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D3 University is our library of articles and videos from the D3 coaches and other experts to help you train and race your best.
Race Day Planning, Part 2: The Pre-Mortem
Everyone knows what a post-mortem is: examining a corpse to determine the cause of death. Gruesome, I know, but there is another kind of –mortem that can help you execute your races better. It’s the pre-mortem. It’s a proactive, pre-emptive…
How to Write a Race Plan in 7 Steps
There is some magic between the hand and the eye, the heart and the mind, when you write something down. In triathlon, one of the most important things you can write down is your race plan. Whether it be your…
Release from Trauma
You don’t have to be a military veteran or first responder to be exposed to trauma. Many athletes have endured traumatic experiences in training, in racing and in life that impair their ability to train and race and enjoy multisport…
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MANTRA
Mantras have become popular with triathletes, but as simple as they are, mantras can be a help or a hindrance. To get your mantras to be as effective as they can be, there are a few simple ideas that can…
When the Going Gets Tough
QUESTION FROM ATHLETE:I’ve noticed lately—with the exception of track work, which I’ve been rattling off just fine and have been happy with my performance—that longer runs feel like a slog. It isn’t an issue of being unable to get HR…
Racing in Adverse Weather
The alarm goes off. It’s race morning. You’ve been training consistently for months your hydration and nutrition are dialed in, and you’re ready to go. Except for one slight hurdle, a cold front has moved in overnight, and it’s 42…
3 Lessons I learned Watching the 2018 Winter Olympics
I really love watching the Olympics, I look past the politics and look at the essence of the sport and the sportsmanship. I look at what has allowed these amazing athletes to become so successful and what we can take…
Start Your Season By Setting the Right Goals
While I am a big fan of the holidays (I’m lucky enough to have my family close enough for long visits, but just far enough away to make it a real trip), I love this time of the year for…
3 Workouts For Motivation in the “Off Season”
Most triathletes have a long season of training and racing and after the last big race, you hopefully took a nice break. I like my athletes to take 2-3 weeks of unstructured movement. No scheduled swim bike run in Training…
Triathlon Minute, Episode 107, Fire Up Your Motivation
If you are struggling with motivation to get out the door and get your workout done, Coach Alison has 3 tricks that will help you switch gears to get it done! Watch the Triathlon Minute.
Coping with the Post Race Blues
At this year’s IMWI race, I had the privilege of supporting a group of 37 athletes from Team World Vision who were racing to bring clean water to remote villages throughout Africa. As a collective group, they raised over $300,000…
Guide to Racing the Ironman World Championship Race in Kona
D3 Coach Simon Butterworth will be racing in the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii for his 13th, YES THIRTEEN, times! He has seen a number of race conditions to give him a solid perspective about how best to prepare for everything…
Don’t Doubt That You Belong
You look around and see all these superior athletes surrounding you. At the pool, you notice ripped swimmers as they saunter across the deck, slip into the water and motor back and forth at speeds such that you can’t imagine…
Failure Is Not Only An Option, It’s Mandatory
As a coach, I certainly don’t want my athletes to fail at their A priority race, but I do want them to fail in other races. While that may sound counter-productive, failure is where you learn the most. So when…
Getting a Triathlon Coach: Am I Worth It?
Triathletes invest in their sport time, effort, emotion, and funds. You invest in running and cycling shoes, a bike, swim goggles and a wetsuit for starters. Then you may shell out for a Garmin device, a lactic threshold test and…