Carefully Curated Triathlon News for September 14, 2023
IN THIS EDITION…
- Comfort = speed on your tri bike
- 8 Reasons to swim with fins
- 1-Hour IRONMAN improvement
- Are you swimming ladder sets?
- Personalize your recovery weeks
ONE HOUR FASTER
In this revealing case study, we get a behind-the-scenes look at how a 36-year-old age grouper improved his IRONMAN time by 1 hour.
While there are 5 main factors that contributed to his success, underlying it all was a commitment to training consistency that was guided by his coach.
Most interesting were his adoption of a periodized nutrition strategy and swimming with a group only part of the time.
Check out this real-life path to improvement. It will help shape your roadmap to faster racing in 2024.
CLIMB THE LADDER
One of the best swim sessions for triathletes are ladder set workouts.
Instead of swimming long dull intervals, ladder sets break up your workout into a variety of intensities that each have a specific purpose.
Ladder sets teach pace management, develop speed and let you focus on different elements of your technique during each effort.
Coach Matthew Edde provides some practical examples of ladder sets – like the broken 1500 – which you can immediately put to use.
COMFORTABLE SPEED
Congratulations… You have a sleek and slippery tri bike. But if you can’t hold an aero position for most of the race, then you’ll leak minutes during your bike split.
Tri bikes are unusual. Their steep seat tube angle and low front end impose a position that takes getting used to.
Finding and maintaining a fast aero position requires a relentless quest for comfort. If it feels good to be in the aero bars, then you’ll stay there longer.
Get yourself dialed in with these 6 tips for more comfort and speed, and finally reap the benefits that your tri bike offers.
FEELIN’ LUCKY?
Take a shot at winning your share of over $4,000 worth of awesome prizes by entering Curad’s Never Miss A Day Giveaway.
Curad is the official medical supplier of the 2023 IRONMAN North America Series, and offers a full range of products that help you recover more quickly and maintain your training consistency, so you Never Miss A Day™ .
Who knows? You could win HOKA shoes, a Hyperice Hypervolt 2 massage gun or even a 1-on-1 consultation and training plan from 5x world champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander!
Get in on the action and register for free here. No purchase necessary.
FASTER FLUTTER
Most of us have pull buoys and paddles in our gear bag, but here are 8 reasons why you need swim fins.
One of the common weaknesses that fins help correct is a poor up-kick. Fins strengthen posterior chain muscles that promote narrow, compact and balanced kicks.
Learn how to select swim fins with the proper length and flexibility, and then use them regularly. You’ll soon notice improvements in your ankle flexibility, body position and speed.
DOWN A NOTCH
We all know the importance of scheduled recovery to get the most from our training. But, as super-motivated Type A endurance athletes, it can be difficult to implement periods of bona fide rest.
In this article coach Jim Rutberg discusses how to structure a personalized recovery week.
He explains how to know when it’s time for a recovery week, and what to do during this period of rest.
Intentional recovery will amplify your training adaptations and allow you to squeeze maximum benefit from all your hard work.
QUICK HIITS:
- Narrow Margins
How much more aerodynamic are narrow handlebars? What about angled brake hoods? Do these tweaks reduce drag enough to matter to an age grouper? The results from this wind tunnel test will answer these questions and help you choose your best cockpit setup.
- Repeat After Me
Quiet the mind, improve your performance. Coach Steve Magness explains why mantras work during stressful situations (like when racing).
- Balanced Victory
According to Gustav Iden, the age of super-bikers is over. He observed that the top performers in Nice were “thinking like triathletes” and not overcooking their rides to ensure a balanced performance and the fastest possible run.
