Your Complete Knowledge Center
D3 University is our library of articles and videos from the D3 coaches and other experts to help you train and race your best.
Eat Wisely During the Holidays
The holiday season can result in some interesting eating. Calorie requirements can be reduced during the off-season in the Northern Hemisphere when training loads may be relaxed and fewer races are happening. How can you get through the cake, pie,…
When to Reach Out
This week I completed my application to recertify my USA Triathlon coach license. Part of the preparation in addition to attending courses and seminars involves signing an agreement of the USA Olympic and Paralympic code and USA Triathlon best practices.…
Return to Racing with a Firefighter’s Mindset
In recent weeks we have seen numerous races taking place across the United States. As a coach, it has been very refreshing to be able to have the familiar pre-race conversations about race day execution and strategy. It has been…
Do You Circle the Block?
As I once again watched a few athletes run an extra couple of blocks because “we want to get to eight miles”, Coach Brad and I exchanged grins as we coached the workout. I’ll admit to planning my route home…
A New Year, a New Day
At the end of the outgoing year and beginning of the next, tradition tells us to make commitments and plans to improve in the new year. It’s a new year, with new opportunities and new possibilities to make ourselves better.…
Use Your Brain (to Sort Out Misinformation About Our Sport)
I suspect there is at least one thing that everyone in this country can agree on, there is a lot of misinformation and outright lying out there in social media and in the news. We won’t all agree on what…
Self-Inventory and your State of Readiness using TTM
As a coach, this past nine months of helping triathletes through a global pandemic has presented many new and unique challenges. At the forefront is the health and safety of my athletes, friends, family, neighbors, and the population as a…
Finding Motivation
Adjusting to a New Life and Putting Things in Perspective The header photo seems to say it all about our situation right now in regards to training and racing. Lay back and enjoy it, go with the flow. I also…
Time Heals—Even in Strange Times
During these strange times, some folks are struggling with loss of races, camps, group workouts and camaraderie. Here are a few things you can do to address the loss. Time Heals. Place yourself two years into the future when things…
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…