IN THIS EDITION…
We look back on TriathlonWire’s most popular articles of 2021. You can find more of the year’s most-read posts in the Hot Reads section of our website.
BACK TO THE PULL
Our top swimming article of 2021 demonstrated the benefits of Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) during freestyle.
Check out the elegant form of Olympian Andi Murez, who displays ideal EVF and linear power production. Her elbows are the widest part of her stroke and – with slightly diagonal forearms to move the most water possible – her hands are just inside of the elbows.
As Glenn Mills of GoSwim.TV says, “it’s almost like you’re giving the water a hug.”
This post first appeared in TriWire on April 15.
FINDING BIKE PACE
Our most popular cycling post of the year described how to find your ideal race pace on the bike. Ride too hard and you’ll end up walking, but go too easy and you’ll leave huge chunks of time out on the course.
In his comprehensive guide, Taren Gesell spells out exactly how you can determine your most effective bike pacing strategy.
Gesell outlines two methods – one that uses FTP and another based on perceived exertion – then describes how to use this data in your training.
FASTER RUNNING FASTER
Always a reader favorite, 5x World Champion Craig Alexander outlines his 5 tips for faster triathlon running.
Running faster off the bike is a common source of frustration. The good news is that it can be improved with practice and experience.
Crowie talks about the importance of run-specific strength training (by running hills and consistent gym work), and also explains what he focuses on during brick sessions (and how to structure them).
You can also grab his free downloadable PDF for future reference.
CHANGES COMING IN 2022
As we approach the end of our second year of publishing TriathlonWire, we look ahead to changes designed to improve your reading experience.
Among them is our migration to a new email service provider, which might temporarily require us to change the day of the week that you receive this newsletter.
However we’ll return to our normal Thursday delivery as soon as possible.
As always, thank you for reading TriathlonWire! If you have any comments or suggestions for how we can serve you better, email us at he******@tr***********.com
See you in the New Year!
DON’T KNOW SQUAT
Coach Nate Helming delivered our most popular strength training post when he showed us how to properly introduce squats into our program.
Squatting engages the glutes, stabilizes the hips and improves range of motion in the ankles, resulting in better motion control and solid running form late in your race.
Nate explains how to get started with squatting, and how to progress while maintaining good mechanics. He even prescribes the frequency, sets and reps that will deliver the best results.
Learn how squats will make you a faster triathlete in this edition of TriathlonWire.
LIMITLESS FUELING
Well-known coach and multiple Kona qualifier Sergio Borges scored our top nutrition post when he outlined his practical advice for improving your fat metabolism for better race day fueling.
We talk a lot about not depending exclusively on sugary fuels and the importance of training your body to become more proficient at burning endogenous fat. Doing so helps preserve your glycogen stores for when you need them most, like during spikes of intensity in a race.
But how can you develop into a more efficient fat burner?
Sergio outlines his 4 nutrition tips that will deliver immense improvements in your long distance triathlon performance.
