8 Essential Training Tips for Triathletes
Every triathlete is different and not everything will work for everyone. However, there are essential practices that will help most athletes. There are those who already follow these tips religiously; however, for those just starting out, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Follow your plan
Triathlon has been around for decades and many people have tried different approaches to the sport. There are different types of plans available based on different training strategies and designed to fit various lifestyles. Make sure you are choosing a plan that is right for you. This plan should be realistic timewise and based on your current ability. The goals set by your plan should be achievable with a good foundation of sustainable workload. - Bricks
It’s important to experience how your body will react to the transition from swimming to cycling to running on race day. To simulate how you’ll feel, it’s a good idea to incorporate brick workouts in which you complete a swim and bike workout or bike and run workout back-to-back. - Low-Intensity Sessions
If you’ve noticed recently, more athletes have been training at slower speeds but getting much faster results during races. Are they doing something different when no one is looking? Are they taking a wonder drug? Fortunately, they are not. Recent studies show that low-intensity workouts, performed consistently with a small percentage of speed work can yield significant times during races. - Stretch
Stretching helps you maintain your range of motion and poor range of motion means poorer power. Stretching helps you get faster without speed work. You can’t work on your power or strength when your joint doesn’t have the range of motion it needs. - Recovery
One rarely considered facet of training is the importance of recovery. Some believe that legs can recover during swim days and vice versa. However, no matter the intensity of your workouts your muscles still need to unload the fatigue they accumulate. Your body gets stronger when you are resting, not when you are exercising. Going hard every day is a recipe for disaster. If you attempted max efforts during every workout, your body would break, your mood would plummet, and your performance would decay. There is a fine line between top performance and burning out, so take recovery seriously. Make sure you prioritize sleep, eat well, and keep your easy days easy. Many athletes fall into the trap of going too hard during their recovery sessions. Have the courage to peel back the intensity when the plan calls for it. This will allow you to more effectively execute the challenging key sessions and progress. - Transition
Triathlon is not just about racing. Go through the entire process of taking off your wetsuit and getting into cycling gear, then getting into your running gear. You can include transition practice during your brick workouts, when you are a little fatigued, to better simulate race day conditions. - Keep it simple
Sometimes when you do crazy complicated exercises, your body gets better at doing them. So you’ll be better at performing those exercises, rather than at swimming, biking, and running. Keep your workout simple and focus on the big muscles as well as the muscles that stabilize you. Don’t stress about whether you should be using free weights, resistance bands, kettlebells or something else. - Fueling
Train your digestive system to be able to take in energy on the bike and run. You should aim to replenish 25%-35% of calorie expenditure and 20-40 oz of fluids per hour. You will likely need to dial your fluid and fuel intake during the run, so make sure to experiment to determine how much you are able to handle on the run.
