Know your carbs

In endurance training, carbs are king. This is because they're the body's preferred source of fuel for quick energy.

But if you train for extended periods of time you'll need to refuel because there's not enough storage in the muscles for the long training. So if you go out for 90 minutes or more you'll need to do some refueling.

Finish your race strong by properly fueling

Here's a guideline:

• Consume 30-60grams per hour for exercise lasting 1.5 - 2.5 hours. Examples of this are large piece of fruit, a 20oz sports drink or 8.4oz energy drink.
  
• Consume up to 90grams per hour for exercise lasting more than 2.5 hours. Consider the fact that many of your training sessions may not be this long, but your race could be. Plan accordingly for race day.

You can refuel through liquids, solids or gels. Gels are designed to be taken with water, at least 12oz. Many people plan to take their gels at the water stations during their race. 

Remember that you're going to want to practice this during training and not wait until race day. Training the digestive system is part of your training plan and should be taken just as seriously as everything else. Inproper fueling will most definitely keep you from performing your best. Proper fueling, on the other hand, will ensure you're body is fueled and ready to do what you ask of it. Happy training!

Share the road

Last week I went for a short bike ride. I was out for a little less than an hour & in that short time here's what I experienced:

• I almost got hit by two cars. One pulled out from a parking spot without looking. Luckily I was paying attention & had just enough time to swerve. Also lucky that no cars were behind me & none were coming in the opposite direction because I would have either gotten squished or hit head on.

  

  Share the road

• A car decided he was going to pass me within inches instead of the lawful 4 feet. As he did another parked car door opened, leaving me with about 1 inch on each side. 
• I passed at least four runners going in the opposite direction they're supposed to go...AND with headphones on. Pedestrians are supposed to go against traffic, vehicles (including cyclists) go with traffic. Let's think about how stupid it is to go against traffic with headphones on, right next to the road. If you can't hear nor can you see what's coming, how can you expect to stay safe? Thus the whole going against traffic law. It's also scary for me because if you decide to step over while I'm passing you, this will cause someone to get hit. Either you will get hit by me or I will get hit by a car. Guess which I'm choosing.
• I passed two cyclists with headphones on. Do I need to explain this one? Please tell me I don't need to explain how dangerous this is!

All I'm asking is spend a moment to think. Be patient, just a little. Be aware. Think of the others on the road as if they were your children. Would you want someone to treat them this way? Share the road, even if you don't like it. It's the law. It's potentially life & death. Follow the rules - that goes for everyone - and things will be a LOT safer for us all.

Schedule workouts wisely during training season

Now that you're familiar with the eight key sessions you need to incorporate in triathlon training, let's talk about how to space out each discipline throughout your week.

Smart training will give you a big smile
on race day!

Ideally you don't want to go more than two days between each discipline (swim bike run). This may not always be possible but it's something to strive for and a template to use when you plan your weekly schedule.

When you're on your first year of training and doing only the key workouts, you may have more than a two day gab. For example, if you do an endurance swim on Sunday then your shorter faster swim on Wednesday (there's your two key swims), you'll have three days before another swim. You can either allow the gap or add in a mid distance or recovery workout on Friday.

Keep in mind that adding in an additional training session may not always be the best option. If you're real life schedule is already packed tight, this may lead to frustration, lack of sleep etc so take heed and monitor your training closely.

You also want to remember that you can add an additional training session to only the discipline you feel least comfortable with. For most people (especially beginners) that's going to be the swim. If swimming is a new skill, adding even a few minutes of practice drills can go a long way toward muscle memory.

Getting in the water often is a good idea for new triathletes

So take a look at your schedule right now & see if there's any workouts you can move to fit this template. 

Have questions? Leave them in the comments for coach Emily or email her at emily@ontrackfitness.net and let's get your triathlon training kicked up a notch! 

Eight key training sessions

Triathlon training should include eight key training sessions. These sessions take priority to all other workouts.

Include these key workouts each week:

• One endurance workouts for each discipline (swim, bike, run). These aerobic sessions are the foundation of your triathlon training.

What is the comfortable range you could do consistently right now for an endurance workout? You can start there.

• One speed sessions for each discipline. These faster paced, shorter sessions can be tracked with by heart rate (HR) plus pace & power output.

If you're a beginner, HR and or rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and should be included in training only after a base has been established. RPE is also important in advanced athletes.

• Two strength sessions. Yes, that's right! Strength training (aka resistance training) is a very important piece of your triathlon training. Any style is good other than circuit work. Be sure to include some balance training (example one legged squats), functional training and core work.

You'll be spending a lot of time in your endurance sessions in
Ironman  & 70.3 training to get you across the finish line

As you progress over the seasons and are ready to take training to the next level you can start at a higher volume, and add in some additional mid distance training sessions.

Need help with your training or ready to take it to the next level? We're here to help! Coach Emily is a certified triathlon coach & Ironman Certified Coach.

Conact Emily to get started.