Updates from Webinars and Conferences

In the last two weeks I've listened in on a few USAC webinars and also attended a two day seminar at Eastern Tennessee State University at their College of Sports Science. I'm working towards the 200 CEU's I need to become a Level 1 coach. I'm just over 150 so hopefully in the next year I'm able to attend the Level 1 certification conference in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Center. In the meantime I'll note some of the highlights of the webinars and seminars.

The one webinar dealt with training athletes over the age of 50. I'll turn 50 in 2012 and don't really consider it an issue since I know I can keep getting faster. I know that the athletes I coach approaching that age or over that age feel the same way. For the general population there is a loss of muscle mass, increase in body fat, reduction in growth hormones, reduced resting metabolic rate and max Hr and stroke volume, and a drop in VO2 max (about .7% per year from age 25-65). Thats some really depressing news but thats only for those who aren't training properly. If you are using interval training and pushing yourself into zone 5 (or at your VO2) you can actually expand your blood volume, increase Hr output, maintain or increase VO2, improve your musular efficiency and increase your power output well into your 50's. You can even hold that level of fitness until you're in your 60's. If you want to see some data to back this up just look at the times from the Masters Nationals time trial. This event is all about power and holding your HR at 92%+ of max HR or holding 100%+ of your Functional Threshold Power. The times in the 50+ brackets are competitive with the lower brackets every year.

For any age athlete your training should include an aerobic component, plenty of intervals that specifically highlight the strengths needed for your discipline, and strength training. The conference at ETSU covered the these areas. Moderated by Meg Stone (1980 and 1984 Olympian from Great Britain) and her husband Mike Stone (long history in exercise physiology including heading that department with the US Olympic Committee), the conference offered presentations by Olympic coaches and plent of Ph.D's in exercise physiology covering topics like Acute Stratgeies to Improve Performance, Practical Aspects of the Training Process, Physiology of Sprint and Road Cycling, Training for Endurance and Sprint Cycling, Nutrition for Individual and Team Sports, etc. Throw in the great food at the Millenium Center on the ETSU campus and the presentation at dinner on Friday night on the history of the Olympics and it was a great two days. ETSU is actually trying to become an Olympic Training Center and given their program and facilities it may happen.

While some of the talks were over way head (an hour on mysosin light chains!) there was a lot of great information that will take me months to sort through and integrate into training programs. The one topic that was emphasized was the need for endurance athletes to add strength training to their schedule. Three one hour sessions per week in the winter and two sessions per week during the season were recommended. It was noted that even 30 to 45 minutes would be fine for the time crunched athlete. The cycling team at ETSU is regularly using a system of strength training that includes power cleans, the clean and jerk, the snatch and other moves that you see in weightlifting competitions. After watching the 60 minute presentation to succesfully perform these moves I would not recommend going to the gym after just watching a youtube video on these. I could see plenty of ruptured discs and blown knees. The point is that strength training will benefit cyclists by improving power to the pedals, enabling you to hold your position in crits with a strong upper body, helping you maintain proper form on those really long rides, reducing the chance of breaking bones should you go down, etc. Runners and swimmers would find similar benefits in improving their efficiency, developing a longer time to exhaustion, reducing the chance of injury, etc. And you really wont bulk up from this training. If anything you'll exchange fat for muscle and ideally lose weight in the long term.

I'll start posting at least once a week as we get into winter training.