The 99% and Aspirational Training

The idea of the 99% is not new or unique. What is the 99%? It is the day-in, day-out discipline, intention and hard work that, outside of knowledge and equipment, brings athletes 99% of their success in their sport. High level coaches will consistently reinforce to their athletes that there is no magic formula for success – there is the 99%, and once you have that, then there is the 1%, or marginal gains as we often refer to it.

I recently spoke on this topic with a group of athletes at our Pre-Season Camp, and felt it warranted a write up as we begin the new year and consequently see a spurt of what I often to refer to as “aspirational training.”

What is aspirational training? Aspirational training is when an athlete sees another athlete whose level they aspire to be at, and think “if I can do the same workout as him or her, then I will be on the path to that same level of success/fitness/etc.” Essentially, they have decided to focus on the importance of this single session or type of session, to the detriment of the 99%. This is when we see athletes who have previously being doing 30 minute swims or short rides attempting to do 30 x 100 free in the pool, or a 3 hour ride out on the bike. The worst is the hard run sets, where athletes may go from doing brief, relaxed efforts to attempting to complete intense track sessions with minimal recovery.

Aspirational training, while emotionally appealing in its possibilities to boost confidence and reassure ourselves that we are on the path to success, is a common cause of injury and training plateaus/declines for amateur athletes. By attempting to complete sessions that their bodies do not have a skill or fitness foundation for, athletes dig a hole that they cannot recover from (or gain any benefit from) without significant time off, meaning that the athlete is actually LESS fit at the end of the process than before they did the aspirational workout. Sometimes it may take a few of these sessions to well and truly dig the hole of under-recovery, but eventually training based on that of another, fitter athlete will inevitably lead to the same conclusion.

I suggest, instead, the following:

1. Examine your goals for the season. Where do you need to be, and in what amount of time, to achieve those goals?

2. Examine where you are today. How close are you to where you need to be for your goals? Do you see a clear pathway to that level of skill and fitness? What weaknesses will hold you back and how can you address them?

3. If the pathway is clear, do the 99%! Begin building from where YOUR body is, and focus on daily progress. Ignore what others are doing until you are close to their level, then examine their choices and determine if they make sense for your goals, strengths and weaknesses.

4. Set realistic process goals surrounding the 99% including nutrition, hydration and sleep to support your training. For example, “I’m going to sleep 7 hours a night at least 6 nights out of the week,” or “I’m going to eat at least two different vegetables at dinner every day.”

5. Enjoy training sessions for what they are – an opportunity to move and strengthen your body, and to reach your potential.

In short – be honest and measured with your self-assessment and training.

It isn’t an exciting approach – except in its ability to keep you healthy and produce results. If this resonates with you and you aren’t sure where to start, consider hiring an experienced coach who can walk you through the steps.

Coach Morgan Hoffman is the Head Coach of Playtri and a USAT Level II Coach and Coach Educator. She runs the Team Playtri Elite High Performance Team, and coaches junior and adult athletes of all levels.

Learn more about individual coaching at www.playtri.com/individual.

Tri Tips from Coach Jim: Essential Pre-Season Bike Drills

The preseason (or prep period if you use Joe Friel’s terminology) is the time of year where we are more intentional about preparing our bodies to be able to handle the increased training and racing that will happen in the upcoming season. Thus, it is an excellent time of the year to deliberately shift our focus from getting in the big miles and intensity and work on things like: improving body composition, core strength, swim form, bike skills, and run form. Here are my favorite preseason bike drills to improve your pedaling stroke and bike handling skills.

High Speed Spinning — While riding on a trainer or a flat section of road at the end of your warm-up, increase your cadence by 10-15 rpms, and hold that cadence for 1 minute, recover at normal cadence for 1 minute and repeat 5 times. The goal of this drill to improve your pedaling efficiency. If you start bouncing in your seat, then slow your cadence a bit until you are no longer bouncing.

Single Leg Drill — While riding on a trainer or a flat section of road at the end of your warm-up, unclip one foot and use the other leg to turn the cranks. Pay attention to lightly dragging your foot across the bottom (like scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe), lifting your knee upward, then gently kicking over the top. Pedal with one leg for a minute at a time, paying attention to where dead spots show up in your pedal stroke, then switch to your other leg. Repeat 5 times on each leg. The goal of this drill is to develop your ability to apply power efficiently throughout the entire pedal stroke.

Riding Slowly — In an empty parking lot, quiet road, or empty bike path, slow your roll until you are riding at 2-3 miles per hour, while maintaining a smooth pedal stroke and riding in a straight line. Riding slowly forces you to improve your overall balance and gives you confidence when you find yourself riding in traffic.

Slow Slalom & Parking Space Figure 8 — Like riding slowly, this drill improves your balance and also your handling skills. In an empty parking lot, use cones or small items like water bottles or spare inner tubes to create a short course for yourself. A slalom style course is particularly helpful. Another good course is riding in a figure 8 within the area of a parking space. Both of these courses require you to ride slowly, learn the handling qualities of your bike, and how you can use your body weight to steer your bike.

Single Hand Riding — Single hand riding is an important skill to develop for triathletes for signaling turns, grabbing water bottles & nutrition, and improving your handling and balance. In an empty parking lot, while riding at least 12-15 mph place your hands on the bar top, sit square on the saddle, and practice lifting on hand at a time. As you get more comfortable riding with one hand, move your free hand to different parts of your bike and body to practice grabbing a bottle from your down tube or grabbing nutrition from a jersey pocket. Once you are comfortable riding single handed from the bar top, practice single handed riding from the aero position.

Bike Mounts — Flying mounts certainly are not a requirement for age group triathletes, however there’s a lot of free speed if you can mount your bike without coming to a complete stop. If you are new to moving bike mounts, here are the steps to master a scooting bike mount. 1) In an empty parking lot, wear running shoes and practice running while holding your saddle with your right hand. Practice this until you are comfortable steering your bike while running. 2) Grab the handlebar with both hands and place your left foot on the left pedal and practice scooting your bike forward by pushing off the ground with your right foot. Continue this until you are comfortable and balanced. 3) Once you are comfortable scooting on your bike, then practice swinging your right leg back and forth over your saddle while scooting. After you have mastered these steps then you can practice these steps with your shoes clipped to your pedals.

Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 4 Coach and a USAT LI Certified Coach who works with adult athletes of all abilities from beginners to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Race Season Gear Check

Race Season Gear Check

The beginning of the new year is a perfect time to not only start training for the upcoming triathlon season, but also the perfect time to check the condition of your gear, schedule any needed maintenance, and plan to purchase new gear. Here is an essential triathlon gear list and what to look for when it comes to maintaining your gear.

Wetsuit: Check your wetsuit for any tears or punctures. Also try your wetsuit on to make sure it still fits.

Swim caps: A well-fitting swim cap provides warmth, comfort, and drag reduction. Make sure your swim caps are in good condition.

Goggles: The type of goggle you use depends on the weather conditions during training & racing. Make sure you have 3 pair of goggles; clear, tinted, and mirrored/polarized.

Swim suit: Swim suit fabric breaks down from repeated exposure to chlorine. Check to make sure your swim suit is not revealing too much. Replace as needed.

Bike maintenance: If it has been awhile since you have had maintenance done on your bike, then it is time for a check up. Schedule a time for the mechanics to look it over.

Helmet: Check your helmet for any cracks, dents, and fraying straps. Helmets should be replaced every three years or immediately after any crash.

Bike Shoes: Plan on replacing your bike cleats every year or at least every 5,000 miles. Your bike shoes can be replaced every few years.

Flat kit: Inspect your spare tubes for cuts. Make sure you have full Co2 cartridges. You should have a flat kit on each of your bikes that consists of at least: 1-2 spare tubes, 2 Co2 cartridges, two tire levers, and a small multi-tool.

Sunglasses: Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes. If you use them everyday they should be replaced every 1-2 years.

Socks, run clothes, and cycling kit: It’s good to have enough clothing to rotate your usage. A general rule of thumb is to have enough athletic socks for each day of the week, run clothes and cycling kit for 3 workouts per week. It’s nice to have one new pair of bike shorts per year since these wear out faster than bike jerseys or run clothing.

Water bottles: Plastic water bottles start to break down after continued use and need to be replaced about once a year. However, you can extend the life of your bottles if you have enough to rotate their usage and if you clean them after every use.

Running Shoes: Run shoes (except for racing flats or super shoes) last approximately 300-500 miles. If you aren’t tracking the miles on your shoes, regularly inspect the soles of your shoes for wear and tear.

Tri kit: Tri kit loses elasticity from exposure to sweat and bacteria can eat at your kit if you don’t care for it. Plan on replacing your racing kit every 1-2 years.

Bike fit: If it has been a hot minute since you last had a bike fit, then schedule one now. Comfort on the bike leads to better bike splits and faster run times.

Coach Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 3 and USAT Level 1 Coach. He coaches age group athletes of all ability levels from first time finishers to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Meet the Coach: Ryan Siebert

Playtri Level II Coach Ryan Siebert began coaching with us back in April, and has quickly grown into his role as an individual coach on our team, as well as one of our junior elite coaches! Read on to get to know him better.

How did you get into triathlon?

I did my first triathlon at 10 years old. The Holtzville pool sprint triathlon on Long Island, NY. My mother was my influence as she was a highly competitive triathlete herself in the 80’s. She had some great results and competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona in 1985. In high school, I began cycling and walked onto the swim team after giving up my NHL ambitions. So my junior year, I started racing triathlons more frequently and had quick age group success and wanted to turn that into overall success. I was fortunate to be introduced to a coach that has had a major contribution to my life as a whole but guided me to the top of the local podiums and beyond. I love the challenge of the process to the race and the variation from the three sports.

How long have you been racing and what are some aspects of your triathlon career that you are especially proud of?

I have been racing for 13 years. Even though I took some time off seriously competing while in the Air Force, I still found myself in the odd race here and there every year. Some victories stand out among others, but my favorite has to be when I won the RJA Memorial Mighty Montauk on its 30th anniversary and joined my mom on the list of winners.

What do you do when you aren't doing triathlon?

I still enjoy some hobbies from my old job: skydiving, scuba diving, rock climbing. But recently I’ve been spending time learning how to code. I enjoy the problem solving and don’t think the need for that skill is going anywhere any time soon.

What made you want to be a coach?

Triathlon has taught me many lessons that apply to all aspects of my life. Nothing comes free in the sport. You have to work hard and consistently to have success. And it never gets easier, you only go faster. These principles can bring you success in anything you apply it to and that’s the big picture I want to show athletes. In the short term, it’s very rewarding when athletes have success in workouts or races and accomplish something they never thought was possible.

In your opinion, what are the top three components necessary for athletes to be successful in triathlon?

Consistency, patience, discipline

How do you tailor your coaching to help age group athletes with limited time achieve their goals?

Starting off with an honest conversation about tailoring their goals to their availability (ie a particular goal may have to wait 9 months to be accomplished instead of 6). Then making the most of the time they do have. When high volume is important I need to write a plan that capitalizes on the time they have open without sacrificing the other aspects of their life such as family time and work.

You've got a strong cycling background - what are some of your favorite bike handling drills for triathletes?

The parking space figure-8 is a valuable drill with low requirements. Completing figure-8’s while staying inside the lines of a standard parking space force you to manage your body weight distribution and balancing pedal pressure and brake application.

A drill I have been doing with my juniors is having them stack cones as they ride by. This forces even more weight distribution management and brake application because you have to lean over to one side as you ride by as slow as possible to place a cone on the ground over another.

Contact partner drills is another valuable drill that can help every cyclist but especially those interesting in competing in draft-legal triathlon or standard cycling races like the criterium that are popular here in flatland-Texas. Riding side by side another cyclist bumping

elbows and leaning into each other to fight for a line will help you stay up when this happens unexpectedly in a race. This is best done on a grass field and with people you won’t hold a grudge over if they knock you over.

What is your favorite aspect of coaching with Playtri?

The community. Everyone that trains with Playtri has their own individual goals and unique athletic and life backgrounds that they bring to the table and everyone benefits from that melting pot.

Anything else you think we should know about you?

I served 6 years in the Air Force Special Operations community as a Pararescueman. We performed search and rescue both stateside and in combat. We deployed unilaterally as well as individually with other Special Operations teams, acting as point of injury medics and technical rescue specialists.

Check out Ryan’s coaching page at www.playtri.com/ryan-siebert, or contact him directly at ryan.siebert@playtri.com.

Meet the Athlete: Cody Tingle

Cody is a Playtri coached athlete who recently finished his first IRONMAN in Cozumel (with a fantastic 1st IM time of 10:33:15) - read on to learn more about his experience!

How did you get started in triathlon, and how long have you been racing?

I got started doing triathlons in 2012. I was an athlete in college and played baseball, once I stopped playing baseball I got very out of shape and gained quite a bit of weight. I was in my 4th year of med school in 2011 and decided to make the decision to start running again and losing all that extra weight to get healthy again. My mother had been doing triathlons for years prior to this so I had been around triathlons watching her, when I moved for residency in 2012 I decided to start doing triathlons with her so I bought a cheap road bike and started cycling for the first time. I did my first triathlon and finished with a terrible time, but I finished it which was a big accomplishment. My swim was a 2:00/m pace, bike was a 19.5mph and run was a 9:30 pace. I told myself at that point that I can do this and I’m a better athlete than most of these guys out here. That next year I trained a lot more on my bike and got faster. Within a couple years I was averaging 23.5mph on bike and running 7:45 pace on run at same event. It felt amazing to see those numbers getting faster as I put more effort into my training and being able to move up the rankings, I’ve been hooked ever since. Now I’m going for podium finishes in local races and being top 10% in the bigger national races.

What do you do when you're not doing triathlon?

So this year I didn’t do much when not training as I trained for my first IRONMAN and it took the vast majority of my free time - but I’m a physician so I’m pretty busy the majority of the day. When I do have free time outside of training, I like to play golf in warm months and deer/duck hunt in winter months. I have 2 kids so I also try to be involved in their activities and doing nighttime routine with them. I also enjoy going out on the weekends having drinks and dancing with my wife (Morgan probably doesn’t approve of this, though, so Morgan forget I said that).

Note: Coach Morgan says an occasional drink and dancing is 100% allowed, as long as you pull any dance moves that put you out of commission the next day!

How long have you been training with Playtri? What's your favorite part of being a Playtri athlete?

I started training with Playtri in April 2021. I decided that I wanted to do an Ironman 70.3 and dedicate training this year to doing one. With that I wanted a bike that was actually set up for me and not something that I bought and tried to fit me after. So went to Playtri and Coach Morgan fitted me on half a dozen different bikes and found a perfect fit. While we were there we spoke about my training and if I had a coach to help focus my training. I had already thought about getting a coach but just hadn’t pulled the trigger on one, I knew of a few from different triathletes. Did some research on Playtri Coaching and decided they had the same goals that I had and specific training for me. Not just some training plan someone has made and just follow it. Anyways, none of the coaches were available to pick me up so Morgan dropped the hammer and was like I’ll train you, let’s go!!! I love how my training plan this year has been specific to me and my abilities and progression. She plans it based on when I’m most available to do certain sessions and gives me flexibility to move them around if I need to. I’m out of town but I did like going to some of the open water swimming sessions on the weekends when I could. Having coaches there and getting some advice and coaching was very helpful. Having my coach nearby to me was important as well as if I needed to come by for something I could. One very important part of being coached by PlayTri is the ability to do research on my running and cycling like lactate testing caloric testing. Also sweat testing was important during those hot months to keep from cramping. I also got very detailed race plans for each race in my nutrition and hydration plans along with setting certain pacing with each section so I didn’t burn out too quickly. All of my training leading up to each event and hopefully peaking at just the right time.

Any big accomplishments this season you can share with us?

YES!!! I had more accomplishments this year than every other year combined and I owe it all to morgan and her dedication to my training.

1. I wanted to PR my local triathlon race, RCT, as this was a benchmark for me to see how I compared to my best year previously. I PR’d it by 5 mins. Went from a 1:30 to a 1:25.

2. On that race I got 2nd place in my age group, my previous best place finish was 10th there.

3. My first event this year was Playtri’s Olympic distance triathlon in May, I got a 3rd place podium finish there. That was the first time I had ever got a podium spot.

4. At the Playtri triathlon, I qualified for USAT Nationals Olympic distance. First time I had ever qualified for any national event.

5. At my local event (River Cities Triathlon), I qualified for USAT Nationals Sprint distance.

6. I completed my very first Ironman 70.3 in Lubbock in June. That was an accomplishment in itself but I also qualified for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships!! That was not expected by me or Morgan.

7. Competed at IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St George, that was the hardest race I’ve ever done, and I finished in the top 1/3 of my age group (which I was very happy with considering it was invitational only and I very well expected to be at the back of the pack compared to all the other athletes).

8. This is definitely my biggest accomplishment, competing and finishing my very first full IRONMAN!!!! This was at IRONMAN Cozumel in Nov 2021. Had an amazing race, peaked at the absolute best time, felt strong throughout. I had some personal goals of completing swim in under 1:10, did it in 55 minutes. Cycling at 23mph, had a 24.1mph pace till my flat at mile 77. Ended up with a 23.2mph pace still. Finishing in under 11 hrs and while it was still daylight out, finished in 10:33 and it was still daylight as I crossed the finish line. That was such a thrill and a release of emotions that’s hard to describe.

What is your favorite race?

My favorite race this year had to be my full Ironman because it was such a huge accomplishment for me and I just killed it from my perspective and goals. Also being in Cozumel for the race was a cool place to do it at. Swimming in the crystal clear ocean water would get distracting at times watching fish or looking at the coral. Biking along the coast and watching the waves crash on the beach shore. Running down Main Street and having the crowds out there just screaming and cheering you on the entire race was amazing. Crossing the finish line and hearing, “from Shreveport, Louisiana… Cody Tingle, you are an IRONMAN!!!” I’d been waiting to hear that for 9 months so how could it not be my favorite!

What is your favorite piece of equipment you're currently using?

Not even close, my Argon 18 Tri+ Bike. It fits me so well. It’s fast. I love cycling the most out of all 3 anyways and this bike has just pushed me further forward. At Ironman 70.3 Lubbock I average over 24mph. On my local time trials I killed my previous best times. My best was a 25.76mph average.

Most important lesson you've learned from doing triathlon?

Doing proper training, hydration and nutrition. I’ve done races but never really trained specifically for a certain race. I also never even thought about how much to drink, taking electrolytes and using carb fuel during the race. These were all new to me and no doubt made a significant difference in my training and racing. Lesson being that there is so much to learn from knowledgeable people that have been there and done that. Having a coach teach me these things and being open to be coachable is the most important lesson. You have to trust the guidance and coaching being given to you and know it’s only for your benefit.

If you could give new triathletes one piece of advice, what would it be?

To start slow, don’t go try to do an Ironman 70.3 as your first event. Start at some local sprint races and get a feel for it. Having a coach is a huge benefit but to just get started you don’t have to be coached. But talk to people who have been in the sport for years and have numerous races under their belt. There’s so much knowledge out there that if your willingness to ask and listen, will be of so much benefit in training and racing. Also get good equipment, get shoes fitted to your stride and foot strike. Get a bike and have it fitted to you, this will make you actually want to go bike when you feel good on it.

Cody, thanks for sharing and CONGRATS on an awesome first IRONMAN! We’re looking forward to sharing the journey with in 2022.

Learn about all of Playtri’s coaching programs at www.playtri.com/coaching.

Race Weight Happens in the Pre-Season

By Coach Chad Carpenter

It’s common to hear about athletes working to hit their “Race Weight” in the weeks leading up to their big ‘A’ race with the idea that weighing less will make them faster. While there is some consistent correlation that shows faster triathletes having lower body fat percentage1 and lighter runners having faster splits2, I have unfortunate news – dropping weight in the weeks right before your big race is a huge mistake.

THE COMMON PATH IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST PATH

Following the last big race of a season, a triathlete will typically enter what is commonly referred to as the Post-Season. This is a period to focus on the physical and mental recovery of the accumulative training leading up the race as well as the race itself. For Ironman athletes, this can last for about 2 – 3 weeks. Following this recovery period, we enter a Pre-Season phase where we will often focus on some of our limiters, maybe work on our aerobic base or high-end speed, but the overall load and training volume is still relatively low. The length of this phase is dependent on when your next ‘a’ race is among other factors, but the typical range is somewhere between 8 – 16 weeks.

After a solid Pre-Season, we then enter another 8 – 16 week ‘Build’ phase where we start increasing the training load and volume. This is when we really try to push that fitness and performance needle. With the exception of intermittent recovery weeks, this load continues to increase until it’s time to taper before the big race. Athletes can struggle to adapt their eating habits enough to compensate for the increase caloric expenditure that is needed for the uptick in training and needed recovery. Even worse, some athletes can even intentionally hold back nutrition in order to hit race weight. They may hit their magical number of weight, but they are going to be quite disappointed come race day.

WHY SHOULD YOU MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT BEFORE A BIG RACE

The build phase should be some of the heaviest training loads you will endure. Your body needs to recover from all of this training, and it needs calories to do so. If you are under-fueling your body throughout these hard training days to lose weight, your recovery will suffer. Ignoring this needed recovery long enough can result in prolonged fatigue at best, as well as illness or injury at worst.

Some athletes continue their calorie deficit throughout the race taper with the reasoning of “Well, I’m not training as hard, so I shouldn’t be eating as much”. However, your body is still recovering throughout that taper. The tissue and muscle repair takes days to fully recover. Additionally, your hormonal response can be negatively affected when in a constant calorie

deficit due to the chronic increase in cortisol from the extra stress. If you are trying to drop weight in the few weeks leading up to your race, you are setting yourself up for underperforming after all the hard work you have done.

WHEN AND HOW TO WORK ON BODY COMPOSITION

The good news is there is still a perfect phase of training to work on your body composition, and that time is the Pre-Season. During the Pre-Season, our training loads are much lower than build phases. With the reduced stress on our bodies and more importantly, less recovery needed, we have a much better opportunity to reduce body fat. First and foremost, you need to understand what your body burns in terms of calories. I highly suggest getting tested for your resting metabolic rate as well as your metabolic rate during training. At Playtri, we can measure both and give you the information you need to understand where you are, calorically, on a day-to-day basis.

I also want you to implement two key strategies that not only reduce body fat but also enable you to be a better endurance athlete. Strength training can assist in growing lean muscle and increasing your resting metabolic rate as well as increasing your strength endurance and form throughout a race. Additionally, strategic fasted workouts not only help reduce body fat but also improve the body’s ability to use fat as energy.

TWO STRATEGIES FOR LOSING WEIGHT DURING THE PRE-SEASON

Emphasize strength work two to three times a week. I cannot promote this enough during the Pre-Season. It is a simple fact that muscle is calorically expensive, or in laymen terms, muscle burns fat. The immediate calorie expense of strength training may not be as great as your typical cardio-driven runs or bike rides. However, the repair of muscular tissue increases the metabolic load throughout the day or even days afterward, depending on how stressful the strength session is. While you should be constantly working your stability muscles throughout the entire year, the Pre-Season is a great time to focus on the larger muscle groups in your legs and lats. This will not only help improve your power production needed in triathlon, but you will get more calorie burn from working the larger muscles in comparison to the smaller. If you want extra credit, lift heavy. The greater the strain we place on our muscle, the greater the growth hormone response we will get3. Of course, you should always start with good form and technique when introducing a strength program into your training. Work with a coach if you’re not sure what that looks like or new to strength training.

Implement fasted workouts twice a week. Burning more calories than one consumes is an obvious path to reduced body fat, but utilizing fasted workouts or workouts with low caloric consumption can have additional benefits beyond the direct weight loss. Endurance athletes need to achieve a certain

adaptation to burning fat for energy. The more time we spend training in a carb-deficit state, the more adapted we become to burning fat. With a higher efficiency to utilize fat, athletes will have less of a dependency on carb consumption during a race which is the usual culprit of the dreaded ‘bonk’. However, shifting your fat/carb adaptation takes time and the sooner you start this process, the better, which is why the Pre-Season is a great time to start. Including fasted workouts does come with a few precautions. DO NOT FAST BEFORE EVERY WORKOUT. Constantly training while fasted can have detrimental effects on your hormones in the long term. You should also avoid fasting before any workouts with high stress or hard intervals. Instead, fasted workouts should be targeted for the lower stress workouts. Examples would be 2-hr or less easy bike ride on the bike or a 1-hr or less easy run (think a ‘go-all-day’ kind of pace or heart rate). Do not forget to hydrate with the proper electrolyte concentration. Of course, you need to fuel immediately after the workout. Staying in a fasted-state will hinder your recovery and prolong higher levels of stress hormone in the body.

If you need additional guidance into how to include strength work into your endurance training, please reach out for a consultation or talk to me about one-on-one coaching. Additionally, Playtri has great resources to determine your current metabolic demands in terms of how fat dependent you are and how many carbs you need to consume for a particular race. Checkout the VO2 metabolic testing service that we offer to see where you currently stand and how to better fuel during training and race day. Also, don’t forget to look into the Resting Metabolic Rate Assessment which let’s you know how much carbs and fats your body need regardless of your training or lifestyle.

Coach Chad is a Level 2 Playtri Coach and IRONMAN World Championship qualifier. He brings a strong strength and conditioning background to his coaching programs. Learn more about Coach Chad at www.playtri.com/chad-carpenter.

Understanding Pool Markings: Tri Tips from Coach Jim

For many adult-onset triathletes, swimming is the most challenging discipline of triathlon. Swimming does not come as easily as running or biking, can be fear inducing, and can also be intimidating when you first start pool swimming. Working with a coach is the best way to make improvements as a swimmer. However, to become more comfortable in the pool and make swimming more enjoyable, it is helpful to understand the different markings of a pool.

There are two distances for competitive swimming pools; short course and long course. The standard short course pool is 25 yards (or 25 meters) long and has 6-10 lanes. Short course pools are most commonly found in public swimming locations and high schools. Long course pools are 50 meters long with 8-10 lanes and normally found on college campuses and higher-end swimming facilities. Although the length of pools vary, the markings in and around the pool do not. Lane lines, backstroke flags, swimming lines, and turn targets are the four symbols that can help you in your training.

Lane lines are the small plastic buoys connected to each other by a wire cable that separate each lane. In both short and long course pools, the floats will change color at approximately 15 feet from the wall, alerting you that the wall is getting near This is particularly helpful for breast stroke and butterfly since your head is consistently coming above the water line in these strokes. If you know how many strokes it takes to get to the wall from 15 feet out then you can keep your head down and focus on your stroke instead of looking up to make sure you don’t hit the wall.

Likewise, backstroke flags are positioned above the water 15 feet from the wall so that you don’t need to look behind your shoulder as you approach the wall. If you know how many strokes it takes to get to the wall from 15 feet out, then you can count the number of strokes at 15 feet out, allowing yourself to stay more streamlined and focused.

But unless you are planning to swim backstroke, breast stroke, or butterfly in your next triathlon, then you will be spending much of your time looking at the swimming line (or black line) on the bottom of your lane. If you are sharing the lane with another swimmer, then this lane can be used to divide equally. If you are planning to join a lane that already has a swimmer, please don’t just jump in and start swimming. Sit down on your butt and dangle both legs in the lane, off to the side near the rope. If they don’t acknowledge you, then get all the way into the water and stand in the corner of the lane. Only start once they notice you.

And if you are sharing the lane with multiple swimmers, then you can swim in a rotating, counter clockwise pattern. Essentially keeping to the right of black line. Enter the pool in the same way and if you feel another swimmer tap your foot while swimming, it is a sign that they want to poss. Simply pull into the corner of the lane when you reach the wall and let them pass.

If you are lucky enough to have the lane by yourself, then you can use the black line to help you swim in a straight line and even to work on improving your stroke. For example, if you have a tendency to cross over your body with your arm, then make sure your hand enters the water and pulls back without crossing the black line. And if you have a tendency to not swim in a straight line in open water, then you can work on that by starting above the black line, closing your eyes, and taking 5-6 strokes before opening your eyes again. Each time working to stay on top of that black line.

Turn Targets and the “T” at the end of each black line are meant to help you gauge the distance to the end of the pool during freestyle. Each “T” stops about 5 feet from the wall, alerting you to take 1-2 more strokes before beginning your turn. And Turn Targets are especially helpful in doing flip turns as they provide a mark for your feet as you initiate your flip turn.

Knowing how to use the markings in and around the pool (plus following polite, pool etiquette) can make swimming an enjoyable and help you improve as a swimmer.

Coach Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 3 and USAT Level 1 Coach. He coaches age group athletes of all ability levels from first time finishers to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Coach Chad's Holiday Wish List

#1 Garmin Watch, specifically the Fenix series with sapphire face.

I'm always a huge fan of the Garmin watches. The forerunner 935s and 945s are constantly at the top of most 'best tri watches' lists, but I prefer the Fenix models. I have a Fenix 5X now, and I'm waiting for some hopeful holiday pricing to get the 6X pro or for Garmin to get off their butt and release the Fenix 7 series already. The solar models are cool, BUT if you are like me and bang your watch on what seems like everything, you should go with the sapphire face instead of the solar for a little extra protection. While Wahoo and Polar have their own somewhat comparable models, it's hard to beat the features of the Garmin models and what seems like reliable, seamless integration with all the new upcoming technology. Did you get some fancy Form goggles? Garmin syncs with it. How about those new CORE body temperature sensors? Yup, Garmin syncs with that too. It does all the things and pairs with all the things. They are not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Shop Garmin at Playtri.

#2 Hoka's Carbon X2

If you want to increase your cushion without sacrificing your run speed, look no further than Hoka's Carbon X2. These things are super light and pack plenty of cushion for marathon-distance runs. The stack is a little high if you are new to Hoka, but the heel-to-toe drop is fairly mild at 5mm. After a session or two with these, you will barely notice the taller stack. Your feet will feel great and your splits will be even better. Shop HOKA at Playtri.

#3 Wahoo Kickr

Let's face it. Cycling in the cold during the winter months suck. Fortunately, it is a great time to take your ride indoors and work on some controlled power efforts. The Wahoo Kickr is one of the best smart trainers you can get. No calibration needed, pairs with just about every device or platform (Zwift, Rouvy, etc.), and fits about every bike frame. It's also fairly quiet, especially compared to the more traditional fluid and magnetic brake trainers. By the time the warmer spring and summer months roll around, you will be hitting the road with more power. Shop Wahoo at Playtri.

#4 Swiftwick Socks - absolutely the best!

Get all these items and more at Playtri! Not sure what your athlete wants/needs? Gift cards are always available. Shop Now!

Coach Raina's Holiday Wish List

Bands make EVERYTHING better. From being able to warm up when race day is chaotic, to adding in more resistance training into your program, bands help us with prehab, rehab, and strength building. Something like the Finis Dryland Cord (at link below) is key to keeping the body loosened up before performing. You can also incorporate mini bands into your running dynamics! Find these on PlaytriStore.com: https://playtristore.com/products/finis-dryland-cord-medium-resistance-stretch-cord

Having trouble maintaining hand and arm form in the water? The Finis Agility Paddle can become a great friend! Small enough that it doesn't add a lot of pressure on the shoulder, these paddles help athletes understand how to properly position their hand in the water to increase the efficiency of their "catch", while also giving your training a little extra "oomph". Check them out here: https://playtristore.com/products/finis-agility-paddles

An absolute game changer to my run training, the Orange Mud Endurance Pack has mad anything from a 5k to a 50k comfortable and safe! My favorite feature? Running with a liter of water on my back with no movement in the pack, meaning no chafe! Wherever your feet take you, you don't have to worry about having enough water or nutrition with you. No more rerouting to find water fountains or a convenience store, the Endurance Pack has enough storage to comfortably bring phones, keys, extra water pouches, all your nutrition, and even has a safety whistle built in. I never go running without it! https://playtristore.com/products/orange-mud-gear-vest-2l

And because I love a little “surprise” in my stocking, I hope Santa hits me up with some awesome Goodr Sunglasses! They are priced just right and I would love to add to my collection.

Find all these items and more at PlaytriStore.com or visit our stores and get great advice from our sales team!

Coach Jim’s Holiday Wish List

The holidays are approaching and that means it is time to start thinking about treating that special triathlon-loving person in your life with some fun gifts. Here’s a few recommendations from the perspective of a coach.

•   Coaching — If you are looking to make improvements in your training and racing, a coach is the best triathlon related expense you can make. For over 20 years, Playtri Coaching has worked with new triathletes and those looking to qualify for National and World Championships.

•   Power Meter — Outside of a heart rate monitor, this is the best tool for learning how to properly train in specific zones and pace a race.

•   Body Glide and Chamois Creme — No athlete likes chafing and you don’t like to hear them talk about it. An excellent stocking stuffer.

•   Swiftwick Socks — A Triathlete and Coach favorite!

•   Smart Bike Trainer — For those long or fun rides when it is too dark or too cold out. These work great with third party apps like Zwift or Rouvy.

•   Gravel Bikes — During the pandemic we saw top end triathletes entering Gravel races to supplement their triathlon training. Gravel riding is a fun and challenging way to get your base miles in.

•   Playtri Race Pass — Triathletes love to race. Enough said.

•   Snorkel — a must have for triathletes/swimmers of all ages!

There you have it! I hope this list gives you a bit of inspiration for the holidays. Have a happy holiday season.

Transition Season: Tri Tips from Coach Jim

Unless you are racing some of the late season Ironman races (Cozumel, Indian Springs) or a late season marathon (Dallas), now is a good time to downshift a bit from training to reset yourself for the 2022 season. I’m not a big fan of the term “offseason” because, honestly, most endurance athletes cannot turn off their passion and enjoyment for their sport. “Transition season” provides a better term, and one I use regularly in conversation with athletes, because a transition season is about helping us shift our focus from this past “in-season” to the next “in-season.”

For most of the long distance athletes (Ironman athletes and marathoners) I work with, we start their transition season immediately after their last “A” (most important) race of the season and it can last anywhere between 2-8 weeks. Depending on the athlete, their transition season will include any or all of the following guidelines:

1. Be active, but don’t train. This portion of the transition season is all about recovering physically, mentally, and personally. This lasts between 1-2 weeks. Some of my athletes still swim, bike, or run, but others don’t. Instead of being an athlete that is training, be a person exercising to feel good. They do yoga, sleep in, go for walks, get massages, non-endurance sports, and reconnect with family and friends who have supported them this past season. The focus is on recovery. Do whatever will help you recover and be ready to start training again, but don’t overdo it.

1. Get a massage and/or see a PT. Address any nagging injuries with various tools (yoga, physical therapy, foam rolling, compression boots, massage guns, a professional massage, etc.) so that you can get into your next training blog as injury free as possible.
   

2. Start back slowly with purpose. After your 1-2 weeks of being active but not training, it is a good idea to start back slowly with purpose. Swim with an emphasis on improving your form instead of getting in the yardage. Bike with an emphasis on improving your bike handling skills and pedal stroke. Run with an emphasis on increasing your cadence and improving your form. This will help lay the groundwork for the next in-season.
   

3. Hit the weights. Let’s face it, most endurance athletes won’t win a bodybuilder competitions. However strength training helps improve power and efficiency. Spend a little less time swimming, biking, and running and more time strength training. 2-3 strength training sessions a week is a good goal for age group athletes. If you haven’t done strength training before, or it’s been a while, reach out to a coach or a personal trainer who has experience working with endurance athletes. And please don’t forget to continue strength training during the season. Only doing strength training during transition season is better than not at all, but you’ll see more improvements if you can continue it throughout the next in-season 1-2 times per week.
   

4. Practice mindful eating. It is not unheard of to actually gain a little bit of weight while training for long distance endurance events. And that’s okay. Your body needs the calories to support what it is doing. During the transition season, though, you want to be mindful of what you are eating and how it will effect your upcoming in-season goals. If you want to improve your body composition, then set the routines during the transition season to be successful.
   

5. Last but not least, have fun! Unless you are a professional who is paid for athletic performances, ultimately we amateurs do endurance sports because we enjoy them. Enter a low-stress, fun run or bike rally and enjoy moving your body.
   

Embrace the time away from in-season training and focus on recovering and strengthening your body and mind so that you can come back better and stronger next season.

Coach Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 3 and USAT Level 1 Coach. He coaches age group athletes of all ability levels from first time finishers to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Consistency is Key

We originally shared this article in 2018, but the message remains true today. Consistency IS key.

Coaches and athletes,

I wanted to take a moment of your day to highlight an athlete and topic that I am extremely passionate about.

The athlete is Amber Motsney - many of you know Amber already, and that she is a mom of three with a full-time job, and a husband (Mike) who also has a full-time job. In 2017, Amber completed the Galveston 70.3, and she told me 2018 would be her year to do Ironman (she had selected IMTX for her race due to travel logistics), and we began an individual coaching relationship in November, giving us six months to build to IM. I'll get back to Amber in a moment.

The topic is consistency. Consistency creates cumulative load, which is something I often talk about in reference to athletes. In my mind, there are essentially two types of load: short-term (load from a single workout) and cumulative (load built over weeks, months, years, etc.)

Athletes tend to enjoy focusing on the short-term load - that super hard, super long or super fast workout that they did that they're really proud of. It looks cool on social media and sounds cool when they tell their friends/training buddies about it. These workouts can be great, but only if they are a part of a larger process, meaning that the athlete can:

• Successfully complete the workout as planned (the one exception here is workouts at the end of key load workout chunks - 2 to 3 days - when athletes may struggle to get HR up)

• Successfully recover from it (i.e. not get injured or sick, and still able to successfully complete the rest of the workouts/load planned for that week/month)

Cumulative load, on the other hand, is what actually results in improved fitness. Cumulative load results from day in day out getting the workout done as planned (consistency) - this can (and usually should) include faster/harder sessions, but it also includes long/slow and short/easy sessions. There are a few key components to being successful in maintaining consistency and thus building an athlete's cumulative load, aka fitness:

• Workouts that fit the athlete's schedule (i.e. that will not be impossible to do due to work, family or other commitments)

• Workouts that push the athlete, but not beyond their current abilities (i.e. that will not be impossible to do because they are demanding something that athlete is incapable of)

• RECOVERY RECOVERY RECOVERY (the unsung hero of elite and high level age group athletes) - going to the chiropractor, getting massage, rolling with the foam roller/ball, eating and timing nutrient intake properly, hydrating properly, getting sufficient sleep (7+ hours/night), taking advantage of compression and cryo therapies, etc.

• Communication between Coach and athlete about how athlete is handling workouts, so adjustments can be made before the athlete digs a hole that results in one really great, hard workout (or one week, or one month of really great, had workouts), but prevents workouts for the foreseeable future, which are crucial to cumulative load built over time.

• A little luck - I won't lie, ideal training conditions require a little luck at times, but there is so much the athlete and the coach can do to control outcomes that this is not something I feel it is very useful to focus on, though we do have to acknowledge it.

So, getting back to Amber - Amber is one where we have really gotten to see the "magic" of cumulative load. She has been extremely consistent in communicating availability so realistic workouts can be assigned, and then doing the workouts she has committed to doing (or asking for substitutions if things go sideways the day of the workout). She has communicated when areas are unusually tight or sore, or when she is feeling fatigued so we could make minor (and sometimes major) adjustments that allowed us to still get the overall load we needed, without digging a hole (we once rescheduled a key workout weekend based solely on her feedback that likely would have derailed her training if she had tried to "push through"). She has taken advantage of compression boots, chiro and massage to keep her body mobile and activated following hard sessions. All of this has required a lot of discipline and focus from Amber, but the magic has been in the improvements we have seen over 5 months of training.

Amber is now one of the most fat efficient athletes I have ever coached. She will be able to replace every calorie of carbohydrate she burns off during the bike on race day by eating 1.5 gels an hour. We have almost zero concerns about bonking on the run.

• Her power in Training Pace (Zone 2-3) has likely gone up by 30-40 watts (unfortunately we did not have power when we started, but based on speed we were estimating she was around 100-120 in this zone, and she is now comfortably holding 140-160 in low TP (Zone 2).

• Amber was recovering from a long-term run injury when we started, which she has now not only overcome, but has really crushed as she is now running 3-5 hours a week at faster speeds than she had previously.

As we can see - this isn't actually "magic," but it feels pretty magical when everything is finally coming together!

Great work, Amber, and to everyone - consistency is king! Take care of your body, keep your focus, and stay the course!

Learn more about Playtri's various coaching options at: playtri.com/coachinghome/

VO2 Testing: Tri Tips from Coach Jim

Eliminating guesswork is one of the best ways to improve your racing as a triathlete. Race day can be an incredibly stressful day if you show up asking: how hard should I go? how much do I need to drink? how much do I need to eat? how much sodium do I need to consume? At yet, many triathletes show up on race day without a well-thought out plan. This is why Playtri offers so many different kinds of performance testing.

For our individually coached athletes, we require blood lactate testing so that we can determine your heart rate and power zones accurately. We offer advanced sweat testing so that athletes know how much sodium they need to consumer per hour during their training and racing. These two tests alone provide an excellent starting point for athletes. But if you have time-oriented or aggressive goals in short course and long course racing, then doing a Vo2 calorie expenditure test will help tremendously.

It is important to know that Vo2 calorie expenditure testing is not the same as a Vo2 max test. Vo2 calorie expenditure testing provides how many calories an athlete burns at various heart rates and how many of those calories burned are from fat and carbohydrates. Since all triathletes (even the skinniest ones out there) have enough fat stores to provide energy, we look primarily at the carbohydrate side of the results to help determine how many carbohydrates need to be eaten during the bike or run portion of the race and at what heart rate we cannot keep eating more. Here’s an example…

Meet Triathlete Todd. He’s an experienced triathlete who has recently started working with a Playtri Coach and he’s got some big goals that include qualifying for 70.3 worlds in the next year or so. He has experience racing all distances and he has consistently consumed approximately 250 calories per hour on the bike in his training and racing. However, he regularly fades on the run in any race longer than a Sprint. His heart rate zones are: Training Pace is 140-160 BPM, Race Pace is 160-175, and Hard is 175+.

After doing a Vo2 calorie expenditure test on the bike, he learns that he isn’t eating enough on the bike and that he needs to keep an eye on his heart rate so that it doesn’t go above 160 BPM. He learns that if his heart rate gets up to 165 bpm, then he starts to burn 500 carb calories per hour, while he burns close to 300-350 calories per hour in the 145-160 bpm range. Todd regularly fades on the run because he either pushes too hard on the bike and can’t replace all those carb calories OR he just isn’t eating enough. Armed with this knowledge, Todd and his coach can now make a race day plan that will help him race to his abilities.

So what’s the take away from this? Here are the bullet points:

• Make race day less stressful by having a well thought out plan that includes Nutrition & Hydration.

• Use all the available testing to eliminate guesswork.

• Vo2 calorie expenditure testing provides you a breakup of your calorie expenditure (fat & carbohydrates) at different heart rates.

Learn more and schedule a Vo2 test at www.playtri.com/testing.

Coach Jim is a USAT Level I Certified Coach, UESCA Certified Triathlon Coach and a Playtri Level 3 Coach. Learn more about Coach Jim and contact him at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Racing IRONMAN: Tips from the Playtri Coaches

Whether you’re racing IRONMAN for the first time, or it’s your first attempt at the 140.6, these tips will hold you in good stead.

Start figuring out nutrition and hydration at least 3-4 months in advance

This is a process that can take a lot of time and testing. Figuring out how much your body needs and the best way to get it in looks different for every athlete. Test, assess, adjust and test again!

Test on course nutrition products

If on course product is listed on the race website, get your hands on some and try it in training so you know what you can (and can’t) grab if your plan goes sideways.

Learn how to pump your tires and safety check your bike

Race day mechanics are not there to perform basic maintenance on your bike, so make sure you know how to air up your own tires and check that your bike is safe to ride on race morning. If something isn’t working as normal - then it’s time to ask for help.

Learn how to change a flat

There is always race support on the bike course, but depending on how many athletes have mechanical issues athletes may have to wait an hour or longer for assistance to arrive. Knowing how to quickly change a tube (and having the tools to do it) will lower your stress on race day.

Test drive all your gear, then test it again

Try everything before race day. No complaining if you use something new and it backfires!

Make a mental “map” of your race

Review the course and choose specific execution goals for each event based on your skill, fitness, goals and the demands of the course. Then choose a key word or phrase for each event to keep you focused on performing your best. Practice using these in training.

Make a pre-race itinerary

Map out the days leading up to your event to ensure you check all of your pre-race boxes, and reduce stress. Include times and locations for all planned activities.

Read the athlete guide

Really - there’s some important info in there. Race day schedule details, pre-race check in guidelines, rules, and lots more. IRONMAN events generally have 1000+ athletes participating, so there is very little leeway for adjustments/exceptions on race weekend - reading the athlete guide can help you avoid missing crucial deadlines, course information and rule updates.

Race day hydration and carb loading starts a week before the race

Start hydration intentionally and having a few more grams of carbs each day starting about 5-7 days prior to the race. Pre-race pasta dinners will only weigh you down, and hydration doesn’t happen in a day!

Bring extra goggles and anti-fog

Broken or foggy goggles on race day can create unnecessary stress and challenges. Bring at least two additional pairs (bonus points if they give you different options for tints, mirroring, etc.) and an anti-fog solution that you can apply if needed.

Don’t forget the sunscreen and glide

A guidelines that requires no additional explanation. You know what the consequences are.

Minimize time at expo

Athletes can easily spend hours wandering the expo on race weekend. Most race expos are outdoors, meaning athletes are on their feet in the sun during this time - not a great recipe for feeling fresh on race day. Try to combine necessary activities - packet pickup, pre-race meeting, bike check-in, etc. - to reduce total time out in the elements.

Bring your recovery tools and use them

If you love to use your foam roller/compression boots/massage gun/etc. before competitions or long training sessions - bring it! Work time into your pre-race itinerary for these activities.

Know your heart rate zones - trust them

Heart rate on race day can let you know if you’re making smart choices before your body lets you know more forcefully. Heart rate doesn’t lie - know your zones and stay where it’s sustainable.

Make conservative choices early, take risks at the end

Everyone feels good at the beginning of the race. Stick to the plan and take risks when you get closer to the end - it will pay off when you pass everyone who wasn’t as smart at the beginning!

The solution to every problem is to slow down

It’s tough but true. If you’ve exhausted every other possible solution, suck it up and pull back the pace until heart rate and feel recover.

Remember to smile - you paid to be here

If you’re not having any fun, you’re doing it wrong. Remember you paid for this long day, and enjoy pushing the limits of what your body is capable of - and perhaps discovering something new.

Questions? Reach out to one of our contributing coaches:

Jim Rowe - jim.rowe@playtri.com

Ryan Siebert - ryan.siebert@playtri.com

Callie Guenther - callie.guenther@playtri.com

Swim Strong at Your Next IRONMAN

Despite being the shortest of the three events in an IRONMAN race, the swim consistently seems to generate the most anxiety (and oftentimes frustration) for the vast majority of athletes.

The most common concerns we see are:

1.      I’m afraid that swimming in open water is unsafe

2.      I’m worried I won’t finish in the cutoff

3.      I can’t seem to get faster in open water

Today we’re going to break these down and talk about some practical changes you can make to have a stronger swim in your next IRONMAN race.

Fear of swimming in open water

Many athletes experience anxiety about swimming in open water. Sometimes it dissipates after the first couple of swims, and sometimes it persists for years. It’s important to acknowledge that open water, whether it’s a pond or an ocean, isn’t our normal environment as humans, so it’s normal for our brains to produce an adverse reaction intended to promote caution in response to perceived danger. Sometimes this reaction manifests as fear of encountering fish/alligators/sharks/etc., fear of running out of energy before the end of the swim, and at other times as a vaguer fear of the unknown. Either way, it’s important to acknowledge any fear or anxiety (versus try to ignore it – this virtually never works) so that you can take practical steps to combat it.

If you experience fear of swimming in open water, try following these steps:

1.      Pick races with calm waters and rolling swim starts. The old adage “train your weaknesses, race your strengths” is good guidance – find swims where you’ll deal with less surprises/people/obstacles/etc. until you begin to overcome your fears.

2.      Swim in open water as frequently as you reasonably can. Ignoring it until race day really isn’t the best plan – we promise. Deal with your fears in a low stress situation prior to dealing with them in a high stress situation (like on race day).

3.      When you first get in the water, do five “bobs” – slowly dunk under water and release your breath, then come up and take a quick breath to refill before going under and repeating. The rhythm of breathing can help calm your nervous system while you acclimate to the water. After your bobs do a very relaxed freestyle, breathing every 2-3 strokes, to continue acclimating to the conditions. Don’t rush these steps – spiking your adrenaline first thing upon entering the water will only exacerbate any anxiety.

4.      If you can’t warm up in the water prior to a race or workout, do a dryland warm up, then spend 45-60 seconds seated with eyes closed just focusing on slow, controlled breathing. Visualize yourself dealing with any obstacles you may encounter during the swim calmly and effectively. Then, if you need to, take the first 5 minutes of the swim a little easier in place of the warm up, until you find your rhythm.

5.      Finally, remember that race courses typically have a great deal of boat support on the course – if you need help, it is generally in close proximity. Remember that you can always give a wave for assistance, and you are even allowed to rest hanging onto a boat or kayak, and still complete the race as long as the boat isn’t assisting you in making forward progress.

Fear of missing the cutoff time

It’s common for newer/slower swimmers racing IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 distances to have concerns about making the swim cutoff times. These events generally have a cutoff time of 1 hour 10 minutes (70.3) or 2 hours 20 minutes (full) that is equivalent to swimming about 3:19/100y, depending on how well the course is measured (usually quite well).

First, some “real talk” for athletes with this concern. If you are currently swimming 3:00/100y or slower in the pool, you have real cause for concern, and this needs to be a priority for you if you want to be confident in your ability to finish on race day. Don’t panic, but DO find an experienced triathlon swim coach (use virtual options if that is all that is available to you!) and start working on it today. You might be surprised how quickly you can improve with some focused form work. Plan to swim at least twice a week, and focus 100% on form/technique – it’s ok to do your 2000y for the day as all 25’s if all of those 25’s are with great form. That’s how good muscle memory is formed – similar to runners who start out with short run/walk intervals. As you are able to maintain form, keep lengthening those intervals until you get to 500y, then you can do 500’s with rest in between as a your “endurance set” moving forward. Just don’t forget to always check back in on form by working with a coach, swimming with a swim snorkel, looking at video of yourself, doing drills, etc. FORM IS FAST!

If this concern stems from your pool speed not translating to the open water, then it is likely that you need to improve your sighting and body position. Practice forward sighting in your pool sets until it becomes more natural (make sure you keep your hips and legs high while sighting, and realign your head after each sight), then swim open water every chance you get and practice applying the skill! If you have other athletes to swim with, practice swimming next to another athlete and breathing towards him or her every stroke cycle – in this way you can allow another athlete to sight while you just focus on swimming well.

Struggling to improve speed in open water

There are two categories of athletes here – the first consists of athletes who can’t seem to improve their speed period, and the second are athletes who are improving in the pool, but can’t seem to translate that speed to open water.

For athletes in the first group (struggling to improve speed period) here are the things our coaches look for when we work with athletes wanting to get faster in the swim:

1.      First – is improving swim speed really the best use of our time for an IRONMAN race? This is always the first question we have to ask, because the time investment for improving the swim has a much lower ROI than for bike and run when we look at the bigger picture of the race. Make sure you won’t get better use of your time focusing on the bike or run.

2.      Body position – We want the head/shoulders/hips/heels to be consistently touching/breaking the surface throughout the swim, because this means that the body is presenting a smaller surface area that has to “break through” the water. When the legs start to sink, the frontal surface area of the swimmer increases dramatically, greatly increasing the propulsion needed from the arms to move forward. Legs and hips can be lifted both by increasing the kick, and by activating the core. Practice while using a swim snorkel first, then add in the breath as that is the portion of the stroke where body position most frequently suffers.

3.      Stroke – Athletes should always be pushing back against the water, not down. I encourage our athletes to envision a series of walls that they are swimming over, reaching out and planting their hand on the next wall in front of them with each stroke, then pulling themselves over the wall/pushing it back behind them. The elbow should stay level with or just below the shoulder (not dropping down) until the last possible moment during the stroke. If you are using proper form, you should feel activation in your lats (muscles over your shoulder blades that wrap down around your sides just below your arm pits).

4.      Training sets – as mentioned above, don’t do long intervals in training just to do long intervals. Do intervals that allow you to maintain great form, and then do them with increasingly less rest and/or increasingly lengthen them. As you get stronger you will need to do speed work (shorter/faster intervals), but beware – when many athletes think “fast” they lose their form entirely, and just work their arms and legs as quickly as possible. Often this results in significantly higher effort to go the same speed or only slightly faster – and in some cases slower! Remember that form is fast, and focus on putting more power behind your strokes with slightly higher turnover (rate of arm movement) to increase speed.

For athletes in the second group who have the speed they need for their goals when swimming in the pool, but can’t seem to translate it to open water speed, following are a few potential causes.

1.      You have open water or race anxiety, which impacts your ability to focus on good form/activation the same way that you do in training, and increases heart rate without increasing speed. In this case refer back to our first two common concerns.

2.      You have fantastic turns and streamlines in the pool – and there are no walls in open water. This is probably the least common cause for speed disparity in open water, but for athletes coming from a swimming background, it’s not unheard of. In competitive pool swimming turns and especially streamlines are a significant source of speed that can “hide” a weaker swim. To test your “true” open water speed, don’t streamline more than 8-10 feet per length (or swim in a long course pool!), and see how your times match up – if you see a significant decrease in speed, then it’s time to work on your stroke and fitness.

3.      Training sets – all of your pool work is steady/endurance-based. Open water rarely allows for consistent speed or effort. At the very least you are having sharp spikes in propulsion working to get up to speed after turning the buoy, and it’s likely that interruptions from other swimmers, chop and currents also make inconsistent effort a reality of your open water races. To help this challenge, work fast 25’s into your longer sets so that your body learns to recover from harder efforts while continuing to move forward at a steady speed.

4.      You can’t swim a straight line. There are no lines to follow in open water, so being able to maintain a reasonably straight course is crucial to race speed. We first learn to do this by forward sighting – lifting just the eyes (not the entire face) up out of the water briefly before rolling into the side breath (you can see a demonstration at https://www.playtri.com/aquatics-coach-tips). Most swimmers need to sight every 6-12 strokes (or every 3-6 stroke cycles) to maintain a straight line. Any time you are swimming alone in a race, you should be sure you are forward sighting consistently to avoid going off course. However, as we’ll discuss in #3, we hope you aren’t swimming alone…

5.      You see other swimmers as obstacles instead of resources. Smart open water swimming includes utilizing other swimmers to reduce the need for forward sighting, and to provide a draft in the water. You will not be able to execute this without practicing it extensively in advance. Try the following progression (over the course of multiple training sessions, for best results) with a partner – first, practice swimming side by side, breathing towards each other every stroke cycle to stay together. As you get more comfortable, have one person do all the forward sighting each interval while the other person just sights off of them at the breath, instead of sighting forward. Play with the drill by having the leader (person forward sighting) give a couple of fast “attacks” trying to drop the follower. Once you are comfortably following the other athlete, take turns “tucking in” to the leader’s draft – swimming with the follower’s head adjacent to the leader’s hip, with only about 12-18 inches separating them. Repeat the drills above, trying to stay on the hip without interrupting the leader’s stroke. Both of these tactics will seem inefficient and even constricting at first – once they are mastered, they will take your open water racing to another level.

Ultimately, open water swimming rewards athletes who are strong, confident and adaptable. Identify your weaknesses and put time in prior to your goal races to ensure you can enter the water confident in your ability to achieve the goal. If you aren’t experiencing the improvement you’d like, find an experienced triathlon swim coach who can help you be more intentional and efficient with the time you are putting in.

Morgan Hoffman is the Head Coach of Playtri, and a USAT Level II / Youth & Juniors Certified Coach. She currently coaches Team Playtri Elite, official USAT High Performance Team, and a number of individual athletes in distances ranging from Sprints to IRONMAN. Learn more about Coach Morgan at www.playtri.com/morgan.

Pacing: Tri Tips from Coach Jim

The general theme with pacing during a triathlon is Start Conservatively, Finish Strong. Triathletes cannot pace themselves the same way as they would in a masters swim meet, cycling time trial, or running race. Push too hard, too early and you end up paying for it later in the race. There are a variety of analogies that you can use to figure this out, but I tend to go with the box of matches approach.

In this box of matches you have 10 matches and your goal is to use all of them throughout the race. How you allocate them is up to you. However, you want to use them wisely. Burn too many matches during the swim and bike and you’ll not have enough left for the run. Burn too few matches during the swim and bike and you’ll have leftover matches at the end of the run. In a perfect race or training day you would either hold steady or gradually increase the intensity throughout.

This is why we pay particular attention to Heart Rate. Not only is it the most consistent, most accessible, and most cost effective tool for training and racing, it is also the best tool for measuring performance. Heart Rate is effected by heat, humidity, sleep, hydration, nutrition, etc. A run at 140 bpm has the same cardiovascular impact no matter what the pace.

To get a sense of what this means for training and racing, let’s look at a few examples. Triathlete Tammy has the following identical Heart Rate zones for the bike and run: Training Pace 130-149, Race Pace 150-164, Hard 165+.

As part of her training plan for an Olympic distance triathlon she has a 1 hour Training Pace Ride, followed by a 30 minute Training Pace Brick Run (9 run/1 walk). Today she is feeling particularly good, so she pushes the pace on the Bike and shoots to keep her HR in the 145-149 range. However, when she gets off the Bike she realizes that her hip flexors are a bit tight (whose aren’t, right?) and so she has a hard time staying in Training Pace on the run. Her HR creeps up to 155-160 by the end of her run, while her pace goes down from a 8:00 minute/mile at the beginning to an 8:30 at the end.

A few weeks later she has the same workout, this time however Tammy decides to hold her HR just a few beats lower on the bike at 140-145. At the end of the bike she feels just a bit fresher and notices that she is able to hold a 8:00 minute/mile for the whole run with her HR staying below 150 bpm.

Whether you are training or racing, HR is always a conversation partner in determining your pacing strategy because it shows us how hard or easy the work was. On the bike, HR monitoring can be used in conversation with a power meter to determine if you are making progress as an athlete. If Tammy starts the season pushing 200 Watts at 140 bpm and she ends the season pushing 220 Watts at 140 bpm, then she has improved Likewise for running, we can put HR in conversation with pace. If Tammy is running a 8:00 minute/mile at 150 bpm and then starts running a 7:45 minute/mile at the same bpm then she has improved.

And during the Olympic distance triathlon, Tammy and her coach develop this pacing strategy based on HR.

Swim: focus on form and holding a steady pace based on Rate of Perceived Exertion. Listen to your breath. If you are having a hard time breathing, then slow it down.

T1: Get what you need and get out. Don’t rush. Focus on being smooth through T1.

Bike: If HR is above 165, then soft pedal until you get your HR down to mid Training Pace (140 bpm). Build your HR throughout the bike until you get to 160 bpm. For the last 5 minutes, shift into an easier gear to get your HR down to 150 bpm and increase your pedaling to 90 rpm to freshen up your legs.

T2: same as T1.

Run: If HR is above 165, then walk until your HR is around 150. Focus on running with good form. Running tall with relaxed shoulders and quick feet. Build your HR throughout the run so that you finish the run with nothing left in the box of matches. Walk aid stations to get nutrition & water in and douse yourself with water whenever possible to help stay cool.

So what’s the take away from this? Here’s the bullet points:

In training and racing Start Conservatively and Finish Strong.HR monitoring is the best tool for training and racing. Heart Rate tells us more about how hard or easy a training session or race is compared to any other measurement tool. Power meters and tracking your minute/mile pace is nice, but it doesn’t mean much if we don’t know how your HR responds. Pacing with HR helps you understand the environmental factors that impact your training and racing.

Coach Jim is a Level 3 Playtri Coach and a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach. Learn more about his coaching options and contact him at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.

Time for a Family Bike Ride!

Family bike rides can be so much FUN if planned correctly. They can provide a healthy way for the family to exercise together. 

Key tips for a safe and fun family bike ride:

1.     Fun! Fun! Fun!

This is essential to making your family outing a successful one that the kids will want to do over and over again. Family bike rides should be a happy time for all. Learning better biking skills will come over time.

2.     Timing is Important

Make sure it’s a good time of the day for everyone to have fun.  Mornings work best for kids in general but choose a time when everyone is excited about going.

First rides are best if kept short and sweet making the outcome a positive one, you can increase the duration on the next ride!

3.     Check the weather forecast before you head out on your ride

·       Match clothing with the weather.

·       Include sunscreen and sun protective breathable clothing for summertime.

4.     Plan your route before riding

·       Find an easy terrain for the first ride that is a short, flat paved path or road. 

·       Makes sure the route is on a quiet road or cycle path this is safe and away from traffic.

·       As the family gets more familiar with riding together, you can map out destinations.

·       Plan for bathroom stops as your rides gets longer.

5.     Breaks are essential

·       If the kids are seeming to lag behind, complaining or seem to be hot, it’s time for a break. 

·       Snack and hydration breaks are necessary and can be a part of the fun!

·       Carry a water bottle on all bikes and/or carry a backpack with extra water bottles and snacks.

6.     Making the ride FUN

·       Allow the slowest rider to set the pace for the ride.

·       With younger kiddos - along the route, think about riding from point to point.  Such as riding from a big tree to the next big tree. Breaking up the ride into segments makes it fun and gives a feeling of accomplishment. 

·       Look up destination points before your ride. 

• “Let’s ride to see the ducks at the lake”

• Design a fun scavenger hunt within the ride.

·       Plan some brief off the bike activities to break up the time on the bike.

·       Involve the kids with the planning and let them take pictures of the family bike ride.  Make them feel like it is a team effort and that they have contributed.

7.     Positive reinforcement goes a long way

·       “You are doing great” or “I like the way you are riding so straight” 

·       A positive attitude will keep the kids feeling like they can complete the ride and encourages future rides.

Safety Guidelines for Cycling:

1.     Bikes should be in good working order

·       Check brakes and tire pressure before leaving on your bike ride. 

· Have problems or aren’t sure:  Bring your bike to your local Playtri Shop for service  playtri.com/locations

2.     A properly fitting helmet is very important

·       Helmets should fit snug and cover the forehead, sitting about 1” above the eyebrows.

3.     Be visible

·       Wear brightly colored clothing.  Reflective tape on bike, clothing & helmets can help.

4.     Be Heard

·       Bike bells are not only fun, but they can be used to alert other bicycles and people that you will be coming up and passing them.

5.     Obey the same traffic laws as other moving vehicles 

·       Signs and signals that apply to cars, also apply to bicycles.

·       Know the rules of the road, some include: Riding to the right side of the road or path that you are on, and always pass on the left.

·       It is best to get off your bikes and walk through a crosswalk to make sure you are visible to any cars.

·       In time, teach your children the proper hand signals that notify other vehicles that you are turning or coming to a stop.  Making a game out of who does the most proper hand signals can be fun.

6.     Always be observant while out riding

·       Teach children to always be looking up and forward.  Accidents happen when we are looking down or turning our heads to look at something.

·       Watch for parked cars that might be opening their car doors or backing out.

·       Be safe when crossing streets. Turn and look both ways to make sure there are no cars or other vehicles coming your way.  It can be difficult for vehicles to see bicyclists.  Making eye contact with the driver of a car is important to make sure they see you.

Enjoy and make exercise a family pursuit!

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Remember Playtri has everything you need to keep you fit and healthy. Stop by or shop online at Playtri.com.

Recommended Replacement ~ Bike Equipment

Training your body to stay in tip-top shape is only half the work!  Be sure your equipment is performing for you too.  

Here is a guide for how often you should update your cycling equipment to ensure safety and quality performance.

Meet James

Our in-house bike guru and race team member gives his recommendations on how often to replace your bike gear & equipment

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Bicycle Equipment replacement guide:

Cycling shorts - Once a season

Cycling helmet - Every 5 years (from date of manufacture)

Cycling gloves - Every 18 months

Cycling jersey - Every 18 months

Cycling eyewear - Every 2 years

Cycling socks - Once a season

Cycling shoes - Every 2-3 years

Bicycle parts replacement guide:

Cables and Housing - Once a season

Chain - Twice a season

Cassette - Once a season

Chain Rings - Every 2-3 years

Tires - Once to twice a season (depends on riding conditions)

Handlebar tape - Once a season

Shifter hoods - Every 2 years

Pedals - Every 3 years

Saddle - Every 1-3 years

Shifters - Every 3-5 years

Tubes - As needed

Carbon wheels - Every 3-4 years

Aluminum wheels - Every 3-4 years

 

Get the service you need at: playtri.com/service/
 

James Kennedy
Playtri Store Manager - Plano

Summer Nutrition

So... it’s hot... it’s really freaking hot!

Athletes come to me everyday in need of *at times totally bitching:) about the temps and then the real problem- they can’t seem to stomach much because it’s 90+ outside and nothing sits well. Here are a couple, no it is not the complete guide, but very easy items to grab at your local grocery. 

HYDRATION/ LIQUIDS-
 These simple guidelines will help your entire system absorb and utilize fuel more efficiently.
 1. Water- increase to 6-8oz every hour, outside of the workouts

2. NUUN or another form of calorie-free electrolyte drink/drops- 1x in the AM & 1x at PM

3. Incorporate Tart Cherry Juice - suggest 6-8oz daily, personally enjoy ‘cutting the acidity’ by adding at least 8oz of water = roughly 16oz fluid total

4. Bone Broth- 8oz daily

5. Turmeric, Ginger, Honey, Lemon Tea to reduce inflammation- 1tbsp each: turmeric, ginger, honey, & 1/4lemon in 3cups of boiling water, let it steep for 15’, strain and knock it back

FOOD/FUEL-
Selecting foods that are naturally rich in vitamins/ minerals are essential in feeling your best.

1. Include as many foods with high water content: watermelon, cucumber, tomato, celery, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli

2. Decrease processed foods to less than 400cal/day: breads, pastas, tortillas, sweets, and yes even your protein powders- we want our ‘machines’ running on pure and natural foods. “The closer to the ground, the better.”

3. Select foods that are naturally rich in vitamins/ minerals are essential in feeling your best:
   A. Potassium- Sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, avocado, bananas, kiwis, oranges, cantaloupe
   B. Magnesium- Spinach, seeds (squash/pumpkin), brown rice, almonds, dark chocolate, avocado, bananas
   C. Calcium- Collard greens, broccoli, kale, edamame, figs, oranges, salmon, sardines, white beans, okra, almonds

4. Lastly, grab some lean protein sources, such as- grass-fed beef, freshwater fish high in Omegas (salmon, tuna, sardines), free range chicken just to name a few.

Here’s to ‘stuffing’ our faces this summer!

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS - NEW RACE OPTIONS

Many of you got into triathlon because of boredom with the same ol' same ol' workouts, needing goals to hold you accountable to stay healthy, overuse/injury through simply running or a single sport focus and movement pattern...

But what's 'funny', is if you talk to those same people who had made that switch a few years/ decades back, you might hear once again, "I'm bored of simply s-b-r!"

I am gonna be straight with you, "BS- you simply are limiting yourself and not looking at every opportunity our race directors (locally, nationally, & internationally) are providing!"

Might sound a little harsh, but reality, you are missing out and might be getting lazy. OUCH.

So, what types of training and/or racing is available to you?

1- AQUA BIKES

We should all be begging for this race option. Swim to Bike racing gives us the opportunity to really push our limits without tearing down our bodies on the run. If you are injured and cannot or do not really want to run, the swim and bike focus still gives us a chance to keep our fitness up. Why aren't we asking for these from race directors considering that they are already providing the race day experience and timing? For those that really want to compete at a high level, there are National & World Championship opportunities for you to gun for. And these championships range from Sprint all the way to the Full Ironman distances!

2- DUATHLONS

Run-Bike-Run or Bike-Run-Bike racing is really taking off Locally, Nationally, & Internationally! If you want a break from swimming, have a year where you are short on time because of other obligations, this style of racing is an incredible option. Typically, the Sprint and Olympic (Intermediate) distances are available. Need to work on or enjoy the 'brick legs'- here you go! This one's for you!

3- RELAYS

I cannot say enough about these. Whether you are really wanting to work on a specific discipline of triathlon, want to encourage family or friends to jump into the experience with you, need to give your body/mind a rest from the whole tri enchilada ... grab 1-2 people and sign up! This racing variation is catching on... jump in & bring others into it!

4- SWIM/RUN OR (internationally called) OTILLO

Just as it sounds- swim to run racing. Don't have a bike or want to work on your swim/ run weaknesses. This one is catching on quickly, world wide. The events include all types of bodies of water, may even include some serious island hopping. Whether you are going solo or snagging some family / friends for a trip around the globe... Here's a fun event for you.

5- MOUNTAIN BIKE/ GRAVEL RACING/ TRAIL RUNNING/ XTERRA

Get out of your comfort zone and hit the trails where racing challenges are a bit more unexpected. Unlike road racing, roots, branches, rocks, bouldering... all the things in nature may demand a different kind of focus and skill. This style of racing and training really asks the body for strength and mental awareness to the 10th degree. And what is Xterra racing: S-B-R typically but might throw in some obstacles, paddling, and rock climbing for fun, out in the wilderness and off the concrete. Yes, these races do range in distance and are Locally, Nationally, & Internationally popular. Take a trip and trick up your racing schedule.

6- ULTRA SWIMMING / BIKING/ RUNNING

Ultra Swim, Bike, Running Races... & many more sport options are out there! These are more than likely smaller races, but the 'intimate experiences' set a tone of camaraderie and internal satisfaction. Distances may range from single to multiple day obstacles. There are really no limits to where these are held. "The world is your oyster."

7- ULTRAMAN TRIATHLONS
This is NEXT LEVEL! Having crewed for another athlete, let me tell you from experience, you rapidly learn the importance of team-work, consistency, & patience. You cannot and are not allowed to attempt this alone! There is a reason- the distances are typically VERY LONG- and are over a 2-3day experience. Not joking, I have done a lot of racing, but being a part of this was work both on the crew and the athlete. We are chatting about, for example, a 3day race totalling ~300-350miles of swim-bike-running.DAY 1: 6.2mile Open Water Swim + 92mile Bike DAY 2: 171mile Bike DAY 3: 52.4mile Run (yes, a double marathon!)... TOLD YOU, NEXT LEVEL! These races typically invite small groups from all over the world. So want a huge challenge and accomplishment- this is for YOU!
Reality, this is just a mere list of what is out there... My hope is that you continue to look for challenges... Expand your horizons! Not certain what is available to you and don't know where to look, hit me up: amari@playtri.com - together, let's see what is out there, for you!

Amari Holmes

#214-606-0936

amariholmes@gmail.com

Playtri Coach

The Official Triathlon Store of IRONMAN