I-Pod: Pump it or Dump it?

A while back, the headphones for my MP3 player stopped working. Tired of shelling out $15 every few months to replace them, I simply began training without them. While training was a little boring, at first, slowly the advice I had been ignoring about listening to breathing as an indicator of effort made sense. I began to notice how accurately I could judge my effort by the quality, rate and sound of my breathing. I no longer stared at my heart rate monitor, but only stole quick glances, confirming I was working at the effort my breathing indicated.

At my very next race, I ran my way to a PR and my first podium ever. Why? Besides training well, I realized training without headphones more closely mimicked race conditions. I developed a better correlation between my perceived effort, heart rate and my breathing. Without music to distract me, my heavy, labored, and ragged breathing during the race sounded just like it did during the high-intensity workouts I completed in the weeks leading up to the race. I knew exactly when I was going too hard or too easy, based on the sound of my breathing, and more accurately paced myself for the race without using a heart rare monitor or power meter. My training methods improved and, therefore, my racing improved.

Still not convinced you should stop training with an MP3 player? Worried you’ll be bored out of your mind? Here are more reasons for leaving it at home.

Safety – You can’t hear vehicles approaching you with headphones on; vehicles approaching from side streets are especially difficult to see as you cannot hear them until you are in the intersection; directly in front of the speeding car. When cycling or running in a group, hearing directions or warnings about hazards becomes difficult and you could injure yourself or another person. As such, my steady riding group has a moratorium on wearing headphones on group rides.

Hearing Loss – Long-term use of headphones at elevated volume levels has been shown to contribute to Noise Induced Hearing Loss [1]. If you value your hearing, turn it down (or even off!).

Headphones or headsets are banned at most races. At Ironman events, headphones or headsets are not permitted during any portion of the event. USAT rules also prohibit such devices, but leaves the ultimate decision up to the Head Referee at individual events.

“Rule 3.4 i. Unauthorized Accessories. No participant shall, at any time during the event, use or wear a hard cast, headset, radio, personal audio device, or any other item deemed dangerous by the Head Referee. Any violation of this section shall result in a variable time penalty.”2

Training is supposed to prepare you for racing. The more closely your training mimics your racing, the better prepared you are for race day. By constantly training with an MP3 player, you become reliant on it for pacing and motivation. When race day comes around, you may find yourself yearning for your favorite tune to get you through the tough patches. Better to get used to biking and running without it so you’re used to dealing with tough stretches on your own, without the MP3 player crutch.

The importance of correlating your heart rate, perceived exertion and breathing is worth repeating. Ironman and ½ IM competitors should consider racing with a heart rate device or power meter for accurate pacing during the event. For shorter events, line Olympic Distance, Sprints or Xterra races, chances are your heart rate will be higher than you’re used to and you’re likely to slow down when you see that high heart rate. As a result, I don’t race with one and recommend my athletes don’t either.

How well do you pace yourself? If you’ve been using headphones during your training, chances are you’ve been pacing off how your legs feel, wound up going out too hard initially and ran out of gas at the end. If you train without headphones, you’ll be used to what your breathing sounds like at given effort levels and heart rates. In this way you can adjust your pace based on what your breathing sounds like and accurately pace yourself without the inconvenience of wearing a heart rate strap or the wasted time in transition while you put it on. Moreover, you’re used to how awful your breathing sounds at the high effort levels required for short course or Xterra-type racing. You’ll also know exactly how to time that last surge to the finish and maybe, finally catch that competitor you’ve been chasing all season!

Eric Palmer is a USA Cycling certified coach and an Affiliate Coach for Training Bible Coaching. He can be contacted via e-mail at LyroVk@aol.com or through his coaching website: http://www.ericpalmerendurancecoaching.blogspot.com/.

[1] The Hearing Journal, October 2007, Vol. 60, No.10
2 www.usatriathlon.org

E.

2009 Wrapping Up

Sorry for the lack of posts. Since I only coach part-time, sometimes updating the coaching 'blog gets put on the back burner.

A quick note, I still have a few slots available for athletes interested in working with me for 2010. For cyclists, I recommend starting very soon if Sea Otter will be your focus in the early season. Triathletes still have a few weeks if you plan to race well in May and June, but wait too long and you'll be playing catch-up. Not a good situation to be in.

Some notable results recently:

Scott Holland finished his first EVER 50 mile MTB race at the So Cal Fat Tire Epic and put together a SOLID finish (3rd in Men's Cat 3) despite 3 flats and some nutritional issues.

Mykyta Urtyn leads the So Cal Triple Crown Series in Cat 2 25-29 and placed 3rd in Men's Sport this past weekend at the 12 Hours of Temecula. This was only Mykyta's 2nd race at this distance and thos of you in the loop know how stacked this race was.

Last, but certainly not least, Jon Umlor race IM 70.3 World's in Clearwater, FL and put down an amazing race finishing in 4:22 and exceeding my expectations. Jon came to me mid-season after an early-season DNF and I'm damn proud to have been able to help him make his season goal of qualifying for 70.3 World's. A 1/2 IM PR is a thick layer of icing on the cake, though!

Congrats to all my athletes! Seeing your accomplishments brings me such happiness, I cannot begin to describe it. I look forward to working with all of you (and you new folks) in 2010!

Eric (Coach Zippy)

Rim Nordic #4

Congrats go out to Clint Campbell for taking the Cat 2 win at Rim Nordic this past weekend. Clint't win in round 4 netted him the overall series win for his class as well. Great job, Clint!

Vlad Popovic rode strong as well and finished 2nd in his class.

Great job, guys!

Race Results

Congrats to Scott Holland for taking 2nd place at Racers and Chasers this past weekend in his first ever Cat 2 race. Scott missed first by just a few seconds.
In other news, Jon Umlor finished the Lake Stevens 70.3 in 5:05 (a personal best) taking 20th in the 35-39 age group and qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater this November. Congrats, Jon!

You guys are killing it!

Carlsbad Triathlon

Congratulations to Jon Umlor for placing 5th in the 30-34 age group and top 50 overall at the Carlsbad Triathlon this past weekend. I'm especially pleased since Jon is training for the 1/2 IM distance! Nice job Jon!

Big Bear Shoot-Out #2

This weekend marked the last race in the Mountain Bike So Cal Championship Series. Congratulations are due to:

Clint Campbell who finished 4th in Cat 2 40-45; placing him 3rd overall in the series. Great job, Clint!

Kris Hernandez: So Cal Series Winner for Cat 3 Clydesdales under 34. Congrats Kris!

Rim Nordic XC #1

Congratulations to all the athletes who raced at Rim Nordic XC this past weekend. Some strong finishes for athletes coming off mid-season breaks.

Clint Campbell: 3rd Cat 2 40-44
Kris Hernandez: 2nd Cat 3 Clydesdale
Vladmir Popovic: 6th Cat 3 40-44. The gap from 5th-8th being only 34 seconds!

and let's not forget Mykyta Yurtyn for racing the 12 Hours of Rim Nordic (6/20). He finished 6th in Beginner Men's Solo; completing 8 laps in his first 12-Hour Solo ever!

Congrats to all you guys!

New Training Plan!

With all the time off I have mending my broken hand, I've been spending a lot of time working on my coaching business. I just recently uploaded a training plan geared toward Endurance MTB racing for events that take 8-12 hours to complete. Temecula is right in my backyard and I wrote this plan with the 12 Hours of Temecula and the So Cal Fat Tire Epic in mind.

The plan is 12 weeks long and a 3-hour MTB ride should be within your limits before beginning the plan. Purchasers will get daily e-mails with workouts and weekly "check-ups" with me to see how you are doing. Additionally, we'll talk on the phone when you begin, monthly and before the race to nail down your race plan. Check it out!

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans.aspx?c=246457

Eric

Athlete Testimonials!

I love getting these "Thank You" e-mails.

"Eric has done a terrific job working with my available time to customize a schedule that helps me be very competitive at my races. I get to race time injury free, feeling fresh, and fully confident in my abilities. The structure of my weekly schedules is invaluable and his training and race experience is always insightful. Thanks Eric!"

-Jim Stewart

Thanks for the kudos, man.

OC Duathlon

Congratulations to Jim Stewart for a fantastic race at the OC Duathlon this weekend. Jim finished 6th in his age group and 46th overall in a stacked field. Way to go, Jim!

Race Results

Congrats to the following athletes for stellar performances at Sea Otter and Santa Ynez US Cup MTB races:

Sea Otter:
Clint Campbell: 10th Cat 2 Men, 40-44
Vldimir Popovic: 14th Cat 3 Men, 40-44

Santa Ynez:
Clint Campbell: 5th, Cat 2 Men, 40-44 (4th in the series)
Mykyta Yurtyn: 3rd, Cat 3 Men, 30-34 (3rd in the series)
Vladimir Popvic: 5th, Cat 3 Men, 40-44 (3rd in the series)

Congratulations all around! You guys rock!

Upgrade!

Congrats to Jeff Dambrun on his mid-season upgrade to Cat 1. Nice job, Jeff!

Fontana XC Results

Congratulations, again to Clint Campbell for his 2nd place finish at Fontana this weekend in Sport, 35-42. Nice job, Clint!

US-Cup Bonelli Race Results

A big round of applause going out to all Eric Palmer Endurance athletes for strong performances this weekend in very difficult conditions and against strong fields of racers:

Greg Hixon: 11th Cat 2, 30-34
Clinton Campbell: 7th Cat 2, 40-44
Mykyta Yurtyn: 2nd Cat 3 30-34 (just 23 seconds from the win!)
Vladimir Popovic: 5th Cat 3, 40-44
Kris Hernandez: 1ST! Cat 3 Clydesdales under 34 (on a singlespeed!)

Nice job, guys! I'm proud of all of you!

Race Results

Congratulations, again to Clint Campbell for his 2nd place finish in Cat 2 XC at Fontana this weekend! Nice job, Clint!

Rudy Project!

I'm very fortunate to be representing Rudy Project for the near future. Furthermore, they've graciously allowed me to extend my sponsorship to the athletes I coach. Huge thanks to Rudy Project for taking a chance on me.

Eric

Race Results

Congratulations to Clinton Campbell for picking up a win in only his third Cat 2 XC Mountain Bike Race.

Well done, Clint!

Up and Running

Announcing the official launch of Eric Palmer Endurance Coaching!

Purpose:
I want to help talented and determined athletes to achieve their personal fitness goals. Whether it's a PR at your local race , you want to be the fastest person on your weekly group ride or you want to improve your general fitness, I can help!

What You Get:
Unlimited e-mail contact
Initial set-up phone consultation, pre and post-race phone consults
Personalized training plan based on your strengths, weaknesses and time constraints
Monthly subscription to Training Peaks - FREE!
Daily E-mails with your personalized workouts
Workouts you post are immediately available to me for perusal
Nutrition assistance

What I Ask of You:
Train hard, upload your workouts..that's it!

Qualifications:
State Licensed Paramedic since 1999
Endurance racer since 2000
USA Cycling Level 3 Coach
B.S. Chemistry/Biochemistry - June 2009

Career Highlights:
2005
Oceanside Half Ironman Finisher

2006
Rim Nordic XC Series - Class Points Champion
Los Angeles Triathlon - 8th place Collegiate Men

2007
24 Hours of Temecula - 2nd place 5-Person Open
12 Hours So Cal - 2nd place 3-Person Open
Xterra USA Championships Qualifier

2008
Racers and Chasers XC - 3rd place Expert (Cat 1)
Idyllwild Spring Challenge -5th Expert
Norba National Championships Qualifier
Xterra West Championships - 10th place age group
Xterra Snow Valley - 4th place age group, 12th amateur overall
Xterra USA Championships Qualifier

Requirements:
Heart rate monitor
Burning desire to excel

Recommendations:
Stationary cycling trainer
Access to a gym or home exercise equipment

Cost:
ZERO start up fees
$90 per month, all inclusive

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW ATHLETES

Contact me now!