Triathlon Training Notes

There’s a good post over on completerunning.com called Know Thyself. It says that it all starts with motivation, but how do you get the motivation? The blog answers it more from a standpoint of what’s standing in the way of your motivation. Knowing why you do things can help you understand the process. Enjoy!

There’s a good article on trifuel on peaking for a race. I disagree there is “much confusion” (in the first paragraph) but it is a good article on tapering and peaking for your race which you DO need to plan in advance.

Periodization is the science of peaking for any athletic event for any athlete. Periodization Training For Sports is the book I recommend - a terrific read and 2nd edition has information for triathlon.

Race season is starting, you’re getting “geared” up, maybe a little anxious or nervous, maybe a little excited. Perhaps you are WAY nervous and excited, especially if this is your first race, not knowing what to expect. Before I go on let me tell you to expect to have fun.

This an appropriate excerpt for this time of year as your body has adapted to training and your mind wonders about the race. It’s an excerpt from Timothy Noakes’, The Lore Of Running.” If you’ve ever read or browsed the book you know it is a THOROUGH book on everything running.

“Controlling Emotion
It is well documented in psychology texts that there are seven basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, love, fear, shame, and surprise. Other emotions are regarded as combinations of these basic seven. The emotions you feel in any situation and how you respond to them will depend Read more… »

Ever ridden at 5:00am on a cold morning? Ever wonder why? Ever feel way out-classed at the starting line? At some point I think every cyclist and triathlete has done both. This except from Bike Racing 101 (by Kendra Wenzel and Rene Wenzel reprinted with permission) will help you walk through and prepare for that inevitable feeling.

“You can make use of tactics successfully even in your first race if you use the building blocks of strategy we call the four Cs: course, competition, conditions, and confidence.

Just as every bit of preparation you do should focus on the goals you set up for yourself in chapter 3, the races you choose and the way you conduct yourself in those races must further those goals. Applying the four Cs to each race you enter will go a long way in ensuring that you move closer to your goals with each race. In chapters 15 through 18, we apply the four Cs to each type of road racing, pointing out the nuances of each race and the preparation, skills, and practice you need to be successful.

Course
The course is one of the most important factors in how you perform in a race. Knowledge of the hills or gravel sections is strategic information. Even choosing to do the race (or not) based on its terrain is a strategic decision in your race season. Relate your strengths and weaknesses to areas of the course. Does the course have hills, flats, or windy sections that favor your strengths? In which areas might you be vulnerable and have difficulty following stronger riders?

All riders should study course information ahead of the race, but many don’t bother. Knowing the course well can go a long way in improving tactics and Read more… »