HOLIDAY CHEER

All of us at TriathlonWire send our best to you and your families during this holiday season. To those who celebrate it: Merry Christmas. It’s been a difficult year for many. Let’s take a moment to be grateful for our blessings and consider how we might offer support or assistance to those less fortunate.

INCREASING RUN MILEAGE… WHY?

Master coaches Steve Magness & Jon Marcus reveal the fallacies of the “10% rule” for increasing run volume… and offer a more effective approach to your run training.

They explain why run improvement is not uniform… so why would you utilize a linear plan for mileage volume?

They also discuss practical examples of how to fine-tune your run program by creating variations in training stimulus to obtain specific adaptations and improvements.

For triathletes looking for a breakthrough in run performance, this podcast is your ticket to becoming better and faster, rather than simply going longer.

SOLD OUT

After an almost total absence of racing in 2020, it should come as no surprise that all 12 of North America’s full-distance IRONMAN events are sold out in 2021.  That’s over 13,000 event registrations.

If you missed out, don’t be discouraged. Limited entries can still be had through the IRONMAN Foundation and waitlist roll-downs.

Now is the perfect time to explore other racing options.  Check out the ever-expanding Cal Tri series; the 34 events produced by Challenge Family; or even one of XTERRA’s 40 adventurous off-road triathlons scheduled for 2021.

Better yet, why not begin with a triathlon in your community?  Race directors desperately need your support, and you can reconnect with the “fun” of local multisport racing!

FASTER OFF THE BIKE

Our most popular resource of 2020 was Craig Alexander’s 5 Tips for Running Faster Off the Bike.

Running well, immediately after a demanding bike leg, is one of triathlon’s most critical skills… and most difficult to master.

In this step-by-step guide, Crowie outlines his top tips that helped him capture 5 world titles and the run course record in Kona.

This free resource is still available to readers of TriathlonWire… No strings attached.  Grab your copy here.

FOAM FACTS

Athletes anecdotally claim that foam rolling increases mobility, reduces stiffness and improves neuromuscular response.  But does science substantiate these claims?

In this research-backed summary, E3 Rehab reports that — while  foam rolling prior to training can actually be detrimental to performance — when performed after exercise it can be useful in reducing muscle soreness.

SLEEP IT OFF

Poor sleep is commonly reported by top triathletes, often due to trying to cram early morning training sessions into an already hectic schedule.

Of course we know that sleep is essential for recovery of the body and brain.

These days athletes have an expanding number of options for measuring the duration and quality of sleep.  Ironically these have led to an increased prevalence of orthosomnia (i.e., excessive concern about sleep), which makes sleep quality worse!

Asker Jeukendrup outlines his practical do’s and don’ts for improving your sleep, which will help reduce your anxiety and allow you to optimize your shuteye.

TRANSITIONS:

  • An IRONMAN Original
    Third place finisher in 1978’s original IRONMAN triathlon, Dave Orlowsky recently lost his battle with leukemia.  Dave maintained his passion for triathlon for more than 40 years, completing 29 Iron-distance races.
  • Founding Father
    We lost one of the founding fathers of our sport, Verne Scott, who was 96.  Not just dad to 6x Ironman World Champion Dave Scott, Verne was an age group superstar himself.  Executive Director of US Tri Fed (the precursor to USA Triathlon) from 1983-87, Verne was inducted into the USAT Hall of Fame in 2008.