 Studying pictures is a great way to improve your own form. Find someone who does it well and compare your own photos or video. They don’t have to be triathlon specific.
What does Michael Phelps or Inge De Bruijn do that you don’t? Or, what COULD you do that Michael Phelps does?
What does Norman Stadler look like on the bike?
What do Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebreselassie have in common?
Try to mimic their good points in your own form. Imagining yourself doing what they do, and emulating the (mental and physical) strengths of champions in your training can really help you improve. Pick one aspect of their form and try to copy it. Once you get that down, pick another. Beyond being in shape and mentally ready for race day, keeping good mechanics by copying the best performers in your sport will enhance your ability to meet your goals and expectations.
 When going for your long rides it’s a good idea to limit your sugary drink intake ’til after the first hour. Staying with water for that period, or longer, will help teach your body to burn stored fuel in place of going directly to the readily available sugars. This also helps simulate the first hour or so of your Ironman – in the water with no access to your glucose drink.
GasX is an Ironman race saver. Take one before the race starts, have another couple at your disposal on the bike, and force some down on the run. Keeping your digestion moving is a big part of having a successful race day experience. A bloated belly is a sure fire way to make you not want to consume needed calories, and the alkaline calcium phospahte contained within can help your electrolyte balance. It’s best not to wait until the problem starts. Pop a few of these throughout the day – they even have dissolvable strips for that minty fresh breath. I would stick with the chewables, however, they seem to work faster.
 Swimming fast is all about technique so drills should be incorporated into all workouts, even if just in your warm up or cool down. A good drill for those of us with imperfect catches is to swim with clenched fists. By decreasing the surface area of your hand you become much more aware of where you lose water during the catch. A common problem is to drop the elbow, especially on the arm opposite the breathing side, to prop yourself up. It may help you get a breath but it is a great way to lose forward momentum and slow yourself down. Clenched fists will force you to use your forearms to pull, and you have to keep your elbows high to do this. The trick is to still rotate your body and keep your length. You will likely feel slow and awkward and crappy doing this drill for the first few times and this can make you want to rush thru it. DON’T. Focus on your form and don’t cheat by opening your hand tiger-crane style! Try adding this steady set, with drill incorporated, next time you are in the pool: 800m steady with 25m 7/8 catch-up on the 2nd 25 of each 100m, fist swim on the 3rd 25m of each 100 and a gradual build on the 4th 25 m. Re-adjusting your muscle memory can be tricky but a strong catch is key to going fast.
 Okay, we’ve all heard this before, but it is good to be reminded. Dark green leafy vegetables, calorie for calorie, are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. They are an excellent source of several minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium as well as vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. In addition, leafy greens provide a number of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin and also contain small amounts of good fatty acids. They are also high in protein (there was a reason Popeye ate spinach!) they taste yummy and go with pretty much everything. Light steaming can make some of the nutrients more bio-available but raw is okay too. Variety is important so if you find that you only ever eat spinach or romaine lettuce, get adventurous in the produce section next time you go shopping. Try using elephant (aka big) kale as the wrap part of a wrap, steam some swiss chard and top with a bit of balsamic vinegar, pick dandelion leaves from your (pesticide free!) backyard and sauté them with garlic, red pepper, salt and top with a little cider vinegar. Dark leafy greens are excellent additions to smoothies, blended soups and even homemade humus. A healthy diet containing lots of green leafies will really help you recover and build your body up for more Ironman triathlon training!
 Pumping up your tires is an important part of a training ride or race. The appropriate pressure will limit flats and give you a comfortable ride.
Don’t dwell on higher PSI, it’s not always better. If your tire is too hard it won’t absorb the little bumps inherent in most paved roads. Small bumps send micro vibrations up your bike frame, wasting forward momentum into the vertical vibrations. It’s a small amount of forward moving energy that is wasted, but over 180 kilometers you can bet it will add up. Time aside, your body will thank you with the slightly decreased pressure and reduced vibrations. You can, however, go too low. Not enough air pressure in your tires leaves you open to pinch flats and a higher rolling resistance.
So, no matter what type of tire you’re running, max out the pressure at 125 PSI and don’t go lower than 100 PSI. That’s the perfect range for speed and comfort – keeping in mind that going to 160 PSI does not equal less rolling resistance nor a faster bike.
Continue reading Tire Pressure
 Here’s a good indoor bike trainer workout for those winter months, or even during the racing season when you just need something different. Getting on to the trainer is the best way to keep your legs going through the year. Even if you can make it outside most of the time, rarely do we make the outdoor ride as productive as an indoor session. Time being equal, indoor will more than likely be more beneficial.
First, get your Heart Rate Monitor on and know your aerobic HR limit. You can get a very good approximation using the Maffetone formula. We put this up in an earlier post but there are many indepth methods for getting your precise number.
The actual workout is about 1.5hrs. It consists of a short warm up, then 4 x 15 minute efforts with a 5 minute rest interval. You’ll have to play with wattages and effort levels based on your ability and current fitness. Ideally, if wattage isn’t an option, you should hook up an old speedometer or some sort of cadence meter. You need something to keep track of effort aside from just Perceived Effort. Pick a wattage that will bring your heart rate just below your Aerobic limit over the course of 15 minutes. On your first couple tries you may overshoot or undershoot the mark, but adjust accordingly for future intervals. If you get close to overshooting you will want to adjust the effort during the interval. Do not go over you aerobic HR limit for this workout, you’re trying to keep a consistent HR cap so you can have an accurate comparison point for a later in the year. After 15 minutes take a 5 min spin break (keep riding, but easily), then do another 15 minutes at the same wattage, speed, or cadence. If you’re using speed or cadence on a trainer you also have to take note of the gear you were using. If it’s a 53 x 18 and 90 RPM – make it the same on the second interval and for future sessions.
Continue reading Computrainer or Mag-trainer example workout
 I’m sure that most of us have used the spit trick to de-fog our swim goggles, but if you want a less bacteria laden, and loger lasting result there are alternatives. Scuba divers may be familiar with products such as Sea Drops, which are commercial anti-fogs that you can find at pretty much any dive shop. They work really well, but warn against use on swim goggles b/c of concentration levels and the close proximity to your eyeballs. Though one little bottle lasts forever, they are a bit expensive and can be a pain to get a hold of (esp. for time sensitive triathletes who don’t do special trips to town). Sea drops are essentially glorified soap, and simple, cheap, dish soap or Johnson’s baby shampoo work just as well. Put a couple of small drops on the inner lens of the goggle spread evenly with your finger and rinse WELL (especially if you opt for the dish soap). Avoid touching the lenses with your fingers after rinsing and keep them well sealed. You will have nice clear vision for your swim.
Continue reading Foggy Goggles?
 Saving time in transition can make a big difference to your overall day, but not if comes with the cost of discomfort later in the run. Elastic quick tie laces can help you get your shoes on very quickly. However, in order for the elastic laces to feel ‘normal’, there is a tendency to overtighten. This can lead to sore feet which become unbearable over the Ironman marathon. You may have been able to push through the discomfort on shorter races, or never even noticed during your long training runs, but feet are often more swollen on race day. At the other end of the spectrum, undertightening can lead to blisters, sloppy feet, and breakdown of form (especially after a few soakings at aid stations). A good alternative is to use the spring loaded plastic pincher thingy (technical term) on regular laces. The trick is to have your laces loose enough so you can slide your foot in easily. It is a little bit slower in transition because you have to pull the laces tight, but you don’t have to actually tie them, and you get your nice familiar feeling of snugness and comfort. 30 second lost in transition pales in comparison to minutes lost from sore feet on the run.
 Sometimes, the hardest part of a workout is getting out the door in the first place. Once that step is overcome it almost always goes better than expected. One trick if you are feeling particularly un-motivated is to simply get your kit on. Just commit to pulling on those run tights, suiting up in your bike shorts and leg warmers, pulling out your favourite visor. The simple act of getting dressed for your activity can prime you up just enough to get out the door. Besides, you feel like a goof sitting around in your run kit, and since you have it on… It works well for those super early morning swims too (you know, those ones where the gravitational pull of the warm bed, and perhaps your still sleeping partner is enormous!). Put your swim suit on right when you first get up. It makes it much harder to crawl back in bed. In the winter, when both before and after work training all seem to happen in the dark, the “I can’t find my lights” excuse can be powerful procrastination. Put reflective gear, bike lights, head lamp for running etc. in a bin by the door so you have no excuses!
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About this site:
These triathlon and endurance sport related tips have been compiled by Heather and Trevor Wurtele over the years of their progression from working age-groupers to full time professional triathletes. Heather is now a 4 time Ironman Champion and top 10 World Championship finisher. Trevor has an Ironman PR of 8:22 and a 2:51 Ironman marathon.
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Studying pictures is a great way to improve your own form. Find someone who does it well and compare your own photos or video. They don’t have to be triathlon specific.
Michael Phelps does?
