From roadcycling.com. It is always good to learn from other sports!

Training - When it comes to getting ready for the big events, proper training can be counter intuitive. Let’s face it, most endurance athletes are not lazy. When given the choice, most will over train rather than under train.


As the big races loom on the horizon, here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you prepare your training.


1. More is not better. Train less, but do more at or slightly below your lactate threshold. This can include steady state intervals at an intensity 3-5 beats below threshold. Total volume can be up to an hour, such as 4x 15 minutes, or 3x 20 minutes.

2. Race simulation- Ideally, you will have access to bike trails that closely resemble those you will race on. In training, you can experiment with different race tactics to find what will work best for you. By using a downloadable heart rate monitor in these sessions, you can use the data to decide how best to plan your race strategy.

3. Block training- This training concept is quite popular for elite cyclist and multi sport athletes. Simplified, block training combines several (usually 2-3) quality training days, followed by an equal amount or more days of recovery. Hard training on Saturday and Sunday can be followed by 2 days of recovery. Another 1 or 2 quality days mid week can round out the training week. This is an effective method of increasing the total minutes of quality training in the week without over reaching or over training.

4. Power Intervals- PI’s for short, are high intensity intervals lasting from 2-4 minutes at a very high power output. You will be anaerobic before the end of the interval. A 1:1 work to rest ratio is required between intervals. Search for hills that are similar in grade and length to those you will encounter in your key events. A total of 12-20 min of PI’s is sufficient.

Rest - This is a four-letter word for many athletes. But remember, it’s during the recovery phase that the body supercompensates and gets stronger. You are better off entering your big events slightly under trained, than any amount over trained.


As you begin planning those “A” races, it may be wise to plan some on consecutive weekends. This means that in the event of a family emergency, illness or a miss timed taper or just plain old bad luck, all is not lost. I have found that having several chances at a peak performance will aid in lowering the anxiety level of most athletes.


Successful races are earned through hard work and proper preparation. So let your training partners scratch their heads and wonder how you got so fast.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Cardiac health and the importance of staying active:

Heart of the matter

Friday June 24 2005 14:22 IST


Dr Uday Khanolkar






Over one million people suffer serious heart attacks every year in our country. Studies show that Indians are more prone, both by genetic disposition and dietary habits, to problems of the heart. As if in confirmation, more and more Indians are becoming victims of Cardio Vascular diseases (CVD) and worse, the average age of the victims is getting younger. Estimates show that in India, 1990 saw 2.4 million deaths due to CVD or heart attacks. By 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that heart attack will be the single largest ‘killer’ in India.


In metros, 10 percent of the population is above 35 years and has heart problems. There are at least 50 million people in India suffering from heart problems. This number will double in the next six years, as heart problems are expected to rise by 103 percent in men and 90 percent in women. At this rate, by 2020, India will have the largest CVD burden in the world and it would account for one-third of all deaths. Unfortunately, many of these will be young victims.


Prevention is better than cure, and it therefore becomes necessary to wipe out the myths associated with heart disease and explain the facts.


Heart disease is an old person’s problem.


Heart disease comes in many forms such as an irregular heartbeat, problem valve, or coronary artery disease. Symptoms vary but people of any age can be affected. The American Heart Association (AHA) now recommends a “risk factor screening” including blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference and pulse recorded at least every two years and cholesterol profile and glucose testing at least every five years starting from age 20. In addition, the AHA recommends a “global risk estimation” combining information from all existing risk factors to determine a person’s percentage risk for developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Multiple areas of slight risk can be more important than one area of very high risk. This estimation is recommended every five years for people aged 40 or older, or for anyone with two or more risk factors.


Women have an innate protection against heart attacks.


As a rule, women have higher HDL (“good cholesterol”) levels than men. The female sex hormone, estrogen, tends to raise HDL, which may help explain why premenopausal women are usually protected from developing heart disease. Estrogen production is highest during the childbearing years. However, while it is true that women aged 20 and over tend to have lower cholesterol levels than men of the same age, things change as they approach menopause. Then, LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and total cholesterol levels in most women start to rise. Loss of estrogen appears to be a significant contributor to the risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause.


If a heart attack does not kill you, you are safe.


More men have heart attacks than women, and have them earlier in life. But women have lower chances of surviving them. Studies show that 44 per cent of women die within a year compared to 27 per cent of men. During the first six years following a heart attack, the rate of having a second attack is 31 per cent for women compared to 23 per cent for men.


To get cardiac benefit from exercise, you need to get sweaty and out of breath.


Many sedentary individuals (and, indeed, many exercisers!) share the myth that you have to exercise at a fairly intense level to achieve cardiac benefits. Without question, this advice is excellent if your only goal is improving your aerobic capacity. However, if your goal is lowering your risk of heart disease, different rules apply. You simply need to become more active. Accumulating 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days should be a solid goal. Don’t let the myth that you have to sweat like crazy for 30 minutes straight to keep you and your heart declining….uh, reclining on the couch.


If you have chest pain, the best thing you can do is wait and see whether it goes away.


Ignoring the symptoms of acute heart disease is a bad idea. The longer the delay before treatment of a heart attack begins, the greater the potential heart damage.


Having a heart attack means there is a greater risk of having another.


Not necessarily. About 30 per cent of all patients who survive a heart attack fall into a lower risk category and are unlikely to suffer another heart attack. Ideally, each person should be assessed individually and many positive steps can be taken to avoid further heart trouble.


A heart attack will change my whole life. I will never be back to normal.


Wrong! The heart can recover quickly. Heart attack victims do not have to become “cardiac cripples” and with the right lifestyle modifications, they can enjoy a better quality of life than before the attack.


A heart attack will have a really negative effect on my sex life.


Wrong again! The average amount of energy expended during sex is equivalent to walking up a flight of stairs and sexual intercourse, contrary to popular belief, is a rare cause of sudden death.


In my youth I always exercised regularly, and this will protect me.


Absolutely not! Even professional sportspersons have suffered from heart disease, thanks to a sedentary lifestyle later on their lives. Exercise is like a current account, and you cannot hope to bank on what you deposited years ago. You need to exercise sensibly and regularly, at least three times a week for 20-30 minutes. The exercise should make you breathe harder, while still being able to talk. There is convincing evidence that regular, sensible exercise training can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, even after a heart attack.


Heart disease runs in my family, so there is little I can do to avoid heart problems.


Not necessarily so! It may be the bad habits that are the culprits. They may have been followed for many years within a family.


I will know when my heart condition gets worse - I will have chest pains.


This is not necessarily the case. Studies have shown that up to 10 per cent of all middle-aged men can suffer from a condition called silent ischaemia. This means that your heart is not getting enough oxygen, but you are not aware of it. So it is best to keep in touch with your doctor, and to keep a check on your cardiac health.


Worries about heart diseases are over after undergoing a heart surgery (angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery).


Definitely not true! If you follow the same bad habits that originally allowed you to develop heart disease, then you may damage the heart again.


The author is a cardiologist and Director, Cardiovascular and the Sciences, at the Apollo Hospital, Margao

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Conconi Test explanation

Conconi test


Conconi test (1976) is a greatly useful test made during sport, which allows to measure athlete’s aerobic power, even though it doesn’t give information about their aerobic capacity. It might be helpful in the choice of the most profitable competition and training rhythm and in order to estimate changings due to the training itself. The test is based on the following elements: during an exercise O2 consumption increases proportionally to the performance; once the limit of one’s aerobic power is achieved, O2 consumption curve flattens.

This value is the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) Once achieved the VO2max, working muscles consume nearly 90% of the inhaled oxygen which, at such effort levels, might be even 1000 times more than that used by muscles at rest.


Conconi test is used mainly in endurance sports to establish the capability of making an effort without accumulating lactic acid (aerobic power). Identifying when an athlete starts to accumulate lactic acid is useful for many sports. From a practical point of view, it consists in subjecting the athlete to progressively increasing efforts while measuring their heart beats. Athlete’s speed is also measured by the formula speed= space/time. Obtained data are plotted in a Cartesian graph with the achieved speed on the ascissa and the value of the heart rate at different speeds on the ordinate. Joining the points an ascending line is obtained, rising up to the deflection point. This point indicates the running speed that an athlete can achieve without going into acidosis. A trained athlete will be able to keep such speed even for an hour. The test also gives information about which should be the rhythm of athlete’s training to improve their aerobic power. Passing the speed indicated by the deflection point means passing the aerobic threshold and entering the anaerobic one. That is, when lactic acid production is such that the draining system turns ineffective and accumulation follows. During training these data might be useful depending on the type of effort generally made:


- in case of fast short race (1000m x 10-12; 2000m x 5-6) recommended speed is that included between the anaerobic threshold and a 3% inferior speed (e.g. threshold=20 km/h, training between 20 and 19.4);


- in case of non-stop race at medium rhythm (45-90 minutes) speed should be included between 85% and 90% of anaerobic threshold (according to the previous example, speed should be between 17 and 18 km/h).


Traslated by Manuela Mercurio

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

Xeno in the News, congratulations to Juliana Strarcevich

Cal recruits Lassen High grad

Posted on Monday, June 20 @ 15:18:10 PDT

It isn't everyday that a gal from Lassen County has the opportunity to be recruited by a PAC 10 team in a sport that is not even on the high school roster or even part of the community's sports world.


By Barbara France

News Editor

But Juliana Starcevich, who graduated Friday, June 10, sharing class valedictorian status with Stevie Hodge and Allison Beckwith, will row for University of California Berkeley. A newcomer to the sport, her rowing ability began as a member of the Lassen Aquatics Swim Team under the tutelage of Tony Jonas.


Starcevich credits Jonas with building her mental toughness. Xeno Muller, an Olympic gold and silver medallist in rowing, evaluated Starcevich as a potential rower last fall and commented to Cal's head coach of the women's rowing team Dave O'Neill that Starcevich is "mentally tough and looking for challenges."


Starcevich commended Jonas, "Tony is a great coach. He demanded that I work hard on becoming a better swimmer but was also helping me to improve as a competitor in every area of my life."


Starcevich was recruited by seven Division I colleges and universities to be a member of their women's rowing teams but she said she was impressed by their coaching staff, academic standing and the chance to be on an NCAA champion team.


She said she attended a rowing camp last year and was told she had natural talent.


For the full story, see the June 14 Lassen County Times.

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.

UK indoor rowing fund raiser

FUNDRAISER TACKLES MILLION METRE ROW
By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire
SPORT Million Sheffield, Today, 12:39pm
A dedicated fundraiser was today celebrating after completing a gruelling bid to row a million metres in aid of the Sheffield Children's Hospital charity.

Charles Bradley-Smith, from Sothall, has raised more than £5,000 by rowing a million metres during May on an indoor rowing machine.

The money, which is still being collected through sponsorship, will be used to pay for two rehabilitation chairs in the neurology department, costing £2,500 each.

A donation will also be made to Cancer Research UK at the Weston Park Hospital on Whitham Road.

Charles started the challenge on May 1 and completed an average of 32,000 metres a day at a range of venues, including the Sam Jones Gym, Ponds Forge and Eckington Leisure Centre, to reach his target on May 31.

Charles, team manager at Sheffield company Outokumpo Stainless, said: "I am absolutely delighted to have completed the Million Metre Challenge and raised such a substantial amount for two very worthwhile charities.

"It is something I have wanted to do for many years now and have been in training since January to make sure I was fit enough to succeed."

Julie Harrington, director of Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity, said :``We are thrilled that Charles decided to support us by completing the Million Metre Challenge.

"It is a fantastic achievement and the new rehabilitation chairs will make a massive difference to our young patients."

Donations can still be made towards the Million Metre Challenge online at www.justgiving.com/millionmetrerow

Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity exists to support and enhance the services of Sheffield Children's NHS Trust and its reputation as a centre of excellence for the research, prevention, care and cure of childhood illnesses.

If you would like to raise money for the charity call 0114 2717203. To find out more visit www.sheffieldchildrenshospital.org.uk









"

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.