YOUR “A” RACE
When you think ahead to the 2021 triathlon season, what race distance will be the focus of your training this year?
Let us know by answering this 1-question survey. We’ll share the results with you in next week’s edition. Thanks!
BUILDING YOUR PERFECT SEASON
You can’t dispute the results of brash and sometimes controversial triathlon coach Brett Sutton. For over 3 decades he’s trained many of the best like Siri Lindley, Chrissie Wellington, Greg Bennett and Daniela Ryf. His athletes have won 5 ITU World Championships, 2 Olympic gold medals and countless Ironman titles (to name a few).
Sutton has refined his reverse periodization method for training his triathletes to ensure they arrive at their “A” races in peak form. Dedicated age group athletes — regardless of priority race distance — can benefit from his approach.
In this article he outlines his 10 phases of a well-planned training season and suggests how you might apply this structure to your own program. Adopt a more strategic plan for your 2021 training, and your return to racing will likely be your best year ever.
TRIATHLON STRONG
Coach Sarah Portella of Bolton Endurance Training Systems understands the importance of building strength… but she also knows that busy schedules often prevent us from maintaining consistency in the gym.
By applying the latest research, she designed a strength training program specifically for triathletesthat has been distilled into just the essentials.
By focusing on correcting the imbalances caused by our sport, improving posture and enhancing joint stability, Sarah has created a program that truly meets the needs of triathletes.
She believes in taking a long-term view and breaks the year into training phases (sound familiar?) She also encourages her athletes to set personal goals for flexibility, power and strength.
Check out her 5 stages of strength training, and consider adopting this approach for your own program.
STATIONARY PROGRESS
For those of us who train indoors – either by choice or necessity – our smart bike trainers are a godsend. But it can be challenging to apply deliberate training structure to our indoor routines, especially when faced with the constant temptation of Zwift races.
If you’re seeking a bit more purpose from your indoor sessions, then check out these 3 workouts by former Canadian national team cyclist Sean MacKinnon. They’re efficient and effective, and can be easily customized for your program to build strength and power… even if you’re riding indoors.
INVEST IN YOUR REST
You know that full, deep sleep is critical for athletic recovery.
The science is clear: cooler temperatures at night significantly improve the quality of your sleep and enhance your recovery.
7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep will supercharge your training. Benefits include improved body composition, beneficial hormone release and optimized protein synthesis. Quality sleep even protects your heart.
Professional athletes, Olympians, and top age groupers swear by Chili Technology’s sleep cooling products.
If you’re serious about your training, then optimize your recovery by investing in your rest. TriathlonWire readers get an incredible 22% off by using CHILI22 at checkout. With their 90-day “Sleep Trial Guarantee”, there’s no reason not to give it a try!
HEAVY ON THE HILLS
Dr. Dan Plews is a highly regarded exercise scientist who also holds the age group record at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships with his blazing time of 8:24:36.
In this post he discusses the science-backed rationale and benefits of training in low gears on hills. Research has shown that cyclists who perform hill training at high force and low cadence developed notable increases in their lactate thresholds.
To apply these findings to your own training, Plews suggests that your current training phase will dictate what type of hill reps (or indoor overgearing) you use. You can check out his specific recommendations here.
MARKING SWIM PROGRESS
Whether you’re working up to 2.4 miles for the first time or aiming for a major improvement in your Ironman swim, having a few go-to workouts can be useful to chart your progress and test your race readiness.
Coach Lindsay Zemba Leigh offers 4 proven swim sessions that help embed your feel for race speed, get you accustomed to frequent pace changes and build confidence for going the distance.
QUICK HIITS:
- Train Slower to Race Faster
Matt Fitzgerald’s highly reviewed bestselling book 80/20 Running is a must for your sports library. It reinforces the importance of purposeful workouts and lays out a plan for how triathletes can get faster while avoiding injury. - Refund Reassurance
To encourage early entries and ease fears as we emerge from the pandemic, the 140.6 triathlon on the magnificent island of Mallorca is offering a generous and liberal refund policy. This is the type of event we hope you’ll support! - Kona Bound
Believe it or not, 24 women and 24 men have already qualified for the 2021 Hawaii IRONMAN World Championships. Check out who’s made the list, and where pros still seeking a berth on the Kona pier can get their tickets punched.
