IN THIS EDITION…
- Building swim strength
- Perfectly executing your long runs
- Best method for setting heart rate training zones
- Drills for speed in the open water
- Training schedule for faster running
4 STEPS TO FASTER RUNNING
In this short video acclaimed coach Jason Fitzgerald outlines his battle-tested program: 4 training phases to faster running.
Applying a progressive approach to the next 16 to 20 weeks, he lays out his roadmap for improvement.
Not surprisingly it begins with a 4 week focus on strength training, which allows your body to handle the coming increase of training load. Consider it as injury-proofing insurance.
Next comes an 8-week period of increasing your mileage and your long runs. Although performed at easy Zone 2 pace, this is where you’ll teach your body to do more work.
His program wraps up with a period of easy speed, leading into race-specific training. This proven plan removes the uncertainty in your run training and positions you for faster performances later this season.
PERFECTLY LONGER
The long run is one of the hallmarks of IRONMAN training. In this concise guide, Ian Torrance outlines the reasons why the long run is so vital for a great performance.
By now we should all be familiar with the resulting muscle and mitochondria development, improved fat metabolism and glycogen preservation.
But often forgotten are the additional benefits of the long run including increased confidence, enhanced ability to handle discomfort and a familiarity with longer distances.
Use this guide to plan, fuel and execute your long runs, and see just how far it takes you.
SWIM STRENGTH
Coach Tim Crowley presents 3 strategies on how to combine your swim and strength sessions. He also includes specific exercises that you should include for maximum benefit.
Even if your pool time is limited, you can optimize your improvement by combining these workouts. Doing so will reduce your chance of injury and enhance your speed.
According to Crowley, these compound workouts deliver tremendous benefits. They’re particularly valuable for those of us who are always crunched for time, or who find it difficult to consistently integrate our strength training.
RECOVER AS FAST AS YOU TRAIN
When you’re training more than 3 days a week, your nutritional demands are greater than the average person. You require more micronutrients than what you can get from diet alone
If you’re a triathlete over 40, this is especially true. You need the right combination of micronutrients to avoid burnout and speed up next-day recovery.
This where the Athlete Daily Formula comes in, brought to by the nutrition scientists at The Feed.
Each daily dose includes the unparalleled SwissRX multivitamin, Omega 3 and vitamin D3.
For a limited time you can snag this convenient supplement bundle for 50% off… exclusively at TheFeed.com
FASTER IN THE OPEN
Because we spend most of our swim training in the pool, transitioning to the open water for a race can be challenging and disorienting.
Swimming in open water requires subtle changes in our technique and mindset.
These 4 drills for faster open water swimming by Craig Lewin are deceptively simple but will help you to get comfortable with – and eventually master – the everchanging open water environment.
Lewin emphasizes body position, head-up breathing and gaining a feel for the water… all critical for fast and relaxed open water performances.
These exercises are performed in the pool, so be sure to add them to the end of your sessions.
HEART OF THE MATTER
Despite the plethora of high-tech choices, heart rate training remains an excellent way to measure and control training intensity.
Heart rate monitors are affordable, easy-to-use and accurate. By cross-referencing heart rate data with speed and time, triathletes have a reliable means of monitoring and governing performance.
The best way to calculate your training zones is with the Karvonen Formula. The process is straigthforward and the results are more accurate as compared to other methods.
To generate your personal heart rate training zones, check out the free calculator provided by the experts at MOTTIV.
QUICK HIITS:
- Back In My Day
If you were involved in triathlon back in the 90’s (or even earlier), then you’ll get a laugh out of Kevin McKinnon’s look back at the products, fashion and practices of triathlon in the “the good old days.”
- Now That’s Italian!
Ever since 1996 the XTERRA World Championship off-road triathlon has been held on the island of Maui. In 2022 organizers are changing the script and moving the title race to Trentino, Italy. It’s the first of what will become a rotation of championship venues, designed to draw more participation and generate more excitement for this challenging racing format.
- In the Zone
Nourish better performances with real food using the recipes of Dr. Allen Lim and chef Biju Thomas in their classic Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-the-Go Food for Athletes. Tested in the pro cycling peloton and validated by world champion triathletes, their recipes, ideas, and guidance will transform your training and racing.
