Carefully Curated Triathlon News for March 14, 2024

IN THIS EDITION…

  • 10 variations of lunges for stronger running
  • Are you missing this often-depleted supplement?
  • Why triathletes need low cadence bike training
  • The best workout for a stronger run finish
  • Why SSS is the best swim drill for efficiency

SUPER SLOW

Champion swimmer Ryan Lochte once said that training slowly was the only way to improve technique.

Slowing down allows you to truly focus on the proper mechanics of freestyle, and make changes that translate into more efficiency and speed. 

Coach Olivier Poirier-Leroy believes that super slow swimming (SSS) is the best drill you can do, because it immediately highlights the faults and weaknesses of your stroke.

Follow these 5 tips for how to use SSS in your training.  Because efficient swimmers are fast swimmers.

LUNGE FOR THE RUN

Improve your stride length, increase your turnover and protect against injury by 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 also 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.

BIG STOMP

Sometimes referred to as strength training on the bike, weekly low cadence-high torque sessions – performed seated in the aero position — will make you faster on race day.

Coach Matt Hill calls it Stomping.  Its goal is to recruit more muscle fibers, learn to preserve your “running muscles” and build muscular endurance.

Perfectly suited for the ERG mode on an indoor trainer, check out these big gear sessions by Heather Jackson, Lauren Brandon and Sarah Crowley.

STOP SWIMMING BLIND

The innovative FINIS Smart Goggle discreetly displays your real-time swim data in the corner of your field-of-view.

Powerful metrics – like stroke rate, lap count, split time, rest intervals and more — help optimize your speed and efficiency, and allow you to get the most from every workout.

No subscription required.  It even integrates with Strava!

As a TriathlonWire reader, get 20% off your purchase of the FINIS Smart Goggle and other world class swimming accessories by using coupon code TRIWIRE at checkout.

TAKE IT UP

Success in the triathlon run requires strength and durability.  Few workouts deliver a better ROI than a well-designed hill session.

With a few important exceptions, uphill running can be employed year-round for better strength, power, speed and efficiency.  Overcoming the pull of gravity improves multiple markers of fitness, biomechanics and mental toughness.

Coach Torsten Abel explains how and when to integrate hill training into a well-rounded program for maximum benefit.

MEGA MAG

If you’re searching for marginal gains to improve your endurance performance, you’ll want to consider magnesium supplementation.

Research indicates that magnesium deficiencies are common among runners.  Not only is it difficult to absorb, it’s also easily lost through sweat.

Magnesium plays a critical role in regulating nerve and muscle function.  Its benefits include optimization of sleep, reduction in cortisol, enhancement of testosterone and cramp prevention.

Learn more about this often-overlooked essential mineral and how to integrate it into your nutrition protocol.

QUICK HIITS:

  • Tag & Follow
    For added security and peace-of-mind, consider adding an Apple AirTag beneath the saddle of your bike.  Dan Empfield tells us how.  Doing so allows you to track the whereabouts of your most expensive piece of gear.
  • Placid Return
    To the delight of 3,200 triathletes, popular announcer Mike Reilly will return to the microphone for the 25th annual IRONMAN Lake Placid this July.  Finishers will once again hear those iconic words coined by Reilly, “You are an IRONMAN!”