Find the best deals on the internet for used treadmills. Used treadmills can be found on web sites as Ebay and other market places for used products. But, there are a lot of other very good sites that are selling treadmills to low prices.

As Wikipedia says, a treadmill is an exercise machine for running or walking while staying in one place. There are more advantages of a treadmill than the fact that you can stay in one place while running. For runners with bad knees a treadmill is sometimes a good complement to running outside. The reason for this is that a treadmill has a rubber band on which you are running. Since this band has a lot of elasticity, the running is very smooth and it saves your knees.

But normally the treadmills are used by runners that are living in cold regions, to be able to run in the winter where it might be to slippery or cold outside. Other runners are living in the middle of a large town, as Shanghai, where it is impractical to run outside. Or it is dark when you want to run.

Since new treadmills can be quite expensive, when buying your first treadmill a used treadmill could be a good investment. They are normally much cheaper than the newer ones and you can find them easily on the internet. Of course Ebay is the larges market place for used items, and this is correct also for used treadmills.

But even if you are buying the treadmill on the internet, it is advisable to take a look on the treadmill before actually paying for it.

Some general points when buying a treadmill:

- Make sure the motor is silent. If you are going to use the treadmill in a flat or the living room, you have to make sure the motor is silent. Otherwise other people will not want you to use the treadmill, which can be quite counterproductive.

- The treadmill should have a deck long enough for you to run with full strides on it. This can oftenly turn out to be a problem. If the treadmill is to short, you won’t be happy with it. Therefore check out on the length already before buying it.

- Check on the motor that it is ok. It should not only be silent. It should be in good order. Otherwise you will probably become problems with it.

Trail running is a discipline that is growing faster and faster. More and more people realize how great it is to run in the nature. Trail running means you are not dependent on roads and civilization. You can practise it practically everywhere.

Trail running can be done on flatland as well as in the mountains. In the woods or on open fields. It can be done everywhere.

To be able to practise it safely you need trail running shoes. There are several different brands on the market today and on the top is New Balance trail running shoes.

The New Balance trail running shoes are stable, have exactly the right amount of damping for trail running, and the look great. New Balance has invested a lot of money in research and this is all incorporated in the new New Balance trail running shoes.

New Balance trail running shoes for women are also a big success. They make sure that also women can run comfortly and safely on trails.

Since trail running is winning more and more practisioners, shoes for trail running is becoming more and more important. The shoes makes sure that you can run safe on uneven ground. They also have a different damping as normal street shoes, since the underground has more damping in itself as normal asphalt has.

New Balance Trail Running Shoes are the right choice if you want a pair of shoes that are especially built for trail running.

Finally, Garmin has now with the new Garmin Forerunner 405 succeded in putting their outstanding GPS technology into a nice looking sport watch. This watch, or GPS, is sleek enough to be worn while exercising as well as at work.

The Garmin Forerunner 405 sends your training data wirelessly to your computer and it has a touch bezel which makes the usage of this watch a lot easier as with its predecessors. There is no need to fumble with any buttons any more.

Like the Garmin Forerunner 205 or 305 this new Forerunner measures distance, speed, time, calories burned and heart rate. It has a highly sensitive GPS receiver which makes it possible to use it on trails in the wood or in the city where skyscrapers normally are a problem for GPS watches.

Interesting for runners is that it has an optional foot pod. That makes sure, that even when the sattelite reception is very bad, you won’t loose any valuable data. It also makes it possible to use it indoors, still measuring distance and speed.

The Forerunner 405 is available with or without a heart rate monitor and in two different colors.

All of Garmin’s new fitness devices (Garmin 405, Edge 605 and 705 and Forerunner 50 heart rate monitor) interface wirelessly with devices compatible with the “ANT + Sport” protocol. This includes devices from other manufacturers as well.

The Garmin 405 will automatically transfer your training data to your computer when the Forerunner is in range. Wireless.

For cyclists there is an optional speed and cadence bike sensor to measure how fast and how far you are going on the bike.

As of today, this is probably the most complete training watch there is.

Losing weight is one of the toughest endeavors of life. It requires rigorous discipline, will lpower and an understanding of what’s actually going on inside your body. If you really want to lose weight, you need to take the guess work out of your fitness regime with Polar F11 heart rate monitor. Though Polar has many heart rate monitors like Polar S725X, Polar F4 and many more, Polar F11 is the best amongst all Polar products.

If you want to burn fat then there are two options. You can either jog for every 10 minutes and then check your pulse rate to see if you are meeting your optimum heart rate. However, that will slow down your heart rate every time you stop. Hence, the next best method is to monitor your heart rate using Polar F11 heart rate monitor.
Though there are a variety of heart rate monitors in the market, Polar F11 has a number of features which make it one of the best heart rate monitors around. Here are some of the features of Polar F11 heart rate monitor:

1) Size and resolution: The Polar F11 heart rate monitor has a great and clear resolution. The screen is large hence you don’t need to squint to see the figures. A mere glance at the monitor will tell you your heart rate.

2) Accuracy: Polar F11 heart rate monitor is completely accurate and dependable. The accuracy and dependability of this heart rate monitor will ensure that you meet your weight loss and work out goals with optimum efficiency and accuracy.

3) Strength and Durability: As I’m sure you’ll agree, a heart rate monitor would be of little use to you if it weren’t durable enough to withstand the elements. After all, while some will only use it when the go walking, others want to use their even when scaling mountains.

4) Comfort: You don’t need a heart rate monitor which is not comfortable on your wrist and keeps troubling or distracting you, do you? Polar F11 is so light that you may even forget that it’s on your wrist.

5) Guidance System: Unique to the Polar F11 is a personal guidance system known as, “Polar Keep U Fit”. Essentially, this system helps you track your progress as you start closing in on your fitness goals.

6) Calories: In addition to measuring your heart rate, the Polar F11 has a built-in function for calculating the amount of calories being used, either on a per session basis, or over a period of multiple sessions.

7) Water resistance: Polar F11 has a water resistance feature which up to 100 feet.

No Interference: The Wear Link Code which is essentially a soft fabric transmitter prevents the heart rate monitor from picking up interference from other monitors and etc, should you be in a crowded area such as a gym.

9) Polar F11 has a two years warranty from the manufacturer as well.

Suggested reading:
Garmin Forerunner 405
Polar RS800CX Review
Polar RS400CX Review
Polar F11 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Blue Glow, New Design)

At least here in Germany, the sport of triathlon is growing quite fast. More and more people want to get involved in it and this is also seen on the competitions. By some competitions, it is today very difficult getting a starting slot. Frankfurt Ironman is one of those. The last years, it was almost impossible to get a slot. For 3 years ago all starting slots were sold in about one week. Last year it took only 12 hours.

Triathlon training

What is the reason that makes triathlon such a popular sport? Here is a list of some of the advantages of triathlon:

Test your limits
In triathlon you have an excellent opportunity to test your limits. There are races for up to 10 times the Ironman distance.
You can decide to do a triathlon as fast as possible or if you like to, you can decide to do an ultra event as the Ironman and just try to finish it. Or, of course, you can try to qualify for the Ironman World Championship – Ironman Hawaii.

Allround training
Due to the fact that triathlon consists of three disciplines, your body will get a thorough training. Swimming, cycling and running train the whole body. Another good thing about doing several disciplines is that you can train a lot without increased risk for injury. Professional triathletes train as much as 40 hours per week. That would be impossible for runners or cyclists.

Variation
Also due to the fact that triathlon consists of three disciplines, you automatically enjoy variation. If you on one day don’t like running, you can always cycle or swim. If the weather is too bad for a bike tour, you can go to the nearest indoor pool and swim. Other sports talk about cross training. Triathlon is cross training.

If you want a sport that really can challenge you, try triathlon!

The Polar RS400sd is the perfect heart rate monitor for runners that want to improve their perfomance through the use of science in their training.

The Polar RS400 has one of the largest displays on the market. It also can measure your running speed and distance to help you with your training.

The Polar RS400sd heart rate monitor measures heart rate, running speed, and distance. Of course it also calculates other things like calories burned, time in different heart rate zones and much more.

Here are some of the function of this heart rate monitor:

Batteries
Polar has finally made sure it is possible for you to change the batteries in this heart rate monitor. You don’t have to go to a watch store to have it done any more.

Polar OwnOptimizer
This is a function that only Polar heart rate monitors have. It makes it possible to monitor if you are over training or under training. The heart rate variability is used to calculate the index of the current training load.

Polar Running Index
This is a function only available in the new Polar RS series. The Running Index takes into account your running speed in comparison to your heart rate. Through reviewing your Running Index over a period of time you can see your increase in performance and fitness.

Polar OwnIndex
Polar has found out that resting heart rate tests can calculate your approximate VO2 max. They have done a lot of tests on different persons to validate and design this test. The Polar rs400sd includes a possibility to view the fitness trend graphically.

Polar OwnZone
Polar OwnZone is a function that let’s you calculate your own training zone intensities automatically. The training zone will generally be about 65 – 85 % of Max HR.

Polar OwnCal
This is the well known calorie expenditure calculation that almost all Polar heart rate monitors have.

Difference to RS800
The main differences to the RS800 are stride length, running cadence and altimeter. These functions are all found in the rs800 but not in the rs400.

Suggested post:
Garmin Forerunner 405

Are you serious about running or about your Ironman training?
The Polar RS800CX will help you plan, monitor and analyse everything about your training. It is one of the most hightech hrms there is today. It helps you train at the right intensity. You can choose between heart rate or running speed as measurement of intensity.

The RS800 CX measures heart rate, running speed, cadence, distance and average stride length. Of course it also calculates other things like calories burned, time in different heart rate zones and much more.
It also gives you the possibility to check your fitness level through some tests. The tests should be taken at rest. I have tried the fitness tests myself many times, and I have also compared them to fitness tests done in the laboratory. The tests done with the RS800CX are very exact in comparison to the lab-tests. Error rate of a few percent only.

Another interesting function of the RS800CX is that it can tell you if you are resting enough. It will tell you if you should increase or decrease your training or if it’s already optimal.

Suggested reading:
Garmin Forerunner 405
Polar RS800CX Run Heart Rate Monitor Watch with S3 Stride Sensor W.I.N.D.
Polar RS800CX Multi Sport Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D.

Tight hips is a very common problem today. This results in back pain and other problems. Practising yoga can help you make your hips more flexible.

Yoga today is a very good web site, showing a lot of different yoga postures and they also have done a video about hip openers. I really recommend taking a look at this video and I even more recommend doing the postures. This will guaranteed give you a better position on the bike and will also help you with your running technique.

Today I will show you 7 standing yoga postures (asanas) that help runners, cyclists and triathletes to stretch their leg muscles.

If you are doing a lot of running or cycling, it is also probable that you have stiff legs. This stiffness in the legs, ranging from the foot up to the gluteus maximus, can be the cause of different problems as for instance the iliotibial band syndrome. Other problems that can arise from stiff leg muscles are back problems. Please refer to my post about iliotibial band problems for more information about that specific problem.

If you haven’t got any yoga experience or if you have just started with yoga, these asanas are a great start for getting more flexible leg muscles.
I have chosen to write the english name as well as the sanskrit name to make it easier for you to find videos or pictures of the postures on the web. I recommend looking at youtube for instructions on how to do the bends.

When your legs are more flexible, they can perform with less resistance. It will be possible to run or cycle more efficient. It will also help you to avoid overuse injuries as iliotibial band syndrome.
I have noticed that when I started doing yoga or stretching, I didn’t get any knee pains anymore. At first I was very stiff and couldn’t really get into the postures without it hurting a bit, but after a few weeks I noticed big improvements. Just take it easy with the postures. Don’t overdo it. Let it take it’s time. You will gain flexibility and when you do it carefully, you won’t get injured during the training.

The postures (asanas) that I suggest for the beginning are the following seven:

1. Standing forward bend (Uttanasana): This is an excellent pose to extend your hamstrings. It will stretch your gluteus maximus, medius and minimus as well as your spinal muscles too. Precaution is to be made by people with back injury. These people should approach this bend very cautiously. It is important to let gravity do the work, don’t push your body into the pose. If your hamstrings are very tight, bend your knees. That will make the stretch better.

2. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I): Warrior I is a very good posture to stretch you hip flexors, which is a weak point in many runners and cyclists. It increases flexibility in the hips, back and front groins.

3. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): As in Warrior I this posture stretches the hip joints and opens the groins and it also stretches the inner thigh muscles.

4. Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana): This is a good following pose of Warrior II. It stretches the back side of the legs and opens the groin. At the same time it also stretches the upper body.

5. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): This is a follow up of the Warrior I pose. Works the side body and the hips.

6. Intense side stretch (Parsvottanasana): This is another very good stretch for your hamstrings and it will also increase the flexibility in your gluteus maximus. This posture is more intense in the hamstrings than the standing forward bend.

7. Wide stance forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana): This posture is sometimes also called wide-legged forward fold and is related to the standing forward bend. The difference is that the feet are wide apart in this posture. This posture is also a very good stretch for your hamstring and the gluteus maximus.

In every of these 7 postures remain for five deep breaths in position. If you do these poses regularly they will give you much more flexibility in your legs and they will open your groin and hips. I recommend doing them at least 3 times a week. When you have done them for about 2 months we can go to the next level.

If you get more interested in yoga and want to learn more poses, please read my review of The athlete’s guide to yoga or have a look at the books and dvds I have collected for you.

The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga – A Personalized Practice for Strength, Flexibility, and Focus featuring Sage Rountree Endurance Films, 120 min, 2008

This is the companion DVD to the excellent book The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga by Sage Rountree. Sage Rountree is an endurance athlete, racing triathlons up to half-Ironman, and a registered yoga teacher. In this DVD she presents 20 different yoga sequences which will help you becoming a better triathlete.

With the DVD you have the possibility to choose from three preset sequences — Strength, Flexibility and Focus, or you can develop a customized routine selecting up to 12 of the following sequences:

• Centering
• The breath in space
• The breath in time
• Six moves of the spine
• Half salutations and lunges
• Standing balance flow
• Arm balance
• Sun salutations
• Moon salutations
• Lunge series
• Static core work
• Dynamic core work
• Shoulder strap series
• Camel pose
• IT band flow
• Pigeon pose flow
• Hamstring strap series
• Restorative poses
• Corpse pose
• Closing

All postures, asanas, are demonstrated at three levels of intensity. The explanations are straightforward with enough detail to ensure that you can perform the asanas safely at home.
The DVD also has a section for the frequent problem areas of endurance athletes. These are:

Building core strength, Stretching the shoulders, Opening the hips and Encouraging recovery.

The target group for this DVD is athletes, including triathletes, that want to increase their strength and flexibility to reduce chance of injury and recover faster. Above all it’s well suited for athletes that have no possibility joining a yoga class. Since the postures are very well explained, this is a good start even for beginners of yoga. And of course it can also be used by athletes merely wanting to discover some new stretching routines.

The DVD is very well made and offers a good start in the world of yoga. It is especially well suited for endurance athletes and also has suggestions for solving some of the frequent problems in endurance athletes, e.g. the IT band problem. For those people, especially interesting is the sequence Opening the hips.

If you want more information about the postures in this DVD and about yoga in general, I sincerely recommend buying the companion book The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga.

The DVD and the book can also be bought here:

Iliotibial band syndrome, or Iliotibial band friction syndrome as it is also called, is one of the most frequent overuse knee problems in athletes. Especially runners and cyclists suffer from this problem.
In my earlier post knee pain it band syndrome treatment prevention I described what ITBS is, how to treat it and how to prevent it. In 8 yoga poses for removing or preventing knee pain it band I showed some Yoga postures that work good if you are suffering from Iliotibial band syndrome.
In this post I direct you to a few products that can help you to recover and prevent IT band problems. I hope to be able to help you with these posts and those product directions. If you have any other suggestions or information, please tell me and I will include this information in the blog as well.

Here is a list of some books that I find useful for getting more information about ITBS. There are also some books that help preventing it.

DVD:

Other products:

As a triathlete, runner or cyclist you probably know somebody with knee pain. Knee problems are very common in this group of people and the leading knee problem is the Iliotibial band syndrome (ITB) or Iliotibial band friction syndrome as it is also called. Typically people suffering from ITB are feeling a diffuse pain in the knee. Sometimes there is also a painful, sharp localized discomfort nearby the knee joint.

The Iliotibial band is a tough band of tissue running along the thigh bone. It starts at the hip and ends on the shinbone, shortly beneath the knee joint. Until recently it was believed that by flexing and extending the leg, the IT band was rubbing against the thigh bone, nearby the knee joint. This rubbing would cause friction and the friction would make the Iliotibial band sore. This soreness would be the cause of the pain.
Recently, researcher have found out that the IT band is not rubbing at all (Fairclough et al.). The cause for the pain is rather due to a pressure from the IT band on a fatty tissue. This fatty tissue is placed between the IT band and the knee joint and in this tissue there are a lot of nerves, which when stressed will give you a feeling of pain. The pressure coming from the IT band is build up through flexing and extending the leg.
With this new understanding of the biomechanics of the Iliotibial band syndrome it has become clear that to reduce the tension on the Iliotibial band you have to reduce the tension in the muscles connecting to it. That is primarily the gluteus maximus, the biggest muscle of the buttocks, and the tensor fasciae latae which is a muscle of the thigh.
You can reduce the tension through stretching and strengthening them. The stretching exercises I proposed in my last post 8 Yoga poses for removing or preventing knee pain (IT band) could help you with that.

Typical symptoms of Iliotibial band syndrome are:

• Pain just above the knee joint
• Swelling or thickening of the IT band over the lateral femoral epicondyle
• Pain at the hip (mostly elderly and pregnant)
• Diffuse pain in knee area
• Painful, sharp localized discomfort at the lateral femoral epicondyle
• Clicking – it feels as if the IT band tightens and snaps across the joint

Typical causes for IT band syndrome are:

• Increasing distance too quickly
• Excessive downhill running
• Cycling with the feet toed-in to an excessive angle
• Running on a crowned surface
• Uneven leg length
• Bowlegs
• Weak hip abductor muscles

Typical treatment of ITBS are (non-surgical):

• Putting ice on the sore spot
• Stretching
• Massage
• Rest
• Hip abductor strengthening

For those of you who haven’t got a problem with the IT band, the following methods could help preventing it:

• Stretching (ITB, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles)
• Strengthening of quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles and hip abductors
• Gradually increasing training volume
• Avoid running downhill
• Rest
• Shorten your stride
• Using a correct sit position on the bike

If you want to prevent, cure or get a better understanding of ITBS, you might want to take a look the following products that I have put together for you: Products aimed at ITBS.
References:

Cosca DD, et al.; Common problems in endurance athletes; Am Fam Physician. 2007 Jul 15;76(2):237-44
Devan MR, et al.; A prospective study of overuse knee injuries among female athletes with muscle imbalances and structural abnormalities; J Athl Train. 2004 Jul-Sep; 39(3): 263-267
Ellis R, et al.; Iliotibial band friction syndrome — a systematic review; Man Ther. 2007 Aug;12(3):200-8
Fairclough J, et al.;Is iliotibial band syndrome really a friction syndrome?; J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Apr;10(2):74-6
Fairclough J, et al.; The functional anatomy of the iliotibial band during flexion and extension of the knee: implications for understanding iliotibial band syndrome; J Anat. 2006 Mar;208(3):309-16
Farrell KC, et al.; Force and repetition in cycling: possible implications for iliotibial band friction syndrome; Knee. 2003 Mar;10(1):103-9
Fredericson M, et al.;Practical management of iliotibial band friction syndrome in runners; Clin J Sport Med. 2006 May;16(3):261-8
Fredricson M, et al.; Iliotibial band syndrome in runners: innovations in treatment; Sports Med. 2005;35(5):451-9
Grau S, et al.; Hip abductor weakness is not the cause for iliotibial band syndrome; Int J Sports Med. 2008 Jul;29(7):579-83
Hamill J, et al.; A prospective study of iliotibial band strain in runners; Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2008 Oct;23(8):1018-25
Khaund R, et al.; Iliotibial band syndrome: a common source of knee pain; Am Fam Physician. 2005 Apr 15;71(8):1545-50
Miller RH, et al.; Lower extremity mechanics of iliotibial band syndrome during an exhaustive run; Gait Posture. 2007 Sep;26(3):407-13
Paluska SA; An overview of hip injuries in running; Sports Med. 2005;35(11):991-1014
Tibor LM, et al.; Differential diagnosis of pain around the hip joint; Arthroscopy. 2008 Dec;24(12):1407-21
Wanich T, et al.; Cycling injuries of the lower extremity; J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2007 Dec;15(12):748-56

One of the most common knee problems by athletes is the Iliotibial band syndrome, also known as IT-Band syndrome. This is a well known complication by runners and cyclists. The IT-Band is a thick band of tissues running from the pelvis, along the hip, down the outside of the thigh, around the outside of the knee, and to the tibia. If you have this problem you will feel pain on the outside of the knee. It is common, that you get the problems when you are running and later you might also have the same problems walking.

To prevent this, there are a few IT band Yoga-poses available. If you don’t want to do yoga, you can still use these poses simply for stretching. That’s really what you need to prevent problems with the IT-Band.
If you want an explanation of the poses below, you can find most of them on Youtube. Or you can also find them explained in The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga: An Integrated Approach to Strength, Flexibility, and Focus.

The following poses are known to be good for preventing IT-Band problems:

• Square
• Cow face forward fold
  
• Pigeon
• Outer hamstring twist
• Outer thigh twist
• Half lord of the fishes twist
• Cross-legged reclining twist
• Frog legged pose

For more reading about Yoga and Triathlon please visit The triathletes 9 reasons for doing Yoga or Yoga and Triathlon.

You also might want to take a look at this podcast from Sage Rountree.  She shows you how to do some very efficient exercises to prevent you from getting an IT band problem. Here you can find a review of her Yoga DVD the athlete’s guide to yoga.

Here is an article with more information about ITBS and here is a link to a post showing some products for ITBS.

As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, “what should I concentrate on?” So, I came up with a “top ten” list of steps to improving your swim for a triathlon. These aren’t necessarily in any order, but should go a long way in helping you achieve your goals, whether you are a beginner or trying to go pro.

1. Hand Entry. Slice your hand into the water right about at your goggle line, and drive it forward. Many swimmers attempt to get as much “air time” as possible by reaching the hand out before entering into the water, but it is actually more efficient to go through the water with your hand as you rotate from one side to the other.

2. Head Position. Keep looking straight down when swimming freestyle. It’s important to keep your head down with only a small part of the back of your head out of the water. Also, as you rotate through the water, try not to move your head with the rest of your body rotation.

3. Pull. In freestyle, your hands should pull all the way back past your hips. The last part of the stroke before recovery (arms coming out of the water) should be an acceleration behind you, and not up out of the water.

4. Kick. Try minimizing your kick as you train for swimming. Most people will kick extra hard to make up for lack of balance in the water. Minimizing your kick will allow you to improve your balance, as well as conserve energy.

5. Training Intensity. The best way to measure your training intensity is to count your heart rate immediately after each swim. You can estimate your heart rate by counting your pulse rate for six seconds immediately after each swim. Add a zero to this count, and you will have your approximate exercise heart rate per minute.

6. Master’s Swimming. Move to a slower lane to work on stroke improvement. If you belong to a masters team, don’t feel that you always need to keep up with your lanemates at every workout. Masters teams typically have many people with many different swimming goals. It’s important to do your own thing! Remember that technique comes before all else and if this means swallowing a little pride to make improvements, just think of how much faster you will be for this in the long run.

7. Habit: Keep your arm from crossing over.
One of the most common bad habits I see in swimmers is the arm crossing over to the opposite side on the pull. Breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing over, breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing. Often times this happens when one goes to breath, but sometimes it’s caused just from over-rotating. To avoid this, make sure your head isn’t moving with the rest of your body, and try to pull more in a straight line (still bending the elbow) and ending the pull on the same side you started (i.e. right hand slices into the water, pulls back and hand ends up near right hip).

8. Keep the Feel. If swimming is your toughest sport, it is important to “keep the feel” for the water, and get in the water at least every other day (no, showers and baths don’t count!) This way, your body maintains its kinesthetic awareness of being balanced in water.

9. Work Those Lungs. Mix in some hypoxic training sets into your workouts. For example, do a set of 4×100’s breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25, with 15 seconds rest in between each 100. Your lungs will thank you for it towards the end of the swim part of your race!

10. Work Your Weakness. In the sport of triathlon, most coaches agree that you should spend the most time working on your weakest of the three sports. For many of you this will be swimming! Within swimming, the same concept applies. Spend the most time working on the weakest part of your stroke. If balancing on your side is an issue, do some kicking drills on your side. If moving your head is a problem, focus on head position most of the time.
Whatever it is, you will gain the most by spending your pool time improving on that weakness.

Kevin Koskella coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website http://www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled “The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming” which is sold on his website in downloadable form.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Here are my 9 reasons for doing Yoga:

Better bike economy: With increased flexibility it is possible to use a more aerodynamic profile on the bike.

Better run economy: When the muscles and joints are flexible, the muscles are not trying to contradict your work. (In the martial arts, this is already known. Therefore in e.g. Karate it is very important to be flexible, so that the force you are using to do a movement also goes 100 % into that movement.)

Swim technic: When your shoulders are stiff, it’s not possible to do a perfect swim stroke.

Reduced risk of injury: Increased flexibility can reduce the risk of injury

Whole body strength: By using e.g. Power Yoga it is possible to increase your body strength. There are actually a lot of poses in Yoga that are building strength.

Balance: A lot of Yoga poses improve your balance

Recovery: There are e.g. poses for removing lactic acid from your legs after a hard workout. Yoga can really help to recover

Mental focus: In Yoga you have to learn to concentrate and to focus. This is an attribute that could prove very helpful.

Mental endurance: Some poses are not very comfortable. When you sit a prolonged time in one of these, you are at the same time increasing your mental endurance. This could also prove very helpful.

See also Yoga and Triathlon