— Triathlon Training —

Top 5 Triathlon Swimming Problems And What You Can Do About It

Let’s face it.

An open water triathlon swim can be a bit uncomfortable.

Whether it’s the large crowds of people pushing or elbowing on the beach or in the water for precious space, the physical adrenaline rush of the race start, or simply the fact that swimming is potentially the most “dangerous” part of a triathlon, swimming problems are something every triathlete has to deal with.

IRONMAN CAIRNS - A Win On Home Soil

Last year I competed in the Ironman 70.3 event in Cairns and I vowed to come back and race the Ironman in 2013. My training in San Diego had been the best preparation I had leading into an event in a long time and I was chomping at the bit to get stuck into the race.

I didn't feel great in the swim with the warm water temperature and wetsuit legal swim. It was very uncomfortable for everyone I am sure but I couldn't wait to get through the 3.8km and rip the thing off. I exited the water in 2nd place just under 2 minutes down on Clayton Fettell and just ahead of Chris McCormack.

Boise 70.3 – A Day in No Man’s Land

You may notice that I have not written race reports all that often or consistently. The reason for this is … I HATE excuses. Anything that happens on the race course is racing. It seems that many reports I read have excuses thrown in with, shoulda, coulda, woulda. I have been bad on race reports in the past because I don’t want to be seen as one that makes excuses. I am a professional and I should be prepared for whatever is thrown my way, and adapt under every circumstance.

Cycling Cadence in Triathlon

There as been a lot of debate about the appropriate cycling cadence for triathletes. In general, we recommend riding at a cadence between 80-90 RPM at a minimum, preferably over 90 RPM. A great piece of advice we give to our athletes is to increase their cadence up to 95+ RPM for the last 10-20’ without significantly increasing the tension (on the chain) or effort level being put forth by the athlete.

Meet Liz Lyles: Mother of Two, Wife, and Ironman Champion

Liz Lyles is a second year professional triathlete. What sets Liz apart is the path she took to pro triathlon. She started as an age group athlete in 2004. Almost by accident she discovered her talent for the sport. She won several races over all as an age-grouper between 2004 and 2007. But in 2008 Liz took a break from triathlon to have her two children. The “break” lasted 4 years.

Why All Triathletes Need To Run The 5K

I was recently reminded, quite painfully in fact, about why running the 5k is an important distance or event for triathletes to spend time focusing on. My reminder came in the form of a duathlon, which was a 5k run/30k bike/5k run. The pace from the start was fast. About 2 minutes into the first 5k of the du, I looked down at my Garmin and saw a 5:19 m/m average pace. The rest of the first leg is a blur to me. Once I regained conscious thought during the bike leg, I couldn't help but think, "Holy crap, that hurt!

Are You An Endurance Athlete With Overtraining or Adrenal Fatigue?

Recently, a very "beat up" triathlete showed me the results of his saliva testing for hormones.

They were really low. Even cortisol was low. Cortisol is the stress-release hormone we churn out when exercising and living, and when that drops low, it's a real warning sign that you're so beat up that your adrenal glands simply can't keep up with your extreme endurance lifestyle anymore!

So what did I recommend to this triathlete to "take care of his body" and bounce back from overtraining and adrenal fatigue?

Building The Functional and Complete Runner

Running is a primitive movement that many people can benefit from. Unfortunately many people who enjoy running spend too much time recovering from injury and not enough time maximizing their performance. Extrinsic factors that cause people to get injured and stop running might be improper shoes, increased volume too soon and random program design. Intrinsic factors could be dysfunctional movement patterns, muscle imbalances, poor lifestyle habits, weight gain or poor running gait. Running is a great activity to build aerobic capacity, stay lean and healthy and improve your mood.

Power Training: Using A Power Meter For Triathlon Pacing

Power meters are by no means perfect devices. A robust design with simple functionality has yet to be created in my opinion (although they are getting better); and they are expensive to boot. A power meter requires a level of technical and analytical aptitude that not every athlete will possess. However, if used to correctly, a power meter is a powerful tool that can increase training accuracy and facilitate a much higher level of post race or work out analysis. Utilizing a power meter within a multisport pacing strategy can give a tactical edge as well.

A Picky Dude and His Bars

A couple years back I traveled to Boise for the Ironman 70.3. I met my brother, Matt, the morning of the race to commute up to the dam starting point. He pulled up in a van and out popped 3 scruffy dudes looking more like surfers than triathletes. A couple days of facial growth, hair shaggy and disheveled, unmatched clothes, bikes and wetsuits falling out the door. Not a picky crew, or so I thought. That was the day I was introduced to Jesse Thomas; borrowed bike, fairly new to the sport, and apparently sponsored by Top Gun.

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