CALORIES WHEN RACING

We want to know your preferred sources of calories when racing.  Please take this 1-minute survey to tell us how you fuel your triathlons.  We’ll report the results next week.  Thank you!

TRI SWIMMING IS DIFFERENT

Triathlon swimming is different from pool swimming, and coach Mark Turner contends that trying to teach triathletes traditional swim drills is a mistake.

After 25 years of coaching, Turner believes that a triathlete’s priority must be to get the arm into a power position under the water as quickly as possible to create maximal forward propulsion.

Therefore to optimize stroke rate, he recommends 2 drills:

The first is a sculling drill that helps establish a feel for the water.  The second is one-arm freestyle with paddles and fins, which develops swim-specific strength and promotes proper body position.

Learn more about how to properly perform these drills, and you’ll soon find yourself training more efficiently and generating more speed where it matters most: in the open water.

RUNNER’S CORE

When coach Alun Woodward designs strength training for his athletes, he prioritizes 3 main areas: stressing the central nervous system to elicit favorable hormonal release; achieving more muscle fiber recruitment; and strengthening the core.

A strong core is particularly important for endurance athletes. It holds your body in a stable stance and promotes efficiency of movement, even when fatigued during the late stages of a race.

One of our favorite core strengthening routines is demonstrated by Michael Hammond of RunnersConnect.  It takes only 7 minutes to perform and requires no equipment. There are 35 muscles in the lumbar-pelvic and hip complex (otherwise known as your core)… and this routine fires up all of them!

RACING ON THE HORIZON?

As we occasionally do, it’s again time to revisit the still-fluid triathlon race calendar.  With the velocity of COVID-19 infections showing signs of slowing and the distribution of vaccines improving, we’re hopeful that racing will return soon.

However, based on the most recent cancellations and postponements, we’ll still need to be patient.  Challenge Roth was surprisingly moved from July to September, placing it on a collision course with the Hawaii IRONMAN World Championship in securing its elite fields.

As expected IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside was moved to the fall, further clogging an impossibly full October.  IRONMAN continues to struggle with its global events schedule and frustrated customers, while Challenge leads the way with its generous refund policy.

For the most up-to-date news on race cancellations and postponements, check out this excellent resource maintained by Triathlon Magazine Canada.

AVOID NUTRITION DISASTERS

We’ve all heard “nothing new on race day,” but how many of us really focus on training with our race day nutrition with the same intensity and under the same conditions as we expect at the event?

The best way to avoid race day nutritional disasters is to practice with what will be served on course, preferably during race pace brick sessions.

Whatever combination of products you need for your race, you can pick them up at TheFeed.com. Hydration, energy, electrolytes… it’s all there.  The prices are incredible, too.

Now there’s no excuse not to dial-in your best race day fueling strategy, thanks to TheFeed.com.

CHALLENGED AGAIN

For the second time in less than 6 months, CHALLENGE North America has assembled a star-studded field of elite triathletes deeper than most world championships.

CHALLENGE Miami’s pro race, scheduled to take place on Friday, March 12, will be conducted entirely within NASCAR’s Homestead-Miami Speedway. Billed as a clash of champions, this event will pit top triathletes from a variety of distances in one single race, competing for more than $50,000 in prize money. Sparks will fly!

Then, on Saturday and Sunday, a number of other age group and pro-am events will take place, delivering a true triathlon festival to race-hungry athletes.

GRIPPED RECOVERY

In a recent blog post, 6x IRONMAN World Champion Mark Allen shares his thoughts on the unsung but critical component of training: recovery.

The Grip suggests that the neurological and muscular efficiency we require as high-performing triathletes is dependent on how well we manage our recovery and obsessively guard our sleep.

He recommends tracking Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a marker of how well you’re recovering.  He also offers 6 actionable tips so you can prioritize your recovery.

Finally, be sure to watch his video describing how to visualize your energy reserve pyramid.  It’s guaranteed to provide you with a different perspective to better manage your reserves over an entire triathlon season.

QUICK HIITS:

  • Voice of Ironman
    In Mike Reilly’s Finding My Voice: Tales from IRONMAN, the popular Voice of Ironman shares his favorite stories collected from calling thousands of triathletes across the finish lines of the world’s most challenging events.  His riveting and inspirational writing has earned over 200 5-star reviews, and should be in every triathlete’s library.
  • Vroom, Vroom
    Overcoming the challenges of growing up in Brazil after the death of his father taught race car champion Tony Kanaan focus and perseverance that led to 17 IndyCar Series career wins, including the Indianapolis 500.  In this wide-ranging conversation on the Chelsea & Eric Show podcast, Kanaan — known as the Ironman of IndyCar — explains how his passion for triathlon fortifies his driving fitness and has extended his driving career.
  • Tweet of the Week
    Triathletes often find it difficult to isolate and engage their lats when swimming freestyle.  Try this simple drill to activate the powerhouse of your swim stroke.