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Training for a triathlon is hard work. Training for most any endurance event is.
However, to perform well you need to train with high intensity and quality, and sometimes it's difficult to keep the motivation up. Those early mornings - the sun isn't up yet and you're heading out to run, or driving to the pool. Or, worse yet, you're getting on the bike trainer.
Those are tough sessions to get up for. You're tired. The sun isn't yet up. You're by yourself......
Read moreIt's October, and for many the racing season is coming to a close. Coaches are starting to look at the off-season training of their athletes, and how best to ensure that everyone enters the upcoming season refreshed, and with the best preparation possible.
For many athletes, their primary question is: "What do I do during the off-season?"
The off-season is an overlooked, and undervalued, part of your training periodization. You’ve raced and trained hard all season. You can't train hard twelve months out of the year. You risk overtraining, burnout, and not getting the full recovery you need both mentally and physically to start the next season fresh.
This isn’t to say that you should take two months off. Take too much time off and you risk losing your base fitness, and thus starting your pre-season back at square one. Two to three weeks of downtime is great. You can rest, and reenergize yourself, without losing your base aerobic fitness. You should follow this period of time with two to three weeks of unstructured training provided by your coach. Then you can begin your pre-season refreshed, energized, and ready for more intensive training.
Read moreChoosing a coach for customized, one on one, programming to improve your training and racing is an important decision. Why should you choose Podium Training Systems? Podium Training Systems athletes have had some great results over the last couple of seasons, and we'd like to be a part of your future success. Have a look at what some of our athletes have said:
Through Podium Training, Dave has helped me go from training on my own as an existing AG elite to pushing new PR's across my swim bike and run. The training has been exactly what I needed: putting hard workouts where they need to be, adding a structured overall strategy towards an A race, and best of all, giving my training renewed enjoyment and personal reward.
Our TrainingPeaks relationship has been all the more successful when combined with the Podium Training tri-camp series. In addition to 1:1 coaching on form/mechanics/technique, we have a personal context to find new growth.Read more
Over the past month I've read about, discussed, or overheard, race reports of triathletes from one race or another. For some it was their "A" race. For others, it wasn't. But on multiple occasions I heard about how the swim got the better of them that day. And how the rest of their race was turned upside down due to the poor swim.
In two instances, the swim was changed to non-wetsuit. In one, the water was rough. In another, it was a combination of the two.
Having the swim leg of a triathlon changed to non-wetsuit shouldn't make the swim so difficult that your race is ruined. You should be training hard, and training smart, ensuring that your swim is solid. Rough water? Different story. But your swim should not be dependent upon the buoyancy of your wetsuit.
I'm all for training now and again in your wetsuit in the pool - especially if it's new and you want to get a feel for it. But it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. When is a good time to train in your wetsuit? During open water swim sessions. And even then, you should absolutely do some open water training sessions without a wetsuit just so you are comfortable in that situation. And those Lava Pants, or neoprene jammers? Don't bother. They're a crutch, and come race day when they do call for a non-wetsuit swim, you're at a disadvantage.
If you're not a strong swimmer, that's okay. Swimming is a tough discipline. But work on it. Train smarter. Have your stroke analyzed. Hire a coach if necessary. You're spending a lot of time, energy, and money, as you train and race throughout the year. Ensure that no matter what is thrown at you race day, you're prepared to adapt and come out of the water strong.
It was just over a week ago that we were in Connecticut for our summer training camp. What a great three days of training! We kept this camp small - purposely - to ensure that the athletes in attendance got the one on one attention they deserved, and everyone could get to know the other athletes.
Friday evening was our meet and greet, and education session. We covered swim mechanics, form, and technique for open water swimming. Sponsor / Partner products were handed out.
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