Athelite Spin Classes, Aurora. IT IS FUN!!!

After having swam and run yesterday we had to finish off the day with one of our Athelite Mid-Week Spin Classes. Last night was great fun!! You can make these as easy or as hard as you like so obviously I chose to make it TOUGH.

Tuesday nights are a speed work night so after 15 mins warm up we did some high cadence work followed by the main set of intervals ranging from sub threshold up to super threshold & V02 Max efforts. I laid it all out there only to find there was a second set of the same so that hurt!! We finished off as always with some rapid fire tabata work and single leg drills. An awesome session with some great motivational 'direction' from Genevieve and Paolina up the front.

I was totally done in afterwards and almost fell asleep in my dinner but after a night in compression tights I was relieved to find that my legs had recovered well and we ran to the pool and back again.

It was SO cold out there today - minus 8, but who knows what it was with the wind chill. I have never run with 2 thermal hats on before and still had an Ice Cream Brain Freeze Headache!!

Thursday nights spin sessions are more gearing & strength focused and this Thursday will include a Lactate Threshold Test. Come along and give it a try!!

Click on the 'Clinics' tab on the website for more info  www.athelite.net

Ahhhhh.... Cold Toes!!!!

Decidedly Scottish weather today in our part of Canada. The temperature temporarily peeked it's head above freezing and there is a lot of snow melt & ice. Quite a soggy day all round. We ran to the pool this morning and the roads & sidewalks are just rivers of slush & ice cold water. It's important to keep an eye on your running form in these conditions to avoid any injuries. My toes were so cold I had to keep checking they were still there, especially on the run home into the wind, despite drying my wool socks in the swimsuit spinner & giving them a blow under the hand drier. Ironically looking at pictures of Scotland it seems like they are all out playing in the sunshine this week.

Still, we didn't see anyone else out running today, so in my head we were toughing it out and getting an advantage.

This week is a BIG training week, it's only Tuesday but we are on it so far!!

Happy training everyone.

Turn your week Green

Hi folks - hope you all had a good weekend.

We managed to finish off an excellent training week with 2.5 hours on the trainer yesterday. Not my favorite session but when it is -16 outside there is no option but to train indoors.

We use the Training Peaks website for Coaching - it is a great tool for writing & constructing training sessions and short and long term plans. It is also a very effective method of sending these plans to clients and reviewing performance.

One of the simplest functions on Training Peaks is that you can color code the sessions according to compliance. If you upload a completed session it turns Green (in my head this means I am a Superstar), if you skip a session if turns red (I am riddled with guilt) and if you come up short on a session it turns yellow (I am a failure). This is great for me as I always have this in the back of my head when I am training and it always forces me to see a session through to the end & not pull up short.

Last week was a completely Green week & that is a nice feeling.

Swollen Paw.

I mentioned about a month ago that I had dramatically tumbled off my bike rollers in a moment of distraction, resulting in a lot of rather painful soft tissue & ligament damage to my wrist. Whilst this inconveniently meant that I had to wear a wrist brace & couldn't wash up, I could fortunately still ride my bike and run without too much discomfort. Over the last 2 weeks though my wrist and hand started to swell up rather alarmingly looking like Eddie Murpheys hand in the Nutty Professor. So I finally succumbed to visiting the Doctor on Tuesday.

This was my first visit to a Doctor in Canada and it was actually quite a pleasant experience. In Scotland we had to make sure we were poised by the phone at 8.29am to start ringing the Doctor relentlessly for 10 minutes to try & get an appointment, as did the rest of the population at the exact same minute. If you were 'lucky' you eventually through to a very aggressive female who begrudgingly gave you an appointment the same day. You then headed to the clinic to sit in an unventilated box for hours and were eventually taken at no where near the time you were told to come in for. When you finally left it was normally with the instruction to take Ibuprofen.

On Tuesday here I merely strolled into a Walk-in Clinic and was out 5 minutes later with the instruction to go for an Xray. I then headed to the Walk-in Xray Clinic and left, once again, 5 minutes later!!

I found out 2 hours later from the Doctor that I do not have any breaks or fractures and just need to take ... Ibuprofen for the next few days. Same result but a lot less stressful and it didn't take an entire day to find out!!

Canada 1. Scotland 0.

D'Ornellas Ladies Night

We had a fantastic night at the Ladies Night at D'Ornellas Bike Shop on Monday night. Well done to Lori-Ann for organizing such an excellent event with such a good turn out.

Genevieve and I were up last with our presentation about Athelite & our Video Swim Analysis Clinics so we had to try & lay off the wine for as long as possible but managed to make up for it afterwards! We had loads of interest and it was great to see so many motivated people at the end of the night.

D'Ornellas are organizing another Ladies Night in April so keep you eyes peeled for that.

Snowing, Swimming & Spinning

Well that was a busy week - it seemed to be over in a flash!!

From a training perspective it was supposed to be a recovery week and I did what I so often do - get so busy doing other things that I forget to maintain my stretching and foam roller work & completed ceased up. So I am back on it this morning and determined to get back into my routine which I know works.

Last week was a bit of an eye-opener for us as we got to experience some serious Canadian snowfall. I have never seen so much snow fall overnight and we had to dig ourselves out of our apartment even to get to the road. Good fun though. The snow here is so dry, light & fluffy, compared to Scottish Snow which is so wet & frozen you have to clear it with a pneumatic drill.

Last week saw the first of our Tuesday & Thursday mid-week spin classes in our Studio on Wellington St East. Great quality sessions so come along & try them you will definitely be firing on all cylinders by the time you get out onto the road. See the clinic page on the website for more details - you can drop in & pay on the night if that is easier. www.athelite.net 

We also had some more great swim clinics running on Sunday. The focus on the Sunday morning Stroke Correction Clinic was Stroke Rate. We carried out some Stroke Rate Ramp Tests and saw some immediate improvements. These are real quality focused sessions so if you bored of plodding up & down the lane every morning never getting any better, or blowing yourself to pieces hanging on for dear life in a Masters swim class - then give these a go. Next week is the final session of the current 6 week block & then we'll go again so keep an eye out here for new dates.

Today is the start of a new training block for us and we have already kicked it off with an early Monday morning 2 hr 45 turbo session. Need to get the training out of the way early today as this evening we are head down to D'Ornellas Bike Shop in Toronto for their Ladies Night. Genevieve & I will be doing a presentation on our Video Swim Analysis Clinics so if you are local it would be great to see you there. There is wine!!

Athelite Spin Classes - Excellent for rapid weight loss!!

You too could look like this after 90 minutes of fun!!

Athelite Indoor Spin Classes are now on every Tuesday & Thursday evenings at our Studio on Wellington Street East in Aurora.

More details on the website;  http://www.athelite.net/search/spin

New dates for Video Swim Analysis Clinics, Aurora

We are pleased to announce the release of more Video Swim Analysis Clinics for March and April.

A Video Swim Analysis session is the best way to see and instantly understand what aspects of your stroke need to be corrected or developed. Being able to view yourself swimming from a range of different angles is an amazingly effective process. Paired with instant feedback & stoke correction guidance from knowledgeable Coaches is second to none.

By attending one of our Clinics you are taking an important step in analyzing what you need to do to improve and learn the techniques you specifically need to develop your stroke.

Our Video Swim Analysis Clinics are suitable for anyone who can swim 400m freestyle continuously.

Venue; St Andrews College, 15800 Yonge St  Aurora, ON L4G 3H7

Time;  Sundays 1.00pm - 3.00pm

Information

•     Small Personal Group (maximum 4/5)
•     In depth Video Analysis of current swim technique from above & below the water
•     Review (poolside) and Feedback
•     Stroke correction session (in pool)
•     Take home copy of Video Analysis

Benefits

•     Instant visual feedback
•     Enhanced efficiency through the water
•     Better propulsion for less effort
•     Reduced injury risk
•     New drills, hints & tips to enhance your swim training
•     Less fatigue - exit the swim leg feeling fresh & ready for the bike

To book please click on the following link. At checkout click on Paypal first then proceed to pay by Paypal or Credit Card.

http://www.athelite.net/videoanalysis

Any questions let us know coaching@athelite.net

Athelite Indoor Trainer Classes, Aurora

Don't forget that our Indoor Trainer Spin Classes start this week on Tuesday & Thursday evenings. All classes are led by experienced athletes & coaches; Paolina Allan & Genevieve Freeman.

For more information see the previous Blog posting at the following link;

Athelite-mid-week-spinning-classes

You can turn up and pay on the night or book online at the link below. Discounts are available for block booking.

http://www.athelite.net/search/spin

To pay by card click on Paypal first then follow the instructions for card payments.

Hopefully see you there!!

Running Form Clinic, Aurora. 9th March 2013

We all work on our swimming and biking technique but rarely on our running so we are pleased to announce the first of our Running Form Clinics this March. This Clinic is open to ANYONE of ANY ABILITY. Any questions then please email us at coaching@athelite.net or book online at http://www.athelite.net/running-form-clinic.

Most people can run.  However some runners look smoother, more efficient and more powerful than others. Good running form is not always a natural product of being able to run.

By spending a small amount of your training time on drills you can improve your form while also decreasing your risk of injury.

Running with an efficient, effective and balanced form is a skill, one that can be learnt and developed.

Muscle strength, co-ordination, and proprioception can be developed and improved  using a range of exercises that focus on co-ordination and balance, strength, and reaction time. The benefit is it will make you more efficient, improve leg turn over, increase speed, decrease the onset of fatigue, and reduce injuries. 

The goals of the workshop are:

• Educate you on the value of good running form and how to improve it
• Give feedback on your own running form
• Teach you how to do running drills and strength work
• Explain how to incorporate form work into your training programs
• Improve Running Efficiency
• Enhance Running Performance
• Develop Running Speed
• Reduce Impact Loading & Soft Tissue Stress
• Reduce Risk of Running Injury
• Tips to improve posture and breathing for easier running
• Advise on footwear choice

With the correct analysis and coaching, you can optimize your running technique.

This is a practical session including running and drill sets.  This workshop will take place outside so wear suitable running clothing and footwear.

Date: 9^th March 2013

Duration: 9.00am – 11.00am. Coffee will be available afterwards in the Studio.

Location: Athelite @ Bayview Physiotherapy Clinic, Suite 200, 244 Wellington Street East, Aurora. L4G 1J5

This Clinic is suitable for new and experienced runners. No matter what your ability you will get something out of this informative workshop.

Base Training Indoors - it doesn't need to be junk!!

Before coming to Canada I was fairly adamant I was going to remain a hardy Scot (albeit an English interloper) and train outside as much as possible through the winter. For all the Canadians reading this - all the guys from the Scottish division of Athelite still ride outside virtually every Saturday come hell or high water, blizzards, driving rain, sheet ice, gale force winds and even the occasional day when the sun comes out and everyone burns.

Here in Canada though everyone knuckles down on their trainers in their basements or groups together in huge sweaty spin classes. We quickly realized that there is often no choice but to go down this route - whilst it hardly ever rains here last week was down near -20 all week and there is no way anyone is going on the bike in that.

This year we are training in 3 week blocks (2 weeks hard, 1 week easy). Last week I had quite a big mix of volume & intensity but this week is more of an endurance week. If, like us, you are training for an Ironman this year then you are probably in your base period right now and that means endurance. This week we have to spend a lot of time on the turbo trainers indoors. This can be mind numbing but just because your schedule says Zone 2, in doesn't mean you have to just trudge away in the small chain ring watching the Coronation Street Omnibus.

As an example here is the 2 hour Endurance set that we did yesterday;

3 x 40 minutes as;

10 mins warm up
9 mins Single leg drill (1 min left, 1 min right, 1 min spin) x 3
4 mins 90 cadence
1 min spin
3 mins 100 cadence (choose gear to keep you in zone 2)
1 min spin
2 mins 110 cadence (as above)
4 mins spin
6 mins Alternate 1 min standing (big gear, low cadence) 1 min spin x 3

Repeat 2 times.

If you choose the right gearing you can do all of this at a sensible heart rate, the session has structure and time will fly by.

I am generally a big advocate of intensity training but if you do it properly & honestly then you simply cannot do it every time. especially if you have to add in Swimming, Running, Gym & Core into the mix and then go to work & deal with the rest of your life.


Happy Base Training everyone!!

Personal Stress Test

Here is a little test for you. The following statements determine your happiness level, how you handle stress and if you have negative thinking. See which statements apply to you and total up the bracketed points. See below for what this might mean.

I am worried about paying my bills this month (2)
I look at myself in the mirror & think negative thoughts (3)
I am not content with my body (3)
I am lonely (3)
I dislike my job (3)
I like my job but have too much work to do (2)
I like my job but my boss is too demanding (2)
I am always trying to please everyone (3)
I am exhausted but keep going (3)
Sometimes my stomach feels like it has butterflies(1)
I shop to make myself feel better (1)
I have feelings of guilt or anger (2)
I have feelings of inadequacy (3)
I am afraid of failure (2)
I have feelings of anxiety or low moods (2)
I feel trapped & can't cope sometimes (3)
I crave sugar (1)
I am a single mother (2)
I am a university student (1)
I am in an unhappy marriage (3)
I live with an alcoholic or drug user (2)
I work shift work (1)
I work too much & don't have enough play time (2)
I get angry with myself (2)
I hold resentment towards my partner (3)
I do not eat regularly (more than 4 or 5 hours between meals) (3)
I am sick more than 3 times a year (3)
I lack sexual drive (2)
I smoke (3)
I drink alcohol more than twice a week (3)
I drink too much caffeine (2)
My friends & family are not supportive of me (2)
I am tired all the time (3)
I have friends who take but never give (3)

If you scored 15 or less then you are handling the stress in your life but need to continue to work on managing the balance in your life.

If you scored 16 - 30 you know you have to make some changes, and fast. You are at risk of adrenal fatigue or exhaustion. 

If you scored over 30 you are over the top & need to adopt strategies to reduce your risk of stress related problems immediately.

I have completed this test for how I felt a year ago and how I feel now. We have made A LOT of big changes over this period and will continue to do so. Last year I was off  the scale, now I score 15. That is a significant life changing difference. 

Think about what you can do to change things. Ditch the negative thinking, restrict your alcohol/caffeine intake, plan time for fun, filter out the people who drain you and focus on the ones that you care about. If you hate your job/boss then look for a new one, watch less TV & go to bed earlier.
Make one change a week however small. You only get one go at this life so there is nothing to lose here!!
   
  *Original Stress Test by Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, MS & Alvin Pettle, MD