Category: Triathlon Training

Articles that are of interest and benefit for people training for triathlons

Fartlek

Friday Fartlek Run – Goater’s Hill Sequence E

Running in hills develops leg strength as well as the strength of the tendons and ligaments around the knee and ankle. Developing leg strength is important, as it makes for a more powerful contraction of the leg muscles to propel you forward faster. Including hills regularly, particularly early in your build-up will see great dividends in the improvement of your running. This workout is great to include early in your build-up to develop leg strength.

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Brick

Monday Brick – MelRad Brick

A brick session is a great way to develop your body for the rigours of transitioning from one discipline to the next. This session is perfect for short course triathletes.

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Swim Session

Saturday Swim Session – Even More Drill

The greater your efficiency in the water, the faster you can swim for less effort. Including swimming drills in your training regularly will enhance your technique and form. It is great for master’s swimmers as well as open-water swimmers and triathletes.

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Fartlek

Friday Fartlek Run – Stryd’s Over the Limit E

Spending time running at a threshold is great for improving your ability to sustain a higher running pace and is of benefit to all runners. Although designed for use with a Stryd Power Meter this workout can also be effectively done without one.

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Brick Session

Monday Brick – Lance Watson’s Half Ironman Brick A

A common error for Ironman 70.3 athletes is to race at a higher intensity than what they have trained at. This workout addresses that in a race simulation type session that then leads into a race pace run.

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Smart-trainer

Sunday Smart-Trainer Session – Martin Gibala Intervals I

Doing repeated short bouts of exercise at very high intensity develops a number of physiological systems in the body. Predominantly it provides a great training stimulus for the neuromuscular system. Although not specific to endurance events, training the neuromuscular system can bring on your fitness very quickly and is still a massive benefit for endurance athletes especially early in the season or if you are unfit. This workout can be done by beginners or experienced cyclists alike because a max sprint is all about your level of effort and is likely to be different from another rider.

View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session – Martin Gibala Intervals I
Swim Session

Saturday Swim Session – Build Strength With Paddles and Pull Buoy

Building strength through increased resistance of tools such as hand paddles and/or pull buoys is essential for getting the most out of your swim stroke. However, it is important that it is not done to excess and it is done after a solid base-building phase of training to prepare you for the extra demands and training stimulus it gives you. This session is great for master’s swimmers as well as open-water swimmers and triathletes.

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Brick

Monday Brick: Jason Sklenar’s Time Crunched Brick Session C

A few years ago Jason Sklenar commented on a Facebook post of mine in an Ironman Training Group putting forward this simple and effective Brick session and variations of it. I wrote it down at the time and filed it away, pulling it out for a couple of my athletes. If you’ve got an hour to spare you can do this Brick session and reap some good aerobic benefits, as well as rehearse your transitions.

View More Monday Brick: Jason Sklenar’s Time Crunched Brick Session C
Smart-trainer

Sunday Smart-Trainer Session – Robin Tullett’s Pyramid Endurance Workout Four Reverse

For longer distance events such as an Ironman 70.3 (or even an Olympic distance triathlon) spending training time at both threshold and tempo intensity is beneficial, as it is likely that you’ll spend some portion of the cycle leg at these intensities (more time at tempo than threshold). This workout is a great test that gives you a great training stimulus. Don’t attempt this workout unless you are well-rested. Treat this as a race simulation, use your race bike, and practice your nutrition.

View More Sunday Smart-Trainer Session – Robin Tullett’s Pyramid Endurance Workout Four Reverse