MOST POPULAR
Last week’s most popular post in TriathlonWire was Gale Bernhardt’s strategy for improving your bike power with short HIIT workouts. If you missed it, it’s worth a read…
WEIGHT, POWER & SPEED
Because cycling is the longest leg of the race, small gains in power output can trim minutes from your overall finish time.
In this article Matt Baird reviews the 3 key elements of faster bike splits, then dives into the ultimate goal of all triathletes: how to produce more watts for the same effort over the entire course.
He explains why you should focus on sustainable (not maximal) power, and why it’s our economy of effort and sense of pacing that deliver the best results. He even dispels the common myths often associated with cycling power.
If you really want to go down the rabbithole, then check out this nifty calculator for determining exactly how much faster you’ll become after slightly improving your power, losing some weightor streamlining your aerodynamics.
DON’T CRAMP MY STYLE
Triathletes who experience muscle cramps during a race often blame their salt intake or hydration for the problem. Coach Alun Woodward contends that race day cramping is usually caused by something else: poor neuromuscular training.
A cramp is a failure of normal neuromuscular function. By employing sports-specific neuromuscular training, we can improve how the nerves and muscles communicate and avoid cramping. Such training focuses on increasing your stroke rate, cadence and run turnover to mimic race intensities.
Woodward makes the case that running well off the bike cannot rely on muscular strength (which often leads to cramping), but depends on a fluid stride rate. That’s why consistently training to improve your turnover and establishing more efficient neuromuscular patterns will lead to faster cramp-free performances.
DEFINITION OF “FAST”
The recent Challenge Daytona triathlon – which also doubled as the 2020 PTO Championships – produced some amazing results.
To celebrate these remarkable achievements, the PTO just published its review of the fastest swim, bike and run splits of the day.
We love that these best performances were posted by a combination of well-known pros and relative newcomers to the pro scene. We’re already looking ahead to the PTO’s Collins Cupscheduled for late May!
GET BACK ON THE HORSE
Did you know that Craig Alexander’s Sansego Triathlon Club has helped over 7,100 triathletes have the best races of their lives?
Can you imagine how great it will feel to finish your first triathlon of 2021?
Now’s the perfect time to commit to a training program to jumpstart your new year and get back on track for a breakthrough triathlon season.
Sansego Triathlon Club has numerous options for Olympic, 70.3 or Full-Distance training programs. No matter your current ability or available training time, Sansego has a program that’s right for you.
FRODENO’S PLAN
The top pros in our sport train at volumes and intensities that us mere mortals can only dream about. However, by carefully analyzing their training strategies we can glean valuable nuggets to benefit our own programs.
Superstar Jan Frodeno keeps most of his activities private, which makes this article describing his training practices so fascinating.
If his championship titles weren’t enough, remember that Frodeno has followed a plant-based diet for years. His approach to high performance nutrition might be worth a closer examination (especially his race day fueling) by those triathletes who are looking to adopt cleaner and healthier diets.
SLEEP ON IT
If you’re looking for ways to enhance muscle recovery and increase lean body mass, you might consider consuming up to 40 grams of protein right before bedtime.
Experts prefer casein or whey protein for their high levels of leucine, the amino acid critical for muscle growth. Plant-based proteins also work, but higher doses are required due to their poorer bioavailability and lower concentrations of leucine.
It’s important that athletes consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Presleep protein supplementation can help ensure you achieve this dietary goal.
QUICK HIITS:
- Read This
If you enjoy well-written books about endurance sports, then you’re going to love Out of Thin Air by Michael Crawley. This inspiring read explores why the love of running is at the very heart of Ethiopian culture, and helps explain how the country has produced so many of the world’s best distance runners. - Dismissed
Last week a Florida judge ruled against 2 athletes who sued IRONMAN for failing to refund the entry fees from races cancelled due to the pandemic. We think this is a win for our sport because, as the judge said, it’s “unlikely any rational economic actor would ever agree to host an outdoor sporting event…” without a no-refund policy for cancellations that occur outside the race director’s control. - Droolworthy
We all love a fast bike, and few are as aerodynamically slippery or smooth as Sebastian Kienle’s new rocketship: the Scott Plasma 6. We can’t wait to see him put it through its paces in Samorin and Kona!
