Our good friend, triathlete, and Yoga instructor Fred Williams in Austin sent us this guest post. Thanks Fred!
Here is a five minute Yoga Interval (or sequence) that can be used daily as a warmup and cooldown before or after other workouts. This interval focuses on extending the core to expand the ribcage but is also a good all around maintenance routine for general flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, calves, and shoulders. And it only takes about five minutes. How cool is that!?
Below is a guest post by ZenTri friend and Coach Matthew Bates. Thanks, Matty B!
I'm sure we have all seen the crazy videos out there filmed with the GoPro cameras. This review will focus mainly on the uses for the modern triathlete and not for crazy hair-bending stunts.
One of the first pieces of advice I was given on filming with the GoPro is that if you aren't doing something amazingly cool, then it will look amazingly boring when you watch it back home. I found this to be supremely true and even more for long distance triathlon. A five minute long video of someone biking down a straight road just isn't very thrilling, especially only going 20 mph. I have found some very good uses for the GoPro for the triathlete, especially the for someone looking for solid video analysis of form swimming, biking and especially running. Below I have included three videos from clips of Coach Brett and I during recent triathlon excursions and what went well and what the video can be used for!
Swim
As you can see with swimming, there were a few angles that worked great and a few that did not at all. The angles from the bottom of the pool were done with a small tripod and while they can be okay sped up, these are no very trilling. The fully waterproof enclosure really shines in the water and the video looks very sharp. The best use for the triathlete is to have a buddy film you swim by. Usually video in filmed in 30 frames per second. The GoPro allows you to film in 60fps, so you can break down your form and really see what is going on.
Bike
I attached the camera to my front aero bars with the bike clamp and shot video straight on and to the side. The hardest part about this was not truly being able to use my aerobars with my left arm for some of these long rides. This is probably the least effective way to use the GoPro, there isn't much form to analyze, the video is pretty boring and alot of the shots are distorted. The worst is the shot of Brett from the back where the sky is extremely trippy. On top of all this, the audio is completely un-usable.
Run
Filming while running is one of the hardest things to do smoothly and the video above has been edited for stabilization. The audio was a bit better as i put on the open back for better sound recording. The best way to use the GoPro running is to set it up on a tripod and film yourself on a treadmill analyzing run form. The video above is admittedly not bright enough and I should have use more lighting. I used it to film myself in about 6 different pairs of running shoes and analyze my from and how the shoes changes my form. The is, in my opinion the best way to use the GoPro.
Summary
In summary the GoPro is a great tool and can be decent to capture images of your next fun swim, bike or run, just make sure it is something fun and that you don't really need great audio. The best uses for me was analyzing swim and run form through slowmotion capture. Overall a very fun, slightly expensive toy, but much less expensive than the cost of going to a professional coaching studio to have an analysis, just be ready to do the leg work yourself.
Update: The GoPro I am using has been recently replace by the GoPro Hero2, the updates include better still shot more video angles and easier to use. The biggest advancement for me is now being able to shoot in 120fps, which would give even more refined form analysis. It can also take some newer cooler accessories.
Hoo-Nelly! This episode is 100% Training Log! Join me and the gang as I log over a week's worth of workouts, training tips, nutrition guidance, and much more! And for a special bonus, we end the show with me going into the doctor's office for the ulitmate performance enhancement - a vasectomy! I get titanium bits in my bits!
And don't forget to sign up for ZenTri Base Camp and save your spot here!
Mike Ricci joins us again to explain how to improve your weakness with "Sport Rotation". Get faster by focusing on one thing. We talk about how to do it right!
I also take you along with me as I test out the new Suunto Quest, explain how to do speedwork correctly, and top it off with interviews at a local Turkey Trot 5K where I take first place in my age group. Enjoy!
And don't forget to sign up for ZenTri Base Camp and save your spot here!
Just a quick video from this Summer's Epic Camp in Texas. Video is great because video doesn't lie. I've been working on getting more flexible in my back so I get lower in the aerobars. Also, when the swim is sped up, it's pretty obvious I have a wiggle in there. And my left arm digs way too deep. These are things I already knew, but seeing them on film makes it sink in better.
Friday, December 9, 2011 at 7:05AM 
