IN THIS EDITION…

  • 5 ways to boost your IRONMAN training
  • To do it right, make it feel wrong
  • Proven test sets for swim and run
  • Learning the nuances of interval workouts
  • 6 tips to revitalize your training program

FRAMEWORK FOR FASTER

It’s simple: no matter how fast you are now, these 6 tips will make you faster.

We’re big fans of Mikael Eriksson, host of the Scientific Triathlon podcast.  In this episode he provides practical advice on how to refine your swim, bike and run.

These tips can be put to use immediately. They provide a framework to help you avoid grinding out endless steady state mileage that leads to burnout, injury and unsatisfactory performances.

Give this podcast a listen (or read the show notes) to quickly reinvigorate your training.

THE TRUTH DOESN’T HURT

Are you one of those athletes who avoids baseline performance testing because you “don’t want to know how slow you are”?

If so, that’s too bad because you’re left guessing about your current fitness and have no way of charting a path to improvement.

In this article Steven Brandes of The Kona Edge outlines 2 reliable test sets for swim and run that – when performed on a regular basis – provide the information you need to fine tune your training for optimal results.

With clear-eyed knowledge of your current fitness, you’ll be empowered to train at the appropriate paces and set realistic goals.  There’s no better way to ensure faster results.

DOSING YOUR EFFORTS

How should you evolve and develop your interval training?  Add more repeats of the same duration, or keep the number of reps constant and lengthen their duration?.

According to Chris Carmichael, it depends on intensity.  The harder the effort, then the more we increase reps (and not their duration).  This is because there are limits to how long you can sustain a single effort at given intensity.

Interval duration and training intensity work together.  So, our goal should be to carefully increase your cumulative time-at-intensity during your training block.

Catch a glimpse of how top coaches devise interval training progressions by reading this revealing article.  If nothing else, it will get you thinking about how your interval workouts can become more intentional and productive.

ELEVATED TRIATHLON

If you missed the first registration window, now’s your second chance to join the hottest triathlon team going.

Spaero Triathlon (formerly Wattie Ink) combines the latest in textile technology with classy, flattering styles.  The result is a new line of performance apparel that will elevate your triathlon by giving you a competitive edge.

Worn by 5x World Champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander, Olympian & Pan Am Games champion Andy Potts, IRONMAN winner Lauren Brandon and thousands of dedicated age group triathletes, Spaero Triathlon gear is now available to you.

Team members get over $400 worth of custom gear, access to world class coaching resources, discounts from leading brands and much more!

Don’t sleep on this… registration closes on Monday, May 16 at midnight, and might not reopen this year.  Join today… it’s a steal no matter how you cut it!

MAKE IT FEEL WRONG

How can we improve our swim skills?  More specifically, how can we correct a component of our stroke that we’re performing incorrectly?

NCAA champion swim coach Andrew Shaeff has his athletes triple or quadruple the magnitude of the change they’re trying to affect.  This is because most of us have a poor kinesthetic sense of the position of our body parts when suspended in water.

If it feels wrong, then you’re probably doing it right. Exaggerating the correction will make it much more likely that you’ll adopt the change you’re trying to make.

SCOTCH TREAT

2x Kona podium finisher and Britain’s top IRONMAN triathlete David McNamee knows a thing or two about racing over the full distance.

In this article the Flying Scotsman shares 14 powerful insights to increase your speed and confidence.

Use these tips as your personal checklist for better IRONMAN performance. As you work through each nugget of advice, your proficiency will improve.

QUICK HIITS:

  • Breakfast of Champions
    We knew we were at a proper world championship event in St. George when we saw Bob Babbitt’s Breakfast With Bob show.  His daily slate of interviews with leading pros, former winners and triathlon bigshots provided insights that were available nowhere else.  Browse through all the episodes and be sure not to miss his post-event conversations with the champions… they’re pure gold!
  • Tougher Than Kona
    It was thrilling to watch the intense competition of the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championships in St. George, UT last weekend.  But 21.9% of athletes did not make the time cutoffs or dropped out.  Was this race tougher than Kona?  Kevin McKinnon examines what made this St. George course so tough.