Triathletes in motion

368 Pages·2014·35.907 MB·English

by  Marc Evans, Jane M Cappaert

Triathletes in Motion
Marc Evans
Jane M. Cappaert, PhD
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Evans, Marc, 1953-
Triathletes in motion / Marc Evans, Jane Cappaert, PhD.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Triathlon--Training. I. Title.
GV1060.73.E94 2014
796.42'57--dc23
2013045504
ISBN-10: 1-4504-3220-4 (print)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4504-3220-7 (print)
Copyright © 2014 by Marc Evans; Jane M. Cappaert, PhD; and Kevin Bigley
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Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased Triathletes in
Motion: pp. 16, 28, 50, 67, 218, 220, 223, 226, 227, 229, 231, 261, 263, 264, 310, 314, 316, 321, 325. The reproduction of other
parts of this book is expressly forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Triathletes in
Motion may not reproduce any material.
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Triathletes in Motion
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
1 Foundations of
Triathlon Performance 1
2 Principles of Triathlon
Training 39
3 Assessing Posture 57
4 Assessing Movement 115
iv
5 Assessing and
Strengthening the Core 163
6 Analyzing and Improving
Swimming Technique 199
7 Analyzing and Improving
Cycling Technique 239
8 Analyzing and Improving
Running Technique 275
Appendix 333
Index 339
About the Authors 355
v

Acknowledgments
After finishing and presenting the 150-page Unique to this book are the sidebars by
outline to my publisher, I asked Jane Cappaert Chrissie Wellington, Dave Scott, Torbjorne
to come on board—not to write the book per Sindballe, Sarah Groff, and Mark Allen.
se but to validate the complete book and be a They brought forth original and meaningful
strategic collaborator. She did this with excep- material. In every instance, they took on their
tional intelligence, expertise, and timeliness. I uncompensated assignments earnestly and
met Jane when I was the USA Triathlon head professionally.
coach and at the Olympic Training Center No less important are the models for the
in Colorado Springs in the early 1990s. Jane techniques, tests, and exercises. I wanted
was the director of biomechanics for USA photos of open-water ocean swimming, and
Swimming at the Center for Aquatic Research. world-record holder Karlyn Pipes (photo-
Her published work and our discussions graphed by Dana Richardson) flawlessly
were influential for the Speedo contour and demonstrated the techniques presented in the
swim foil training paddles that I invented book. Professional athletes Ryan and Maia
and patented with engineer Peter Cazalet. Ignatz were a picture-perfect combination
For my second book, Endurance Athlete’s Edge for running images in the unique way I envi-
(Human Kinetics), Jane confirmed the energy sioned. Last, but not least, are the models for
system and training methods I put forward. the movement and stability exercises and tests:
Her expertise in swimming biomechanics is Alison, Ariel, Carley, Cory, and Courtenay. I
based on her highly regarded published work am grateful for their patient help and ability
as a researcher and scientist. During many to take direction with such kindness.
conversations and edits of this manuscript, From Human Kinetics Publishers, develop-
Jane was pivotal in facilitating my themes mental editor Laura Pulliam and photographer
chapter by chapter. Her contributions to this Neil Bernstein were unbelievably supportive
book exceeded every expectation. and professional; they deserve my most sin-
Kevin Bigley is one of the most knowledge- cere thanks. Laura was professional and opti-
able physical therapists I have worked with. mistic, and she demonstrated at every step that
Kevin has an easygoing manner and a keen eye she understood how meaningful I wanted this
for movement assessment and function and book to be. Graphic designer Nancy Rasmus
exercise remedies. He thoroughly appreciates was outstanding as was graphic artist Tara
the importance of individual assessment. His Welsch, both helping make the text, exercise
experience in evaluating movement, mus- photos, and illustrations accessible. Finally,
culoskeletal injury, and biomechanics and Consumer division director Jason Muzinic and
prescribing state-of-the-art exercise remedies acquisitions editor Tom Heine were on board
is outstanding. Working through my original early, and their overall comperehension and
movement and assessment outlines, Kevin leadership is sincerely appreciated.
established the best approach for individual A project of this scale doesn’t get done
assessments that are a central part of this book. without a lot of quiet moments. It has taken
vii
viii Acknowledgments
literally thousands of hours. However, I have care, integrity, patience, friendship, and love
over the years thought a lot about whom and have meant the world to me.
how to thank certain individuals. Now, at this Make all of your movements in sport and
moment, I know the best way to do that is indi- life better than the last.
vidually and privately. Their encouragement, Marc Evans
Introduction
More than 30 years ago a unique career individualization. This is the basis on which
emerged. I became the first coach of triath- all other levels of training are constructed
lon. There were no established standards for because no two athletes are alike. Training
training triathletes. Almost all knowledge was must be based on these four components:
gained firsthand. Shaping my philosophies movement, mobility, stability, and technique.
were several dog-eared textbooks on physi- Your posture, movement (joint mobility and
ology, swimming technique, and science. I flexibility), core stability, and technique must
depended on those to help me form a basis be the functional foundations.
for coaching triathletes. In this book you will progress through a
Like the professional, Olympic, ITU, and series of tests and exercises using accurate,
Ironman triathlon coaches of today, I coached controlled, effortless, and smooth (ACES)
a team of pioneering elite triathletes in North- movements and progressions. Ultimately,
ern California. The workouts were volume better functional movement improves skill and
and intensity driven but had another attri- the innovative technique development system,
bute: competition among the triathletes. The body lines (body postures and positions), will
training sessions were often long and intense teach you how to learn cutting-edge tech-
and resulted in successful performances. Still, niques in swimming, cycling, and running.
differences in race outcomes and overuse inju- Together, the Evans Assessment principle is a
ries for some meant more individual attention model where training is based upon a compre-
was needed. hensive and completely individualized evalua-
From the beginning, technique has been tion of movement and stability and combines
my main interest in coaching. As a triathlon the development of technique.
coach, I considered it essential to become Every assessment, test, exercise, and tech-
equally skilled at teaching swimming, cycling, nique includes guidelines for evaluating,
and running. training, teaching, and developing more indi-
Because of this ideology, individual coach- vidualized training. With this book, you or a
ing made sense. Despite developing better coach will evaluate your movement, stability,
ways to coach technique, I was missing and technique, which is a paradigm shift in
something. The underlying limitations in triathlon training and coaching. This new
functional movements were the way in which foundation makes your training program,
they affected technique and ultimately per- workouts, and any coaching philosophy more
formance. Thousands of assessments and relevant to you.
technique lessons have served as the research There are 30 years of examples in triathlon
laboratory influencing the triathlon standards proving why functional movements are ideal.
in this book. Champions such as Mark Allen, Natascha
Triathletes in Motion: Assessing Movement Badmann, Nicola Spirig, Javier Gomez, and
for World-Class Technique and Performance Mirinda Carfrae all demonstrate this. Every
is about the foremost principle of training: one of these world and Olympic champion
ix
x Introduction
triathletes has functional mobility and stability for gauging and achieving normal movement
where they matter most: in the local stabilizers and learning the exercises for improving move-
of the pelvis. The run segment of triathlon ment and stability.
reveals their graceful and powerful symmetry. In chapter 5, core training is approached in
Becoming a better triathlete embodies these a unique way—at the local stabilizing levels.
and other characteristics, the functional foun- Endurance athletes must be able to maintain
dations of training. stability locally (at the joint level) and transfer
Triathletes in Motion begins with the prin- load efficiently from the pelvis for long periods.
ciples of performance. These are the broader Unfortunately, many popular forms of core
structures of training: balance and posture, training miss the mark on this central aspect of
flexibility, mobility, stability, nutrition, psy- training. Performed correctly, deeper core train-
chology, and management of intensity. You ing will result in better stability, load transfer,
will learn how to make a preliminary self-test technique, economy, and resistance to fatigue.
to get a glimpse at your functional movement, Chapters 6, 7, and 8 could be books unto
load transfer, and stability. More in-depth tests themselves. You will explore theories and
come in later chapters. the best learning techniques in swimming,
Chapter 2 establishes the physiological cycling, and running. We describe the mechan-
foundations of triathlon performance: max- ics and phases of movement and techniques as
.
imal oxygen capacity (V O max), lactic acid, well as how to achieve postures and positions
2
economy, cardiac output and stroke volume, (body lines) during movement. Technique
and the energy systems. More theories of exercises and workouts complete each chapter
training and coaching are also examined: and deliver the tools for learning and teaching
fitness, movement, technique, optimization, better movements.
overload, specificity, stimulus, interval, recov- In triathlon, every movement makes a dif-
ery, periodization, tapering, and warm-up. ference and affects performance. This book
Chapter 3 on posture begins the first shows you how to do this better, one athlete
stages of improving movement. One self-test at a time. Triathletes and coaches will develop
and many exercise remedies are given for unique training programs and teach tech-
improving flexibility, joint mobility, and sta- niques in many ways. However, each should
bility. These are organized by asymmetrical be based on the foremost of all the principles:
movements, and exercises are selected based individualization.
on how you fared on the test. You will learn You can shape better results from periodiza-
how to perform the exercises and progress tion models, training workouts, and innovative
by training the right number of sets and reps regimens of coaches. If you evaluate, correct,
(ACES). This field test allows coaches to exam- and train the areas identified with needs, you
ine preliminary movements and stability and will establish a better foundation to build even
make specific recommendations. better performance.
In chapter 4, you will learn how to assess As a former coach and now an educator, I
functional movement and stability even fur- hope this book will help triathletes, coaches,
ther. Even greater individualization is possible and triathlon federations train more func-
using a pass–fail (ACES) process for correcting tionally, economically, effectively, and indi-
movement. This chapter is essential reading vidually.
Marc Evans
Boulder County, Colorado