1 aspect of training as I prepare for Ironman Wisconsin 2009 is improving my power to weight ratio. During Lance Armstrong's run to 7 straight TDF championships, one of the main things that set him apart from his main rivals was his superior power to weight ratio on steep mountain climbs. In other words, his relationship between his maximum sustainable pedaling power output and his body weight was greater than his competitors. That gave him a number of advantages, one being the ability to pull away when gradients of hills increased(
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6121). What can I learn from Lance? How can I increase my own power to weight ratio? The first and easiest way is to lower my body weight. Specifically, I need to be about 167 LBS while retaining all of my leg strength and power by next September. I currently weigh about 178. The other way to improve my ratio is to increase my maximum sustainable pedaling power. This can be acomplished by strength intervals (at varied cadences) while pushing larger gears on my Bike Trainer. Also something I will be doing to increase overall leg strength is lower body strength training. The idea
in my mind is to have a combination Schwarzenegger type leg strength while being disgustingly lean. This would make for a nasty combination to combat the hills of Ironman Wisconsin.
To take a step back for a second, I do realize that leg strength alone is useless in an Ironman type of endurance event without the ability to push the pedals for a very long time (IE. endurance). But when combining a very strong power to weight ratio with superior endurance, those are ingredients for a very strong Ironman bike leg. This type of training is inspired by Iowa Wrestling Coach Tom Brands.
I want to produce the very best product to race the Ironman in September. In order to do this, I must leave no stone unturned. Tom Brands once described the ideal training peak and mindset for his wrestlers as "Bulletproof". That is the idea I have in mind for my training and condition this September.
With the Idea of power to weight ratio in my head, here was my workout for today:
Lift- Squats= 220 x 12reps
- Front Squats= 105 x 12reps
- Dumbell Dead Lifts= 56(each hand) x 15reps
- Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls= body wt x 25reps
- One Legged Calf Extensions= body wt x 12reps
Bike Trainer
One of the bread and butter workouts for a triathlete is the "brick". A brick is doing a combination of bike, then run, then possibly even repeating for a "pile of bricks". This is a way of training your legs and mind to become accustomed to running after biking. For someone who has never done a triathlon before, it can be a little difficult. For someone who is not trained, it can feel a little bit like running on a moving bus. The legs can feel uncoordinated, tight, heavy, and unbalanced.
