{"id":13077,"date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=13077"},"modified":"2022-04-19T15:08:37","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T13:08:37","slug":"race-season-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/2022\/04\/14\/race-season-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"Race-season advice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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BREAK THROUGH YOUR BARRIERS<\/h1>\n\n


The race season\u2019s on the horizon but you\u2019re stuck in a performance rut. Thankfully, our quartet of experts are here to help you out of it and to push you to the next level\u2026<\/p>\n\n

Words <\/strong>James Witts Illustration<\/strong> Daniel Seex<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Your New Year\u2019s resolutions seem a world away and the motivation that was coursing through your veins during an alcohol-free January has begun to dry up. You\u2019ve hit a multisport plateau and progress is glacial if not static. Do not worry \u2013 this performance and motivational malaise is common. Thankfully, there are simple solutions to morph regression into progression.<\/p>\n\n

Here, we pin down four common \u2018plateau\u2019 scenarios and show you how to overcome them. These are aimed at relative newcomers to seasoned longcourse athletes and the full spectrum in-between. That said, if the scenarios don\u2019t resonate with your own plateau, fear not: there\u2019ll be takeaways that are relevant and can be applied to your own performance. Right, over to our four world-class coaches to help you smash through your barriers\u2026<\/p>\n\n

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SWIMMING STAGNATION<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

COACH <\/strong>DAN BULLOCK, SWIM FOR TRI<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m from a run background and, when I started swimming, simply swimming lengths twice a week improved my time. But now I\u2019ve plateaued. Help!\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

There are several key areas to focus on here. First, swim more than you are. Two swims is plateau territory; three to four will help massively.<\/p>\n\n

Next, have a plan. Swimming laps is better than not swimming but, ultimately, you\u2019re just practising swimming laps. Speed, endurance, fitness and technique should feature at the appropriate times. Mobility practised on dry land might also be needed to speed things along.<\/p>\n\n

You then need to decide how much quicker you want to be. It\u2019s possible that some swim improvements might come at the expense of your running. The highly mobile ankles of a \u2018pure swimmer\u2019 usually leaves them quite ungainly on the run. Your run fitness arguably might lead to frustration; I\u2019ve helped several elite runners become pro Ironman athletes but often heard, \u2018Why aren\u2019t I faster if I can run a sub-2:45hr marathon?!\u2019 Often, bike improvements come quickly, compounding the issue.<\/p>\n\n

RUN-SPECIFIC ISSUES<\/h4>\n\n

Some of the key physical issues I\u2019ve helped many runners deal with include: ankle flexibility (add fins to help mobilise); bent knee when kicking (try the glute kick drill \u2013 sessioninabottle.com\/<\/a> swim-videos); and big scissors kick (feel the big toes lightly brushing against each other to a fast rhythm to prevent the legs straying so far apart).<\/p>\n\n

Simple tricks like swimming more and having a plan will quickly see you break out of a swim-speed plateau<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

An inability to relax, leading to tension, breathing issues and heavy muscular legs, also feature. More technique work will address all of these. I often hear swim coaches shouting \u2018relax\u2019 to swimmers in the water but, until your technique improves, this is hard. Technique leads to a more controlled stroke when you breathe. Too often, poor technique dictates when you breathe, so relaxing is hard until you achieve a certain swim ability.<\/p>\n\n

ADRESS YOUR LEG KICK<\/h4>\n\n

A simple test I employ to convince swimmers that it\u2019s worth pursuing technical work is to gauge if you\u2019re faster swimming with a pull buoy between the thighs than without. If you can pull faster than you can swim, you might break through your current plateau by addressing your leg kick. Runners often struggle with the small leg kick movements needed for an efficient swim, but a strong two-way bend at the knee rather than a straighter movement from the hips will keep you swimming uphill.<\/p>\n\n

Tight ankles could also be contributing to drag as you swim with toes pointing to the bottom of the pool. But again, this can be beaten with drills and commitment.<\/p>\n\n

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THE IRON WALL<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

COACH <\/strong>CELIA BOOTHMAN, LTR COACHING<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI have a number of long-course finisher\u2019s medals to my name but am failing to improve. Please relight my Ironman fire!\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

Firstly, congratulations on your finishes. <\/strong>And rest assured it\u2019s quite common for athletes to hit a wall. Thankfully, there are a few things you can look into\u2026<\/p>\n\n

Have a look at your results position in each discipline. <\/strong>Do you consistently drop places in the swim, bike or run? Focus on that area. If it\u2019s swimming, it could be that a few video-analysis sessions would make a difference. If it\u2019s bike or run, then including some speed and strength work would improve your efficiency.<\/p>\n\n

Reflect on your goals, making them as specific and measurable as you can. <\/strong>It could be increasing your FTP (functional threshold power) on the bike by 10 watts by the end of June, running a sub-1:50hr half marathon by the middle of May or swimming 2km in under 36mins by the start of July. You could set a goal for each or just for the discipline that you need to improve in the most. Improving each sport by 1% adds up to a lot of time over an Ironman.<\/p>\n\n

Prepare for the counterintuitive. <\/strong>In other words, while you need to include volume to complete a long-course event, you need to work at higher intensities, too, especially if you\u2019ve hit a plateau. There\u2019s plenty of evidence to show that working at a higher intensity improves endurance, plus efficiency. If you always train at the same intensity, you\u2019re missing out on valuable benefits to your training.<\/p>\n\n

Strength training\u2019s another area to work on. <\/strong>But it\u2019s something<\/p>\n\n

that even experienced longcourse finishers avoid, which is a shame as numerous studies show improved performance when athletes supplement their training with strength sessions. Your movement patterns improve, which leads to greater efficiency and power output.<\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re training the same way all-year round then you\u2019ll inevitably hit a plateau. <\/strong>Training should progress and you should have scheduled downtime. If you don\u2019t have a season break, then mentally and physically it can be very draining. Just as the seasons change, your training focus should change throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n

Have you become stale in the structure of your season? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Could you try some different types of events to complement your goals? You could include a swimrun event, time trial, run event or shorter-distance triathlons\/duathlons. You might learn something from doing these events that\u2019ll help you to progress in long course.<\/p>\n\n

Nutrition is key. Is there anything you can do to improve your nutrition, both in and out of training?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

What you eat supports your recovery and ability to perform. You should make sure you go into sessions properly fuelled, fuel well during longer\/intense sessions, and fuel after to promote muscle protein synthesis. Practise your race-day nutrition because this can have a huge impact on your race-day performance.<\/p>\n\n

Have you had a bike fit? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Improving your position on the bike offers the most aero gains, so getting a professional bike fit is one of the best investments you can make to improve both comfort and speed. If you don\u2019t use aerobars or a TT bike, then this is also worth looking into. A complete aero set-up also means a streamlined tri-suit, switching from a road helmet to an aero helmet, and bagging yourself a pair of aero wheels.<\/p>\n\n

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\n

QUICKFIRE MOTIVATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

FIVE WAYS TO BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 <\/strong>It\u2019s common to endure a mid-season rut as that\u2019s often when your goal race will be. So pencil in a late-season effort or two to keep you motivated until autumn beckons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 <\/strong>It\u2019s natural to ride and run the same routes, but while this is good for measuring progress it\u2019s the green light to boredom. Mix it up and even head off-road to keep the synapses stimulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 <\/strong>You can\u2019t beat a warm-weather training camp to revive your flagging ambitions. If a week away in Lanzarote is beyond your budget, no worries: simply organise a UK-based DIY weekend with your mates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 <\/strong>Hitting the metaphorical wall\u2019s often down to lack of rest, so take a recovery week every fourth week, focus on good-quality sleep, and make sure you\u2019re consuming sufficient protein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 <\/strong>Lack of oomph is common during a session, especially a long bike, so try self-talk. Verbalising or internalising positive statements like \u2018I\u2019m feeling strong\u2019 are proven to give you a hormonal and, subsequently, performance lift.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

TRAINING TROUBLES<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

COACH <\/strong>KATE OFFORD, SMILING TRI COACH<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m relatively new to tri, but if I miss a few sessions, I get demotivated, which leads to more missed sessions\u2026 Help!\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

1) Join a club<\/h4>\n\n

Joining a club may seem like a big step but it\u2019s worth taking as coached sessions make you accountable. Plus, seeing the same people each week will ensure that training becomes part of your routine. If joining a club\u2019s a step too far right now, find yourself a training buddy. Knowing that someone else will be waiting at your 6am swim or your 8pm run is a great motivator for helping you out of the door.<\/p>\n\n

2) Be realistic about what you can achieve<\/h4>\n\n

Be honest about how much time you have to train. If you take a standard week and then remove the times you\u2019re sleeping, working, commuting, spending time with family and friends\u2026 you\u2019ll realise you have less time to train than you think. You should also factor in a recovery day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

And be realistic with when you can train. If you know you\u2019re not a morning person, for example, don\u2019t expect that you\u2019ll be able to spring out of bed every day at 5am. Play to your strengths and schedule training at the times when you\u2019re most receptive. Set yourself up to succeed, not to fail!<\/p>\n\n

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BOOST FOR BEGINNERS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

SIMPLE, PROVEN WAYS TO ELEVATE YOUR PERFORMANCE\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 <\/strong>Tap into the knowledge of experienced triathletes to leap off your plateau. They\u2019ve been there, got the medal and managed their own multisport fluctuations. In person, over the phone or by Zoom \u2013 the interaction options are limitless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 <\/strong>Watch iconic races. There are myriad online options to view heroic efforts in Hawaii and memorable Olympic events. Seeing fellow humans dig deep and reach their goals \u2013 ideally with a heart-tugging soundtrack and narration \u2013 can only boost motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 <\/span> <\/sup><\/strong>Indoor training is a must, and we door training is mean all-year round. Leaping onto a turbo trainer or a treadmill and following a structured workout is a time-efficient way to progress and is harder to miss than heading outdoors all the time. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

3) Enter an event to keep you motivated<\/h4>\n\n

If your race goal is quite far away, consider entering interim events to keep you focused. Sign up for that early-season duathlon to test out your legs and sign up to a shorter triathlon to practise transitions or fuelling. Racing regularly will keep you fired up and also help you manage your nerves when the big race day comes along.<\/p>\n\n

4) Banish the tech<\/h4>\n\n

While technology and data have become a huge part of triathlon performance, constantly measuring yourself can cause a dip in mojo for some. So don\u2019t be afraid to train without your watch or Garmin occasionally, so that you can enjoy the session for what it is without beating yourself up about pacing, heart rate or power. Getting to know how your body feels is also an important part of growing as a triathlete.<\/p>\n\n

5) Promise yourself a treat<\/h4>\n\n

Plan in some achievable milestones and promise yourself a treat if you achieve them. It might be a new training swimsuit or new bike toys. Or a day off with the family, or even a big piece of cake!<\/p>\n\n

6) Slow down to speed up<\/h4>\n\n

Many struggle with training motivation because they\u2019re training too hard or they train too much too quickly. Research suggests that most athletes will see great progress with at least 80% of their training being at a low intensity. This lowintensity training builds the engine (your cardiovascular system) without putting too much strain on the body, so you don\u2019t build too much fatigue and are ready to train again the next day. If in doubt, slow down a bit, enjoy each session and be ready to train again tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n

7) Don\u2019t feel guilty<\/h4>\n\n

Juggling a busy life alongside triathlon training will always mean that some sessions will be missed. And that\u2019s okay. Triathlon training\u2019s about consistency and not \u2018hero weeks\u2019, so achieving 80% of your sessions over a period of a year is a much more efficient way to train than banking a couple of hero weeks and then falling off the wagon. So, next time life gets in the way, don\u2019t worry about it. Just move onto the next session without a backwards glance. And don\u2019t forget to smile!<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

COMPLETER TO COMPETITOR<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

\u201cI train around 5-7hrs a week for Olympic-distance but it can be a little ad-hoc and with little semblance to a progressive, periodised plan. Advice please!\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

COACH <\/strong>JOE FRIEL, JOE FRIEL TRAINING<\/p>\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n

Spread out your training time as: swim 20%, bike 50% and run 30%. <\/strong>If you\u2019re very strong in one sport and very weak in another, then shift the load slightly from the strong one to enjoy more time in the weaker sport. Train once daily.<\/p>\n\n

Work out six days per week with one day off. <\/strong>Make two of those days \u2018hard\u2019, meaning six to seven out of 10 on the rate of perceived exertion scale. A longish interval is an example. The other four days should be easy and your longest workouts. Separate the easy days by two to three days.<\/p>\n\n

On the two hard days in the last eight weeks before your race, do \u2018brick\u2019 (bike-to-run) workouts. <\/strong>Once weekly warm up for 20mins and then do a hard (six to seven effort) 20mins on the bike followed by an easy run for 15mins. On the other hard day, do an easy 1hr ride followed by a 15min run at race effort.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

To make the move from \u2018completer\u2019 to \u2018competer\u2019, considering, planning and following your sessions is key<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Specificity is key to maximise your training time. <\/strong>One of the most explicit examples of this is on the bike. Too many triathletes train on their road bike but race on their time-trial (TT) bike. That\u2019s a mistake \u2013 if you want to race well on a TT bike, you need to train on it regularly. Different muscles are used in an extreme aero position than upon a road bike, even on the drops. Weekly muscularendurance intervals on the TT bike are perfect.<\/p>\n\n

Recovery workouts are essential to progress. <\/strong>So take it easy. That means you\u2019re better off recovering on a bike or in the pool, for example, than doing an easy run. If you\u2019re going to develop an overuse injury, it\u2019ll most likely be on the run. I want highperforming triathletes I coach to run a minimum three times a week, but one of those might be to improve technique or a short run off a key bike ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Thankfully, our quartet of experts are here to help you out of it and to push you to the next level\u2026 Words James Witts Illustration Daniel Seex Your New Year\u2019s resolutions seem a world away and the motivation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":13526,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"29","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"29","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_29-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_29-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"May-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"May-2022","purple_external_id":"May-2022-29-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"May-2022-29-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000083689||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000083689||","purple_android_product":"com.im.220mag.403","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.220mag.403","purple_ios_product":"com.im.220mag.403","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.220mag.403","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"69718c89-6ce1-4a00-8e50-78dba8209b85","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-04-14T12:33:09Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"51b6d8ac-36ff-4681-a369-19e65dc9315c","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-04-19T13:08:45Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AUbbYrDb_RoGjaRnmXckxXA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[24],"tags":[67,63],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"12","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/04\/Hero_feature2-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"BREAK THROUGH YOUR BARRIERS The race season\u2019s on the horizon but you\u2019re stuck in a performance rut. 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