Over the past year we've shared many articles with you on training and racing Ironman triathlon, the very same guidance that our 400 members have used for 200 Ironman finishes, with several age group podiums and wins. We are now transitioning the Team into the OffSeason, the most powerful time of our athletic year, and it's time to outline exactly how you too can make the most of the winter.

In order to have your best race ever, you need to think like a truck driver. This statement may sound preposterous but it holds more truth than you think. For truck drivers to make a profit they must drive their trucks across the country as fast as possible without wasting fuel. Long delivery times and excessive fuel costs eat into profit at a tremendous rate.

I’m working with an athlete who has recently been diagnosed as a diabetic and is training for an Ironman. He is also new to triathlons and all the training and logistics that come with it. Last week I got an email from him about two problems with his diabetes management: 1. High glucose levels on his early bike sessions 2. Hypoglycemia during swim workouts done at lunch time

As you get into the swing of the Transition Phase, you can be challenged with how to maintain your level of fitness while not completely boring yourself with the same old workout routine. Alas, worry no longer!

As the racing season winds to an end, it is an ideal time to review what worked and what did not from the season past. One of the most common training errors we see athletes make is to overtrain. As such, we think it is a perfect time to explore the topic of overtraining and how it might be detected before it’s too late. After all, that’s the key: avoiding overtraining in the first place.

I’ve recently answered a number of postings on sports medicine sites about plantar fasciitis and overall foot pain. This can be a very debilitating condition, and should be treated promptly if it occurs. It usually starts as a pain or ache near the front of the heel on the bottom of the foot. Typically it hurts the most in the morning, especially the day after a long or strenuous run workout.

Resistance training exercise, or weightlifting, is crucial to decreasing risk on injury, increase your strength, and attaining your goals with a balanced body. Those of us who need to lose weight this offseason will appreciate that research has shown a combination of weight training and cardio to sheds more pound and boost the metabolism higher than cardio alone.

One of the most important aspects of training for triathlon that is either neglected or approached incorrectly is planning your season. A diligent, focused triathlete who spends hundreds of hours pounding the pavement each year will certainly expect real returns. No one begins the season saying, “This year I want to be slower than ever before!” We all want to advance to the “next step”.

With the weather getting cooler and many of us having completed our A-priority race for the season, it’s time to take stock of our accomplishments and begin the transition into thinking about our winter training and what we would like to accomplish next season.

Year after year more and more people really want to make it to the Hawaiian Ironman in Kona, the granddaddy of all Ironmans, the Ironman World Championships. Competition is fierce to secure one of the 1800 coveted spots to the Big Island and the qualification times seem to get faster and faster.