DO SWIM DRILLS REALLY WORK?

Canadian national coach and head of Mercury Rising Triathlon Clint Lien stirs the pot when he says, “I’ve just not seen a return on the training investment [from traditional swim drills].”

Why do we drill in the first place? To correct our stroke by isolating components of it.  But, according to Lien, they rarely work. Why? Because only perfect practice makes perfect and most of us don’t perform enough drills properly to rewire our neuromuscular pathways to obtain the desired outcome.

What should we do instead? Lien contends that his RPS Method (“Relaxed Perfect Stroke”) is an effective alternative to poor drilling.  It allows athletes to focus on the elements of their stroke that require attention and then ramp up to faster pace while holding good form.

RUNNING CADENCE

The ideal running cadence. Is there even such a thing?

Coach Greg McMillan sheds light on this topic and offers his perspective on how finding your ideal cadence can improve your running.  A slower cadence isn’t bad but it’s just not conducive to faster racing.

It’s been noted that 180 strides per minute is most common among pro runners.  For aspiring age groupers, McMillan feels that the optimal range falls between 170 and 190.

Add fast but controlled strides to your workout to improve your cadence.  Think about “fast feet” and quick turnover.  Even a slight increase in cadence can yield a breakthrough performance.

FUEL LIKE THE CHAMPIONS

Champion triathletes like Tim O’Donnell and Katie Zaferes fuel their winning performances with UCAN.  It provides long-lasting energy without stomach distress, or the spikes and blood sugar crashes associated with sugary sports foods.

UCAN’s patented SuperStarch® delivers a steady-release of carbohydrates without sugar or stimulants, allowing you to avoid GI disasters that are all too common in long course triathlons.

Readers of TriathlonWire now receive 15% off of all UCAN purchases by using this link.  Check out their complete line of drinks, energy bars and snacks today!

CAFFEINE & FAT METABOLISM

Scientists have known since the 1970’s that caffeine stimulates fatty acid metabolism.

Exciting new research published in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that caffeine can increase fat oxidation up to 27%, while sparing muscle glycogen.

What makes this study especially interesting is that to obtain these impressive fat oxidation results, athletes needed to exercise at relatively low intensity, generally at 50% of their VO2max.  Asker Jeukendrup summarizes how this mechanism works.

Training your body to become more efficient at burning fat is beneficial for triathletes, and caffeine might boost that process.

YES, PLEASE… FREE SPEED

Have you ever wondered what adjustments you can make to your cycling position for more aerodynamic – and faster – riding?  The folks at aerocoach and GCN went into the wind tunnel to conduct a variety of tests to find out what worked best.

In this video they reveal their findings, including the hand position on road bars that’s more aero than being in the drops.

They also demonstrate the effect of rain jackets and the problem with pinned on race numbers… and the simple hacks you can do to make them faster!

QUICK HIITS:

• Devil Take the Hindmost
  The World Triathlon Series just announced the addition of a new racing format: the Eliminator.  Contested over 2 days on a super-sprint course, athletes will race a 300m swim, 6km bike, and 1.5km run and all but the slowest 10 athletes will be eliminated before the final.  This exciting format is quite similar to what Super League Triathlon reintroduced in 2017.
• Most Assuredly
  In an interesting industry development, event organizers Cal Tri have introduced a new insurance product that’s available to any US race director.  Previously event insurance had been controlled by the NGBs.  Now triathlon organizers have a less expensive option that also keeps their athlete data private and secure.  Sounds like a good idea to us.
• Tweet of the Week
  Quiet the mind; improve your performance.  Coach Steve Magness explains why mantras work during stressful situations (like when racing).