I am often asked how to work technique work into a swim workout or swim plan and in my opinion swim technique drills should be done each and every time you get in the water. Even something as simple as using a few drills in your warm up will help promote a better stroke. The general thinking is that triathletes who want to improve their technique should use the fall and winter to improve technique. In reality, swim drills should be done year round. Below, I have listed some of my favorite swim drill workouts:
Workout #1:
Warm up(WU): 200 easy swim.Main Set (MS):30 x 50 on 10" rest.
Part I:
10×50The 50s are done as drill for 25yds/swim for 25yds
#1: FTD/swim
#2: Right arm/swim
#3: Left arm/swim
#3: Catch up/swim
#5: Fist/swim
Repeat 1-5, for a total of 10 x 50
Part II:
20×50
The key to the next set is swimming all the 50s at the SAME EXACT PACE, focusing on one drill for each of the sets of 50s. For example in the first 5x50s work on the high elbow that you reinforced in the FTD. The second set should focus on a good catch from the right arm.
Next 5×50 are on 20″ RI
Next 5×50 are on 15″ RI
Next 5×50 are on 10″ RI
Next 5×50 are on 5″ RI
Cool down: Swim an easy 250
Total: 1950
Workout #2:
WU: 300 easy
MS: 5×50 breaststroke down/free fist back;
5×50 breaststroke fist (hard!!!) down/free back;
5×50 breaststroke down/free back;
5×50 free.
10×100 Free, on 10″ rest – keep the time the same for all!All pulling (NO buoy–just a small dolphin kick on the breaststroke for balance/timing).
CD: 100
Total: 2400
Workout #3:
WU: 400 easy. Then ‘swim golf’ = 6 x 50 on 15″ rest & count strokes. What combination of time and strokes gives you the lowest "score" (Ex: 43 strokes + 45" = 88). MS: Swim 15 x 100 on :20 rest. #1-5 – focus on your CATCH. #6-10 focus on your PULL. #11-15 focus on your FINISH. Now swim another 6×50 swim golf and see if there is a difference in strokes or time. Last set is 4 x 50 kick (20?) moderate. CD: 200 easy alternating 50 pull, 50 swim.
Total – 2900
Remember: Using a drill to work on a weakness in your swim stroke allows you to swim better each and every time you get in the water to workout. I hope you use these drill sets to help you improve your swimming year round!
'= minutes"= secondsFTD = Finger Tip Drag Drill
How fast does one need to swim 100's in order to simulate a goal IM swim?
The basic question asked would solicit several other questions: How many 100's?
How much rest?
What kind of training are you doing?
What kind of shape are you in?
How old are you?
You also need to keep this in mind: "It's not what you have, it's what you do with it". To make the most of pace training, you need to determine the pace and work with and around it. A 1:12 per 100 pace can feel real good at the beginning and like death at the end.
OK, first some disclaimers and then we'll do the math.
The X factors: Age and Taper.
Maybe I should start with the last question. Age has a lot to do with recovery. Hard training can really wear an older swimmer down. Most of us have noticed an increase in recovery time between about the ages of 42 and 47. All other things being equal, an older swimmer can often surpass expectations with a taper.
Also, someone who has been training very hard can also get a major boost with a taper. Conversely, someone who has been doing only moderate work will not get much from a taper.
Open Water Disclaimer:
Did you ever hear this one:"I swim open water faster than in a pool because I don?t have to turn."
BULLSHIT.
You might swim open water faster because you have a wetsuit on or more likely the swim is measured short. 90% of all open water swims are measured short. Even the worst turns are faster than swimming. in the open water The standard adjustment is one second per turn. Example: 200 meters in a 25-meter pool has 7 turns, in a long course pool there are only 3. Swimmers average 4 seconds slower in a long course pool.
Last but not least you can not discount the lane lines and the black line. Except for "cable swims, like Ironman Lake Placid" in is nearly impossible to swim a straight line in open water. (Cable swims are where they run a cable the length of the course and you can follow the line without lifting your head.)
Pool Swimming pace and interval
Most coaches I know use the T30 (30-minute swim), but I (Frank) prefers the 1-hour swim. The average pace for the one-hour swim becomes the OD Pace (over distance) + 10 seconds becomes the OD Interval (usually rounded to nearest 5 seconds). This is the base training interval. Depending on the swimmers distance swimming ability, their 1 mile (1650/1500) pace is 3 to 6 seconds faster than OD pace. We don't use this calculation to determine the one mile pace, just how to begin training for it.
Here are my two favorite quotes when I talk about pacing:
"If you can't hold 1:20 per 100 meters you can't break 20:00 for the 1500."
"In a long distance swim, how fast you swim your slowest 100 is more important than how fast you swim your fastest 100."
(I saw that later quote a few years ago in Swim magazine and got pissed off that someone stole it from me. My wife then pointed out that in small print under the quote it said "Frank McQuiggan, EP Masters." To this day, I don't know who submitted it.)
I will now use my own training to explain how I set it up. Keep in mind that my goal is based on an all out swim with a taper and a good psyche up.
20:00 for the 1650 yards or 1500 meters was one of my goals for a long time. That is 1:20 per 100 meters and 1:12.7 for yards. At this point my one-hour swim pace was 1:17 so I used a 1:30 base interval in a yards pool. After building my endurance base up for the hour swim in January, I would do sets like this using a goal of 1:12 to make it easy. Not only is it a round number, but I get to anticipate the push-off.
20 x 100 on 1:30 descending from OD (1:17) to 1650 pace by # 15. This works goal pace at "crunch time" until then end.
In better shape I would switch this to holding goal pace (1:12) for the 1st 15 and then descend and later holding or descending to goal pace by #10 and then descending.
DON'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT APPEARS TO BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF REST (18 SECONDS AND MORE WHEN DESCENDING). At this point I am building the strength and the rhythm of the 1:12 pace. At the high point of training the swimmer is worn down and needs the rest. This gets more important as the swimmer gets older (over 35). An additional benefit of this is that it simulates the feeling of a good distance swim; it feels easy in the beginning and like hell at the end, even when you even pace. I would do a lot of work around that pace, I will send you some examples.
As the competition season approaches, I start to do swims with intervals on 1:25 and holding just under 1:13 for most of it but always trying to descend at the end. Now if I was 20 years old I would do sets on 1:20 giving me just over 5 seconds rest, but at 53 I can't recover well enough from swims this hard. I will also mix easy swims with goal pace swims, example: 5 x 400 on 1 min rest — #1at OD pace, #2 at 1 mile goal pace, #3 at OD pace, #4 at 1 mile goal pace #5 descend each 100 from OD past 1 mile pace.
As I taper, I will do some pace work with generous rest just to keep the rhythm. 100's on 1:40 hold 1:12. At the end of every practice and warm up before the race, I do some of these, but I always end it with a swim that is right on the nose. If I am doing 8 x 100 on 1:40 at goal pace and hit #'s 5 & 6 exactly, I am done.
As explained above, the swimmer needs to find the groove of the pace, but has to get the full feeling of what that pace feels like at different points. Always train for a negative split, even an even split feels like a negative split.
Lastly, on using this for open water triathlon swims.
I suggest that swimmers find a pace that they would use for something a bit longer than the actual swim. For an Olympic distance swim, something closer to OD than a one-mile pace. I would have them train descending the last half for a negative split. In the actual tri-swim, don't descend it. You'll come out of the water with a great time and feeling good. No need to overcook your swim as you still have the bike and run to look forward to.
Earlier in my life I worked in a big city, took the train to work everyday, and trained for triathlon about 6 hours per week. My job was stressful and my commute was long; about 3 hours per day. I lived in the Northeast, where the weather was very seasonal and the winters were cold, dark and wet. I didn’t know it at the time but I was training by what I now call ‘Sport Rotation’.
My triathlon season went from June through August. In the fall I would run some road races but by mid October my season was over. I usually took a few weeks off to let my mind and body recover from the season. By December 1st I was usually starting to log some consistent running miles and I would hit the weights 2-3 time per week. I would jump in the pool for a swim once per week and maybe get on the bike trainer once per week as well. This cycle would continue on until February when I decided that my run base was strong enough and I needed to start working on my swim more frequently. I would drop my running back to 3-4 days per week, and get in the pool 2-3 times. I would continue with weights a few times a week, and I would try my best to get on my bike trainer one time per week. Since the season’s dictated my training schedule, sometimes I would be outside on my bike by late February, but most times it wasn’t until early April. I would usually put in as many miles as I could for April and May and by June I would have a more balanced approach to training
I guess the big question would be: How did I do in terms of my fitness or racing? By the time I was in my second season of following this routine, I was at the top end of my age group in New England. I raced primarily Olympic distance and sprints, but I did the occasional longer race. In 1995, I won my age group at most races, and finished in the top 5 or 10 overall.
Even though I really found this training theory by accident it worked for me. I don’t even know if ‘finding it by accident’ is the right term, but I didn’t have any other choice because the weather dictated the training schedule. Riding my bike outside in the winter months wasn’t an option. Swimming year round with a Master’s program was out because I had to drive 30 minutes each way to get there. Time was limiting factor and the biggest bang for my buck was just lacing up my running shoes and going for a run on most days. No intervals and no speed work. I would just run. And when I got tired, I would take a day off. It may be a very simple training plan, but one that worked for me. I have always found that once my run fitness is up to par, the rest of my fitness comes quickly.
If you are interested in using sport rotation (some coaches may call them ‘Run Camps’ or ‘Swim Camps’ etc) your best option may be to focus on one sport for three weeks, take an easy week, and then repeat the cycle. If you use two months to focus on one sport, then a complete rotation would take six months. After six months you can return to a more balanced approach. If you let the season’s dictate your schedule it would go something like this: Starting around November 1st you start your run focus. By early January you would start your swim focus and by early March you would be starting your bike focus. You don’t have to make it that rigid as we usually have off weeks, colds in the winter, and life that gets in the way of training. It happens.
Become a runner during your run focus. Run with people who are better than you. Watch how they train. Swim with the swimmers during your swim focus months. Become a fish. Watch the fast swimmers swim. Watch their form and see what you can learn. On the bike, become a cyclist during your focus months. Ride with a group. Learn bike handling skills. Learn to ride in a pack. During these focus months you can learn a lot, you can improve a lot, and you can take your fitness levels to places you haven’t been before. Don’t become a slave to training. Use these ideas as a guideline, but not the end-all for your training.
See the chart below on how a sample sport rotation set up would work for someone who has about ten to fifteen hours a week to train. I hope these ideas help you reach new heights and break through the next level next season!
If this is your first time racing Ironman Hawaii, it’s likely you don’t know what to expect. Yes, you may have watched every Ironman race on TV since 1978, but seeing it and experiencing it are completely different things. We hope the following advice will help shed some light on the race and have a great race in Kona.
Do’s and Don’ts:
All the basic don’ts apply:
* Obviously don’t go out fishing, snorkeling, etc. Do that afterwards!
The Do’s:
* Do the pre race swims from the pier. There can be a current at the beaches, so be careful. Drive the course! It’s rolling and it’s good to know what’s ahead on race day.
* Do run in the Energy lab: You can’t drive into the Energy Lab, but it’s good to either ride or run in there to get a feel for it.
* Do ride on the course. In the past, I have driven out to Waikola and ridden miles 30-50 or so.
Race Day Tips:
Swim: It’s a bit of a crapshoot like all the other IM’s. Remember, everyone there is pretty fast. On the way out you can kind of sight off the Body Glove boat and on the return trip you can sight off the Gatorade Bottle.
Bike: The first 10 miles of the bike are in town, bumpy and crowded. Keep your speed in check. After going up Palani Rd. you hit the Queen K. It rolls with a few good climbs. Stand up a bit on the rollers and stretch your back out. You have go easy going out. The wind won’t kick up until after the airport, about mile 15. There can be brutal cross winds for the rest of the course. We’ve had 2 good wind years, so we’re due for some tough conditions. Keep focused on your own race. With the heat and humidity, you have to stay on top of your hydration/nutrition.
After the turn onto 19 and head to Hawi, it can be brutally windy and there is an uphill grade. Even a guy who bikes 4:55 will be going 15-17 MPH on this section. Mentally this part sucks. After the turnaround there are the Special Needs bags. Then it’s back the way you came. The first miles are downhill and tend to be fast. It’s a great time to get in some extra calories and let the HR come down. Turning Right back on to the Queen K the rollers seem harder, longer and steeper. Typically there will be a cross winds get worse as the day goes on. Mentally you have to focus. The last few miles seem to go forever, but there is a mile or two of easy flats to finally relax a bit.
Run: The run starts pretty flat on the out and back on Alii. There is some shade and people cheering. Don’t burn too much energy on this section, you will need it later. At mile 10 you climb up Palani. It’s short, but STEEP, and most walk this. On the Queen K you seem to always be on just a bit of an uphill grade and there is no shade or people other than aid stations. In the days before, drive out and park on a side road and run some on the Queen K and into the Energy Lab. This will give you a great idea of what it is really like.
Turning left into the Energy Lab is nasty. It’s a slight downhill, but there’s usually a headwind that will slow you down. After a mile, you turn right and it’s flat, HOT and no breeze. The Special Needs bags are here as well. It’s mile 16, so plan accordingly.Climbing a bit out of the Energy Lab is only a slight uphill, but it hurts. Making the right back on the Queen K it’s you’re headed back to town. This last section is deceiving. You think you will descend, but I swear it’s uphill both ways. Again it just rolls.
This is where holding back in the first miles will help you out. If you go out too hard, this section will be torture. When you make the right turn at mile 24 it’s down Palani. This is steep and it hurts the quads. Once you make the left turn it’s flat and you’re only 1.5 miles from glory! The final stretch down Alii is lined with folks and you’ll have no problem running your mile fastest of the day here!
Post Race: Get hydrated, get some food, take an ice bath and get a massage. It’s been a long season and you’ve completed the toughest Ironman out there!
Coach AJ Johnson is a USAT Certified Coach and can be reached for personal coaching at AJ@D3Multisport.com his IM Hawaii PR is 9:12.
A general rule of thumb for writing a comprehensive training plan is that it should encompass progressive overload, be specific and take into account the individual needs of a specific athlete. Scientific approach to designing a training plan that follows such parameters is called periodization and has been initially introduced to the world of sport in ancient Greece. In 1940s eastern Germans and Romanians elaborated the methodology therefore it is them who are considered the modern fathers of periodization.
Periodization TheoryThe basic idea behind the periodization is that training stresses vary throughout the year as opposed to staying constant. The type and amount of stress is determined by the athletic events that require peak performance from the athlete. In a periodized plan the year is divided into several periods, each a couple to several weeks long. Periodization plan begins with transition and preparation stages, followed by the base training, build period, peak and race; training progresses from general to more [sport] specific. The training schedule begins by emphasizing volume over intensity and reverses as the race day approaches.
Periodization stages: Base/Late baseBase phase is broken into base 1, 2 and 2, each 3-4 weeks long. The main goals of base training are building endurance, muscular endurance, force and working on speed skills. Late base or base 3 differs from the previous two in that the training volume reaches the maximum and in that is beginning to shift from general to more specific. In addition, intensity increases somewhat in the late phase as more force and higher loads during muscular endurance training are added to the schedule. The purpose of higher intensity is to prepare the athlete for the next stage ? build ? during which anaerobic endurance training is introduced.
Understanding the terminologyEndurance in other words means to become fatigue resistant. The main goal of endurance training is thus not only to lessen the effects of fatigue but also to delay the onset of it, which is achieved by training the slow-twitch muscle fibers. Endurance training is also important from nutritional perspective by training the body to utilize fat as a fuel of choice while sparing the carbohydrate and glycogen reserves. The best training to build on endurance are long duration swim, bike and run workouts.
Force, by definition, is the ability to overcome resistance. For a multisport athlete the ability to generate force means success in battling with rough conditions such as tall waves, head or cross winds and hills. Like endurance, the force relies on the slow twitch muscle fibers. An adequately trained slow twitch muscle will generate higher speeds at higher intensities without drastically affecting the heart rate. The later is particularly important in sparing the glycogen resources while relying on fat as the main fuel for the activity.
Developing speed skills is necessary for the economy of movement. Economical movement is effective and efficient and as such necessary because it spares energy, particularly at high velocities. Speed skills are achieved by incorporating drills into the training routine.
Muscular endurance defined means maintaining a great force load through time and it therefore requires muscular adaptations that result from both, force and endurance training. Muscle tissue that is trained for endurance is capable of resisting fatigue and greater lactate threshold levels. In a multisport event the most importance should be placed on muscular endurance in running. By developing muscular endurance in running an athlete will be able to keep the targeted pace without fatiguing even after the hours from previous effort (swim and bike) begin to take their toll. The best training regimen to work on muscular endurance is sustained efforts at higher heart rates (anaerobic) and with aerobic intervals, which are introduced in base 2 but get longer during base 3. The purpose of the increasing work length is to prepare the athlete for the next level ? build-at which steady state efforts of 25 + minutes at higher heart rates are quite common.
Putting it all together, the workouts:
Workout 1: Hill repeats to improve muscular endurance and force Find a moderate, about 1 mile long, hill. Pick a gear that allows for 70 RPM and the Heart Rate in Z2, drifting into Z3. Ride down the hill for recovery. Repeat the hill by gearing up and sustaining the cadence of 65-70 RPM. Keep climbing and gearing up until you can no longer sustain the effort for the whole climb (you have to slow down or gear down). HR in higher zones (at or above the lactate threshold) is allowed for the last effort as long as the effort remains constant.
Workout 2: Muscular Endurance Find a flat stretch on the road. After a thorough warm up (you have broken the sweat) ride as hard as you can for 10 min in a gear that will allow 85-90 RPM. Repeat 4 x and spin easy for 2 minutes between sets. Cool down.Workout 3: Speed SkillThese will be all out efforts and can be done on the trainer or a flat stretch on the road. To warm up spin easy at 85-90 rpm; the work interval should be done as follows: find a gear that will allow you to pedal at 80-95 rpm and at which the ?burning? feeling in the legs develops within 30-45 seconds. These intervals should be ridden 10-12 times by taking 90 sec to 120 seconds recovery. The focus of the workout is to increase lactate tolerance while maintaining a good form. To increase the tolerance for the lactate, maintain the effort at the onset of the burn at least for a few more seconds.
What else can you do?Taking into consideration that most of the base training falls into the winter months, cross training can replace some of the swim, bike and run routines. Cross-country skiing has been proven to have the best carry-over to cycling by working out the quads and challenging the balance. Other great sports to challenge the cardiovascular system are snowshoeing and winter hiking. Especially hiking should not be underestimated due to its aerobic nature: sustained effort over a prolonged period of time will teach the body to utilize fat and spare the glycogen.
A Closing thoughtBy using the example workouts in this article you will be off to a great start to of your season. Good Luck!
References:1. Friel J. The Triathlete?s Training Bible. Boulder: Velo Press; 2004.2. Bompa T. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 19993. Matheny, F. Winter Wisdom: seven smart ways to become a fitter cyclist this off-season. Bicycling. 1993; 34n11:70(4)
Martina Young is a USAT Certified Coach with D3 Multisport , ACE certified personal trainer and licensed clinical massage therapist. She can be reached for coaching at Martina@D3Multisport.com
With the holiday season behind us we can focus on the upcoming race season. Many athletes jump into training during the winter without really having a road map of where they want to go. I have listed some easy to remember tips that will help you get back on track and set yourself up for a good race season this year.
Get a Plan!
The most important thing you can do to get training back on track is to have a plan! It doesn?t matter if you use something from a magazine, on-line, or from a book ? have a plan and commit to it. The old adage says, ‘It’s easy once you commit.” This has never been truer then once you are on a plan. Tell your friends your plan, write it down and post it up so you see your workouts every day. If you do these things, you are much more likely to follow the plan.
Set Attainable Goals!
Following up the above, don’t take on a twenty hour training week if you have only been averaging five hours for the last two months. Implement a plan that lets you slowly build up your hours and let’s you reach your goals. Setting attainable goals that you can reach will allow momentum to build and you’ll feel more confident as the race season gets closer. If you set a goal that’s unattainable then you’ll be disappointed in the first month of the season. And that’s not a good way to start the training cycle.
Weight Train!
Adding in a weight training program will let you not only increase strength and help avoid injury but it will help raise your metabolism and burn some of those holiday calories off. What a triple bonus. If you have been out of the gym for a while try some basic functional strength exercises such as: standing squats, one leg squats, lunges, side lunges, step ups, push-ups, dips, pull-ups, and or crunches. If you can learn to be creative, no matter where you are, you can always get in a good strength training session. Who needs a gym anyhow!
Get a Training Partner(s)!
‘Misery loves company’ goes the saying, so find yourself some friends to join you in your training. Having other athletes to hold you accountable for showing up is a strong motivator. This is a great way to push yourself to new limits and to make you show up in general. There are always athletes looking to train with a group, so form your own and keep the training going even on the days you don’t want to. . Knowing that Master’s swim is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7AM helps you to make it to those dark, cold winter workouts which you would otherwise miss.
Get Flexible!
Learn a new sport ? but not an aerobic one. Taking a yoga class or stretching class will increase flexibility, improve recovery time and promote lengthening of muscles. It will also help you relax and allow you to sleep better at night. As we get older we lose pliability in our muscles and keeping them supple with yoga or stretching will help us avoid injury.
These tips, while good for getting you untracked from the holiday rut can also be implemented all season long. Good luck this season!
Michael Ricci is a USAT Level III certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at mike@d3multisport.com. Please visit his website at www.D3multisport.com.
Martin and I began working together in March 2024. Within the course of our initial phone call and conversations, I could tell this young man had a passion for health and fitness. Little did I know just how far he had traveled within the past seven years. From 300 pounds to completing his first triathlons across multiple distances (sprint, Olympic and 70.3), Martin continues to be an inspiration to me, his family and friends. Please enjoy learning more about Martin and the insightful advice he has to offer for anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle…
You have been on an impressive journey with your health. Tell us a little about this experience and how you became interested in triathlon.
My journey with my health really started in 2018, when I was 17 years old and weighed around 300 lbs. I cannot say I wasn’t active, sport was always a big part of my life, however, with my weight as big limiting factor, there was only so much I was able to do. At seventeenth everything changed, since I finally decided it was time for a change, and a drastic one. I started going to the gym everyday (something I had never done before). Nutrition-wise changes were made too, and probably this was the key player in this. After 4 months I had managed to cut over 100 lbs. It has been 7 years since the turning point. There is not a single sport I haven’t tried since.
Triathlons caught my eye a little over a year ago. I had been working out for 7 years straight, almost never missing a training day at the gym. I felt as the routine of hitting the weight room was making me lose interest, so I researched different sports that involved more then just the weight room. That is exactly how I found triathlons.
2024 was an exciting year for you with several milestones - graduating from the University of Colorado last December and comxpleting your first triathlon across multiple distances. What did you find most notable about these experiences and what were a few of the keys to your success?
Consistency. It may sound cliché, but consistency and a routine were key to be able to achieve my goals. Having a clear structure, training times, study times, and school made everyday tasks to become achievable.
The most important factor is my family and friends. People around me have supported me since day one, training, working, and having a social life can be challenging, however, with the right support and motivation it is possible to find a balance and put all the work needed.
In January you completed your first 70.3 distance race in your home country of Chile at 70.3 Pucon. Describe that experience overall for you and what did you learn?
The 70.3 in Chile was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. Having raced my first Ironman in my home country is just incredible. Having my family be there with me, support me, bear with all the training and travels, and wait at the finish line was life changing.
The race taught me about grit and perseverance, after my watch stopped working I knew it was all in my head. It wasn’t me against the clock, but me against my own thoughts. I learned that the most important thing is to enjoy the race, the people around you.
What is one of your favorite workouts?
My favorite workouts are the long bike rides. I tend to join groups for their Saturday group rides, and something about sharing the love for a sport with like-minded people motivates me every time.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to make lifestyle changes for better health?
There are two main pieces of advice that helped me the most, and I think are imperative to achieve health changes. First, no amount of exercise will ever outperform a bad diet. It is crucial to make enough changes to have a better diet, not a restrictive, but a better one. Second, it is important to know that any exercise is better than none. Don’t like the gym? No problem! Go for a walk or run, play racquet sports, or maybe go bike. It is not about efficiency, when getting started, it is all about consistency.
What are you most excited about for your 2025 race season?
Last season was one of the first times for me, and this season will not be much different. I am planning on racing Ironman 70.3 Boulder and my first full marathon.
Base training in the winter is to build a strong aerobic foundation that supports higher-intensity training in the spring and summer. You’ve hopefully already been building your low-intensity volume, working on form/technique, strength training, and mobility. As the winter months are coming to a close, your race schedule is starting to come together, and you’re ready to start incorporating higher intensity, here is a great workout to include in your training.
Brick workouts are designed to mimic running off the bike in a triathlon. These two should be done back to back. You can even practice your T2 transition from bike to run.
Brick: Strength-Endurance Bike + Tempo Run
Bike: 1:10-2 hours
15-20 min warm up easy spinning into endurance pace
3 x 5-12 min at Sweet Spot (88-94% of FTP) on 5 min recovery
10-20 min at Tempo, low zone 3 effort (76-81% of FTP)
15-29 min cool down
Run: 25-45 minutes
10-15 min warm up
5-20 min build to zone 3 (aim for 60% of this interval to be zone3)
10 min cool down
This type of early season workout helps introduce the body to higher intensity efforts, re-familiarizes your muscles to running off the bike through neuromuscular adaptation, and builds confidence in your ability moving into the race season. Always make sure to adapt the time and intensity to what your body needs. Too much intensity early on can lead to overtraining and injury. Not enough intensity can make racing tougher since your body won’t be adequately prepared for your efforts on race day.
It’s not always easy to move into race fitness, but with simple workouts like these, you can get a headstart on being ready for the start line!
Coach Darbie Allen is a USAT Level 1 Triathlon Coach
Her approach to coaching is holistic, integrating training efficiency, injury prevention, mental resilience, and proper nutrition to ensure sustainable success. I tailor each plan to the athlete’s unique needs, incorporating strength training, form analysis, and race preparation to address every aspect of performance. Whether you're overcoming injuries, breaking through plateaus, or aiming for a personal milestone, I’m here to guide and support you every step of the way. Together, we’ll focus on building confidence, celebrating progress, and achieving results that reflect your hard work and commitment.
Over my lifetime as an athlete and a coach, I’m sure I’ve spent cumulative years of my life on a pool deck and in the pool. I’ve observed that most everyone knows the basics of circle swimming, but there are additional nuances to group workout etiquette. When I coach or swim in a group, I want everyone to be able to hit the goals of the workout. At the risk of sounding like an old man shouting at clouds, here are my top five gripes about group workout lack-of-etiquitte, and how to be a better group swimmer.
Off-Season Reading List
By George Epley
As the racing season winds down for many endurance athletes in the Northern Hemisphere, it's
the perfect opportunity to shift focus from race-day efforts to building a stronger, more resilient
body for next season. To help you make the most of the off-season, I’ve compiled a list of my top
book recommendations on prehab, strength, and conditioning specifically tailored for endurance
athletes. Winter is the ideal time to target strength, improve movement patterns, and prevent
injuries, and these books will give you the knowledge to optimize your training. I’d love to hear
about your own favorite reads on endurance training and performance. Train hard, train smart,
and here's to a productive and injury-free winter season ahead!
Becoming a Supple Leopard: Dr. Kelly Starrett with Glen Cordozza
The updated edition of Becoming a Supple Leopard makes it easier to understand and apply the
principles of human movement. It provides step-by-step guidance on improving key exercises
like squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell swings, along with techniques to address mobility restrictions and movement faults.
Ready to Run: Dr. Kelly Starrett with T.J. Murphy
Dr. Kelly Starrett adapts his movement and mobility philosophy to the world of running, offering
twelve performance standards to help runners of all levels optimize their performance. The book
covers techniques to prevent injuries, improve mobility, and strengthen weaknesses, while also providing strategies for faster recovery and enhanced running form.
New Functional Training for Sports: Michael Boyle
This book offers a comprehensive approach to maximizing athletic performance with functional
assessments and tailored training plans. It focuses on developing balance, stability, strength, and
power through progressive exercises for the lower body, core, upper body, and total body.
Sample programs help athletes customize their training to enhance physical performance and excel in their sport.
Functional Training: Juan Carlos Santana
A three-tier approach integrates functional movements into an existing strength program, helping
athletes assess and analyze the specific movements and muscles required for their sport. By
selecting the right exercises based on performance goals, athletes can target key skills with quick
sequences or develop more comprehensive programs to address broader athletic needs and objectives.
Born to Walk - Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement: James Earls
Combining anatomy, body reading assessment, and technique, this book provides bodyworkers,
physical therapists, and movement professionals with new research on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
It offers a clear model for understanding movement complexity and gaining deeper insight into the physiology and mechanics of walking.
Movement, Functional Movement Systems: Gray Cook
Movement bridges rehabilitation, conditioning, and fitness by focusing on basic human
movement principles. Gray Cook teaches how to assess movement quality, identify dysfunctions
using the Functional Movement Screen, and apply corrective strategies. The book emphasizes
movement as a behavior and offers a comprehensive approach to exercise and rehabilitation, addressing modern dysfunctions from sedentary lifestyles.
Athletic Body in Balance, by Gray Cook
While other books focus on maximizing strengths, Athletic Body in Balance emphasizes
identifying and overcoming weaknesses to build a strong foundation for long-term progress. It
provides a comprehensive assessment tool to guide your training, helping you maintain and build
on your gains while preparing and repairing your body for peak athletic performance.
Olympic Weightlifting: Greg Everett
A comprehensive guide to learning and instructing the Olympic and related lifts. Includes
sections on teaching progressions, lift analyses, error correction, programming, competition,
supplemental exercises, warm-up protocols, nutrition, and sample training programs.
Starting Strength: Mark Rippetoe
This book is a comprehensive guide to barbell training, covering key lifts like the squat, deadlift,
and bench press. It focuses on the stress/recovery/adaptation model for building strength and
health, with updated instructions and programming for long-term progress. It's an essential resource for anyone starting strength training.
As we close out the race season and transition to the off-season, it's a great time to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses so we can work on them during this period. For many of us with limited schedules, finding time to fit everything in can be challenging. I'm here to tell you that you don't need to log more running miles, swimming yards, or time on Zwift to improve your triathlon performance. In fact, you’ll likely see better results by reducing those activities and spending more time in the weight room.
Why is this important? As we age, we don’t necessarily lose endurance—in fact, our endurance can improve. What we do lose is strength and speed, which is where we should focus our efforts. I’ve been an advocate for incorporating skills and drills year-round since I started coaching in the 1990s. For swimming, consider fast 25s and 50s for speed work. For cycling, incorporate hard 30-second to 1-minute efforts once a week, and practice pedaling at high cadences—handling 120 RPMs will make 90 RPMs feel much easier. For running, include fast 30-second repeats or hill repeats lasting 30 seconds to 2 minutes; hill work is essentially speed work in disguise. Mixing in these workouts during the off-season will undoubtedly benefit you. When you transition to interval training as you begin your build, your body will be primed to absorb the fitness gains from longer efforts.
Where Should You Spend Your Time in the Off-Season?
Hands down, it should be the weight room. This is especially important if you’re over 40. Strength training enhances balance, aids in weight management, increases bone density, and helps prevent injuries. Stronger tendons and ligaments are less susceptible to injury, contributing to overall longevity. Being stronger and more balanced gives you a significant edge as you age.
Injury Prevention:
Stronger connective tissues allow you to run, bike, and swim faster, longer, and harder while reducing your risk of injury. Through weight training, you’ll become more efficient and faster—strength equals speed! When you’re stronger, your muscles become more fatigue-resistant, making climbs on the bike or swimming through rough water feel less taxing. Additionally, overall strength accelerates recovery between workouts, helping you bounce back quicker from intense sessions. All of these factors contribute to injury resistance, faster recovery, reduced fatigue during hard workouts, and increased speed.
Key Exercises:
What are the best exercises to become a stronger triathlete? Focus on push, pull, hinge, and squat movements. Incorporating these exercises a few days a week can make a significant difference in your performance. At the bottom, I’ll include the link to our D3 FREE 4-WEEK STRENGTH PROGRAM.
Squat Exercise: Squat / Goblet Squat / Thrusters
Hing Exercises: Deadlift / Romanian Deadlift / Good Mornings
Push Exercises: Pushup / Bench Press / Dumbbell Press / MilitaryPress
Pull Exercises: Pullup / Lat pull down / Rows
What Does an Off-Season Weekly Plan Look Like:
2-3x per week of lifting – sessions can be 30-60 minutes.
Typically, one circuit will be about 10-12 minutes.
Sample warm up:
3-way lunges – 2x10 reps
SquatRows – 2x10 reps
Plank to Pushup – 2x10 reps
Main Set 1: 3x10 of all exercises
Main set 2 3x10 of all exercises:
Dead lift
DBPress
V-Ups
Main Set 3 3x10 of all exercises:
Alternate Lunges
Bench Press
What does a Progression Look Like:
3-4 weeks of 3x 10-12 reps
*Add weights as the last few reps get easier
What does a training week look like:
Monday – Easy Swim / Strength
Tuesday – Run with strides / Recovery / Bike
Wednesday - Quality Swim / Strength
Thursday – Bike with 30” efforts / Easy Run
Friday – OFF or Easy Recovery Swim
Saturday – Tempo Bike/ Run w/ Strides
Sunday – Long Run / Core work
If you want a FREE 4 Week Strength Training plan that you can download into your Training Peaks account use this link. I’m happy to answer any questions on strength training – send me an email mike at D3 Multisport dot com
This winter, Get Strong!
As a long time coach of many sports, I know there comes a time in the season, when we need to mix things up to keep it fresh. I call this routine, "Picking Apples", as I like to give my athletes this routine in the Fall each year. We spend so much time during the season moving linearly, I think it's fun to mix things up with some varied movement patterns.
This session is best performed on infield of a track or turf field for a softer surface.
Activation exercises - leg swings, knee hugs, etc.
WU 15' easy and then complete the following sequence 2 x's through. Goal here is to focus on good form while initiating some lateral movement. Absolutely no concern for speed/intensity.
-->20'' bounding + 40'' easy running
-->20'' high knee skipping + 40'' easy running
-->20'' lateral shuffle w/left leg leading + 40" easy running
-->20'' lateral shuffle w/right leg leading + 40" easy running
-->20'' karaoke to your left + 40" easy running
-->20'' karaoke to your right + 40'' easy running
-->3' easy running
Remainder of run light & easy with focus on good running mechanics.
Bounding drill
High knee skipping drill
Lateral shuffle drill
Karaoke drill
Enjoy the variety and if you have any favorite drills you'd like to share send me an email - Brad@d3multisport.com
Five weeks ago, a journey that you could say started over 25 years ago, ended with a
second knee replacement in my left leg (first, right, was done 5 weeks before that).
About 25 years ago I had my first injections of Hydraulic Acid to help lubricate my
knees. At the time if you had told me I would/could do 30 IronMan races I would have
said you are nuts. I have leaned a lot about this affliction and hope this short story will
help if you think you are heading in the same direction.
First up and I think important, Arthritis is not caused by excessive use of the joints.
There is an underlying condition. It could be genetic, an accident, of something
abnormal about your joint. In my case it was genetic helped along by a very painful
skiing accident at 14, with non release bindings, and 6 years playing rugby.
I am convinced that the best thing I did to prolong my knees was keeping a low body
weight and running. Every winter for the past 25 years I would gain 5-10 lbs, a good
thing, but my knees would hurt more. On the few occasions when I could not run for
over two weeks done to an accident it was painful getting back to my usual routine. I
asked one of my orthopedists 10 years ago what would have been worse for me, all the
running I had done or walking around with an extra 20lbs, without hesitation she said
weight gain.
Hydraulic Acid injections and Acupuncture kept me going through over 200 triathlons.
The last two years I added PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Injections and HA. The
Acupuncture was not your typical session. It was a technique developed by Whitfield
Reeves, who used to have a practice in Boulder and was taken over by Lindsay Long.
Whit has trained acupuncturists all over the world. His method stimulates the knee joint
with e-stim attached to the needles, it works especially well after HA injections.
I knew a time would come when I would need knee replacement. I got notification that
that time had come at the 2021 IM World Championship in St George. I was walking up
the last hill late at night on a quiet trail when I heard an odd noise, it had a rhythm to it. I
stopped, it stopped, I started walking again and the grinding noise restarted matched to
my foot steps. Amazingly it was not painful, but I got the message and when I got home
started researching my options.
I had already had knee x-rays several years earlier. I knew that I might be a candidate
for partial knee replacement, a better choice for a runner if you are a good candidate (at
the end unfortunately I was not). My litmus test for a surgeon was one who showed on
their web site that they did both total and partial replacement. Many do not. I also
wanted a doctor who felt that you can run on artificial knees. Again many, indeed most,
do not. That required more digging.
The problem with running is not that you can not do so but but there is a worry that
longevity of the joint will be impaired. There is no research on the longevity of the knees
with a runner. Very few people want to do this, they tend to be old, like me, but not all.
Most are happy to be able to do other sports pain free. With such a small population of
people who continue to run I could find no studies of the longevity of those knees. It
logically makes some sense that running would/should increase the wear rate you
would think. But one doctor I met argues that running strengthens the bones making for
a stronger bond between the prosthetic and bone reducing the chance of it getting
loose. Wear of the plastic insert still could be a problem.
There is also one important key to running on knees that are reaching the point where
replacement is being considered or are replaced. That is good running form, something
I have focused on in my training for many years. If foot lands mid to forefoot you have
the added cushion for your knees. I got this from ChatGPT.
When running on the forefoot, the primary cushioning comes from the
metatarsal heads (the ball of the foot) and the fat pads located beneath them.
The arch of the foot, specifically the medial longitudinal arch, also helps to
absorb shock and distribute the forces during forefoot running. Additionally, the
muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the foot contribute to shock absorption,
helping to reduce the impact forces on the joints.
I do think that if you have been an active runner, have good muscular strength around
the joints and are lean you can continue to run.
Here are my suggestions if you start to have joint pain in any part of your body.
Get a through evaluation as soon as you have decided it is more than just a
niggle. Don’t wait until you can’t run.
Get a second opinion if trouble is brewing and do this with a doctor who does
believe you could run again after treatment.
Follow up periodically as you would with overall health.
Don’t start masking the pain with NSAID pain med. If it hurts that bad that you
need this stuff you need more than pain relief. If you do always mask it, you will
not know when you have waited too long. I only used NSAID’s once, it was to get
me thru a race. The internal consequences were not pleasant.
Try HA treatments to start, this is covered by some insurance plans.
Treatment these days does not have be limited to knee replacement.
Advancements in treatments such as PRP and rebuilding the meniscus with
grafting are getting better and better. Unfortunately, these treatments are covered
by insurance yet. When I first considered PRP 10 years ago the success rate
was not worth the high cost. Now you can get both knees done for around $1,000
with improved success rates, it worked for me for 4 treatments.
Search long and well in advance for the best possible surgeon you can afford.
Some of the best do not take insurance of any kind some are not in the US.
Be sure to have some good support around you for a couple of months after
surgery
I would be happy to chat and help anyone facing the problems I have had to deal
with.
I hope to prove with this study of one, me, you can get back to running and finish the IM
World Championship in Nice next September. The marathon will be a run/walk affair, but
it has been so for most of my career in IM. See you out there on a racecourse.
As the off-season approaches and we start thinking about next season, we will prioritize regular gym sessions, primarily focusing on strength training. When designing strength training programs for my athletes, I prefer a progressive approach, incorporating instability or more complex movement patterns before increasing the load, emphasizing proper technique over maximizing the weight lifted.
An example is the bicep curl, which most of us are familiar with. We initiate the sequence by standing with both feet firmly planted on the ground and selecting a weight that would allow us to complete three sets of ten repetitions.
The next step in the progression would be to perform the same three sets of ten repetitions, but this time while standing on one leg. Here, we have started to add instability to the exercise. After that, we would return to having both feet on the ground but add a stability pad under our feet. The final stage of this progression would involve using the stability pad while standing on one leg. At this point, if we want to add more difficulty, we go back to the beginning of the sequence but add more weight. This progression may take weeks or even months to complete, but don’t move on to the following sequence until you have perfected the exercise with perfect technique. By adding instability to the basic bicep curl, we have incorporated different muscle groups and functional strength, then focused on the bicep alone.
The push-up is an example where we change body position to increase stimulus. We can start with the prone press-up. Then, move to a horizontal push-up position. Next in the sequence is the feet-elevated push-up. Here, we can continue raising the feet to almost a forty-five-degree angle. The next progression is to return to the horizontal push-up position and add weight, such as a weight vest or plate lying against your back.
Incorporating instability and different body positions into your strength training workouts, you gain strength and improve your stability and balance. Lower the risk of injury from excessive weight using poor technique. This approach allows us to use the body as it was meant to be used.
Understanding Sweat Rates
It's essential for endurance athletes, especially triathletes, to understand their sweat rate at different intensity levels. Monitoring sweat loss during exercise is crucial for determining the proper fluid intake and electrolyte consumption for training and competition. Inadequate hydration strategies can make a significant difference in an athlete's performance. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of sweat and sweat rate is vital.
It's important to remember that water is crucial for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. Excessive sweating without replenishing fluids can lead to dehydration and an elevated heart rate. Depletion of salt levels due to excessive sweating can result in muscle cramps, weakness, nausea, and headaches. Endurance athletes need to grasp the balance between sweat loss and fluid replacement to ensure optimal training and performance on race day.
Sweating is the body's natural mechanism for regulating temperature. When body heat rises, the sweat glands are activated to release water and electrolytes onto the skin's surface. As this sweat evaporates, it cools the skin, helping to maintain a stable body temperature: the dermis, the skin's middle layer, stores most of the body's water. When physical activity and heat production increase, the body responds by producing more sweat to aid in cooling down. Sweat is a clear, odorless fluid primarily composed of water with added sodium, chloride ions, and potassium. These mineral salts, also known as electrolytes, are dissolved in the body's water, and the balance of electrolytes and water is closely interconnected.
There are two types of sweat glands. Eccrine glands are primarily located on the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, and forehead, and they mainly control body temperature. Apocrine glands are found in hair follicles and produce sweat secretion.
Water makes up about half to two-thirds of a person’s body weight, with fat tissue containing less water than lean tissue. The percentage of body weight that is water is lower in older adults and obese individuals. Women generally have a slightly lower rate of body weight water than men.
During exercise, athletes lose water and electrolytes through sweat. The amount of sweat can vary significantly from person to person and is influenced by factors such as age, body fat levels, genetics, metabolism, and environmental conditions. People from warmer climates tend to have more sweat glands than those from cooler regions and sweat production during exercise increases with the intensity of the exercise.
Sweat rate is the fluid lost through sweating over a specific period, usually calculated as the amount lost per hour. Understanding your sweat rate is the first step in developing a hydration strategy for training and racing. It's important to conduct multiple tests under different environmental conditions and exercise intensities to create a hydration strategy for various situations. When performing a sweat rate test, we measure weight lost post-exercise compared to per-exercise body weight. When stepping on the scale, do it without clothing, and after exercise, towel dry.
Here is a simple formula for calculating sweat rate.
(Sweat rate = pre-exercise body weight – post-exercise body weight + fluid intake – urine volume/ exercise time in hours.
For instance, an athlete goes on a tempo (zone 3) run on a 92-degree day for 60 minutes. Before the workout, the athlete weighed 175 pounds. After the workout, the athlete weighed 172 pounds without consuming fluids or urinating. This indicates that the athlete lost 3 pounds of water during the run. Given that 16 ounces of water weighs one pound, the athlete's sweat rate on a tempo run for one hour is calculated to be 36 ounces per hour.
There are differing opinions in research regarding the percentage of fluid replacement during exercise. It is not recommended to aim for 100% replacement during training, as it can raise health concerns. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends preventing less than a 2% body weight loss from water deficit to avoid dehydration and excessive changes to electrolyte balance, which can compromise performance.
Determining exact electrolyte loss can be complex and may require laboratory or extensive field testing. A simple method is to inspect your workout gear. Extensive white staining or residue indicates a likelihood of losing many electrolytes. Many sports drinks and supplements are available to athletes, and it is advisable to follow the manufacturer's guidelines. If you have concerns about increasing your dietary sodium intake, it's best to consult your physician.
Sweating plays a crucial role in regulating the body's temperature, and understanding sweat rate is essential for developing an effective hydration plan for both training and competition. Conducting sweat rate tests in various environmental conditions can provide valuable insights to customize fluid intake for your training and racing.
Otillo Orcas Island SwimRun
And now for something (not completely) different…
Looking to mix things up a bit, I participated in my first SwimRun event at Otillo Orcas Island. I went for the team option with a training partner and we chose the “World Series” distance (25 segments adding up to ~35k running/5.5k swimming). There were shorter distances as well. If you’re thinking about this format, I encourage you to give it a go–super fun and different, but complementary to, triathlon.
SwimRun is exactly what the name suggests–you alternate between swimming and running on the course. The runs were mostly on trail with some significant up and down and the swims were primarily across lakes (with one swim in the ocean bay).
The vibe was very chill–kind of like triathlon in the early days–but there were some very speedy athletes out there! A few takeaways from the experience.
Looking for a different type of challenge that’s not a complete departure from your triathlon training? Give SwimRun a go!
Case Study- Fred Melo (age 42)- injured and compliant vs non compliant.
When you have been in sport as long as I have (30 years for some of you is not that much, I understand) you’re bound to have some injuries, illness, aches and pains come up. I worked with Fred based on experience, because I knew what this injury would require: PATIENCE! (Patients need patience)
I have chosen Fred Melo as our model compliance athlete, versus any non-compliant athlete (I have a few in mind…).
Fred’s background comes from years of cycling; but to be honest, he is a well-rounded athlete. A well- rounded athlete means he is body-aware of his abilities, and can also adapt to new modes of exercise and/or stimulus rather quickly.
He came to me and we built up his fitness in swimming and running. Initially his FTP dipped a little as he picked up swimming and running. However, over a full year, his FTP was back to peak and he was running and swimming very well. Swimming a 1:48 pace for 2100m open water, riding 2:40 for 56 miles and running 8:05 pace for 1:45 for a half marathon off the bike.
Fred was training very well, and hitting some new PR’s over the spring as he was getting ready for Boulder 70.3. In the very end of April he reported he got a fracture in his tibia.
Due to the nature of the injury, on average, total recovery is 20 weeks What comes next is, in my opinion, the textbook training for recovery:
1-We immediately stopped running and he was put in a boot with very limited walking.
2-We did NOT aqua jog, and found any possible way to skirt around running through pseudo running, running on an elliptical or an antigravity treadmill; he simply stopped. 3-There was a total elimination of lower leg stress from strength training; we allowed the body to heal and didn’t force training.
4-We dialed back the bike intensity to more volume of z2 and mostly on the trainer. We added more swim frequency and he kept up core work, Dave Scott’s hip mobility exercises and continued with upper body strength.
This went on for 6 weeks as prescribed by his doctor.
The first run back was June 6th and this was only 10 minutes’ worth of total run time; he repeated the 10-12 minute runs 3 more times over the next week. We then went to 15 minutes 3X a week, then to 20 minutes 3x a week, which was a nice, steady, and gradual ramp back up to our 60 minute runs.
From the start of his tibial fracture to the first run of 60 + minutes was only 12 weeks.
Although his big race plans have changed for 2024, we are now eyeing early 2025. The fact that he is back to full training now and missed the minimum amount of time required, rather than skirting around to “try” to run, and risking delayed recovery is huge. When it was time to run, he followed the plan and did not do 3X 10 minutes and then run 45-60 minutes and rushed the build up process. He remained patient with the run ramp process.
I had a broken collarbone in 2002, foot surgery in 2009 and a broken foot in 2015. Each time I let my body heal. I came back slowly and steadily and each subsequent race season, I had such a great season; I literally forgot 6 months prior, I was out of commission.
I do know athletes who broke their foot the same time as I did and were in a boot twice as long as I was and who missed far longer a season than necessary because the mental aspect of go, go, go- didn’t allow them to heal quickly.
The beauty of being a triathlete is that if you get injured doing 1 sport, you have 2 other sports to keep your fitness and keep your mind engaged.
It’s important not to choose a race after an injury and rush the training to build back fitness.
Reduce your expectations of performance and adjust your goals. If you feel the need to race once recovery has begun and you’re cleared, you could, for example, aqua bike the heck out of that next race, or do a relay.
Lastly, go hard in a race that your strengths and fitness allows and cruise the discipline that you're recovering from injury from, and use it as a training run if you’re still coming back.
Be patient and focus on your other disciplines while you heal!
Undoubtedly during a race, you have been engulfed and passed by a group of athletes riding together like a tour peloton. It can be incredibly frustrating to witness such blatant disregard for the cycling rules. How do you handle this situation during a race? Do you jump on that train and enjoy the ride? Do you call out the riders as they go zipping past you? Do you simply shrug it off and focus on your race execution while maintaining a legal & safe distance from the group? While there are some scenarios where drafting is difficult to avoid (narrow and technical roads for example), the D3 coaches are aligned in how we advise our athletes to handle drafting packs. As frustrating as it can be in the moment, we encourage you to take the high road – focus on the controllables (namely your attitude, effort & emotions) and YOUR race execution while maintaining a safe and legal distance from the group. Seeing packs of riders gain an advantage while drafting is no fun and admittedly can negatively impact your race, but unfortunately it can be part of racing and you should have a plan in place in how you will respond to it.
Some courses are more notorious than others for having large packs of athletes forming on the bike. This is usually found on flat courses where there are no changes in terrain to get separation between athletes – IMFL, IMTX, 70.3 Oregon, etc. In recent years IMTX had a segment of the bike course on a closed toll road which athletes referred to as the “party on the Hardy”. Beyond the ethical/moral aspect of drafting is a safety consideration. It can be dangerous when athletes form groups buzzing past other athletes. Things can become unpredictable when groups of 5, 10, 15 athletes or more converge and in a split-second wheels can touch causing a domino effect. At the 2018 IMTX event, professional triathlete Caitlin Alexander was knocked out of the race after sustaining a concussion from a crash while being engulfed by a drafting pack.
D3 athlete Kalee Tyson, offers up great advice on her experience in dealing with drafting packs - “The more competitive I get on the bike, the more I have been coming across draft packs in races. I hadn't had major issues with draft packs until 70.3 Oregon this year. I had never seen such blatant groups working together and riding each other’s wheels. It made it challenging for me to stick to my race plan without either taking breaks to make space (over and over again for these large 5-20 people packs) or to surge to try to drop them. One reason I chose not to race Ironman Texas was because of the notoriously huge AG drafting packs on that course. That would have frustrated me all day. The way I handled them in Oregon was to assess how my legs felt - could I surge to not get gobbled up by the group or get around the group or was it not worth the energy and instead would it be a good time to ease up and let the legs take a quick break. Most of the time the packs were traveling faster than me, so I let them go, but sometimes if they were riding my wheel, I would try to surge to drop them. It can be frustrating, and sometimes I will shout something to remind people this isn't a group ride. It's a race and they need to give space, but I just try to focus on myself, my own race strategy and staying safe on the ride! Karma will always come around to those who are cheating on course!!”
At the beginning of this year’s race season IM announced a partnership with RaceRanger, a new technology to help athletes and officials curb drafting. It is currently being used within the professional ranks at select races and perhaps we will see it in place soon for all athletes.
As the athlete, it is your responsibility to know the rules. Ironman and USAT have similar language with drafting:
IM:
Draft zone = 12 meters (6 bike lengths; ~39 feet) 25 seconds to complete a pass
USAT:
Draft zone = 10 meters (5 bike lengths; ~33 feet) 20 seconds to complete a pass
Ultimately it is each athlete’s individual choice to draft or not to draft and at the end of the day the D3 coaches want you to be competitive, race cleanly and feel good about your race day execution.
Race well,
Coach Brad
My wife ran the Operations side of Workman Publishing for over 15 years. It was a great career for her and the highlight for me was attending the launch party for Yogi Berra’s book containing his all his wise sayings. A hilarious night as Yogi’s peers roasted him. Here are some repurposed for triathlon.
"Baseball is 90 per cent mental. The other half is physical."
This is unquestionably the most relevant to Triathlon and I would say it gets to 98% when going long.
"You give 100 per cent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half you give what's left."
I get what you mean Yogi but just in case dear readers in case you have not heard, you do need to balance things in Triathon and give the last bit of the 100% as you cross the line.
"He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."
We sure need to be amphibious in this sport, and you might not finish if you are not good enough at both
"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
IMO some of the fun has been taken out of triathlon because race directors have figured out how to manage crowds, meaning self seeding and starting 2-4 at a time.
"I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"
I know a few people like that, always changing their equipment. But more importantly, don’t get mad get even by amazing what when wrong, in the race or with the training.
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."
Good advice, at least as your learning the game, but if you are feeling cocky and want to intimidate the competition do what I did in 2017 when I won in Kona at 71. There is a dinner held the Monday before the race for anyone over 65. They have a raffle where you predict your finish time. I put down 12:30, I crossed the line after 12;31.
"It ain't the heat, it's the humility."
Something tells me this is relevant, but I can’t figure it out.
"It gets late early out here."
This is perfect, think watching the sun set in an IM and you are only at mile 13 of the run.
"You can observe a lot by watching."
Of the three sports you can make huge improvements in your swimming by just doing this. Even better doing it with a swim coach who can point out the good and bad. You can learn a lot watching poor swim form.
"We're lost but we're making great time!"
How many of you have gone off course and had that thought. It’s your responsibility to know the course.
Some more of the same advice
"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
"You should always go to other people's funerals, otherwise, they won't come to yours."
This is for my old friends; it is sad and so true. I have lost too many great Triathletes, and other friends.
"I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four."
Naps are the magic bullet when you are racking up 20+ hour training weeks.
"I never said most of the things I said."
No relevance, I just love it.
Don’t Get Divorced Over Triathlon
Every year, thousands of athletes will descend upon Ironman branded races for the right to call themselves an Ironman for the first and/or for a shot a world championship qualification. Most will repeat this cycle year after year. Many of these triathletes will find their relationships in a precarious state. While the triathletes feel the accumulated fatigue of the many months of massive training, their partners are just as tired of some of the grouchy behaviors that their beloved triathletes may have inflected on them. But now is not the time to give up, either for the athletes in their final preparations, or their partners who can hardly wait for this event to come and go.
When people get tired, they may get cranky. Everyone has experienced that phenomenon, especially with children. Tired, hungry children may exhibit such behavior as short temper, whining, outbreaks of crying and tendency to throw tantrums. In many ways, a triathlete in the final weeks of Ironman preparation is like a tired, hungry child, and may demonstrate a charming cocktail of any and all these behaviors.
It’s not the triathlete’s fault, exactly. To prepare for an Ironman, the triathlete often follows a training program that inflicts a massive buildup of training volume and intensity in the six weeks before the race (peaking), leaving them deeply fatigued and more than somewhat depleted in a physical sense (i.e. tired and hungry childlike). If you noticed the similarities, you are not alone. In the two weeks or so before the race, the triathlete may sharply reduce the volume of training in order to taper, or shed the crushing fatigue from the peaking period and arrive at the start line in a condition rarely achieved but incessantly sought after: fit, rested and healthy. The taper period can be emotionally challenging.
During the buildup to the peak period, the triathlete was absorbed with all that huge volume of training. Five-hour bike rides, 20-mile runs and swim workouts that seemed to take forever. Now, during the taper, the workouts are much reduced in time, leaving the triathlete with much more time to interact with friends and family, for better or worse. During the taper, the fatigue is still there, gradually subsiding but still impatiently noticeable, and still acting like a tired, hungry child. As the race draws closer, the triathlete will increasingly turn attention to the mental aspects of the race, also known as fretting, worrying and generating pre-race jitters. This emotional condition, piled on top of the tired, hungry syndrome, makes some triathletes genuinely unfit for the company of other humans (yes, I am at this point lumping the tapering triathlete in with other humans, but that’s just for convenience).
Now that you know about the phenomenon that is playing out, here’s what to do about it.
There are three possible scenarios at work.
You are the triathlete.
Your spouse or partner is the triathlete.
Both of you are competing at an Ironman event in the coming months.
Each scenario requires a special approach, if the relationship is going to survive this race.
Scenario 1: You are the triathlete.
First, recognize that you are not yourself, and tell that to everyone. You might see your daughter first thing in the morning. Now that you are tapering and not already at the pool banging out flip turns every 20 seconds for 2.5 hours, she might fail to recognize you at first, and wonder who is this strange person in her home. Ignore that. Just say, “Hello. Remember me? I am your mother. See, there on the wall is a photo of us together last year, when we spent time together. And by the way, I’m tapering, so I’m not myself. If I say or do anything mean, it’s not me doing that, it’s my accumulated fatigue and attempts to shed it during my taper period.” Depending on the daughter’s age, this approach may be more or less successful—the younger the child, the more successful. If your child is in mid-teens, this prattle will fail like a front-tire blowout. There is no known approach for gaining empathy with a mid-teen, so we will now proceed to the partner.
Your partner or spouse also has a great amount of accumulated fatigue from your rotten behavior over the past months. Recognize this (only briefly) then quickly turn back to your own situation. “Hello, honey. I’m tapering now, which means I’ll be around the house a lot more now until the race. And, I have a special condition that means I might say or so something mean, but I really don’t mean it. It’s the fatigue talking, not me. I hope you appreciate that and cut me a little slack.”
Does this really work? Well, you can try it and see what happens.
You might also try being extra nice. Before you interact with your family, think about nice things you could do or say to them, and then do them when you get the chance. Your partner may wonder what on earth has happened to you, and look at you strangely, as if an alien being has invaded you or you have been replaced with a duplicate in every way identical to you, except for the nice part. It’s worth a try.
Scenario 2: You are the triathlete’s partner.
You have been traipsing around on your tip toes trying to avoid the grumpy person in your life. And just like doing a million sneaky squats with Tony Horton in P90X, you your own self are getting very tired. You may find yourself issuing a sarcastic phrase, such as, “You know, if I had a little help in here I wouldn’t have burned the broccoli,” and wondering where that came from. “Is that really me saying that?” you might wonder. No, it isn’t you at all. It’s the accumulated fatigue. You are completely off the hook.
But that doesn’t solve the issue, as your whiny grumpy child of a triathlete will react to your own behavior in a predictably non-helpful way. “Broccoli? Really? Broccoli? Do you know that broccoli has only seven calories per cup, and I need at least 757 calories to recover from my seven-mile run with 8 by 400 meter zone 4a and 4b over and under lactic threshold efforts with 60-second slow jogging intervals at the track before completing the run with 2.5 miles of zone 2 and 0.5 miles of zone 1 cool down, followed by 2 minutes and 50 seconds of jump rope immediately at the end of the run? Broccoli?”
You are not a saint, and yet, the situation calls for you to exhibit saint-like behavior. Do this. Realize that alien beings have indeed take over your triathlete’s person, and the unwanted and downright crappy behaviors that you have endured are not really coming from your partner or spouse, but from the invading alien being. We might give this invading alien being a name—shall we call it accumulated fatigue?
One effective way to blunt the nasty effect of alien’s behavior is to reply with humor. Accumulated fatigue, in addition to fostering grumpiness, also produces a profound and discernable lack of intelligence. Yes, physically numb and mentally dumb are wrapped around the same axel of your triathlete’s wheel. You can crack all the jokes you want, and your tired, numb partner will not be able to make a coherent reply, as the glucose-depleted brain works too slowly to process the reframe shift that underlies all humor. To return to our example above.
“Yes, dear, broccoli, but those seven calories are precious, as broccoli is a chief source of broccolamine, a branched-chain amino acid that is shown in no relevant studies to enhance capillary densification, accelerate mitrochondrial recruitment and improve your catch. I do it for you, dear.” That should defuse any negative reaction, or actually any reaction at all, as your triathlete wanders off in a haze to go look for the swim paddles for the next workout.
Scenario 3: You are both competing.
If you have experienced something like this, as you straddle your bikes, waiting for your Garmin Forerunner 910 to acquire its satellites, you are not in a club whose members number exactly one:
“Where should we go on our 4.5-hour ride, with 5 x 19 minutes in high zone 4 followed by three minutes of easy spinning, two times through, dear?”
“I don’t know. I guess we could go to Carter Lake, but you decide.”
“I always have to decide. I want you to be part of this, you know. Just because I signed us both up for this race doesn’t mean that I need to make all the decisions.”
“Okay, Carter Lake then.”
“I’m sick of Carter Lake. We have worn a groove in the asphalt from our garage door to Carter Lake. The ski boat people of Carter Lake hate us. If I have to go past that little Carter Lake ranger stand one more time I’m going to torch an orphanage.”
“Okay, then somewhere else. I’m good with another idea.”
“Hell, do I have to do everything around here?”
Maybe you’ve never been inside this conversation. If not, lucky you.
If so, there is one possible path: www.triathletedivorcelawyers.com (This URL is still available).
In case you want to avoid this and stay together, here’s the plan.
First, go out of your way to be kind. Pretend to listen. Say, “Yes, dear.” It usually works, regardless of what that response is actually responding to.
Second, remember why you signed up for this Ironman in the first place. At this point, you might be wondering, “Who thought this was a good idea to register for this race? Who thought doing an Ironman was a good idea? Who invented this sport anyway, and can I get my thumbs on his adams apple…Oh, right, it sounded like fun at the time. Okay, I’m better now.” But you did indeed have some picture in your head that attracted you to the notion of doing this race—the fitness level you would achieve, the camaraderie of your training partners, the idea of actually crossing the finish line and hearing Mike Reilly shout, “You are an Ironman!”
Third, act as though your triathlete partner is flatly incapable of functioning as would a real human being until after the race, that it’s all on you, and if your relationship is going to survive you better step up. This last idea could well be true.
In seriousness, there are plenty of triathletes who have lost their relationships due to the strain they undergo and the behavior that ensues during the training and racing of an Ironman. To compete in one involves metric tons of work, many sacrifices and deep commitment on the triathlete’s part and that reverberates to the partner or spouse as well.
All kidding aside, here are two things that might really help.
First, remember why you love your spouse or partner. What was it the brought you together in the beginning? In your mind’s eye, run a video of the most charming, romantic experience you had together early in your relationship. Make this video big and colorful and bright and see you two over there having the time of your life. Run key parts of it in slow motion if that helps you savor the memory. Feel the warmth in your chest as you relive the experience. Stop the video at the end, and pretend that you can capture a little bit of that magic, a tiny pinch of pixie dust from that time, and hold it between your thumb and finger. Then, whenever you need it from now and until race day, when somebody makes a snippy comment, just sprinkle a little of that pixie dust over the situation, feel the warmth again, and allow the seed of a smile to take over your face. Shake your head in wonder of how lucky you are to have found each other.
Second, and of utmost importance, develop amnesia. During this phase, you may be saving up a Pentagon-sized ammunition depot of things that your triathlete did or said. You might be thinking, “After this race is over, we are going to have a talk, and I’m going to explain how rotten all this behavior was, how all the mean things said made me feel, and how this is never, ever going to happen again.”
But don’t. Just disarm. Forget about your arsenal. Destroy the weapons of mass destruction. If you realize that it almost really is like an alien being has taken over your partner, that nobody really meant any of those ugly things that got said, that it really was the hunger and crushing fatigue talking—that it really wasn’t anybody’s fault—it gets easier to take. In the three weeks after the race, until things turn back to normal, pretend that they already are back to normal. Forget it was every any different. Let your triathlete exorcize the alien being, and watch for signs of the old self returning. Sprinkle the magic pixie dust wherever you can.
And if your normal person doesn’t return, the person in your movie who you created magic pixie dust with doesn’t start to come back, I know a URL that is still available.
