ST. GEORGE 70.3 WORLDS

This weekend’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah will be fascinating. While many top pros won’t be there, the men’s and women’s fields remain incredibly deep.

On the women’s side, it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than 5x and defending champ Daniela Ryf (SUI) once again prevailing over European champ Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR).  But can up-and-comer Taylor Knibb (USA) ruin their party?

For the men’s race look for Norway to go 1-2.  We peg Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt for the win over Gustav Iden.  But — Yo! Yo! Yo! — can Sam Long (USA) have a breakthrough race?

For all the action, tune in to IRONMAN Live this Saturday.

FIGHT SWIMMING FATIGUE

Do you tire quickly during your swim workouts?

This excellent video by Brenton Ford of Effortless Swimming is just what you need.  He focuses on the front and back of your freestyle, leading you through a progression of stroke modifications that will save energy and elevate your speed.

Many triathletes overkick without knowing it, unnecessarily raising their heart rate and burning a huge amount of oxygen.  Ford explains how to calm your kick for instant energy savings.

On the front end, keep your head low… you don’t want to be lifting that heavy melon when breathing!  Not only does it waste energy, but forces your legs to drop, further slowing you down.

Learn these and other useful tips to improve your balance and efficiency… the 2 secrets to faster swimming.

RUN LIKE MARK

Few triathletes ran better than 6x IRONMAN world champ Mark Allen.  He recognized that triathlon running is very different from running fresh, so he obsessed over how to run well off the bike.

Here are three of his top tips (and the first on his list is a bit surprising).

As you’ll see, The Grip prioritized good form while fatigued, efficient training bricks and appropriate pacing on the bike to deliver some of the fastest runs in triathlon history.

PICK IT UP

A major problem of many triathlon swimmers is overthinking their freestyle stroke.  By trying to focus on too many cues for improving technique, their stroke rate drops and they develop deadspots that kill their speed.

One way to avoid this is to increase your stroke rate by training with the FINIS Tempo Trainer Pro.  With this unobtrusive underwater metronome, you can aim to raise your turnover to 35 strokes per minute (or higher). Doing so will smooth out your power curve and increase your efficiency.

Additionally a higher turnover is more conducive for success in the open water where other swimmers, waves and chop frequently disrupt your forward momentum.

Best of all, TriathlonWire readers get a 20% discount by using the coupon code TRIWIRE at checkout. Get on it!

FUELING YOUR 70.3

According to nutrition expert Asker Jeukendrup, 30% to 70% of triathletes suffer from stomach issues during an IRONMAN 70.3.

Half Ironman racing requires higher intensity efforts than full distance events, so an effective nutrition plan is even more important… and more difficult to get right.

He suggests aiming for 60 grams of carbs per hour (fine-tuned during training), and offers options for maintaining that rate of fueling.  One of his tricks is to err on the side of under-consumption during the race.  More is definitely not better, and it’s okay to lose a little weight during the event.

Review this practical article and put yourself on track for a properly fueled, extraordinarily fast 70.3.

RETURNING TO THE POOL

With so many disruptions caused by the pandemic, many of us have been forced to take a hiatus from swimming.  If you’re one of those athletes who is returning to the pool after a lengthy break, then this article is for you.

Former pro and co-author of Triathlon Swimming, Emma-Kate Lidbury teams up with master coach Gerry Rodriguesto lay out a plan for getting back in the groove.

Based on swimming just 3x per week for 3 weeks, this proven re-entry program is steady and controlled with just a smattering of intensity.  It reacquaints you with the pool, rebuilds your swimming fitness and helps regain your feel for the water.

They map out an entire program and even prescribe specific workouts.  There’s no better time to get back into the water!

QUICK HIITS:

  • Get to Know Knibb
    Learn more about young American phenom Taylor Knibb as she rolls into this weekend’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.  As usual Bob Babbitt extracts some fascinating insights in this revealing interview.
  • 11 Toughest Triathlons
    Make up for lost racing by planning your 2022 events now.  Here are 11 of the world’s toughest (and most interesting) triathlons.
  • Duffy Day
    The island country of Bermuda declared October 18 a public holiday to celebrate Flora Duffy’s victory in the Tokyo Games.  Duffy is Bermuda’s first Olympic gold medal winner.