GARMIN MALAYSIA - TEAM 2NDSKIN 2014

Garmin Malaysia (AECO TECHNOLOGIES Sdn Bhd) have renewed their partnership with Team 2ndskin for the 2nd year running this 2014. Garmin are renowned worldwide for their popular GPS systems and a great range of sports related GPS tools. 

Team 2ndskin is decked out in Garmin systems like the FR910XT for triathlon, Fenix and FR620 for running and even the Edge series for cycling sports. These systems help very much in training and racing and provides excellent analysis that can be used for future improvement.

For 2014, Garmin Malaysia has taken their partnership one step further with Team 2ndskin by becoming our Premium Partner and at the same time providing funding for race fees registrations for all Team 2ndskin athletes.

Team Principal Eugene receiving 2014 race funding cheque from Garmin representative Ivan

Team 2ndskin is proud to be associated with Garmin as one of the giants in the sporting industry. We take this opportunity to thank Aeco Technologies Sdn Bhd for having faith in our team and for constantly supporting our drive for sporting excellence.

Ultra Running Nutrition & Hydration : Roy Yeow

All of us know the importance of hydration and nutrition in long distance running, but how do you plan your nutrition needs for ultra distance racing? Imagine being out on your feet for more than 24 hours, fighting fatigue and the cut-off timing, not to mention harsh weather conditions. Your hydration and nutrition could be the one thing that stands between you crossing the finish line, and you waving your hands and DNF-ing.

Roy gives us his thoughts on how he planned his nutrition and hydration for his recent Vibram Hong Kong 100km race.

Nutrition and hydration - a key area to endurance activities, yet, this is one area that is often overlooked during ultramarathons. This area is especially vital when it comes to trail ultra races when there is no easy accessibility to the route for supporters, no convenience shop along the route and chance of getting lost is there. Races of 100KM in the trail for most regular ultramarathoners can take from over 18 hours to 1.5 days long. Survival, apart from race performance is something that needs to be considered in these races. One of the basic needs for human obviously is water. There is a reason that race organizer insists for each participant to be able to carry a certain amount of hydration, and like it or not, water may be your life saver when you are lost in the jungle, dehydrated and delusional.

There is a need for participants to analyze each race and to come up with a plan for themselves. Having just completed Vibram HK 100K that took me almost a day, here is an example of how I planned for my nutrition and hydration need.

1) Firstly, analyze the race profile and understand the terrains that you are going through. 
Vibram HK 100K: Fairly smooth first 50K and lots of climb second 50K, this means I would probably slow down during the second half and need more hydration/nutrition to sustain me between checkpoints.

2) Estimate your completion time and then time you will pass through each checkpoint.
Vibram HK 100K: Based on estimated completion time of 22 hours, 10 hrs for the first 50K and then 12 hrs for the next 50K, I pinned point the time I would roughly go through the checkpoints.

3) Identify what is provided at each checkpoint.
Vibram HK 100K: This race is like a food haven - cup noodles, breads, chocolates, biscuits, soup, fried rice, noodles, coke, water, isotonic are provided at different checkpoints.

4) Identify your nutrition and hydration needs, and plan it out.
Vibram HK 100K: My needs are divided into 3 areas - Hydration, solid food and energy food. As the checkpoints served solid food, I will leave it to the organizer for that and plan to load up my bag with energy food and hydration. The selection is fairly simple for me as I will go fully on Hammer Nutritions. 

For hydration, I will load up 1.2l of water in my bladder + 500ml of Hammer Heed electrolytes drink in a bottle. I will ratio between 4 sips of Heed and 1 for water every 30 minutes. Once I ran out of Heed, I will replenish with the isotonic provided by the organizer. I left one pack of Heed at the 5th checkpoint dropbag to replenish at the half way mark.

For energy food, 1 Hammer Bar was consumed prior to the start of the race and subsequently, every 45 minutes, one Hammer Perpetuem Solids was taken to provide boost to me. With 4 Perpetuem Solids and 4 Hammer Gels in my bag, I have plenty of energy food to sustain me in case I am out in the trail longer than expected.

For solid food, I just stick to the time and will go for the food at the relevant checkpoint based on our regular lunch/dinner break. There is also a plan for a longer break and loading up of food at the half way checkpoint 5.

Complete race hydration and nutrition options from Hammer Nutrition

Obviously, a plan is just a plan and adjustment is required once the race start. Manage the changes as required and adjust the need based on actual situation. In Vibram HK, I ended up doing 24 hours instead of 22 hours that I was expecting. With the additional gels and solids that is available, I do not have any issue with that. I also make sure that I have enough water in my bag at every checkpoint before proceeding on.

In all, 1 fried rice, 1 noodles, 2 cup noodles, breads/chocolates/biscuits, 2 packs of Hammer Heeds electrolytes drink, 3 Hammer Perpetuem Solids, 2 Hammer Gels and 1 Hammer Bar were consumed throughout the journey.

Once the race is over, recovery food is vital and for me, it was the hot tomato soup at the finishing point and Hammer Recoverite before heading down to the city for a proper breakfast of Hong Kong Wan Ton Noodles.

Signing up for an ultramarathon is easy (what more with more ultra races in Malaysia this year), training for one is tough, but preparing for the unforeseen circumstances is vital. Do put in some thought on nutrition and hydration the next time you head out for an ultra race. Team 2ndskin is available herehttp://www.team2ndskin.blogspot.com/p/ask-expert.html if you want specific advice on how to prepare for your needs. Till the next adventure, happy training!

Skechers GoRun3 Review : Azrul Deo

When I first heard that Skechers got themselves seriously into running and performance sports, I was a little skeptical on how would their shoes get on par against the big names in the likes of Nike, Adidas, Asics, Brooks, etc. They have always been the casual wear shoe maker, to my mind. Not taking too long of time, they got more serious, rolling out new models of running shoes one after another, and they are gaining more attention from running community, even in Malaysia, with the embedded technology and the attractive combination of colors they offer. Backed by USA’s top marathoner, Meb Keflezighi, fourth place in the recent Olympics’ marathon, they got my head turned too but, I am a loyal/’one-brand’ type of person and it takes a very strong reason for me to switch to another brand. Furthermore, the shoes from the brand I had been using did not give me any problem so, what is the need to switch?

Few days after I was confirmed to be part of 2ndSkin team, I was informed by the team Principal to collect two pairs of Skechers shoes - one for road and another one for trail running. So, I made my way to Skechers outlet in Suria KLCC, knowing that I would finally be able to see how good Skechers’ shoes are as claimed. Eugene suggested for me to go for GOrun 3 for road shoes as it provides the most cushioning as compared to other models. As I was accustomed to cushioned shoes before this, I took up the suggestion. I got myself the blue-lime with striking yellow lace GOrun 3 in size 7. The moment I put on the shoes, I could feel how light and comfortable the shoes is and I could feel how cushioned and bouncy the shoes is. I could relate the bouncy feels to adidas Energy Boost I tested for few months ago. But the most notable difference between the shoes is how the shoes snug your foot especially at the front part of your foot. While adidas Energy Boost snug the foot in the shoes, it gives little room for the foot (especially the front part) to move around. Whereas, with Skechers GOrun 3, the foot has the freedom to move around freely inside the shoes. The collar of the shoes also comes in a soft material that it provides a comfort around the ankle. 

Unboxing the shoes seems to be one of the nervous moments :p

Furthermore, the upper part of the shoes and the inside part of the toe box are soft so, you don't feel like your foot is being 'choked'. The softness, especially on the inside part of the toe box, makes running downhill on hard tarmac or cement less hurting for the forefoot and the toes, which I had experimented during my long run in along the hilly route of Kokol Hill in Kota Kinabalu where there is a downhill 15-degree gradient of cement/concrete stretch. The shoes also come with extra pair of detachable in-soles. Without the additional in-soles, you could feel that your foot is very close to the ground. But once you put in the additional in-soles, you could right away feels that the shoes gives you a little height from the ground and you could also feel the extra cushioning feeling that comes with higher foot arch support. 

The softer and roomier forefoot area

I walked out from the store eagerly wanted to hit the road as soon as possible and it did not take long for the shoes to clock 200km at the time of writing this. I have been using the shoes for my short runs, long runs, marathon LSD as well as the recent marathon event in Hong Kong. So far, the shoes has been performing remarkably well over various distance. For short run, GOrun 3 is just perfect as it makes it effortless for the legs to move, due to the lightweight of the shoes (the shoes is said to be 6.9oz or 195grams in weight for men’s size 9, so my shoes should weigh less than that). 

The now most famous S-brand other than Superman ;-)

Running short runs in this shoes on rubber track is more fun as the rubber-ish grip of the outsole coupled with the GoImpulse pods design gives better traction and control. As for long runs, I had ran in this shoes for six and a half hours in one run, the shoes was not drenched in sweat, and my feet were still breathing comfortably and they did not feel hot inside. I guess the shoes somehow has quick-drying technology or material as well as some air circulation technology embedded that makes it comfortable for a long run as well. 

Taking the shoes for a spin around KLCC rubber jogging track

In the recent marathon that I took part in, the shoes was able to run the whole distance and taking the hard pounding against the tarmac without any problem or aches to my feet. Just one problem, although minimal, I noticed from the shoes that it could not handle long runs on trails (which obviously you need to run in trail shoes, but sometimes road runs are mixed with short trail sections).  This was evident during my run around the Kokol Hill where there was a stretch where we had to run on a short gravel trail path and I could feel some pain to my feet from stepping on the gravel and few sharp stones. This must be due to the softness of the sole of the shoes. And after putting 200km to the shoes, the soles looks to be worn out faster than my previous brand of shoes and I reckon the shoes could last for around 600-700km life, which is a recommended life of a running shoes (click here) but shorter than my normal 1000km life with previous brand.

The GoImpulse pods design of the shoes

On any other days than running, the GOrun 3 is also a great walking shoes. I have tried wearing it to office on my ‘casual attire’ day as well as walking around in Hong Kong and Macao prior to my marathon, and it is just perfectly comfortable with the level of cushioning and the lightweight of the shoes. The legs will not feel tired to carry the shoes around. Even the lightweight profile of the shoes at times makes me confuse whether I have them in my gym bag or not. Furthermore, the ability for the shoes to be flexed and twisted in 360-degree makes the shoes easily fitted into the slightest space of your luggage. This works really well for budget traveller like me who try as much not to pay additional fees to check-in luggage by minimizing the weight and size of my carry-on luggage. Another great thing I found about the shoes is that it allows wearing it without socks due to its anti-microbial insoles that prevent odor and that they are somehow placed in tact inside the shoes. As mentioned earlier, the soft material used for the interior of the shoes makes it comfortable wearing it without socks without worrying to get chaffing here and there. Although I had never tried wearing the shoes sockless in any of my runs, I had done that while walking around as well as going to the gym and this saves me from washing more socks which helps the environment!

No doubt, Skechers now stand tall, at par with other established brands

Overall, it has been a great partnership for me and Skechers GOrun 3. It has given me almost zero problem and has well-exceeded my expectations for a new ‘kid on the block’. Next test would be to run this shoes in my ultra marathon.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING for ENDURANCE ATHLETES

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) defines Strength and Conditioning as the physical and physiological development of athletes for elite sport performance. The role of the S&C coach is to bridge the gap between the theory of training and applied training, helping athletes to become faster, stronger and more flexible and to build their muscular endurance so they perform better and remain injury free. Strength and Conditioning is about more than just lifting weights - it encompasses the entire development of the athlete and what is needed to improve physical performance. This includes plyometrics, speed and agility, endurance and core stability, with strength training being just one piece of the jigsaw.

At the time of writing this, more than half of Team 2ndskin athletes have undergone their initial assessment session with GetActive, who are the team’s Strength & Conditioning Partner for 2014. The results of the assessment were an eye-opener for all of us in the team as we were made aware of the components of fitness that we were lacking and those that we could improve on.

Eugene tells us in depth about his experience in the first session with head coach of GetActive, Chloe Lai.

Get Active, Strength & Conditioning Specialists

I made my appointment for the initial fitness assessment with Chloe a week prior. She mentioned some fitness tests and that made the whole team kinda nervous. It didn’t get any better when she hinted to me that she was pretty sure all of us would fail the test, Ironman or not! :p

The morning of the assessment (my appointment was made in the evening after work), I emailed Chloe some information that I thought would assist in the assessment, like my vital stats, medical history, my goals and targets for 2014, my supplement intake as well as some personal thoughts of what I am lacking in fitness-wise (ie, weaknesses).

As I stepped into GetActive Studio (also known as The Base), Chloe was there to greet me and took me on a quick tour of the place. It was a cosy setup and immediately you feel comfortable and not intimidated, unlike some franchise gyms that “scare” you with rows and rows of heavy iron and equipment. The layout of The Base caters more for individual and specialized attention for the client, with a good expanse of space for movement, bodyweight exercises and rehabilitation. Adequate cardio equipment, multi-functional weight machines and comprehensive range of free weights lined the sports performance room.

Roy filling up the questionnaire at the start of the assessment

We kicked off the session with me filling up the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. It mainly concerns current and past health history, including some family history as a reference. Since I had already furnished Chloe earlier with my medical history and goals for 2014, we proceeded to get started with the physical assessment. The rest of the team (in their individual sessions) went through an oral interview with Chloe asking the questions to gauge what was needed for each individual athlete. Questions ranged from medical problems, to food intake, training type and intensity, injury history as well as improvement areas each athlete was looking for in 2014.

First up, was the Functional Movement Test. Simple tests conducted showed that my left upper back was tighter than my right side and that contrary to what I had thought all this while, it wasn’t my hamstrings that were tight, but actually my glutes and lower back. Glutes are a short representation for the gluteal muscles (Gluteal maximus, medius, minimus and piriformis) that make up the buttock muscles. I have always thought that it was my hamstrings that were inflexible, spending hours driving in the car and sitting on my office chair everyday. It was a surprise to realize that the range of motion in my hamstrings was quite good, but that my frequent hamstring strains, and inability to sit cross-legged for long periods was due to a hampering in my posterior chain mobility by my tight gluteal muscles and lower back. I was told, in Chloe’s words, “to activate my glutes and release my lower back muscles”.

Deo going through a roller-coaster of emotions (and pain!)

To further confirm the “diagnosis”, we worked on my glutes with the foam roller and trigger point ball to identify the points where the muscles were knotted and needed work. She also demonstrated and taught me several stretching and yoga movements that targeted the specific muscle groups (that I needed to focus on) to increase flexibility in my range of motion.

Next we proceeded to the strength assessment test. I have been cross-training in the gym with some machines and free-weights for the past few years but mainly focused on endurance with higher repetitions and lower weights. My normal gym workouts would entail more upper-body work to balance out all the running and cycling workouts that I do. I went through a series of strength tests which Chloe mentioned they only use on athletes and those who regularly workout. The 3 tests involved the squat (2x BodyWeight), bench press (1x BW) and deadlift (2x BW), with the benchmark of strength capability to strive for in brackets.

I was surprised when Chloe told me that we should be performing strength training with higher weight loads and lower repetitions that what I was used to doing as I mentioned above. When I questioned the opinion, Chloe shared some findings with me. Here, I share an excerpt from a journal by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) who is the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning. They support and disseminate research-based knowledge and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness. By the way, Chloe is a NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist.

“For years the standard recommendation for endurance athletes has been to use weights that allow relatively higher repetitions (70% 1RM for 10-15 reps/set) than normally performed in strength training. Now researchers at University of Rome have released the outcomes of their study showing that masters endurance runners are better served by training with heavier weights (85-90% 1RM for 3-4 reps).

They concluded the following.

Taken together, the results of this preliminary study indicate that master endurance athletes seem to benefit from concurrent strength and endurance training because the rate of force development may be crucial for RE (Running Economy) improvement, one of the major determinants of endurance performance.

The use of heavier weights was thought to result in greater neurological adaptation, as opposed the creation of new muscle tissue, allowing the subjects to use more of their strength potential.

Those lifting heavier weights in the study didn’t gain any more weight than those lifting lighter weights. In fact, neither group saw a change when compared to the control group, who didn’t weight train, but continued running. The majority of us simply don’t possess the genetics to gain appreciable muscle while maintaining our diets and continuing endurance work.”

 Irene working with resistance bands

I fell short of the prescribed benchmark. No excuses, no reasons. I needed to incorporate more strength training into my routine if I wanted to achieve my targets for 2014. For the record, I have some specific speed goals for running that I want to hit this year, and by increasing strength in my lower body and core, I would be able to power through hills faster.

During the strength assessment, I also realized that my form while performing squats was incorrect and that I have been squatting with weights with the wrong movement for as long as I remember. Honestly, if you are serious about improving yourself, you need to get a specialist to correct your technique so that you are utilizing your muscles properly and avoiding the dreaded injury. After monitoring my form while going through the full range of squat motion, Chloe noticed that I tend to rely heavily on my quads (quadriceps muscles at the front of my thigh) and not activating my glutes properly. I was not pushing up with my heels as much as I should and therefore not maximizing the benefits of the workout. Form correction was necessary and I had to relearn how to squat properly. I also had another drawback in terms of doing the deadlift. Now, the deadlift is an excellent posterior muscle chain strengthener, if done properly with the right form as it targets the glutes, hamstrings and hips. With the history of my lower back immobilization previously due to acute injury, I was very apprehensive to perform the deadlift, and I feel it was more a mental block rather than a physical limitation. Chloe understood that, and demonstrated another move which also simulates the workout of the deadlift but with additional stability aspects incorporated. As this move used lighter weights, I was more comfortable and able to apply it to my regimen.

Single leg movements train stability, balance and iron out muscle imbalances

Chloe prescribed 2 single leg movements which I should make part of my strength training routine. I will share these 2 workouts here for the benefit of everyone as that is how we at Team 2ndskin work; we learn and share. These 2 routines work the glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings and quads, making them stronger and giving you the benefit when running or cycling, climbing hills and stairs. The added benefit is of course training your stability and balance, which helps prevent injury and increasing your core strength.

For both workouts, warm-up using your bodyweight with about 10-15reps before you start with weights. If you find balancing an issue with weights, then practice without weights until you are strong enough to proceed to the next level.

Hold a dumbbell / weight on the opposite side of your front leg and keep your body straight with chest proud and shoulders square. Go through the entire motion in a controlled manner and keep note of your posture. Key takeaway here is not how heavy the weights you can manage, but getting the form right to activate the right muscle groups for maximum results. Once you start with weights, work with one that allows you to complete up to 10 reps without losing form. For best results, you should perform stretches and rolling of your glutes, hamstrings and lower back before each session. The 2 routines are the

Single Leg Squat Back Foot Elevated (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisRGysxhhw)

Romanian Deadlift Single Arm/Single Leg Contralateral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4mg-L1wYRI)

Try them out and incorporate into your regular workout routine. I found them to really target my glutes as the day after the session, I was sore in places I have never been sore before (even after a 42km!). In the meantime, before I go for my next session with Chloe to improve on other aspects of strength and conditioning, I will be applyin these plus the other rolling and trigger point techniques that would help keep injury at bay. Note that it is not adequate to just learn the techniques, but more importantly, to put them to use, because knowledge is useless without application.

If any of you are interested to get yourself assessed to understand more of how you can improve on your chosen sport, or how you can beat that recurring injury or to achieve your fitness goals, do get in touch with GetActive. Drop Chloe an email at chloe(at)getactive dot com dot my and mention Team 2ndskin. Make an appointment at a special rate and be on your way to a better, fitter, stronger you this 2014!

Cross Training - A Cross Discussion

We have all heard the term “cross-training” bandied about whenever the topic of training comes up. What exactly is cross-training? Well, Wikipedia defines it as “an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance”.

Now, the key words here are “other than the one that athlete competes in”. So if you take part in running races primarily, then any other sport/workout you indulge in qualifies as cross-training. However, if you’re a triathlete (competing in triathlon events), then basically swim-bike-run is your core sport and not considered cross-training. So, what do the team athletes indulge in for cross-training (if any)?

We talk to Deo and Eugene, who are primarily runners and Chan and Irene, who are triathletes, to get their viewpoints and what they think of this subject. Over a cup of coffee of course. (conversation color-separated for ease of reading)   

Eugene

Good afternoon fellas! Everybody all comfy and relaxed? How has the start of the year been for you?

Chan:    2014 has been an awesome one so far, I try to get my personal goals clear before I plan for my racing and training program. The upcoming Langkawi Ironman is my biggest event for this year, all the trainings basically gearing towards Ironman preparation. It has been almost a year after graduation, I find challenging to balance between working and sporting commitments.  

Irene:    2014 will be my awesome year. A lot of goal, dream and also PB to be achieve. Look forward n train hard to reach my goal, dream and PB.

Eugene: Yo guys! 2014 has been great so far, both on a personal level as well as the team mechanics. It looks to be a bright year ahead!

Deo: It has been great for me so far, being in the 2ndSkin team among these great athletes. Although I feel a little pressure to match up with their achievements, I’m taking this opportunity to learn as much from them. 

Deo

Today, we talk about cross-training. Why do you think cross-training is important for an athlete?

Chan:    I’m a man of many hobbies, likes and desires, when everything combined together, it makes a good cross training for one another. In my opinion, doing a single sport will build up the strength and power because the workouts are mainly focusing on one particular sport. However, the weakness underlies are those overpowered muscle groups will wear out fast. Cross training keeps the workout exciting and also improves overall fitness; we also get to meet different people from different sports.

Deo:      Although I am not doing other sports other than running, I still feel it is important to cross-train. Just that in my terms, cross-training for runners is not just about doing other sports but also about running on different terrain, you know, trail vs road, elevation vs flat. I cross-train as much as I could firstly, to avoid boredom of doing the same routine or running the same terrain or surface. Secondly, I also do steps training whenever I could to strengthen my lower body. Thirdly, cross-train could help in preventing injuries, for instance running on trails and downhill consistently would improve balance and reduce ankle problems or possibilities of injuries. 

Chan

There is some school of thoughts that to get better at a sport, you should fully focus on it, as in practice makes perfect. Cross training is only applicable when you are injured or in rehabilitation mode. What are your thoughts on this?

Eugene: Some people do follow that principle. Some runners I know only run, and don’t partake in any other sport, workout or hit the gym. Even if they do get into the gym, the treadmill is the only thing they get on. My opinion is of the opposite spectrum, I believe that cross-training actually helps one to get better and it definitely irons out the weaknesses that an athlete may have, or muscle imbalances.

Irene:   Cross training is important for me as it help me to build my strength and also prevent injury. Cross training is my large toy room. I am very enjoy having training and meet up some old friends in there and share the knowledge together.

Deo:     Well, to some extent it is true because it is the only thing you can do when you’re down with injuries that prevents you from doing your core sports. However, cross-training is also a preventive tool to avoid injuries like what I mentioned earlier on how trail running could prevent ankle problems to runners. Going to gym is a must to any athlete to strengthen those core muscles, at least.  

Chan:   Cross training is actually an injury prevention move, because by strengthening the less used muscles which are comparatively less flexible and less strong, the chances for those muscles to get injured is lesser. As a multisport athlete, my training schedule is never boring by having cross training. In fact, my fitness gets better with lesser mileage.

What do you do for cross-training? I understand that for a triathlete, you already work on 3 different sports (or disciplines), is that enough for you?

Irene:    I start my cross training since 2004. Basically during the training I will more focus on building my overall body strength and also some preveting injury exercise, etc, weight training, basic core conditioning, stretching.

Chan:    My non triathlon races are my cross trainings. In year 2013, I’ve done multiple trail running races and adventure racing which involves long distance kayaking, midnight orienteering, mountain biking, high ropes, inline skating and caving. Adventure racing can really stretch the participants to the limit. Unlike a normal 2 hour triathlon races, I had to keep myself moving for more than 24 hours while struggling to stay awake. It was a great experience for me racing in other sports, every sport offers different kind of challenge, so it indirectly build up my confidence to stay competitive in all races that I do.  

Eugene: You can say that I am primarily a runner as 95% of the races I take part in are runs. Therefore, I qualify cycling and weight-training as part of the cross-training I do. For cycling, I work out mainly on the RPM bike in the gym, or on my bike trainer at home. Time is of the essence for me, so I like to keep my sessions short and hard.

Deo:     For me, as I’m still restricted to just running, my cross training definition is about going on different terrain. So, I mix road running and trail running into my schedule. I hope to take up cycling in this very near future, and maybe yoga?

Irene

Have you reaped or seen the benefits of your cross-training? Tell us your story.

Chan:    Due to my busy schedule, I have to squeeze in swim, bike and run to gain mileage for Ironman 2014. Cross training is one of the ways I can cut down mileage while keeping myself fit. For example, every time I run a 15km at lactate threshold pace, my quads and hamstring would be a little sore. So the next day I’ll probably do swimming to work out my upper body or go cycling which is less impact to the feet. To me, triathlon itself is already a cross training.

Eugene:               I’m a believer in cross-training. Late last year in 2013, I went through a bad period with tight lower back and hamstrings. I cut down on my running mileage to a bare minimum, between 10 – 15kms a week and no single run longer than 11km. I supplemented that with lots of time on the bike trainer and that helped to keep my fitness up but the pain down as I primarily utilized a different set of muscle group. With that, I still managed to cover 50kms at the year-ending MR25 Ultramarathon in Singapore on 15km running mileage a week.

For a pure runner, what do you think is the best cross-training sport/workout? Similarly, for a pure cyclist?

Eugene: For a long distance runner, I think cycling helps in terms of fitness as well as strengthening the heart, lungs and evens out the muscle imbalance in long distance runners. For sprinters and short distance runners, definitely weight-lifting for the explosiveness. Cyclists are a different story altogether. My opinion is running doesn’t really make a cyclist better, I’d say hit the gym and use the rowing machine or an elliptical trainer. Upper body workouts also recommended for long rides on the saddle.

Chan:    Lung training is a good workout for all sports. Once you get your VO2Max improve, a new PB is awaiting you. In addition, lung trainer is a small pocket size training tool, can be carried anywhere and can be done anytime.

Deo:      I always believe that triathlon is a sport that was introduced for reason. You can always put three different sports and called it triathlon but the most notable triathlon sports are swimming, cycling and running. So, I deeply believe that these three disciplines complement each other. And with many people taking yoga lessons these days, I started to feel that yoga could be a great cross-training ‘sport’ especially with the breathing technique as well as improving our balance.

Irene:    I would say core conditioning is very important for all the sport. Every session of cross training I will have at least 10min core training.

OK, last question peeps. How much time do you think one should spend on their primary sport vs cross-training? Give us a ratio.

Deo:      Going back to my road running vs trail running, the ratio would be 50:50. But, once I take up cycling, I plan to have 70:30 running to cycling ratio, at least.

Irene:    for me, as a triathlete vs cross training, the ratio be 90:10. I will have my cross trainingbtwice a week not more than 1 hour per seesion.

Eugene:  I’d say it depends on the individual and what their goals and targets are. If I were racing competitively, I’d look at a 80:20 ratio. If my main intentions are to maintain fitness and/or surpass personal bests, then I’d look at somewhere 60:40 to keep things mixed up and not plateau.

Chan:    Agree with Eugene. I think at competitive level, an athlete still need to focus on building up strength for their primary sport, cross training is something supplementary.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject. Have a good day everyone!

Irene:    Kamshahamida ^^

Chan:    Thanks =)

Deo:      Thanks!

Eugene:  Chow!