Seems the smartphone is the new computer. You are no one if you don’t have one. In fact, many Millennials have indicated they would give up their car before they give up their smartphone!! Thank you Steve Jobs!! 😉
I’ve been playing with a few Apps as I begin my new chapter in multisport and wanted to share some of the ones I really dig. So, in no particular order:
Lose It: While there are numerous Apps out there which allow you to track nutrition, Lose It! is by far my most favorite. The UI is brilliant, the database is nearly complete, and I love the “scan barcode” function. You can even set a weight goal and the daily calorie count will automatically adjust. So far, I’ve lost 8 pounds with this app.
EveryMove: Earning rewards for your workouts is nothing new, it has been around for a few years. GymPact and AchieveMint are the real pioneers. However, I fell in love with Every Move recently and have been earning rewards happily ever since. Instead of cash, you earn discounts with online retailers, usually in the 10%-30% range. I recently saved $24 when I earned a Reward for Kaidel Sportswear and purchased a stylish new cycling jersey. You can also view a Leaderboard of how you perform in relation to other people your age or other people in your City. Very cool!
FitDeck: When looking for inspiration for a workout at the gym, FitDeck provides a simple package of workout flash cards conveniently located on your smartphone. I found these guys originally on an episode of Shark Tank. My experience has been with the Bodyweight deck, which includes Pushups, Bear Crawls, Lunges, and Planks, to name a few. It provides an illustration of how to do the movement with suggested intervals/counts. The shuffle feature allows the user to create a random workout at the click of a button. Other “decks” are available for purchase including Yoga, Vertical Jump, and Core Blast. Way cool!!
While the App universe is full of millions of Apps which claim to help you achieve fitness, the three listed above are proven to work based on my experience with them. As always, consult with a doctor before starting any workout routine or altering your diet. Happy Getting into Shape!
Being a Data Analyst and Triathlete mean race results are super exciting for me. The results are almost as exciting as the real event… almost! I find it interesting to see which Age Groups were fastest and how they compared between the Sprint and Olympic events. Data can tell you a lot about an event, its character and even help you make a smart decision in choosing an event to compete in. If you are a competitive triathlete, do you know how the top 10 stack up?
Three distinct races and three distinct finish time patterns.
The blue line is the Sprint, the Green line is the Olympic and the Orange line is the Duathlon event. What fascinates me the most about these lines are their long tails. While there was one person who finished the Sprint in three hours, the Olympic course had a much shorter “long tail” of finish times. The Duathlon was a tiny event and probably a great event for anyone who wanted to place in their Age Group and get a quick medal.
In each of the events, the top 10 stand out as you can see a steep slope from the y-axis, defining the “pro” or “competitive” athlete from a more recreational athlete.
Surprising Sexes
After looking at the counts of Male and Female athletes by event, I was shocked to see that while the Sprint and Duathlon had an equal distribution of M to F, the Olympic event was 2/3 male, 1/3 female. In fact for every female, there were 2.33 men competing.
Very distinct distributions by event.
At the risk of offending someone, I will limit my inferences as to what the male domination of the Olympic means. I will simply say further research and participant interviews will be needed.
What Does Age Have To Do With It?
Looking at the count of participants by Age Group, as well as the Average Age by event, we can see the Olympic event is favored by older athletes. The Sprint histogram by Age Group trails off more steeply after the 40-44 Age Group, while the Olympic event has a sudden drop off at the 55-59 Age Group. (see charts in section above)
The averages by event indicate this as well, the average age of the Sprint triathlete is 36.1 vs 37.5 for the Olympic. Given this insight, the Olympic is clearly dominated by more experienced Men.
So, Are The Old Guys Faster?
Well, yes. This is where we see a major difference in the results between the Olympic and Sprint events. The fastest Age Group for the Sprint is the 35-39 group, whereas the Olympic’s fastest Age Group was the 45-49 (the 65-69 group was fastest but only had one triathlete, so this is statistically insignificant result).
The older Age Groupers are faster in the Olympic event.
Likewise, in general the Sprint tended to have faster athletes in the younger age groups (<40), but the Olympic tended to have faster times in the older age groups (40+). This makes sense as it takes time to build up the endurance to be a fast endurance athlete. Not to mention speed comes with experience, which comes with age.
What about those Top 10?
The top 10 is an interesting place to look and it certainly illustrates just how competitive each event really is. For instance, the Sprint is the most popular and has the widest range of athletes and abilities, whereas the Olympic has the more seasoned athletes and is the tougher course.
And the results support this. The top 10 for the Sprint had an average finish time of 0:48:10 and an 0:01:56 deviation (4.0% of the average). Not only is this a really insanely fast time, but the top 10 finished closely. Compare this to Olympic which had a finish time of 2:12:52 and an 0:03:40 deviation (just 2.7% of the average). Wow, imagine bustin’ your butt for over two hours and have a top 10 finish come down to less than four minutes. Those older, more experienced athletes know how to race!
One last word on the top 10. The top 10 are both dominated by men (sorry ladies!), with 9 of the 10 Sprint finishers Men and all 10 Olympic being men.
Summary
Data is a fascinating that can help each athlete determine the best race for their goal. The 2012 Goleta Beach Triathlon offers very distinct events for triathletes of all types. From a distinctly older Olympic event to the Sprint with its equal Sex mix and faster younger athletes, you can easily see he evolution of the triathlete in the data. Makes me wonder how many of the triathletes in the top 25% of the Sprint will be competing in the Olympic in a few years?
In my first installment on the topic of creating a triathlon training dashboard, I discussed a few issues surrounding the data, some challenges with metrics such as tracking intensity and some feedback on a popular online workout tracking solution.
In the time since I published the last post, an entire triathlon season has gone by and I am a little more experienced on the fitness and triathlon analytics front. So much so, I created TrainingMetrix, LLC, a company dedicated to producing simple, yet sophisticated, analytics for athletes, triathletes, beginners, and anyone interested in fitness analytics in general.
The Purpose
Now that the shameless plug for my company has been accomplished, let’s get back to our second installment of building a training dashboard in Excel. The concept behind chart two is simply a check to see if the amount of time you are investing per day to accomplish your goals is appropriate. The question is, “How much time am I investing each day toward my triathlon goals?”
The Chart
Chart two for the triathlon training dashboard is “Average Workout Time Per Week” seen below:
As you can see, the data shows that I only spend about 20 minutes per day training. What does this mean? Well, it means that my triathlon goal is only worth 20 minutes per day to me, at least according to my actual time since August 1.
Chart in Context
Of course, the question will come up regarding how much time should I spending working out per week? For a full distance triathlon, such as an Olympic, about 12 hours per week is normal. This translates to 1:42:51 per day. Compare this to my 0:20:26 average and it is clear that I won’t be finishing any Olympic distance triathlons anytime soon and the goal is to start increasing the daily workout time to a minimum sprint distance of 8:00:00 per week or 1:08:34 per day.
Note that I have not created a stacked series by sport, I am only looking at overall time per week. The high level metric wouldn’t show the same meaning broken down by sport, which make it difficult to conclude “yes” or “no” to the question of investment. In the context of sport, the “Weekly Training Summary” chart I discussed in the first installment is appropriate for more detailed sport analysis.
But Wait…
But, you might asking yourself why the “Weekly Training Summary” chart I presented in the first part of this series wouldn’t accomplish the same task. I thought about this as well and I think both charts deliver separate meaning. The Weekly Training Summary chart gives perspective on where I am spending time and how it is trending over time against distance. The “Average Workout Time Per Week” chart takes a simpler approach by asking “how much time am I investing in my training on a daily basis.” Both are similar, but they tell different stories.
The Next Installment Is…
With TrainingMetrix coming up to speed and I continue to experiment with fitness and workout analytics, there is a lot on this topic still to come. In fact, I would like to address the issue of tracking workout intensity over time in a simple, yet sophisticated way that anyone can do without expensive software.
Given my crazy training year and the lack of ocean swimming practice I’ll take it! It was just fun to get out there on a beautiful Santa Barbara morning and race, support friends, and enjoy the wonderful sport of triathlon.
I wasn't last. Thank goodness! (unofficial results)
The swim was longer than last year (again!), the bike was more competitive, but the run felt consistently slow. I feel like I am progressing, but at a slow rate. Can’t wait to see what happens when I can put in a full 6 to 8 weeks of training before.
For the past three years, since the very first Camarillo Duathlon was publicized, I have had the goal of completing the course. Due to cancellations, scheduling conflicts, and even injury, I couldn’t quite get my butt down to Camarillo at the right time to get it done! This race turned into one of those long-term achievements that happen later for a reason.
Back in early 2009 when I set the goal, the race was just an Olympic event (5k run, 20mi bike, 5k run), but today it offers a sprint (1.5mi run, 10mi bike, 1.5mi run). So, when I arrived at Freedom Park in the wee hours of August 14, 2011, I was feeling a little like I had taken the easy road with the sprint. Little did I know that in a matter hours, I would be on cloud 9.
Before I go too much further, I would like to commend Bill Escobar for creating this awesome event for us. Hearing his announcements that morning, watching him interact with the public and volunteers, he demonstrated a passion for multi-sport and a level of hospitality that I haven’t seen before. Clearly he loves what he does and I am honored to be a participant in his events.
Without further ado, here are my highlights from the event. I will spare you the novel that I wrote earlier (you know that blow by blow narrative that is a tad long to post here, but if you want a copy of it, please email me armh31″at”gmail.com).
Run #1
Of course the start was pretty melodramatic. We lined up and the horn blew. The pack ran off ahead and instead of following the speedy types, I settled into my groove. By the first turn, I was at the back of the pack, but I didn’t care. There were plenty of aircraft to admire along the route. As long as I wasn’t last, I was doing well…. observing, strategizing, and plane spotting!
T1 & Bike
Heading into transition I felt winded and one glance at my heart rate said I had pushed the run a tad hard. Mounting the bike, I sailed out onto the streets amongst the fields of Camarillo. With authorities keeping those pesky cars at bay, I settled into a decent pace for the 10 mile loop.
That is until the dude in the yellow jersey passed me. I don’t know why, but having HIM pass me turned a switch and the game was on! As hard as I tried to keep up with him, I couldn’t quite catch him… until nearly the end of the course. Things got really interesting as I saw him up ahead and slowing down. I easily passed him and we exchanged glances.
I thought I had him when, all of the sudden, a half mile later he goes whizzing passed me. I turn up the speed and start chasing him down, but the zigzags back to dismount kept me from catching him.
Then he made a mistake. He stopped a good 15 feet from the actual dismount line and I went sailing passed him again only to brake hard and stop right on the dismount line itself (a little trick I learned from an experienced triathlete). I had 15 feet on him and I ran hard with the bike to the transition. I still had him!
Run #2 & Finish
The Author Following the Race
With a quick switch of gear, I headed out on the run, not even looking back to see where the mister yellow jersey was. I didn’t care, I had a lead to maintain, so I kept a fast (for me) but steady pace that I was certain I could handle all the way back to the finish. Since I had just run the same course, I knew what to expect and knew that once I was half way down the dirt road, turn on the sprint to finish.
But at the turn around, I saw that my competition had ditched the yellow jersey and wasn’t that far behind me. I was nervous so I picked up the pace just a bit more. Passing him, I could see in his eye that he already gave it his all. I had won… unless I screwed up.
Hitting the dirt road was when the legs seriously started to protest. Just as I considered my options, I was passed by an older guy whom I knew was a sprint participant. He was moving fast for his build and age, so I wasn’t about to give up my spot to him. A little earlier than I wanted, I went into sprint mode and ran him down.
Luckily, there was a curb to run around to the finish chute, which he negotiated rather slowly compared to my more flexible maneuver. Then it was a sprint to the finish and I beat him by two seconds.
And that was the end of a race I will never forget.
Sprint Results Plotted (courtesy TrainingMetrix)
With my overall time of 1:09:31, I was happy to see myself just ahead of the Sprint race average of 1:10:33. That was good for 32nd place of 69 competitors. Camarillo Duathlon Sprint Race results were plotted by TrainingMetrix (graph above is reproduced with their permission) and you can see I am just ahead of average (the red dot).
So, have I achieved that goal I set years ago? As much as I want to say yes, I still have to finish the Olympic course and we might save that for 2012. But with the third race of 2011 coming up on Sept. 4th, I might just give the sprint one more try in 2011!
Note: I am working compiling some video of the race (the Olympic start) and will post a video post here when it is complete.
Is there such a thing as simple nutrition for athletes? Is is possible to break nutrition and the need to fuel properly down to one or two rules?
I am a huge fan of K.I.S.S., not the band, but the saying “Keep It Simple Stupid.” But, the books I’ve read regarding nutrition for athletes, endurance or otherwise, talk a lot about what type of nutrients are needed and when. Reading these books was a lot like reading science experiment written by someone who had forgotten what English was, replaced with technical garble.
So, I was overwhelmed with the thought of getting the exact amount of protein for my body at just the right time. Let’s not forget that I am an overworked Analyst by day and I don’t have much time to spend buying food, cooking, and eating in addition to the job, triathlon training, and rest of life. As much as I tried to make it work, it was just too complicated for this triathlete.
I even tried the paleo diet for a while and have to say that it made life a lot worse. While it was simple, the complexity in carrying out the diet while at work and with busy weekends just couldn’t work for me. The paleo diet eliminated some foods that were okay by some diets and were convenient for busy people like me.
So, is there such a thing as simple nutrition for athletes? If we strip away the metabolic typing, the protein and carb calculators, and even the calorie counting bank recording calories in versus out, what is left? In my opinion, there is a lot left that can be considered simple nutrition for athletes. Let’s take a look, but keep in mind that if you are going to get technical on me, please don’t send me hate mail.
This is what simple nutrition for athletes is in my mind:
Avoid the sweets: Sure you can have a little cake and ice cream at the neighbor’s kids birthday, but don’t have a small amount of sweets more than once a week.
Avoid processed foods: Processed foods are anything that doesn’t resemble its natural counterpart any longer, such as anything made with flour, those frozen chicken nuggets, and anything that comes out of a drive through window. This is the paleo influence on my simple nutrition for athletes. Don’t eat white breads, processed sausage, cakes, or pastries.
Eat lean protein: Protein is what helps build muscles and aids in recovery post-workout. Having a small amount of protein with every meal and a little before and after workout will help you recover and build muscles. Eggs, chicken breasts, lean pork, salmon, and buffalo burgers are great choices.
Consume fresh vegetables and fruits: Salads, greens, citrus, and berries are a great source of fiber and provide much needed energy for your workouts.
Cook with the intention of creating leftovers: Cooking four chicken breasts even though you are only going to eat two gives you two extra to eat during the rest of the week. Package up some salad mix into tupperware and toss on some cheese and other veggies while making a salad for your weekend lunch. Consume a salad right after a workout to help recover as well.
So, simple nutrition for athletes broken down to five rules. It is not all inclusive list, but is a great place to start when getting a handle on what you eat. You might be surprised just how simple this can be while achieving race weight and feeling great about yourself. There is such a thing as simple nutrition for athletes after all.
It has been a while since I gave an update on my triathlon training. Seems like after last year’s Carpinteria Triathlon, I went into hibernation. For one reason or another, it was simply time to slow down, deal with life and do some regrouping. So, the winter months were not exactly the most productive in terms of triathlon training.
But, it wasn’t like I spent the winter in bed. In contrast to last winter where I spent quite a bit of time improving my physical side, this winter I focused more on the mental side. I spent time reflecting on 2009 and 2010 triathlon seasons, studying “the mental edge” and positive visualization. I learned a lot about what it meant to perform mentally whether during training or during a race.
Studying the Mental Edge
Two books helped me focus and provided some surprise inspiration. Two of the books, “Zero Regrets” and “Spirit of the Dancing Warrior” are summarized in my post, Some Inspiration: Apolo and a Warrior. The third book, Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior, is an interesting tale that parallels the other two. Simply by being focused, in control, and breathing calmly, one can become a warrior at everything they do.
All three books have made me reconsider my approach to everything, but I am learning that becoming a warrior requires discipline, practice and even more discipline. However, when I achieve the warrior state whether swimming, biking or running, the results are fantastic. It is like I am transported to a land where gravity works with me, not against me and every step or stroke is pure bliss. The hard part is getting to that state, which requires one’s mind to let go of all thoughts, step above any muscle pain and focus on breathing. It takes practice.
C is for Consistency
Speaking of practice, my physical workouts have been sporadic. Like I said before, life can be quite busy at times, especially during the holidays and end of year.
As you can see in the chart above, my triathlon training is rather inconsistent. Each marker represents a workout with the value being a function of time and intensity. Not only has the frequency of workouts dropped off, but also the intensity, starting in mid-January. In fact, February has been dismal with more zero intensity days since I was an office potato.
The primary workout each week has been a cross training workout that combines strength with cardio training. The workout starts with intervals on the treadmill, then two circuits of strength and usually ending with more intervals on the bike or elliptical.
Weekends would include a long bike, run, swim or combination of the three. I also started attending a group swim workout at the local pool, which proved to be highly beneficial. Not only is it a longer pool, at 50m, but very motivational as swimming with other more competent athletes really makes me push harder. My swim workouts have gone from 500-600 meters to well over 1 kilometer.
Going Forward
So, what’s next? Keep moving forward. My first triathlon is the Ventura Triathlon at the end of June. This gives me plenty of time to build my competitive spirit and get back into shape. With the goal of completing the olympic course at the Carpinteria Triathlon in September, it is clearly time to come of hibernation and get going. Bears can spend an entire year in their caves!
