IN THIS EDITION…
- What is Exactly is an Average IRONMAN?
- Amazing Free Triathlon Resources
- Junk Miles are Making You Slower
- The Facets of Sam Long
TWO SIDES, BOTH LONG
Save this edition of the popular How They Train podcast for your next indoor bike session or long run: it’s a raw and unfiltered conversation with American pro Sam Long, just days after his disappointment in St. George.
Part 1 addresses the various controversies that have swirled around Sam. He were impressed by his calm and thoughtful explanation of what resulted in his disastrous 5-min bike penalty at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
In Part 2 you’ll hear Sam reveal the details of his last 5 weeks of training leading up to St. George. He then describes how he intends to improve his swim (and why that’s so critical for future success), and spells out how he structures his bike and run training.
After listening to this exceptional show, we guarantee you’ll come away with a newfound respect for this talented triathlete.
ELIMINATE THE JUNK
Most triathletes are very pressed for time. We must be ultra-efficient and avoid “junk miles” at all costs.
In this video coach Dylan Johnson explores the concept of junk miles and explains why they might actually be making you slower.
How do we elimiate junk miles? By being intentional about the distribution of our workout intensity throughout the week. That’s why polarized and pyramidal training plans are so successful.
Don’t fall into the trap common among time-crunched triathletes who try to make every ride hard. That’s a sure path to junk miles, and perhaps even overtraining.
STYLED FOR SPEED
SPAERO Triathlon just rolled out its exclusive Craig Alexander Collection of high performance triathlon apparel, the ultimate convergence of technology, function and style.
Designed in cooperation with world champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander, every piece meets his uncompromising standards. Crowie knows what it takes to reach the finish line, and he relies on his apparel for maximum speed and comfort.
Grab a cycling kit for your winter training, or a trisuit for your next race.
Whatever you choose, save 15% off your purchase with Craig’s family & friends coupon code CROWIE15.
TRAINING GOLD
We don’t normally feature Tweets in our highlighted stories, but this post from Going Long co-author, 8:29 IRONMAN finisher and 2002 Ultraman World Champ Gordo Byrn is priceless.
In one humble Tweet, Byrn provides a wealth of triathlon resources (our favorite is his 10-week Back to Swimming Program).
He casually ends his post with a link to his free How to Qualify for Kona eBook, which is a goldmine of tips and insights that come from hard-earned personal experience.
AVERAGE IRON
With the stunning results from Kona still fresh in our minds, we appreciated this analysis by My Tri World of the worldwide average IRONMAN times per age group and gender.
This exhaustive study crunched data from over 55,000 finish times dating back to 2019.
Learn which IRONMAN races are fastest – and slowest – and then compare these average marks to the finish times in Hawaii.
If you’d like to dive further down the Hawaii IRONMAN rabbit hole, then check out these statistics compiled by Endurance Data.
Information is power, these numbers will help guide and govern your Kona aspirations.
QUICK HIITS:
- Wheelie, Wheelie Fast
For an overview of which rims were most popular – and which were at the head of the pack – check out Dan Empfield’s overview of the wheels used in Kona. It might help you decide where to spend your hard-earned money on this important bike upgrade.
- Pool Party
Saturdays and Sundays are a great time to slow down your stroke and focus on form. If you’re looking for a fresh weekend session, then check out this swim workout by coach Sara McLarty that can be tailored for any level of athlete.
