Tri Training Tips: Train for Multisport, not Individual Sports
USA Triathlon - USA Triathlon January 08, 2009
Tri Training Tips is a weekly web feature to help USAT members take their training to the next level. A new training tip will be posted every Thursday, so check this page weekly.
January 8, 2009
Train for multisport, not individual sports By Michael Harlow, USAT Level II Coach
Remember that you are preparing for the single sport of triathlon, not three individual sports. Thus, you need to prepare for triathlon like a triathlete, not a swimmer/cyclist/runner. This means including combination workouts in your training so that you can move from the swim to bike and bike to run efficiently. This also means that you will do less mileage and intensity for each individual sport than if you were training for just a single sport. Lastly, this means that you will practice transitions. A person can win the swim, bike, and run and still lose the race – it happens all the time. Transitions are the fourth sport – learn how to do them properly and reap the benefits on race day.
Michael Harlow is a USAT Level II Coach and the head coach of Endorphin Fitness. Visit Endorphin Fitness online at www.endorphinfitness.com.
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Comments
Comments RSSOn January 09, 2009 Don Hlavaty wrote
I have heard of some triatheletes using rubber bands on their bike shoes for the T1 transition, yet I have not found any information on the internet on how the rubberbands are used on the bike shoes?
On January 10, 2009 Bill Burnett wrote
Great advice, coach Harlow! I stumbled upon this after I got a Vasa erg swim bench at home, set it up next to my CompuTrainer and treadmill in the basement and voila, I could do all 3 in the comfort of my home. A surprising benefit of doing this, besides the obvious of using the swim bench and bike as power meters, was being able to very easily and conveniently do brick workouts without the hassles of doing it at the pool. I do at least 3 bricks a month and my T1 and T2 times have dropped a lot. Not to mention my swimming times have dropped dramatically too.
On January 12, 2009 Al Lyman wrote
I coach a fairly high number of athletes who own a Vasa Ergometer, and one of the most helpful benefits of having the "erg" in their training area indoors, next to their bike trainer or computrainer, is that I can have them practice frequent swim/bike "bricks". I believe that while most triathletes focus most often on the bike to run brick, the swim to bike brick is also one that will improve greatly with frequent practice. Being horizontal with most of the blood going to the upper extremities, and then changing quickly to lower body focus with cycling, is more difficult than most give it credit for. The "erg" is also very beneficial for various total body strengthening combined with swim and bike focus sessions, in a circuit training format. Those kinds of practice sessions/workouts, help the athlete to learn to use good relaxed form when fatigued, and to build overall and specific strength that helps that athlete resist fatigue. All good benefits! Thanks for your post Michael! Good tips! -Coach Al Lyman, CSCS
On January 12, 2009 USA Triathlon wrote
In response to Don's comment... It's a good tip. The rubber bands are used to keep the bike shoe level on the pedal, attaching to the loop of the bike shoe in back loosely to the pedal. -- USAT Sport Performance department
On February 05, 2009 Joseph Bachana wrote
Some of my favorite training in the freezing NYC winter months is 1x-3x per week Swim, bike, then run in the gym. Nothing too long, maybe 0.5-1m on swim, 10m bike, 2mile run, to keep things fluid. The challenge I've always had is how to work transitions (one of my weak areas in the sport) in the off season. Have not figured out how to do that given the configuration of most gyms in Manhattan...
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