ASK CROWIE
Judging from the thousands of responses we received to our survey (thank you!), TriathlonWire readers are obsessed with improving their performances.
To help fulfill our commitment to making you faster and more informed, we’ve enlisted the help of 3x IRONMAN World Champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander.
For a limited time — or until we scare him away — Crowie will answer a handful of your triathlon questions each week (how amazing is THAT?!), and we’ll share them with you in future editions.
To submit your question, just complete this simple form.
FUEL THE FIRE
Sports nutrition for training and racing is complex, but one fundamental that you need to get right is managing your glycogen stores. Required for high intensity efforts (i.e., those over 65% of VO2max), glycogen is the fuel your body calls upon when the pace heats up.
In this revealing podcast, Dr. Bob Murray delivers a masterclass in Glycogen Metabolism 101.
He explains why it’s so vital, the best way for athletes to replenish it and how you can enhance muscle adaptations by managing glycogen levels during training. He even decodes the interplay between glycogen stores and fat oxidation.
If you’ve ever felt like you could improve your fueling strategy, then this is an interview you won’t want to miss.
TRAINING WITH TADEJ
TrainingPeaks’ co-founder Dirk Friel speaks with Dr. Iñigo San Millán, the performance coach of Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar.
While Tadej’s aerobic energy system is off-the-charts (even among pro riders), there’s plenty we can learn from his approach to training.
Dr. San Millan describes his relentless work to improve Pogačar’s mitochondrial function. Why? Because it enables more efficient fatty acid metabolism (thereby preserving glycogen for later in the race) and it improves his already world class ability to clear lactate.
It’s not every day that you can learn from the best; don’t miss this opportunity.
TRIATHLON CHANGES LIVES
Back in 1994, three buddies got together to buy a van for their friend, triathlete Jim MacLaren, who’d been paralyzed in a bike accident. With that first act of kindness, the Challenged Athletes Foundation was born.
27 years and more than 30,000 grants later, CAF remains dedicated to helping challenged athletes get back into the game of life (through sports).
Now, during this pandemic, individuals with physical disabilities are faced with even greater barriers. CAF needs your help more than ever. Please check out its CAF Community Challenge and consider making a pledge based on the miles you train. Doing so will change lives.
VIRTUAL BOB
One of our favorite activities during Kona Race Week is the daily interview show, Breakfast With Bob. Hosted by IRONMAN Hall of Famer Bob Babbitt from Huggo’s Restaurant, Bob’s conversations with the champions of our sport have been the best media being broadcast from the Big Island (until the cannon fires on Saturday morning, of course!)
Although we won’t be in Hawaii in 2020, we can still enjoy Bob’s interviews with the legends of triathlon. Listening to his Breakfast With Bob: Stay Home Edition is almost like being back on Ali’i Drive!
GET HIP
When running, your hip muscles are under more stress than your leg muscles.
So, it makes sense that stronger gluteals, hamstrings and core will improve your running. Increased hip strength promotes optimal stride length and allows you to maintain good form, thereby avoiding injury.
The missing component in most triathletes’ programs is resistance training. Dave Cripps, director of TriTenacious, suggests how to efficiently build greater hip strength to improve your running.
QUICK HIITS:
- IRONMAN VR Kona Series
This 5-week virtual training series is in full swing and — good news! — you can still register and catch up with the program. The Series culminates with a full distance virtual IRONMAN triathlon on October 5 – 11, 2020. - California Inked
Starting in 2021, the 5,000 members of California Triathlon will be sporting custom state-of-the-art apparel produced by Wattie Ink. Wattie’s cutting edge designs have energized the sport, and this match made in SoCal will further elevate both brands. - Back in the Pool
It turns out that the chlorination level in most swimming pools is sufficient to kill COVID-19. Now, if only we could find a hack that guarantees a lane reservation… - TriTweet
The coolest Tweet of the Week comes from our friends at Super League Triathlon. They just published the pace and power numbers from the Arena Games (warning: they’re incredible!)
