LET’S RACE!
It’s time to welcome independent events back to the race calendar! Let’s begin with the Lake Perris Triathlon on May 9, produced by Cal Tri.
Socially distanced procedures will be in effect. 14 race options are offered including triathlon, tri relay, runbikerun, swimbike and swimrun at both the sprint & Olympic distances.
Lake Perris is convenient to Anaheim (55 miles), LA (70 miles) and San Diego (90 miles). TriathlonWire readers get $10 off with discount code TRIATHLONWIRE.
FIND THAT SWEET SPOT
Our goal is to get faster by raising our FTP. One effective way of doing so is through intervals conducted in the “sweet spot”: at sustained efforts between 85-95% of FTP.
Sweet Spot Training strikes the optimal balance between intensity and volume. It teaches you to resist fatigue while putting out relatively high power, and builds muscular endurance without excessive muscle damage.
Scheduled 2 or 3 times per week, Sweet Spot Training improves mitochondrial density and capillary development, while delivering enormous gains in overall aerobic performance. More intense than classic Zone 2 training, it’s incredibly efficient.
Coach Jesse Fortson of TrainerRoad calls Sweet Spot Training the “grey area between tempo and threshold”. It can be tricky to implement, so check out his informative article that explains everything you want to know about Sweet Spot Training and how to make it work for you.
MORE IRON
Iron is critical for aerobic performance, and endurance athletes need more of it than the average population… Perhaps 70% more. It plays a vital role in energy metabolism, oxygen transport, and acid-base balance.
Athletes are frequently diagnosed as iron deficient, due to the combination of increased iron needs and insufficient dietary intake. Upwards of 50% of women athletes are at risk for iron deficiency. Exercise depletes our iron stores, and our bodies aren’t particularly efficient at absorbing dietary iron.
How can we improve iron absorption? Nutrient timing is important. Research suggests that it’s best to eat an iron-rich meal within 60 minutes of a workout. It also appears that vitamin C might aid in iron uptake.
Alex Hutchinson’s comprehensive overview on the importance of iron — and how endurance athletes might better manage it — will get you started.
LUNGE FOR THE RUN
If you want to improve your stride length, increase your turnover and protect against injury, then commit to adding lunges to your strength training routine.
Lunges mimic the running motion and strengthen your glutes, hamstrings and quads. With their single-leg isolation, they improve stability and balance.
Check out these 10 variations of lunges described by the Runner’s Blueprint. Perform them 2 to 3 times per week for 5-10 minutes, and you’ll soon notice marked improvements in your performance.
DON’T FEAR THE FINS
Triathletes are infamous for having limited ankle flexion, which causes tremendous drag when swimming freestyle.
An effective tool for overcoming this lack of mobility is the FINIS Long Floating Fins. The favorite of 6x IRONMAN Champion and master coach Dave Scott, these fins will improve ankle flexibility, reduce splayed legs, and help refine the overall balance of your kick.
Swim fins are not cheating! When used properly, they help improve your hip engagement, streamline your position and increase your propulsive force.
As always, TriathlonWire readers receive 20% off when they use the coupon code TRIWIRE at checkout.
3 SPEED WORKOUTS
As triathletes we often find ourselves swimming too many long, unbroken workouts.
Interval training in the pool has been proven to improve both aerobic and sprint performance, so why are we wasting so much time on the long stuff?
To help break you out of that rut, give these 3 higher intensity sessions a try. Coach Olivier Poirier-Leroy outlines workouts that will make you faster over the triathlon distance, and prepare you to handle the variations of pace that always occur during a race.
IT’S SUPER LEAGUE!
On Saturday, March 27, the next installment of SLT Arena Games powered by Zwift will take place in London at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. You can watch the event live on its website, FloSports, Eurosport or on a host of other regional broadcasters.
The most exciting triathlon format ever televised is capturing the attention of brands, too. Garmin just announced its sponsorship of the Series, and its Tacx NEO 2T smart trainers and Garmin Forerunner 945 HRMs will be used by all competitors during the races to capture data for real-time transmission.
QUICK HIITS:
- Reading List
One woman. 4 Olympics. 3 sports. World Champion Sheila Taormina has nearly done it all. Regarded as one of the best swimmers ever to compete in triathlon, her amazing book Swim Speed Secrets will unlock faster swim times for you. With over 200 5-star reviews, it’s a must for your multisport library. - Transformational Triathlons
Recently the Voice of Ironman Mike Reilly sat down with 5x XTERRA World Champion Lesley Paterson and sports psychologist Dr. Simon Marshall to share inspirational stories from triathlon. The perfect podcast for your next long trainer session! - Tweet of the Week
Pan Am Games steeplechase champion and US elite runner Sara Hall perfectly captures the essence of training in this popular Tweet.
