THE BIG EVENT

After months of anticipation and hype, it’s finally here.  This Saturday, August 28, the inaugural Collins Cup competition – organized by the PTO — will be contested in Samorin, Slovakia.

In a format inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup, the competition features 12 separate match racesover a 2 km swim, 80 km bike, 18 km run course.

Elite triathletes are organized into teams from Europe, the USA and the Internationals, and will compete for the largest purse ever awarded in triathlon: $1.5 million in prize money.

The Collins Cup will be broadcast nearly everywhere.  For more details and to learn how you can watch this unique event, read this excellent summary on Tri247.  You can also download the official Collins Cup app for Android or Apple.

IM MARATHON PR

If you want to post a new IRONMAN marathon PR, then you must teach your body how to run faster on tired legs, when you’re nutritionally depleted.

One of the best workouts to prepare for this is the fast finish long run and coach Jeff Gaudette explains exactly how to do it.

By simulating late race fatigue, you train your body to burn fat more efficiently when your glycogen stores are low.  You’ll also be reinforcing your toughness and grit, critical for maintaining your target pace late into your IRONMAN run.

SUB 6 BIKE

For triathletes aiming to break 11 or 12 hours in an IRONMAN, a 6-hour bike split is a worthy goal.  As coach Philip Hatzis describes, it’s not just about riding fast… we also must run well off the bike.

First Hatzis considers the many factors that go into a sub-6 split other than just speed.  He reminds us to attend to our bike fit (a sustained aero position can save up to 30 minutes), apparel, tires and even the drive train (which can cause a huge loss of mechanical inefficiency if poorly maintained).

Then he discusses pacing.  While 30 kph (or 18.65 mph) is the average goal pace, that speed must be maintained at 70% (or lower) of your FTP to ensure a good run.

Finally, he reminds us of the importance of consuming the appropriate amount of nutrition at speed. to make sure we’re not emptying the tank – or overeating – before the run.

Use the framework in this article to create a plan that leaves no stone unturned as you pursue your best-ever bike split.

SUMMER STRENGTH

The secret to maintaining strength training during race season comes down to periodization.  Executed properly, you’ll gain strength and coordination, resist injury and avoid unwanted bulk.

You’re probably already familiar with periodization in your endurance training.  The same strategy applies to strength training: you must organize your training into cycles associated with your in-season goals.

In this article kinesiologist Jon-Erik Kawamoto provides 3 useful guidelines and describes how to adjust the resistance, exercise selection, volume and intensity of your bodywork to enhance your racing.

YOU NEED AN EDGE

You can now get the proven UCAN SuperStarch fuel in a long-awaited gel called UCAN Edge. Favored by Olympic bronze medalist Katie Zafares and other elite triathletes, this proprietary formulation has 70 calories, 19 grams of carbs, zero sugar and 55 mg of sodium and provides sustained energy hour after hour.

Its delicious orange flavor is not too sweet, and its medium consistency goes down easily… even when you’re performing at high levels.

Best of all, there’s no stomach distress or blood sugar spikes, even after hourly consumption during an entire long distance race.  Now you can join Generation UCAN – and save 15% off of all UCAN purchases by using this link.

CROWIE’S KONA-READY SESSIONS

We can learn much from the former champions.  Here we revisit the 3 key bike sessions Craig “Crowie” Alexander executed to know that he was ready for Kona.

First, Crowie rode a workout to confirm he was prepped for “all day race pace”.  For him, it included 8x 10 min at sub-threshold followed by an hour of motorpacing.

The second session was a “fast finish” ride that capped 6 hours on the bike with a 30-min TT.

The final workout was a hard interval session – performed on a trainer – the day after a big climbing day.

Read more details about how, when and why he did these sessions  – and grab Crowie’s actual performance files – in this detailed article.  One thing’s for sure: he put in massive days on the bike to prepare properly for Kona!

QUICK HIITS:

  • Elite Paratriathlon
    This weekend the triathlons of Tokyo’s Paralympics will be contested over a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run course.  Watch all 8 events live on Facebook, in shows hosted by Bob Babbitt and Patty Collins.  Sign up here for Friday and here for Saturday.
  • Simply Faster
    Adopt a simpler, proven approach to your long distance running with champion coach Jay Johnson’s book, Simple Marathon Training.  Used by thousands to achieve PRs, Johnson’s system outlines a well-balanced 20-week program that will change your run training.
  • Historic Encores
    On August 21 at the WTC Finals in Edmonton, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy became the first triathlete ever to win Olympic gold and the triathlon world championship in the same year. Hours later Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt repeated the achievement on the men’s side.