D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, "The Triathlon Minute". Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn't know.

Coach Jim Hallberg shares his strategies for electrolytes and timing your hydration leading into a race.

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It’s no secret that aerodynamics play a significant role in shaving down time on the bike. Here are a few tips from Todd Carver, Chief Fit and Education Officer at Retül, to reduce drag and improve performance.

(1) Find a position you can sustain
Go for a position you can hold for the duration of your event and focus on stability. A fast position is one you can manage, and that’s more important than being low on the bike. Low is only better if you can ride that position with stability. If you get a professional bike fit, your fitter will look for biomechanically neutral ranges and help you find a position to maximize comfort and performance.

(2) For helmet choice, think about heat
Helmets are relatively inexpensive compared to wheels and frames yet you’ll see comparable aero benefits with a good helmet choice. First, consider the heat factor for your event. Aero helmets generally have fewer vents, so be sure to train with and test an aero helmet before your event to make sure you won’t be too hot. The helmet should be comfortable, and the tail should sit on your back and match your profile. If heat is a factor, two great hybrid options are the Specialized Evade and the Giro Air Attack. These helmets can keep you cooler and perform almost like a full aero helmet.

(3) Consider wind conditions for wheels
Aerodynamically, a deeper section rim will out-perform a traditional rim. In straight-on wind conditions, 40mm is all you need. However, with any yaw (angle of the wind), going deeper than 40mm is beneficial due to what is known as the sail effect. However, the sail effect also makes the bike harder to handle – so you’ll need to be mindful of adjusting your body position to remain upright.

(4) Clean up your bike
Take advantage of aid stations and feed zones in your event, and get rid of extra fluids and fuel stored on your bike. The gels taped to your top tube will only add drag. Go with two bottles – one between your aero bars and one behind you.

Todd Carver is based in Boulder, CO and offers fit services at the Retül world headquarters. Carver is the co-creator of Positioned for Speed, a new program focused teaching bike fit and aerodynamic principles to bike fitters, coaches and performance professionals. Retül is chosen as the official bike fit technology of Garmin-Sharp, Team Sky, Orica-GreenEdge, Team Europcar, MTN Qhubeka, Colombia Cycling, 4-72 Colombia, British Cycling and USA Triathlon, as well as by numerous world-class triathletes including Ironman World Champions Craig Alexander and Leanda Cave. For more information visit retul.com.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

D3 Head Coach Mike Ricci, also the USAT National Coach of the Year, has a simple tip: keep your transition area clean; it will translate to a faster race time!

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

We all need this reminder; the point is to practice it well before your race. Coach Jim Hallberg brings us this week’s video tip.

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

Carbohydrates – which ones should I eat, and when do I need to eat them? Easily understood tip about carbohydrates from Team Nutritionist, Craig David, in this week’s video.

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

Your nutrition during training and racing can be challenging to figure out. Coach AJ Johnson provides a helpful, common sense reminder about having multiple go-to sources for nutrition in this week’s tip.

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Spring time means the smell of newly blooming flowers, crisp fresh spring air and dormant grasses turning green. For most of us it means time to get outside see what all that base training did for you this winter. One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: I have done my base training, and my races are still weeks away, so what should I do? My recommendation for you as triathlete, if you feel your base work is adequate, is to work on five areas between now and your first race of the season that will help you continue your improvement.

#1 Determine your weaknesses. Work on the aspects of your training that you aren't 100% happy with. If you feel that you are lacking swim endurance, then swim longer sets. If you feel you are lacking hill climbing strength on the bike, this is the time to do extra reps in training. Some folks feel strong and have plenty of endurance but lack skills. If this is the case, then get the advice of a swim instructor or a run coach to assess your form and technique. Subtle changes can go a long way to improving performance. Think in the long term, not the short term. What can I do now, to help me be better 6 months or a year from now? 

#2 Improve your mental toughness. Having skills, endurance, and speed is worthless if you don't have the mental capability to back it up. Weak-minded athletes think in terms of 'hopes and wishes', while strong-minded athletes think in terms of 'I will' and 'I am'. If you hear an athlete say, 'I hope to go under 50 minutes during the 10k run', the chances that they will go under 50 minutes are pretty slim. If you hear, 'I am running under 50 minute pace in training and I will do it in the race too' that athlete will probably succeed. Setting goals, writing them down and keeping them realistic is all part of improving your mental toughness. Pick up a book if you don't know where to begin. A good mental toughness book will have exercises to help you know exactly what your weaknesses are. The top athletes work on their mental game all the time, and that's why they're on top.

#3 Challenge yourself to do a workout that you don't think you can complete. What? Yes, push yourself to go just a bit farther than you think you can. If you have a sprint tri coming up and you are worried about the distance, set up a training day where you go beyond the distance. Swim 1,000 yards, bike 20 miles and run 4 miles. On race day, it will be that much easier. Another idea is to bike 40 miles if the longest you have gone is 25, or run 10 miles if your longest run has been 6 miles. Bottom line; find out where your limits are, and push beyond them. I am not giving you permission to go out and injure yourself, but go out there and see how far or how long you can go for.

#4 Practice your transitions. Most of us will run after a bike ride before our first race of the season, but how many of us practice getting our wetsuits off, helmets and shoes on and mounting our bikes? Go to an early season race and you will get your answer. Practice the transition, it's FREE time against your opponents, if your opponent is only the clock.

#5 Train in race-like conditions. This is probably the most important of the five recommendations. If you can't train on the actual course, you should try to simulate the course you will be racing on. If the course has a lot of long slow hills, ride and run on some long slow hills. If the course finishes running and riding into a headwind, do the same in training. If the course is in hot conditions, then train with long sleeves to get used to the heat. Whatever you can do in training to simulate the course, will help you on race day.

I hope you work on your five points between the end of base and your first race. When it comes to race day, you will be glad you did!

Michael Ricci is a USAT certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at mike@d3multisport.com

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

This is a tip that will make you say, “WOW, I can control my race experience”! Mental Skills Coach Will Murray shares several strategies for race day planning, that when put to the test, will provide you with a new approach to racing.

Mental training is essential for race day success, and we’ll provide strategies at our Ironman Training Camp!

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

Coach AJ Johnson reminds us to check our gear early – and not the night before a race. As spring rolls onto our calendars and race season gets underway, remember to get your gear professionally tuned and look everything over for wear and tear. Your safety is important to remember.  

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With the weather finally breaking many athletes are ready to move out of their basement, stop going to the rec-center and want to get outside. With the rise of spring often comes a rise in motivation, and for the most part that is a good thing. However, sometimes that enthusiasm leads to going too hard too fast, or adding on more miles than appropriate. This can lead to bad outcomes, both short and long term.

Adding two hours to your two hour long ride essentially doubles the load on your body. Your coach has given you a long term, progressive plan and that extra load was not part of it. By making large, unplanned jumps in time or distance you greatly increase your chance of injury.

This is true not just for a single session but for multiple sessions as well. Adding an hour to a Saturday long ride and 30 minutes to a Sunday run can also lead to a nagging overuse injury. Remember that your plan is set for long term achievement at your A priority event. While a few extra hours in the sun can be tempting after a long and snowy winter – restraint will keep you on track to meet your goals.

So what happens if you do go a bit too hard and find yourself with a niggling injury? Well, most athletes will choose to ignore it. Then, after a few days they will convince themselves that it’s almost gone. The next step is typically deciding that more movement is a good option. Finally, the realization hits – this isn’t going away.

Best case scenario is a two to three day rest period. So, while your more restrained training partners are out enjoying a sunny day you are at home icing your knee or getting therapy on your ailing ankle. Not only is that hard to take, it pushes back your progressive plan – the one your coach had set up for you. Your calendar is changed and your build period shortened. Now, your coach is there for you, and they are more than willing to change things up when needed. But remember, they set up a good plan to start. These changes are far from ideal so the fewer the better.

If the issue continues you may need to take more time off. This can put an entire season in jeopardy. If you’re building to an Ironman and miss two weeks of base building, that puts everything behind the proverbial 8-ball. Looking to PR at your next Olympic distance race? Missing base weeks will absolutely affect your build and peak phases. While you will likely still be able to race, you won’t necessarily be at the peak you could have attained.
Living in Colorado I’ve had my share of days spent spinning on a trainer wishing I could be outside. That first sunny day after a cold spell is tempting. When spring comes and there is a clear weekend, I can barely contain my joy. But I don’t let my enthusiasm override my good judgment. OK, I did once but learned my lesson.

Think long term when the sun starts to shine and the roads clear. If you want to add on some time, at the bare minimum talk with your coach beforehand. Just remember that if you want to enjoy the warmer days of summer you may have to sacrifice an hour in the spring.

Written by D3 Staff

A “six pack” does not necessarily mean a strong core. This article describes how to develop mobility and stability for strength.

The five steps of recovery after surgery are: reduce and as soon as possible eliminate swelling, restore range of motion, retrain stability in the joint, establish strength and last but not least, train for power. Those same principles with the exception of swelling (since it typically is not present with chronic pain) apply to anyone who is or has been in pain not related to trauma or surgery. Unfortunately the simple rule of establishing mobility and stability around a joint prior to adding strength to an exercise or rehabilitation routine is an often forgotten principle that results in either temporary pain relief or no pain relief at all.

Mobility around a joint is a prerequisite for any rehabilitation or training program and is often overlooked or addressed by static stretching, which may or may not solve the “lack of mobility” problem. For example, if there is a lack of mobility in the shoulder, the traditional stretching of the pectoral muscles or other muscles around the girdle will not be sufficient. Movement at the shoulder joint is complex and relates to several joints actually: acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, scapulohumeral, scapulothoracic and is also dependent on the mobility of the thoracic spine itself. One can see that if mobility around any of these joints is compromised a program that does not attempt to uncover the dysfunction will not be adequate to correct the problem. Therefore when in doubt always choose movements that are more complex and address multiple joints. My favorites to aid in shoulder joint mobility are the “carpet angel” and “butterfly.” To perform these two exercises a foam roller is needed.

Carpet Angel: lay on the foam roller placing it along the spine. Head is resting on the foam roller and the feet are hip width apart and knees bent. For the carpet angel place arms next to the body, palms facing up and with an inhale draw an angel’s wings on the carpet just like it would be done on the snow. With an exhalation bring the arms back down and repeat for five minutes.Butterfly: The body remains in the same position as for the carpet angels, but the fingers are interlaced behind the head. With an inhale push elbows apart toward the floor and with an exhalation bring elbows together. Repeat for five minutes.

When it comes to muscles in the body we can generally classify them as stabilizers or movers. Stabilizers or tonic muscles are typically smaller, slow twitch (fatigue resistant) by design and are located closer to the joint. Movers or phasic muscles are typically “beefier”, they can offer a quick physiologic response but fatigue more easily. Because these two basic sets of muscles have different functions they have to be trained differently. Believe it or not, a “six pack” does not necessarily mean a strong core. True, rectus abdominis, the “six pack” muscle, is in the general location of the “core” but its primary role is movement and not stabilization. Stabilization is the job of the “core”, which we have three sets: shoulder, trunk and hip. 

For example, at the shoulder, the rotator cuff stabilizes the glenohumeral joint so that the bigger deltoid muscle can create movement. At the hip, the deep muscles close to the joint create stability so that any single leg stance motion can occur (such as in walking, running or kicking). The transverse abdominis, one of the trunk core muscles, provides stability around the pelvis, which is needed in order to move the axial skeleton (limbs).
In other words, the brain needs to know that the joint is stable before it will allow the movement. Hence, in rehabilitation or training, the muscular system should not be addressed without including the nervous system. Strong muscles that do not fire when they are supposed to are like a computer without the software. The nervous system is the software that dictates the quality of muscle performance. Training the stabilizing muscles by doing static exercise like a plank or a concentric exercise such as a crunch is inadequate. Remember, the stabilizer’s job is to stabilize and to enable movement. To train a stabilizer, the stability exercise with movement needs to occur, along the line with the so-called specificity principle: train the muscle for what it needs to do. When thinking about training “core”, in this case “trunk” core, try the exercises in the box below.

A. Position your body in a pike on the ball with only your toes on the ball and the ball should be fully inflated. The instability of the ball will recruit the core musculature and the movement of the lower extremity will provide the realistic environment that the neuromuscular system needs to learn.

B. A single leg dead lift doing a push press using a kettle bell in the opposite hand will recruit the core to protect the body from tipping over to the weighted side and the movement (dead lift and push press) will provide the specific environment.

Proper rehabilitation and training are complex. When looking for a professional to help you reach the next level, be picky and demand explanation for why and how. Every exercise should have a purpose and every purpose should be to get the best quality of movement with minimal or no risk for injury.

Written by Coach Martina Young PT, DPT. For further discussion or to find out which muscles compose the “core” contact coach Martina

Thoughts on Swim Deaths in Triathlon and Mitigation EffortsThis won’t be a long article, but I hope it gets the attention of anyone who does not warm up well for a triathlon.

The title of this article was a statement made by one of the bad guys from a Bond movie, he did not last long. It is sentiment on in the minds of triathletes too often. Sadly we are not any more invincible than many other groups of people, but our A type personalities sure makes us think that.
My inspiration to write about this topic, is my nephew. He is forty something, and was a top ranked athlete in secondary school and college in Ireland. He is not quite at his former level of fitness, but to look at him you would think he is doing well. Daniel took off on a recent weekend to do an open water swim race. He is amazingly lucky that the lifeguards spotted him when he got into trouble and were able to get to him quickly. My very unscientific guess is that his problem, Atria Fibrillation, was what did kill some of the 30 who died in the swim portion of a triathlon between 2003 and 2011 (from a 2012 USAT study).

The chart showing the distribution of the age of the athletes in the USAT study has the largest group in their 40’s. The trend is up along with the growth of the sport.

The study was not able to draw any conclusions as to why all these people died in the swim, but there has been a big effort by race directors to eliminate the suspects. WTC tried out a new type of start last year at two of its Boulder races. They were not well received nor seemed to be a great improvement over the old wave starts by AG (they were trying to make it easier for the less confident swimmers to find a safe path through the madness). They did, however, initiate an effort to insure that there was a place to warm up in the water (or cool down if the water is cold). Other race directors are doing the same. Which gets me to the message.

WARM UPS BEFORE A RACE ARE VERY IMPORTANT, for your health and for a successful race. And the shorter the race the more important it gets (you want to go faster in a short race).

My recommended warm up for a race is as follows:
• Early start: Get to the race venue shortly after transition opens, get your bike and run gear set up (bring a second pair of shoes to warm up with), walk the route you will take through transition from the swim and bike, don’t hang around for long chatting with friends (do that later), head off to a quiet spot with your swim gear and run shoes.
• Warm Up Plan: come to the race having already figured out when and where to start your warm up. You can do this the day before when you check in (most races require that these days). Plan for at least 10 minutes of swimming and 15 minutes of land exercises. Add in time to get into your swim gear (more needed with a wet suit) and if you need time to get from the swim warm up area to the start line.
• Land Warm Up: Some or all of this should be part of your warm up before any workout and the full race warm up should be practiced many times before race day. The exercises in this set were originally taught to me by Bobby McGee, you can find them on his web site and on the D3 web site.
• Muscle Activation: five exercises that contract the key running and core muscles. These wake up the muscles getting all the fibers firing when you start moving.
• Dynamic warm up drills: A series of exercises that get the blood flowing through the entire body. They include arm swings that while taught to me as a running warm up are just what you saw Michael Phelps doing at the Olympics. All are intended to get the muscles and tendons race ready.
• Run warm up: 5-8 minute easy jog, finishing with 5-6 30 second strides (with 30 second walk in-between).
TIP: You may be a bit sweaty after this and getting into a wet suit can be a problem. I use talcum powder; sprinkle it inside the suit, legs and arms most important.
• Swim Warm Up: If it is cold don’t dive in and start swimming. Take a few seconds for your exposed skin to adjust, but don’t start getting cold, dunk your head in a few times. Start out very easy for 5 minutes, then do some 30 second accelerations, similar to the strides. If backstroke works for you and helps stretch out the arms (and gets the suit sitting on you better), by all means do some.

OTHER SWIM THOUGHTS:
• If the swim warm up area allows it, take a look down the line of buoys from the start and look for landmarks to guide you. Do the same down the buoy line to the finish, then turn around 180 degrees and look for landmarks. (You might also be able to do this on the run course if you are swimming in a lake and the run, or a road goes along the lakeshore).
• You should have been practicing sighting in the pool during training, do some when you warm up, you probably have to to avoid others.

Last thoughts, if for some reason you can’t do a swim warm up, get into the water before your wave starts ASAP, and get that head in if it is cold. Always try to keep the effort level below goal race pace for the first couple of hundred yards. This is critical if you did not get a swim warm up in cold water. I am always aggressive when positioning myself for the swim start, but not if it is cold and/or I did not warm up in the water.
Be safe have fun!

What is the #1 rule of transitions?

Learn more about Coach Dave Sheanin and how he works with triathletes to understand what’s going on in an athlete’s life beyond triathlon in order to build a plan that is smart, fits their lifestyle, and builds toward appropriate goals.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and I promise you’ll learn something you didn’t know. Please follow us on twitter: D3_Multisport and / or facebook.com/d3multisport. If you like our videos please share them with your family and friends. This week’s Triathlon Minute topic is ‘Hydration’, from our Nutritionist Craig David.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

In this week’s Triathlon Minute, Coach Dave encourages us to practice our transitions, in the living room, to shave 30 seconds off our race time!

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know. In this week’s Triathlon Minute, Head Coach, Mike Ricci, gives you a race strategy to contemplate. If you like our videos please share them with your family and friends.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know. In this week’s Triathlon Minute, Coach Dave shares an important cycling drill that will help you create more efficiency when you bike. Please follow us on twitter: D3_Multisport and / or facebook.com/d3multisport. If you like our videos please share them with your family and friends.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.  This week’s Triathlon Minute brings you ‘Run Form Tips’ from D3 Coach Jim. Please follow us on twitter: D3_Multisport and / or facebook.com/d3multisport. If you like our videos please share them with your family and friends.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and we promise you’ll learn something you didn’t know!  Continue your triathlon learning curve, follow us on Facebookand Twitter.  This Triathlon Minute is ‘The Importance of a Race Plan'.

D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and I promise you’ll learn something you didn’t know. Please follow us on twitter: D3_Multisport and / or facebook.com/d3multisport. If you like our videos please share them with your family and friends. This week’s Triathlon Minute topic is ‘Avoiding Side Stitches While Running’ from D3 Coach Dave.