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.
Racing the Ironman World Championships – 3 Top Tips!
D3 Coach Simon Butterworth has had the most incredible athletic prowess of racing the Ironman World Championships fourteen times. He is about to embark on his 15th this October. His knowledge of the course and conditions is unparalleled. He is…
Challenge: Race Without the Metrics
Whether it’s your first race, your A race, or a big race, I’d like to share some reminders that will take you beyond the metrics and help keep you relaxed and confident going into your race. The goal is to…
Research These 6 Points Before Committing to a Destination Race
We have all been there with the post-race blues. Reflection and contemplation. You wonder, what can I race next? And your one genius friend says lets race in _________ (insert exotic location). And at that the moment, you both say,…
The Part II: Clarifying Protein Needs by Gender and Carbohydrates by Race Distance
In the article 3 Nutrition Must-Haves for Triathletes I shared information about protein, carbohydrates and hydration needs for endurance athletes. That generated two important questions about protein intake by gender and carbohydrate needs for different race distances. This Part II…
Race Day Readiness with a Proper Warm-up
“This is where my husband was telling me a lot of my race sucking today was in my prep. I didn’t warm up… it was my first swim in the new wetsuit. I didn’t jog or anything beforehand and just…
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…
Strategic Race Planning: The Swim
I have been accused often of being a bit overly obsessive about race planning, but my obsession is your gain. This article addresses the swim portion of a race, as the swim is something I always plan out carefully for…
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…
Using Training Benchmarks to Set Race Goals
Far too often, athletes set their race goals and define their race-day execution based off of fantasy. That fantasy might violate the time-space continuum, as in: I did [insert race] in [insert time] back in [insert today’s date minus 3…
The Power of Proper Pacing
The three D’s of D3 (Determination, Desire and Discipline) are all integral for success in triathlon. However, all to often on race day, many athletes seem to forget or ignore discipline. The discipline required to properly pace their race. Having…
1 Key Tip for a Successful Athlete-Coach Partnership
When you are paying for coaching, you want to make certain you are maximizing your coach’s knowledge. But to get that value and to create the foundation for a strong athlete-coach partnership, you need to pitch in. We asked Coach…
3 KONA COURSE TIPS FROM 13X IMWC FINISHER
Having expert advice from a 13-time Ironman World Champion finisher is invaluable as you prepare for your own race. His approach to racing this course every year is strategic and calculated. Heed his advice on these three-pointers and you might…
Triathlon Minute, Episode 111 – 2 Tips to Control Your Breathing on Race Day
Learning to control your breath during a race is critical to your performance as well as your overall enjoyment. Coach Alison has a tip for each the swim and run to help you bring your breath under control which will…
Triathlon Minute, Episode 110 – Transition Bag Must Haves
Do you have these in your transition bag? Seasoned racer Coach Julie Dunkle includes these in her transition bag.
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…