2B Triathlon

In a well-rounded approach to fitness, triathletes are some of the fittest athletes around.

And YOU will be one of them!

What is the true definition of fitness? Most would say it is some combination of muscular strength, power, flexibility, speed, endurance, or a combination of each. To 2B, fitness is relative to whatever it is that you're training for. It is tailoring your training program to yield the specific desired Results. This is why a bodybuilder can be as fit as a marathoner--they are just fit in a different way.

It goes without saying that, in regards to a well-rounded approach to fitness, triathletes are some of the fittest athletes around. The cross-training of different muscle groups leads to very balanced muscle symmetry and function. And the bulk of triathletes drift into the sport with a running background, and swimming and cycling add a nice blend of non-impact aerobic activity to complement higher-impact running.

You can see the popularity of triathlon just by looking at the number of races that have popped up in the last few years. The growth of the sport is rivaling that of running and soon there will be a triathlon in every moderate-size city in the United States. People love the challenge and the variety that the sport affords.

With that being said, what makes triathlon great in regards to cross training and variety also makes it exceptionally difficult to train for. Actually, let me rephrase--it makes it exceptionally difficult to train WELL for. Consider the following factors:

• Frequency (how often)
  • Frequency is how many times per week you engage in a specific sport. Frequency is a key component to staying "sharp," and can be extremely beneficial for sports like swimming where you need to maintain a good feel for the water.
• Intensity (how hard)
  • Without a doubt, the factor that will make or break your program. Too hard and you risk overtraining. Too easy and you risk undertraining. Intensity is normally measured by a Heart Rate Monitor (if your coach is smart) because heart rate is your body's own internal speedometer (how fast you're going) and fuel gauge (whether you're burning fat or sugar). Secondary methods of gauging intensity are pace/speed, power, and RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion).
• Duration (how long)
  • An important factor, especially if you're racing a Half-Ironman or Ironman. You'll likely fade in the latter stage of races if you don't have enough long swims, rides, or runs built into your training program. Long durations of exercise teach your body to metabolize fat as a fuel source and withstand fatigue from continual exercise. It also helps with mental focus.
• Volume (how much)
  • The combination of frequency, intensity, and duration. Not many athletes can withstand greater than a 10% increase in overall training volume from week to week (especially not those that are new to the sport). In an undulating Periodization program, volume is going 2B highest in the "build" phase, which is usually weeks before a PEAK race.
• Order (exercise sequence)
  • When developing an exercise sequence, one exercise will always have an effect on the other. There is no way around this. Even if the first exercise is extremely easy, there will still be some residual fatigue for the second exercise. Therefore, exercise order has 2B taken into account when planning easy and hard training sessions.

   

So, now that you know the five main variables that must be taken into account in a triathlete's program--now take into consideration that a coach has to plan this for not only swimming, biking, and running, but likely strength training and possibly yoga as well. You're going to end up with a weekly table that looks something like this:

Therein lies the difficulty of triathlon--one factor cannot be looked at independently because it will undoubtedly have an effect on another factor. For example, if you're planning a hard Tuesday swim, is this going 2B the first workout of the day? What is the duration going 2B? What exercise will you be doing later that day (if any)? How frequently are you going 2B swimming that week? How is that hard swim going to affect your training volume for the week?

Yes, there is more to triathlon programming than meets the eye.

And this is why a 2B Coach goes through a specific six-step process (in a nutshell) when working with triathletes:

STEP 1: Plan a race schedule and identify PEAK races
STEP 2: Set goals for the season and for the PEAK races
STEP 3: Identify Limiters based on season goals and PEAK races selected
STEP 4: Determine the 2B Athlete's available training time (weekly)
STEP 5: Plan a program to most efficiently use training time
STEP 6: CELEBRATE when the 2B Athlete achieves their goals!

 

If you would like more information on 2B Tri Coaching, you can start by completing this short Triathlon Profile. It is the first step towards a PR and getting the most out of your training. You deserve RESULTS!

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