Carefully Curated Triathlon News for January 25, 2024

IN THIS EDITION…

  • 5 stroke modifications for open water
  • How to perfectly execute your long run
  • Blueprint for consistently better recovery
  • 5 marathon mistakes… and how to avoid them
  • Ride uphill faster with these workouts

CLIMB FASTER

Want to ride faster uphill?  Then now’s the time to incorporate low cadence, high torque intervals into your program.

Over-geared sessions promote the recruitment of more muscle fibers that results in a greater generation of force… and quicker climbing. 

Coach Jim Rutberg shares his favorite low-cadence workout structure.  These intervals are equally effective on an indoor trainer or outdoors on a 10-minute climb.  Regardless they’ll make you a faster climber by building more power.

OPEN DIFFERENCES

New triathletes quickly realize that swimming in the open water is different than training in the pool.

Masters coach Linda Irish Bostic examines how to adapt freestyle technique for open water.

She details the 5 stroke components that must be modified for faster triathlon swimming.

MARATHON MISTAKES

Successfully executing a long-distance triathlon run relies on thorough practice and preparation during training.

Make the most of every run workout by avoiding the 5 most common marathon training mistakes and, instead, following coach Jeff Gaudette’s guidelines.

Of particular importance for triathletes is setting a realistic goal time and then practicing the appropriate pacing.  Gaudette’s article explains how.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

In response to overwhelming demand, 5x triathlon world champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander will lead two US training camps this year.

Hosted at the beautiful First Bourn training estates in Virginia and North Carolina, each camp provides a week of purposeful instruction guaranteed to make you a faster triathlete.

How do you choose?  The camp at First Bourn Virginia is ideal for triathletes of all levels who are looking for holistic improvement across all disciplines.  The week at First Bourn North Carolina is more cycling-focused, perfect for elevating your climbing power and descending skills!

In addition to the unparalleled curriculum, incomparable amenities, and a personal phone consultation from Craig, TriathlonWire readers get $50 off camp tuition with coupon code TRIWIRE50 when registering for Crowie’s Virginia camp or North Carolina camp.

A BETTER LONG RUN

The weekly long run is a staple of full-distance triathletes.  Coach Greg McMillan explains how to determine the length and pace of this key workout.

What makes his process unique is that he begins with a formula for calculating your longest training run based on your target race pace.  Then he provides tips on long run pacing and how to build up to this maximum distance to avoid injury.

Apply his personalized recommendations to your next training cycle and you’ll be running off-the-bike stronger than ever.

RECOVERY BLUEPRINT

One fundamental of triathlon success is training consistently.  To ensure consistency, you must dial-in your daily recovery protocols.

We know that optimized recovery is built upon a foundation of adequate sleep and nutrition.

Coach Linda Wallenfells outlines her proven post-exercise recovery routine.  She explains how to take advantage of the 2 windows for recovery fueling, and provides often over-looked tips for optimizing your sleep.

Focus on these two variables, and you’ll notice improvements in your training almost immediately.

QUICK HIITS:

  • Saddle Up
    Finding the right saddle is a never-ending quest of triathletes everywhere.  To help you indentify the perfect perch, Dan Empfield examines the latest technology in tri bike saddles.
  • Andalusian Iron
    This week IRONMAN revealed that its 2025 VinFast 70.3 World Championships will be held in Marbella, Spain.  A fantastic location but – in what might just be a trend – the event will be held after the full-distance title races in Nice and Kona.