TrainingPeaks Updates

Upload Heart Rate, Speed, Cadence and Power from the iPhone or iPod touch to TrainingPeaks

Using a new wireless bridge called SMHEART LINK™, iPhone and iPod touch users can now upload workouts with heart rate, speed, cadence and power data to their TrainingPeaks account with little more than the tap of a button.

“When you combine the simplicity and convenience of iPhone apps with rich Internet applications like TrainingPeaks.com, tracking your training becomes easier than ever before,” said Donavon Guyot, CEO of Peaksware. “Now workout data from heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors and even power meters can be tracked on Apple’s unparalleled touch screen and effortlessly uploaded to your TrainingPeaks account.”

Two iPhone apps upload data directly to Training Peaks via the SMHEART LINK™:

• iRPM+™ - Bike Computer/Heart Monitor is a cardio fitness system and cycling computer that works with SMHEART LINK to track any cardio exercise, anywhere. Download iRPM+™ for free in the iTunes App Store.

• iBPM+™ - Heart Rate Monitor allows the iPhone to double as a heart rate monitor tracking cardio exercise indoors or out. Download iBPM+™ for free in the iTunes App Store.

New on TrainingPeaks.com: AutoMerge™ Workout Files, Calculate Peak Power, Build Routes, and Much More

We released an updated set of features for TrainingPeaks.com 3.0 this week.  While it was largely a “behind the scenes” update, some pretty significant user interface enhancements made it into the release.

One great new feature is the automatic calculation of peak power. Our personal favorite, however, is the AutoMerge ™.  Users can upload multiple device files for a workout and the system will AutoMerge ™ these files into a single file, enabling you to combine different devices and get one complete workout data file.  This is particularly useful if you have for example, a heart-rate monitor and a separate GPS unit.  If you routinely use multiple devices on a single workout, then you’ll find this feature very helpful.

Finally, in case you haven't already heard, TrainingPeaks now offers the ability to create routes with the Route Builder. Learn more about this feature and many others!

Live Healthy America Selects TrainingPeaks as Official Software

TrainingPeaks.com has been selected as the official training and nutrition software for this year’s Live Healthy America initiative, becoming an essential tool to help all Americans increase activity levels and lose weight. Last year, more than 63,000 participants lost a combined total of 250,000 pounds and logged over 136 million minutes of physical activity through the Live Healthy America initiative. This year, the competition is already underway in Iowa, Kansas City, Houston and Dallas, encouraging more people across the country to form teams, get active and lose weight with the help of Live Healthy America and TrainingPeaks.

The 100-day challenge runs from Jan. 14 – April 23, 2009. Anyone can register a team of two to 10 individuals, which then competes against other teams around the nation to drop the most pounds and log the most physical activity minutes. Aside from teams of families and friends, the program also offers a corporate wellness model to help companies initiate the challenge within the workplace.

Read the full press release

TrainingPeaks attends IHRSA 2009 in San Francisco

TrainingPeaks attended the IHRSA 2009 Trade Show last week in San Francisco. TrainingPeaks offers a complete solution for organizations to improve their business, increase revenues, and retain clients through online training and nutrition management systems.

At IHRSA, TrainingPeaks met with personal trainers, dietitians, owners of fitness clubs, wellness centers and equipment manufacturers such as Lemond Fitness, ANT+ and others to discuss opportunities for fitness clubs and wellness centers to incorporate TrainingPeaks software into their business models. TrainingPeaks offers a complete solution for organizations to improve their business, increase revenues, and retain clients through online training and nutrition management systems.

TrainingPeaks and the Wounded Warriors

Marines wounded on the field of battle are using TrainingPeaks to help in their recovery, under the direction of retired Special Operations Marine Brian C. Grenier.

Brian used TrainingPeaks for years to gain a gold medal at North Carolina individual Time Trials in 2008, top ten in his age group at the 2005 USAT Duathlon Nationals, as well as a number of other high level finishes and wins over the years. He now volunteers his time to the exciting and challenging job of using cycling to rehabilitate wounded Marines.

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Train for a marathon in just 3 days a week of running with Hal Higdon's new plan

Hal Higdon : runner, coach and author of 34 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, has just released his Novice 3 marathon training program which includes just 3 days of running per week, plus two days of cross-training and two days of rest. The plan climaxes with three 20-milers and generally demands more mileage on each of the running days. Step-back weeks with reduced miles come every third week.

Spinning Instructors: Improve your Business with TrainingPeaks

Dirk Friel, TrainingPeaks co-founder and author of Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling, was interviewed on the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast about how spinning instructors can use TrainingPeaks to improve their business, increase their revenue, and retain more clients.
With TrainingPeaks online training and nutrition software, spinning instructors can maintain 24/7 contact with their clients, allowing them to provide feedback not only in class, but also whenever the client does a workout on their own and records data for the instructor to review. Clients can record data manually, or upload from one of over 80 compatible training devices to record heart rate, speed, cadence, power, and more.

In addition to reviewing workouts online, instructors can plan workouts online for their clients to follow in between spinning classes, adding an additional expert consulting service to the personal, face-to-face attention that they already offer. For only $49 a month, spinning instructors can provide this consulting service to an unlimited number of clients, greatly expanding their income potential.

FastForward Sports Kicks off 2009 with TrainingPeaks 3.0

TrainingPeaks co-founder Gear Fisher presented TrainingPeaks new 3.0 version this month at the Fastforward Sports coach’s meeting in Boulder, CO. The annual kick-off meeting organized by FastForward Sport’s  Executive Director, Scott Fliegelman, was a chance for the coaches to get acquainted with TrainingPeaks newest features.

Fisher showed the group of coaches how to quickly review client training logs and easily edit future workouts. Each FastForward coach manages a group of runners and meets once per week for group training runs. In between sessions FastForward clients are prescribed workouts through TrainingPeaks and group coaches can monitor progress seven days a week.

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Powered by TrainingPeaks

Curt Wilhelm: Mountain Biker

After gaining 50 pounds and being warned by his doctor that his cholesterol was too high, Curt Wilhelm turned to his former passion for mountain biking to get his health back on track. Using TrainingPeaks to monitor his progress, Curt has improved his racing significantly, transitioning to the Expert category for the first time last season.

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Mary Eggers: Triathlete, Coach, and Eating Disorder Conqueror

During an important transitional time in her life, Mary Eggers happened to see the Hawaii Ironman on TV, and from a decade-long struggle with Bulimia Nervosa, she moved on to a satisfying life as a triathlete, coach, and mother.

“At first it was replacing one addiction with another. Then I started to have good results and had to make a decision, which to people who don’t struggle with an eating disorder may seem like a strange one: I told myself I could continue on with mediocre results or I could get healthy and excel.”

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Selene Yeager: Triathlete

After years of cycling and running, Selene Yeager switched to triathlons to keep everything more balanced. “I was a cyclist for a long time, as well as a casual runner. About 15 years ago, a friend of mine told me she was doing triathlons and I thought, ‘Wow. That sounds cool.’ I was intimidated by the swimming, but I loved the thought of the challenge. I stayed interested because triathlon is so much fun. It felt like recess to me as I bounced from the swim to the bike to the run. I just really loved it and it seemed like a healthy, balanced sport you could do for life.”

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Read more stories about people "Powered by TrainingPeaks"

• Erin Kummer, competitive golfer turned XTERRA triathlete
• Joe Vrablik, triathlete and D3 Multisport Athlete of the Month
• Ray Maker, from first lap swim to Ironman triathlete

Ask the Experts and Articles

Ask the Experts: Ben Greenfield on coffee consumption for athletes

There has, as you probably know, been quite a bit of study done on the use of caffeine as a performance-enhancing ergonenic aid. For example, the January 2009 National Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported a systematic review of caffeine for sport-specific endurance performance and reported significant effectiveness.

Seasonal Eating

There is widespread agreement among nutrition experts that the healthiest way to eat is the old way—that is, the way our distant ancestors ate. In-season fruits and vegetables are generally more nutritious and tasty than fruits and vegetables produced out of season.

Fabulous Abs for Runners

A chiseled midsection doesn’t just look good; it’s also good for your running
There are two types of runners: those who have great abs, and those who want them.

Go ahead, admit it: you want great abs! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, some scientists, including Devendra Singh, Ph.D., an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Texas, speculate that we humans are genetically predisposed to covet a lean midsection, because it’s a sign of good health and “reproductive fitness.”

Ask the Experts: Rick Kattouf on nutrition for male vs. female athletes

Over the years, a question always arises regarding the nutritional needs of males versus females. When it comes to the nutrition needs of an athlete, it is more one’s body composition that will be the determining factor as opposed to the sex of the athlete.

Ground Contact Time and Running Performance, by Matt Fitzgerald

There are literally dozens of different variables that are relevant to running performance.  Among the more familiar ones are VO2max, lactate threshold speed and running economy (or the rate of oxygen consumption at a given speed—the lower the better).  One of the most under-appreciated performance-related running variables is ground contact time, or the amount of time your foot is in contact with the ground on each stride.

Care for Your Feet, by Hal Higdon

What is the most important part of the runner’s body? Arguably, it is the foot since that body part impacts the ground with every stride we take.

Quote of the month: from Erin Kummer, XTERRA triathlete

“After a brief introduction to the program, I was in shock. I couldn’t believe how many features it offered and how many fun things you could do... Even though the program has so many features and options, the complexity of the program doesn’t affect the ease of use and convenience of viewing and inputting data. I’m always so impressed with the constant additions and upgrades to the software that happen on a daily basis… this software is absolutely amazing and has the ability to really help a variety of athletes focus on the detail of the training and their long/short term goals. I would recommend it to ANYONE!”