are refreshing alternatives to indoor
training. Winter trail running, hiking and mountain biking in
warmer areas are also great balance sports for the off-season.
(After all, we are multi-sport athletes.) All of these
will challenge your proprioceptive skills and you will emerge in
the spring a more graceful triathlete.
Patience and an Open Mind: Approach your winter
training patiently and with an open mind. Increase your
proprioception through a functional strength training program,
studio classes, sport-specific technique programs and winter
balance sports. The dark days will pass much quicker and you
will emerge a more kinetically intelligent athlete.
This essay originally appeard
in USA Triathlon Life Magazine, Winter 2008
Copyright Shane Eversfield 2008
