Triathlon

Is a weighted vest useful for middle distance triathletes?

Unlock Faster Times: Ditch the Weighted Vest!

Hi James, interesting question regarding a weighted vest for middle distance triathletes. I personally haven't used one and I believe there's probably better ways to get what one would consider the benefits out of a weighted vest. Better strength, better power. I'd try things like sled pushes or pulls, short duration to be able to build that type of power that I think would translate into faster times for a middle distance triathlete. Thanks.

Weighted vests may not be the best way to get stronger for middle distance triathletes. Try sled pushes/pulls for short duration to build power and speed.

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Regarding the usefulness of a weighted vest for middle distance triathletes, I find that there are likely more effective methods to achieve the desired benefits, such as improved strength and power. While I haven't personally used a weighted vest, I suggest exploring alternative exercises like sled pushes or pulls. These short-duration activities can help build the specific power needed to enhance performance and potentially lead to faster times for middle distance triathletes.

I'm doing strength training during my race season. How do I incorporate it into my week so I don't compromise my SBR workouts?

Maximizing Race Season Performance: Balancing Strength and SBR Workouts

I'll answer this question simply at first and then go into a little more detail. I like to do my strength training on my hardest training days. And I do that so that the recovery days are truly recovery. But I think the question you have to ask yourself first is, is my strength a strength or is it a weakness? Meaning am I strong enough already? If you think that you need more strength work, either one, because you're getting injured often or two, you are falling apart at the end of the triathlon overall or at the end of the bike, end of the run, because of your inability to hold your posture, then I would tend to do more strength work and prioritize that for a period of time even over my swim, bike, run workouts. And that to me would look like three to possibly four days a week, 30 to 40 minutes each time with specific work dedicated to whatever that problem area of yours might be. So if it's holding posture, that would come down to a lot of core work. If you're having a problem producing power, that could be specific targeted muscles. But in general, if you feel like you're well-rounded enough in strength, then do those on your hardest days and keep recovery days as recovery.

If you need to work on strength then prioritize it for a period of time over swim, bike, run workouts. Otherwise, do strength training on your hardest training days and keep recovery days as recovery.

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To incorporate strength training into your race season without compromising your swim, bike, run (SBR) workouts, here's a simple approach: schedule your strength training on your hardest training days. This allows your recovery days to truly focus on recovery. However, before diving into the details, ask yourself if strength is a strength or weakness for you. If you feel that you need more strength work due to frequent injuries or struggling to maintain posture towards the end of races, prioritize strength training for a period of time over SBR workouts. This could involve dedicating 3 to 4 days a week, with each session lasting 30 to 40 minutes, targeting specific problem areas. For example, if posture is an issue, focus on core work; if power production is a concern, target specific muscle groups. On the other hand, if you already feel well-rounded in terms of strength, incorporate strength training into your hardest training days while keeping recovery days solely focused on recovery.

How does training for an off-road triathlon differ from training for a regular triathlon?

Mastering the Art of Off-Road Triathlon Training

Training for an off-road triathlon takes much more focused work above threshold. And not only work above threshold, but repeatability of work above threshold. With the nature of the courses being a lot of up and downs, sharp spikes in heart rate or power, there's just no way to do that evenly throughout the entire race like you would in a normal road triathlon. So I would focus on those one to three minute efforts with half to equal recovery, where you're really thinking about how many times can I repeat this effort and be able to recover in between. Also there's going to be a large component of specific skill in off-road triathlon for off-road bike, mountain biking skill in particular, but also trail running is considerably different than running on the road. So focus on those skills as well.

Training for an off-road triathlon requires focused work above threshold with repeatability of those efforts. Also, there will be a large component of specific skills such as mountain biking and trail running that need to be practiced.

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Training for an off-road triathlon requires more focused work above threshold and a focus on repeatability. The nature of off-road courses, with their ups and downs and sharp spikes in heart rate or power, makes it impossible to maintain an even effort throughout the entire race like in a regular triathlon. It is essential to prioritize one to three-minute efforts with adequate recovery intervals. The goal is to determine how many times you can repeat these efforts and still recover effectively in between. Additionally, off-road triathlons require specific skills, especially in mountain biking and trail running. These skills should be given considerable attention during training.

In your opinion, should an athlete focus on strengths or weaknesses?

Triathlete Reveals Secret to Success: Overcoming Weaknesses

I like to focus on my weaknesses. I think that this makes an overall much more pleasurable experience as a triathlete if you're well-rounded and you feel like you're competitive in all three different disciplines. There's also a sense of accomplishment when you overcome something. For me, I was not a good swimmer at all when I got into triathlon and I really focused on it and I became quite a good swimmer. And same thing for the run. For some reason, the bike came naturally to me. The swim and the run I had to work a lot harder at and I got a great sense of accomplishment with that. I do also think that it makes you faster in the long run to focus on your weaknesses. If you look at the absolute best of the best in triathlon these days, they have no weaknesses and I think they got there because they focused on those. They're very well-rounded athletes that are great swimmers, bikers, and runners.

Focusing on my weaknesses has made me a more well-rounded and competitive triathlete, and I believe that it is the key to becoming one of the best.

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In my opinion, focusing on weaknesses is important for an athlete. It creates a more enjoyable experience as a well-rounded triathlete and enhances competitiveness in all three disciplines. Overcoming weaknesses brings a sense of accomplishment. Personally, I wasn't a strong swimmer when I started triathlon, but by focusing on it, I became proficient. The same happened with running. The bike came naturally to me, but I had to work harder on swimming and running, which gave me a great sense of achievement. Additionally, addressing weaknesses can lead to faster progress in the long run. If we look at the top triathletes today, they have no weaknesses because they dedicated their efforts to improving in all areas. They are exceptional swimmers, bikers, and runners, embodying well-rounded athleticism.

Do you remember when you fell in love with running?

Reflecting on the Moments that Ignite a Love for Running

This is such a great question because it made me think about why I love running. And while I don't remember specifically when I fell in love with running, I do remember specific runs. I remember running with my dog, Scamper, when I was in elementary school, taking her for a mile run every day. I remember great training runs with teammates in college and afterwards on our triathlon team. I remember the first run that I ever took with my wife before we were even engaged. And that is really what makes running so special, is that you can connect them to these, you can connect those runs to amazing times in your life. And I think sometimes we actually have to stop while we're on our run and enjoy that process and be grateful for what it means to you and what it adds to your life. So thanks for getting me thinking about that.

I love running because it can be connected to amazing times in my life, like running with my dog as a kid, training with teammates in college, and running with my wife. It helps me stop and appreciate the moments.

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I can't recall the exact moment when I fell in love with running, but reflecting on why I love it brings back memories of specific runs. One that stands out is running with my elementary school dog, Scamper, for a mile every day. I also have fond memories of training runs with teammates during college and on our triathlon team. Another memorable run was the first one I took with my wife before we were engaged. These experiences make running so special because they are connected to significant moments in life. It's important to pause during runs and appreciate the process, being grateful for what it means and the value it adds to my life. Thank you for prompting me to reflect on this aspect of running.

What’s your average mile pace for the cycling portion of a triathlon?

Strategies for Achieving a Fast Mile Pace in Triathlons

This answer would vary greatly depending on the race that I'm doing. So obviously if you're doing an XTERRA off-road triathlon, an Olympic distance, or an Olympic ITU versus a half Ironman or an Ironman. So I'll focus on half Ironman just because that's the next race that I have signed up for. And back in the day when I was training a lot and I was 10 to 15 years younger, I'd look to ride something in roughly the 25 mile per hour range. For my event coming up later this year at 70.3 Indian Wells, relatively flat course, I'm going to be shooting for something in the low 23. So 23 to 23 and a quarter mile per hour in order to meet my overall goal time for that race.

My goal for a half Ironman is to ride at a speed of 23-23.25 miles per hour.

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My average mile pace for the cycling portion of a triathlon would vary depending on the specific race. For example, the pace would be different for an XTERRA off-road triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon, or a half Ironman. Let's focus on the half Ironman distance since that's the next race I have signed up for. In the past, when I was training extensively and younger, I aimed for around 25 miles per hour. However, for my upcoming race at 70.3 Indian Wells, which has a relatively flat course, I am targeting a pace between 23 and 23.25 miles per hour to achieve my overall goal time for that specific race.

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