Training for a long distance Triathlon (half ironman to ironman) can be exhausting at times and requires a reasonable level of commitment to make the event an enjoyable experience. Looking back over years of racing and training, and also now coaching athletes who are training for multiple distances, I believe there are 3 main areas where you can hone your skills which will help you in your quest for success at your next event.

1. Time

Be realistic with how much time you have to train, and then base your goals off that. Consider all things outside of training (work, family, friends, regular commitments etc) that will impact your schedule and then be honest with yourself with how much you are able to train outside of that, including some time in there for recovery. Then set yourself a timeline (a coach can help you with this), and start training with purpose. You can do any distance you set your mind to – but always remember the best way to get fitter and stronger faster is to be consistent. A training schedule that is manageable with life balance will be your key to success and in remaining injury free.Nutrition

2. Nutrition

Learn to eat for better training and recovery. The best times to fuel your workouts are before, during, and immediately after. For workouts 1hr or less, if we have properly managed our glycogen reserve, we don’t need to consume many (if any) calories, but over that we need to start to pay attention. And, if we fuel ourselves correctly during the workout, we tend to eat less later which helps when trying to maintain a leaner body weight. Anywhere from 30-60g carb/hr is a good guideline for longer workouts (over 2hrs) in combination with your choice of electrolyte. I choose 1-2 XRCEL per hour plus water or electrolyte for longer sessions. Promote recovery after key sessions by eating a carbohydrate and protein mix as soon as possible. If you don’t have your next meal waiting for you soon after you finish your workout, have an XRCEL.  Because it’s made with glucose, it is super-efficient at replenishing depleted glycogen for faster recovery.

 Drink or snack within 15-30 mins of exercise, and then continue on with your nutrition plan. 

3. Training

Make your easy days EASY! Stringing together moderate/high intensity sessions without low intensity, aerobic, strength building days will only end in burnout, injury, fatigue and a performance plateau (which are all part of burnout) because you will never give your body and mind a rest in order to push to new limits. All of the best athletes follow the stress and rest principle. They alternate between cycles of stress and rest. Rest days don’t have to mean a complete day off. They can be easy training and active recovery, so long as whatever workout you do is EASY. Spinning on your bike, shuffle during your run and even walk the hills, use pull gear while swimming. Whatever you have to do to keep your heart rate as low as possible.

After almost 15 years of Triathlon training and racing I will be honest and say I still make mistakes in these areas, but being aware has definitely improved my overall health and longevity in the sport. Being smart while you are putting in the training day after day will result in a consistent training program and from that I guarantee you will see the results in your progress and racing performance.

Do you ever get stuck in a rut with swimming and that training feels monotonous and boring?  It doesn’t have to be like that!  I have been swimming since I was five, swam through college at Division I George Washington University, and I still don’t get bored.  The key is mixing up your swim sets and getting creative.  Keep things interesting by switching paces, adding drills, sprints, and kick.  Make things harder by doing a lot of repetitions and tight intervals. And, don’t forget to add in some recovery days.  Swim workouts with purpose and intent, not just to get in lots of yards.

Here are three swim sets to try.  Each has a purpose.

Workout #1: This is a race simulation.  It is a test set and should be a big challenge.  Get some friends together to motivate each other to do this one.  If you can nail this workout, you will gain the confidence and fitness to crush any triathlon swim. 
Warm-Up:
400 Free
300 Pull
200 Kick
100 drill swim
5×100 (50k/50s) :10 rest
8×25 (1 hard, 1ez)
Main Set:
20×100 on a very challenging interval (1:10 for yards is expert level, but if 2:00 is a challenge for you, then try that)
4×50 (25 backstroke/ 25 free) cool down
Try this set when you are in good shape and about 3 weeks out from a race.  You can also build up to this by doing rounds of 10 one week, then 15 the next, etc

Workout #2: 5k Friday. Every Friday my training partners and I gather for 5K Friday. This is usually my longest workout of the week and it is great to have company. Since we have various levels of swimmers we tend to make this a “strength swim” where intervals are less important and the focus is more on building strength through pulling and kicking.
    Warm Up:
    200 free – 50k 
    200 free – 50 back
    200 free – 50 k
    200 free – 50 back
    4×75 (25k no board/25 drill/25 swim)
    4×25 1/2 hard, 1/2 easy
    4×150 band only (this will be a challenge and requires good form and focus) Do these on 15 seconds rest.
    6×50 kick (descend 1-3, 4-6) on :60
    100 25 back/25 free x2 recovery
    5x 150 pull (no paddles) – these should be aerobic with an interval that gives you :5 seconds rest
    5×50 kick (1-3-5 hard, 2-4 easy) :60
    100 25ba/25 fr recovery
    6×150 pull +paddles – these should be slightly harder so make the interval 5 seconds faster than the last round of 150s
    4×50 kick (desc 1-3, hold 4) :60
    100 25ba/25 free recovery
    6×50 breathing pattern:
    2 rounds of: 
    1- 4 breaths per 50
    2 -3 breaths
    3- 2 breaths

Workout #3: Recovery Monday.  Most triathletes put in a lot of work over the weekend.  Usually long runs and long rides that fatigue the legs.  The point of this workout is to flush out the legs.
    500 free
    300 pull
    4×50 drill/swim
    8 x 100 (50k on back /50 swim) * with fins* – you can do these without fins, kicking on your back
    400 pull with paddles moderate
    8x 75 as (25 kick on left side/ 25 kick on right side/ 25 swim) 
    300 pull moderate
    8×25 (odds swim with over kick, evens swim easy)
    200 pull moderate
    100 easy cool down

Always make sure to fuel properly for these swims. For the race simulation – workout #1, I like to have a race type breakfast and then an XRCEL on my way to the pool. 

For the longer swims, I bring an XRCEL to the pool deck and take one after the warm up. I also keep an extra in my bag in case the swim goes long and I start to feel like I need extra fuel.

By Laurel Wassner- Pro Triathlete

It’s January and if you are like me, you are probably coming off a month of well-deserved holiday parties, chocolate eating and wine drinking.  A break from training when the weather gets colder is easy to do and it’s natural.  Your body needs the time to recover and to indulge.

But, how do you get the training cranking again?

1) Take your time.  There’s no real benefit to slamming the training in January, and there are only downsides, like getting injured.  Ease into it.  One or two sessions a day for the first couple weeks is enough.  Think about low intensity base miles.  Now is the time for that.  You want to set your training PRs closer to your races, not 4 months before a race.

2) Sign up for two races.  I tend only to really motivate to train hard if I have a race on the schedule.  I like to sign up for one early season – for example, a half marathon in March and one late season, Ironman Cozumel.  I may not be in top shape by March but that’s not the point.  I’ll be in great shape by the end of the year!

3) Set challenges.  Sometimes that race in March can seem so far away.  I like to set challenges for the week or for the month.  For example, my challenge this month is to do 100 push-ups and 200 sit ups every day (you can spread them throughout the day).  Also, I like to do the same long run every Sunday and gauge my improvements week by week.  

4) Get your general nutrition plan back on track.  Take the extra time on Sunday to do some meal prep for the week.  You don’t have to stick to it perfectly, but it helps to have a guideline.  I also have made switch from ice cream and chocolate for dessert to yogurt and fruit.  You can look for healthy recipes on athletefood.com to help get you started.

Also, it is really important to get your workout nutrition dialed in.  You don’t want to finish training starving, or bonk halfway through. I always have one XRCEL before a session and one an hour into the workout so I know I am staying on top of my energy levels.

5) Get social. It can be really hard to motivate cold, dark days. Make a plan with a training partner to force you out the door.  It may seem like a drag at first but I promise you’ll come home satisfied.

Now get off your computer and go for a run!!

Laurel