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Swim Progression Tip to Break Through a Plateau

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Swim

March 13, 2023

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Swim Progression Tip to Break Through a Plateau

LoveDo you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your swim training – neither going faster or slower despite attempts to improve your fitness and technique?

During her first pregnancy, former professional triathlete and champion swimmer Jodie Swallow-Cunnama took to swimming in the leisure lane rather than with her competitive swim squad. From there, she observed how age-groupers normally train for swimming.

She said, “One of the major things of swimming in public lanes I’ve seen is that people tend to just swim. It surprised me quite a lot because as a junior swimmer I swam with a squad. We were constantly changing pace in our sets: we have a set time where you work and swim hard or easy, and you rest after. You recover and then push off again.

Pace changes, recovery, and time at the wall helps stimulate and keep you entertained while swimming several kilometres a day, but it also helps progress. Cunnama says, “People tend to not rest when they swim on their own. They just swim up and down for a continuous period, they don’t vary their pace… They begin fairly well but they only maintain that pace for three or four lengths, and then the pace drops and the technique goes.”

She suggests structuring sessions when swimming on your own, even if not with a squad. “You just need to go faster and rest a bit longer. My guidelines would be probably 15 seconds rest on the hundreds – say, if you swim a 1:50 for 100 to go off at 2:05 base. Try to begin with six 100s, then move that up to two sets of six 100s and end up with three sets of six 100s.”

In the end, the only way to get faster is to swim faster. Cunnama recommends, “My biggest tip to someone who’s a 1:40 pace swimmer to move up to that masters swim pace of 1:30 so you can join in with masters is that you need to practice that higher pace. It’s higher than you would do in a race and just stimulates that threshold that you’re always trying to target in aerobic training.”

(Featured photo by Brian Matangelo on Unsplash.)

Published

March 13, 2023

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Masher vs. Spinner: What Cadence is Best for Triathlon?

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Triathlon

January 10, 2023

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Masher vs. Spinner: What Cadence is Best for Triathlon?

LoveDo you know what your optimal triathlon cadence is? It’s highly individual due to your sport background, genetic blend of muscle fibres, and physical conditioning. Training with the appropriate cadence for your needs will help you benefit the most from your cycling sessions, and finding your racing cadence will help you run more efficiently off the bike.

What Is Cadence?

Cadence is the number of revolutions your pedals make per minute. You can measure it manually by counting how many times one leg pushes down within 10 seconds and multiplying that by 6. Of course the easiest way to do this is to use a cadence sensor on your bike.

Cycling at a lower cadence requires more muscular strength, while using a higher cadence shifts the load onto your cardiovascular system. It’s kind of like the difference in feel of going up a flight of stairs versus running across your yard.

People with a more muscular build tend to be more comfortable “mashing” at a lower cadence, while those with a more slight build like to “spin” at higher cadences. Also, those who have little to no cycling background tend to ride at lower cadences, while those who have been cycling competitively before going into triathlon gravitate toward higher cadences.

But both cadence types have a use in training as well as racing.

Low Cadence

Going below 90 RPM is considered low cadence. Generally, using a bigger/heavier gear when cycling slows your cadence because you need to put out more power to push those pedals. This results in greater load on your skeletal muscles. Pedaling an excessively heavy gear can lead to muscle fatigue, which is bad news if you’ve still got to run after getting off the bike. However, riding at a lower cadence keeps your heart rate low and helps you avoid “burning matches”. This allows you to burn fat for fuel so you don’t bonk, which is useful in long distance triathlon.

High Cadence

Pedaling with a RPM of 90 or more puts you in high cadence territory. Using higher cadence uses momentum to keep the pedals turning, taking the load off your muscles. It’s also easier to accelerate to respond to surges when you’re riding in a group (which isn’t really useful in non-drafting triathlon, but great if you’re in a pack in a fondo or cycling race).

However, riding at high cadence drives your heart rate up and puts the load onto your cardiovascular system and you end up going through your glycogen stores faster.

Which Cadence

Training at different cadences helps you develop both cardiovascular as well as muscular strength, which is why our cycling training sessions here at Pho3nix Club employ a range of cadences depending on the goals of each session. Also important regardless of cadence is training a fluid pedal stroke, applying even pressure all throughout.

To find your racing cadence, it’s all about experimentation. Using a heart rate monitor and/or power meter to correlate cadence to effort will come in handy so you can dial it in on race day. Running off the bike after riding at different cadences will help you find that sweet spot where you are able to ride at a good pace and still have energy left for a good run afterwards.

(Featured photo by Coen van de Broek on Unsplash.)

Published

January 10, 2023

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Shocking Triathlon Moments of 2022

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Triathlon

December 15, 2022

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Shocking Triathlon Moments of 2022

LoveThis year in triathlon has been a much needed renaissance after the past few years, with the return of Ironman world championships and full-fledged championship series from Super League Triathlon and World Triathlon.

As 2022 winds down, it’s time to take a look at what we here think were the year’s huge moments in the sport, bad or good.

Marten Van Riel’s Ironman 70.3 World Record

Kristian Blummenfelt owned the previous Ironman 70.3 world record, setting it twice on the super-speedy Ironman 70.3 Bahrain course. So when Marten Van Riel went 3:26:06 at Ironman 70.3 Dubai, it initially looked like he was 45 seconds too slow to break it.

But considering the Bahrain bike course was a few kilometres short the year Blu set his record, Ironman went on to declare Van Riel’s time a new “world best.”

Laura Philipp Nearly Breaks Chrissie Wellington’s World Record

After battling COVID-19 which forced her withdrawal from the Ironman World Championship in St. George, Laura Philipp lined up to defend her title at the Ironman European Championship in Hamburg. You’d think some of the wind in her sails would have gone, but the German came out of the water in the lead pack, took off on the bike to build a four-minute advantage, then ran a 2:45:39 marathon to win the race and nearly break Chrissie Wellington’s world record by a scant seven seconds.

Sub7 and Sub8, Twice

When the Pho3nix Sub7 and Sub8 Project, Powered by Zwift was first announced in 2021, there were many who declared the attempt impossible. Could a man go under seven hours over the full distance of triathlon? Could a woman go under eight hours? The standing full distance record for men at the time was more than half an hour off that target; for women, it was 18 minutes off.

But in the interim between the announcement and the actual race day in June 2022, the men’s record fell twice (Jan Frodeno’s Tri Battle Royale and Kristian Blummenfelt’s Ironman Cozumel) and the women’s record was nearly broken on the same weekend of Sub. It was as if athletes around the world realised impossible could be defied.

That happened not once, but twice as both male and both female athletes went under their respective targets. In a spectacle watched by more than 7 million people worldwide over live streaming as well as cable and OTT channels, Kristian Blummenfelt and Joe Skipper went under seven hours, while Kat Matthews and Nicola Spirig went under eight hours. Helped along by a fast course as well as pacemaker teams on swim, bike, and run, the athletes knew they weren’t world record-eligible but did it because they believed it was a worthy goal to accomplish.

Ironman World Championship St. George

This makes our list not just because of the commanding performances by Kristian Blummenfelt and Daniela Ryf to win the world title, but also because it was only the second time in history that two Ironman world championship races were held in the same calendar year – and the first time the race was held outside of Hawaii.

Flora Duffy Wins Historic Fourth World Title

Flora Duffy has already established herself as a force to contend with: Olympic and twice Commonwealth gold as well as three-time World Triathlon champion, equalling Emma Snowsill’s record. But winning a fourth world title has put her in a league of her own.

The win was also a nailbiter: Georgia Taylor-Brown led the points race for most of the year until Duffy won her home race in Bermuda and came level with the Brit. It was all to play for in Abu Dhabi, and she delivered.

Leo Bergere the Unexpected World Champion

Before the World Triathlon Championship Series Grand Final in Abu Dhabi, the talk was about the rivalry between Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde and which one would become world champion. Third in the rankings, Leo Bergere had only one shot at winning the title: he had to win the race, and Wilde and Yee had to finish lower than third place. Yet somehow, that very thing happened.

Thrills and Spills at Super League Triathlon

The supersprint racing that Super League Triathlon has become famous for has made it the gold standard in triathlon entertainment, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat. It’s also been the birthing ground where new world beaters have been fostered, such as this year’s SLT championship series winner Hayden Wilde, as well as Matt Hauser who spoiled Wilde’s chances at a world title by overtaking him in Abu Dhabi.

That doesn’t mean SLT doesn’t make gaffes. This year’s series saw uncharacteristic officiating errors, the most headline-worthy of which was a penalty mistakenly handed out to Hauser for a false start at SLT London. (The real offender was Jamie Riddle, Hauser’s teammate on the SLT Eagles and apparently a dead ringer for him in the Eagles uniform.) Hauser served the penalty and still finished second on the day.

Hayden Wilde’s Commonwealth Games Penalty

Getting off the bike with only the run to go, Hayden Wilde was leading the sprint triathlon race in Birmingham. Then he touched his helmet clip and was penalised by an official who alleged he had unclipped his helmet before racking his bike.

The 10 seconds he stood in the penalty box late on the run allowed Alex Yee to overtake him and win gold by 13 seconds.

Hayden and Tri New Zealand appealed the penalty, but World Triathlon overruled it on the grounds that absent the evidence of the penalty being imposed in “bad faith”, they would defer to the judgment of the officials and the decision that was made on the “field of play”.

World Triathlon has since approved new rules for 2023 that include a prohibition on touching the helmet clip before the bike is racked, and amending the ways an athlete can accept or appeal a penalty.

Record-Breaking Kona

If Ironman Hawaii is supposedly on another level in terms of how tough it is as a race, how come the top 5 men this year all broke the Kona course record of 7:51:13 set by Jan Frodeno in 2019?

The answer is that the athletes have all taken it up several notches, with Gustav Iden edging out the competition to win and add this wreath to his two Ironman 70.3 gold medals. While racing in prototype shoes like he did will be illegal in 2023 due to new World Triathlon rules, we reckon he could have done it even without the new tech.

Chelsea Sodaro stole the show and became the first American to win the Ironman world title in 25 years. It was also the first time the pro women had their own race day, and it showed in the tighter race dynamics that made for smaller gaps in the bike groups – and better opportunity for Sodaro to pull back a three-minute deficit and then some with a blistering run, stopping the clock 12 minutes ahead of Lucy Charles-Barclay.

Blu and Knibb Supreme at Ironman 70.3 World Championship

This year the Ironman 70.3 world championship took place after the Ironman world championship in Kona, allowing athletes to race both at full tilt (instead of skipping one in favor of the other). Only three weeks after placing third in Kona, Kristian Blummenfelt seemed to be avenging himself by winning the 70.3 world title. While Big Blu took the lead on the bike and seemed on his way to a sure victory, Ben Kanute made it a race by turning the marathon into a run duel. The Norwegian put on the afterburners in the final few kilometres to secure the win.

Taylor Knibb made good on her long-course potential first seen last year at this same race, when she finished third. Tagging onto uber-swimmer Lucy Charles-Barclay’s feet to prevent a breakaway, Knibb then put her bike prowess on display to lead back into transition by more than six minutes. She continued to lead on the run and kept this margin through to the finish line, despite best efforts for her competitors to claw back time.

Ironman Announces Split World Championship for 2023

The two-race day format in Kona this year was a big hit for the athletes, and Ironman earlier announced they were on track to do the same again next year. Then rumours started to spread that Kona’s local community had pushed back – but it still came as a shock when Ironman announced that male athletes who had qualified for the 2023 Ironman World Championship could either choose to race in 2023 in a location to be announced, or defer to race in 2024 at Kona. The women’s race would still push through on the Big Island.

Will a world championship held outside Kona still be considered as prestigious? How about Kona-qualified triathlon couples who will now have to spend double for travel? What do male athletes do about the non-refundable bookings they’ve already made? How could Ironman do this? The debates rage on.

(Featured photo credit: Dani Vasquez/Sub7Sub8)

Published

December 15, 2022

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Essential Strength Exercises for Cyclists

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Bike

December 14, 2022

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Essential Strength Exercises for Cyclists

Cycling requires a lot of endurance and leg strength to power through long distances and steep ascents. While some coaches prefer to have you do your strength work on the bike riding hills and heavy gear intervals, you can also build strength effectively off the bike. Here are some of the best strength exercises that will benefit any rider and make you stronger on the bike.

Lunges

Lunges are great for building leg strength. Every rep uses one leg at a time targeting your hips, quads and hamstrings, which are the muscles primarily used when you pedal and accelerate on the bike.

Lunges can be done in any place with sufficient space. You can also add weights to challenge yourself further, but your body weight works just as fine and is recommended for beginners.

Technique tip: engage your core, go slow, and make sure your front knee stays in line with your ankle and doesn’t go forward over your toes.

Squats

Squats target all of the major muscle groups needed to ride a bike like your hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Squats are great to enhance your maximum strength and maximum endurance. Doing this exercise regularly also increases your range of movement and flexibility. This exercise can be done with any type of weights like dumbbells, barbells or kettlebells. If there’s no equipment available, bodyweight will do just fine.

Technique tip: keep your knees pointing forward and don’t let them turn inward as you come down and up.

Single-Leg Deadlifts

Deadlifts target most of the major muscle groups in your body, engaging your core and posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings). Doing them one leg at a time forces the leg to support the weight independently, approximating what we do in cycling and also helping correct muscle imbalance.

Technique tip: Get the hang of the balance needed first before adding weights. Bend the standing knee slightly, keep your back straight as you lower your chest, and focus on contracting the glute to come back to standing.

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings train power endurance (the ability to move explosively over and over again) in your quads, hips, glutes, and hamstrings. When done with proper technique, the kettlebell exercise is a very effective way to improve your endurance and power in your pedal stroke. They also help open up hip flexors, which tend to shorten when sitting or cycling for long periods of time.

Technique tip: keep your arms straight and passive. Move from your hips instead of your shoulders and arms. The explosiveness of your leg and hip movement should make the kettlebell swing forward.

Standing Overhead Press

While it may look as if the upper body doesn’t do much when you’re cycling, it is actually involved along with your core in helping keep you in proper position. Bike handling also benefits from a strong upper body and core.

The overhead press targets almost every muscle group from the waist up like deltoids, traps, triceps and upper chest, but also works your core, lower back, and glutes. You can do this using a bar with or without plates, or by holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Doing this exercise standing instead of seated will help engage your core (including your glutes) and makes it a more full-body exercise.

Technique tip: keep your elbows tracking forward instead of flaring out to the sides. Engage your core to keep your back from hyperextending as you push the weight upward.

Plank

Your core plays a bigger part in becoming a better cyclist than it seems. Your legs may crank out the power onto the pedals, but your core provides all the other important aspects like handling, balance, and endurance. Riding with a weak core wastes precious energy because you can start rocking or swaying instead of directing the power down into your legs.

Planks can be done anywhere and with a lot of variations, and either with or without weights, making it one of the most versatile exercises for your core.

Technique tip: From the side, your ears, shoulders, hips, and heels should form a straight line. If staying off your knees feels too hard, start with your knees on the ground and build strength from there.

Need help fitting strength training into your already-busy training schedule? Here’s how you can get your strength training in.

(Featured photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash)

Published

December 14, 2022

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How to fuel properly on the bike

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Bike

December 6, 2022

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How to fuel properly on the bike

Nutrition is key to performing well and avoiding the dreaded “bonk”, whether you’re just training or actually racing. This has somewhat been a bit tricky to master for triathlon, since there hasn’t been a lot of research when it comes to long endurance events spanning across swim, bike, and run. What works in fueling for a single sport might not for the physical demands of two or three different ones.

With long-distance triathlon, the bike leg takes up a disproportionately large amount of time and energy. There’s greater opportunity to get your nutrition very wrong here and end up either under-fueled and hungry by the time you need to run, or over-fueled with your gut in deep distress. This is why we always encourage any of the athletes under our care to test their nutritional strategies in training; that process of trial-and-error helps you find what works for you individually.

Here’s what to consider to fuel better on the bike.

Type Of Fuel

Training and racing nutrition is available in many different forms. There are liquids, gels, dissolving tablets, blocks, and bars – and then there are also things like sandwiches, spam musubi bites, and even stops at roadside restaurants and cafes. Some people might respond well to carbohydrates and electrolytes both dissolved in fluids, while others may need to take their carbs as solids, and hydrate with electrolytes and fluid.

Practice with different ones to see which works best for you. The more intense the activity the faster you need the energy to enter your bloodstream; carbs are absorbed faster in liquid form like drinks or gels. If the rides are more easygoing, solid foods are great for a slow fuel release. (Higher intensity may also cause the digestive process to slow down because your body is channeling blood flow into your limbs instead of your stomach.)

Amount Of Carbs

Typically, you should be consuming around 30 to 60 grams of carbs an hour, which varies per individual (smaller individuals need less calories in general). These can come in energy gels, which contain 20 to 30 grams of carb per gel, or energy bars which contain 20 to 25 grams of carbs per serving.

Prepackaged nutrition usually comes with directions for how to take them, e.g. one gel per hour, one sachet per bottle, etc. How do you know if you’re taking too much? Vomiting or a bloated stomach will tell you that you’ve taken too much, too fast. How do you know if you’re taking too little? You bonk.

Hydration

The more solid a food is, the more you need to take in water to help your gut to absorb it. There are some very liquid gels available which you won’t need to take with water, but more commonly you need to take a sip of water with each gel.

Water alone isn’t enough; to stay properly hydrated you need to replenish the electrolytes you lose in sweat. There are electrolyte-only powders or tablets if you prefer to take your calories in as solids and gels.

Timing

During a race, you can’t really take any nutrition while swimming. So you can take a gel in transition or in the first few kilometers of the bike leg, and then take succeeding ones at the proper intervals (based on instructions on the packaging as well as your personal trial-and-error).

Don’t wait until the last moment to top up. Unlike cars which you can keep driving until the tank is empty, the human body needs to keep its energy level constant to perform well. Many an experienced athlete can tell you the tale of forgetting to eat and drink during a race or dropping a bottle of nutrition and not stopping to pick it up, leading to a DNF or worse.

Fuelling properly on the bike leg helps you ride well while still leaving enough energy to run and finish strong. Staying on top of your nutrition on the bike sets you up for success at the finish line.

Published

December 6, 2022

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How many calories should you eat in a day?

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Training

November 23, 2022

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How many calories should you eat in a day?

Calories are the measurement of how much energy is inside the food you’re eating. It’s the driving force that keeps your body moving and allows you to train at your best. Eating too little will cause you to be lethargic as your body doesn’t have the fuel to function. At the same time, this doesn’t mean that you should stuff your face. Having a balanced caloric intake will keep you energized and ready to be better every single day.

So how many calories do we really need in a day?

What are calories?

Almost every food or beverage we consume provides us with energy. Calories measure how much potential energy is stored in each food or beverage. A single calorie is how much energy is needed to heat a gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Kilojoules are the metric equivalent of calories, although calories are more commonly used around the world. Each meal or drink contains different amounts of calories.

How many calories should you consume per day?

There’s no default amount of calories for everyone, since each person’s physical structure, metabolism and lifestyle are different. The energy expenditure of each person depends on these factors. This is why computing your recommended daily caloric intake is very important to maintain or improve your fitness.

If we eat more calories than we burn, the excess calories will be stored as fat which will lead to weight gain over time. Eating less calories than we use causes a caloric deficit that results in weight loss. How much to eat every day is a tool you can use to improve your fitness and performance depending on your goals.

Computing your daily energy / caloric requirements will allow you to determine your caloric surplus and deficit. The “Miffin Equation” below provides an estimate of a person’s caloric requirements from their BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate, height, current weight, and activity level.

STEP 1: Calculate BMR (basal metabolic rate)

Males: BMR (metric) = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
Females: BMR (metric) = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161

STEP 2: Calculate daily energy requirements by multiplying BMR from the equation above with one of the following activity levels:

1.2: if sedentary, little or no exercise and sedentary job
1.375: if lightly active, light exercise, or sports 1-3 days a week
1.55: if moderately active, moderate exercise, or sports 3-5 days a week
1.725: if very active, hard exercise, or sports 6-7 days a week
1.9: if extremely active, hard daily exercise of sports and physical job

Now that you’ve calculated the caloric requirement to maintain your current weight, the next phase depends on your fitness goals. If you want to maintain weight, just keep doing what you’re already doing.

If you’re looking to cut weight, you need to subtract 250 to 500 calories from your daily energy requirement to attain a safe and healthy amount of weight loss between 200g to 500g per week.

To achieve a caloric surplus, you need to consume at least 200 – 300 calories more than your daily energy requirement to gain weight at the moderate rate of 200g to 500g per week.

Pros and Cons of Calorie Counting

When you count calories, you build the habit of monitoring what goes into your body. You’re conscious of the food and beverage you consume, can understand why you gained or lost weight and can adjust your daily routine or eating choices based on your calorie count.

However, calorie counting does have its disadvantages. Monitoring each and every single thing that you consume may cause you to be borderline obsessive with how you behave around food – or conversely, treating exercise as an excuse to consume more food.

To achieve your fitness and performance goals, remember this rule of thumb: eat so you can train effectively.

(Featured photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash.)

Published

November 23, 2022

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Beyond Fast Times in Ironman

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November 2, 2022

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Beyond Fast Times in Ironman

LoveFour-time triathlon world champion Chris “Macca” McCormack discusses why accurate distances are important when talking about personal bests, but also why times shouldn’t be the end-all be-all for triathlon.

With course records being broken at Ironman Hawaii but on a far different course to that raced 20 years ago, and full distance world records being set on courses with current-assisted swims or shorter-than-advertised distances, you have to ask: are we comparing apples to apples?

I personally believe IRONMAN needs to ratify their distances more seriously. If you went to the London Marathon and it was only 38 kilometres long, you’d be pissed off rather than consider your result a new personal best – because it’s not a marathon. World Athletics and the IAAF have been so strict around what a marathon is, and major marathons all over the world seek certification that their courses are the whole 42.2 kilometre distance. There is no “that’s close enough” because close enough is not good enough.

I don’t know why there is not much more pushback by the amateurs doing IRONMAN that the races they do have distances that aren’t exact. Maybe it’s because of the obsession with fast times regardless of the actual course and conditions.

Let’s take a look back at one of the legends of our sport: Mark Allen. If you look at his palmares, he won Kona, he won the ITU world championship – but he also won Ironman Nice which is one of the toughest courses in the world. He won the Powerman duathlon in Zofingen. I used to live in Zofingen and it is just ridiculously mountainous; any athlete that can conquer that is one of the best in the world.

Wildflower is another of these races that were built hard, because the whole premise of triathlon used to be to creating a difficult test for people and determining who was hard enough (“Iron” Man, right?) and who crossed the finish line first.

The obsession with time came later, with the fast course in Roth and breaking eight hours for the first time. Age groupers started comparing times, and we saw the rise of flat courses selling out because you could achieve impressive times on these. It’s a direction I wish we could pivot from and get back to recognising the value of difficulty and assessing performances on different courses separately.

I understand time is always going to creep into the discussion, because it is naturally something to measure improvement against yourself or your peers. That’s why when we built our Sub7 Sub8 course we had every portion of it ratified. Think they swam slow because Kristian went 38 minutes in Cozumel? No, they swam the right distance for the first time ever. The bike course was 180 kilometres – not 179.4, not 183. The marathon was set to the exact distance of 42.190 kilometres. It was our responsibility to get these distances down correctly because I know the athletes wanted reality, not something to pump up their egos. It’s important that if you’re going to go after something like this and make the claim that they went that fast over the full distance, it needs to be legit.

It’s whether or not the athletes want that ratification that will determine if the sport moves in that direction.

At the same time, multisport has room for various distances that can cater to different kinds of athletes. Ironman and half-ironman will always be key because there’s so much history there, but challenge yourself sometimes. I think there should be races like those with a 4K swim and a 50K bike so the swimmers get a bit of an advantage (if you don’t like to swim, that’s fine you don’t have to do that sort of race). There were great concepts like the 222 Series which was a 1K swim, draft-legal 100K bike, and a 10K run.

I do think there’s a desire to do these sorts of things and the more races there are out there, the better.

Published

November 2, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Trisuits

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October 26, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Trisuits

LoveTriathlon is long past the days when athletes would tuck their running singlets into swim trunks or cycling shorts at the start of the race to save time in transition. (Although we do see some athletes race in “budgie smugglers”… if that’s your style, you do you!)

These days, materials and design for triathlon clothing have progressed towards practical sweat-wicking one- or two-piece coordinates made of technical fabric. They give you a full range of movement but also look fashionable and distinctive. Thin but good quality chamois in shorts helps keep your delicate bits from chafing on the bike and run without absorbing too much water and sweat.

Not only do good trisuits decrease drag in the water and on the bike and can be worn from start to finish, but they also make you easy to spot for friends, family, and teammates to cheer on.

One- or Two-piece?

A one-piece trisuit is aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, and gives you full coverage so you’re always sure you’re not giving everyone a show. However, they can be a pain to take off and put back on if you need to make a toilet stop in the middle of a race (just try rolling a skintight race suit up over wet shoulders…).

This isn’t really something you’ll face during sprints and standard/Olympic distances, but becomes more of an issue in longer races when nutritional issues might come about and your stomach starts to rumble.

Sleeved or Sleeveless?

World Triathlon has amended its rules to allow age-group athletes to race in trisuits with fabric extending to above the elbows in any distances. (However, if you’re racing as youth, junior, U23, or elite over sprint and standard distance, you will need to go sleeveless.) This has been a boon to athletes who prefer not to have burnt shoulders at the end of an ironman. The slight aero benefit from a sleeved suit has also given more people reason to switch.

But sleeveless is still a great option for short, hot races – and they’re just a bit cheaper, too. They’re a good starter option for your first few races until you decide to commit the sport a bit more.

In the end, it comes down to what you’re comfortable wearing, and what’s practical for the distances you’re doing.

Published

October 26, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Traveling with Your Bike

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Bike

October 19, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Traveling with Your Bike

LoveWhile some of us are spoilt for choice with numerous races close to home, many triathlons require a fair bit of traveling with our bicycles. We’re not talking about races where you can simply pack your bike into the back seat of your car; triathlon as a destination sport requires travel and checking your bike into the hold of a plane, a ferry, a train, and/or a truck.

Flying with a bicycle doesn’t have to be difficult! There are many airlines that make special allowances for bicycles as part of your included baggage allowance. Other airlines might charge a special sports equipment fee for them. But there is no reason you won’t be able to take your bicycle along with you on your flight.

Now all you need to do is figure out how to pack your bike. You could take it apart and pack it into an old cardboard bike box for transport to your race, but then you face reassembling it at your destination, and vice versa heading home. Cardboard boxes can also run afoul of airline baggage rules due to their size and weight, which could result in extra fees. And lastly, cardboard boxes can fall apart with indiscriminate handling, especially when wet.

For this reason, if you plan to travel with your bike a lot, it’s worth investing in a bike bag. There are soft bags made of reinforced canvas and fabric, and hard cases made of tough plastic. Wheeled bags are practical since you won’t always have use of an airport trolley to lug the bag from one point to another.

Published

October 19, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Cycling

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Bike

September 28, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Cycling

(Previously in this series: swimming gear)

Cycling is the most gear-heavy discipline in triathlon with a dizzying array of choices. Where do you start?

Most people “test the waters” by doing their first triathlon on a borrowed bicycle. If you go this way, borrow a bike from someone who’s approximately the same height and frame as you. Your first race experience will be much better and will encourage you to stay in the sport if you’re able to ride comfortably.

As you grow in experience and commitment to the sport, you will want your own bike with your preferred saddle, pedals, wheels, and more.

There’s More Than One Kind of Bicycle

There are four main types of bicycle used in triathlons: road, triathlon, mountain, and hybrid. While the mountain and hybrid types with knobby thick tires and suspension systems are commonly used in trail/off-road triathlons, most triathlons are held on paved roads suited for road or triathlon bikes with relatively lightweight frames and skinny tires.

Tri bike (the one with the front-pointing aerobars and skinny base bar) or road bike (with the drop bars that look like ram horns)?

If you could only have one, which one is best depends on how you cycle. If you are frequently training indoors, ride solo outdoors and only race non-drafting triathlons, you can opt for a tri bike. Otherwise, a road bike is more versatile, allowing you to join group rides and fondos, and take advantage of better handling on drop bars and hoods to cycle more technical courses.

Wheels

It’s the same thought process with wheels. Many starter bicycles come with wheels with shallow aluminum rims (commonly called training rims). These are quite versatile – Chrissie Wellington won Kona using these kinds of rims! However, that probably has more to do with Chrissie being an aerobic freak of nature; most of us can derive advantage from rims made of lighter materials like carbon and a deeper more aerodynamic profile. To start with though, aero rims are not absolutely necessary.

Pedals, Saddles, Tyres and Other Accessories

To start with, your bike can have flat pedals which you can use when wearing running shoes. If you’re growing to love cycling and have improved your bike handling skills, you can start looking into whether cycling shoes, cleats, and clip-on pedals are right for you. Cycling shoes have stiff soles which help with power transfer, while being clipped in with cleats means you’re able to both push down and pull up which make for a more efficient pedal stroke.

Which saddle you choose to go with depends on your anatomy, and is a decision you should make when you are properly fitted for your bike. But no matter what saddle you choose, it is not supposed to hurt! Read our article about how to choose a bike saddle.

Other basic accessories include a speedometer (or any way to track your speed and distance), flat tyre kit, and drink bidon. The most important of these is the flat tyre kit, as well as knowing how to change a tyre – your friendly neighborhood cycling shop mechanic can show you how, or ask a triathlon mentor. This is a necessary skill because most of your training rides will be self-supporting and you may not always have a companion to help change a tyre for you.

Most beginner bikes will have clincher-type tyres on their wheels. This means you have the exterior tyre covering an inner tube. Changing a flat clincher tyre usually means changing out the inner tube, so your kit should have a spare tube or two, tyre levers, and a hand pump or a CO2 canister and inflator.

Next in this series: running gear!

(Featured photo by Flo Karr on Unsplash.)

Published

September 28, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Swimming

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Swim

September 21, 2022

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Beginner Gear Guide: Swimming

LoveWhile many beginner triathletes have an affinity with at least one of the three disciplines (swim, bike, run), the amount of information and recommendations out there for what the best gear is can be overwhelming.

This is the beginner gear guide for swimming.

Goggles

Goggles that fit well will allow you to swim longer and uninterrupted. Soft silicone gaskets and adjustable nose bridge pieces and straps will help you find that individual fit that won’t let water in without excessive tension around the head and eyes. For open water swimming, larger lenses will allow you to sight better in front as well as peripherally.

Swim Tools (paddles, pull buoy, band, etc.)

There are some great swim tools out there that will help you get the most out of each training session. Fins, paddles, pull buoys, swim shorts, snorkels, and bands are all useful for adult-onset swimmers to build fitness as well as technique.

Confidence in the water also comes from doing more and more swimming. So swimming with these swim tools can help you get through your sessions. You walk away from the session not feeling intimidated and nervous, thinking ‘I got nothing out of that except a horrible time at 5:30 in the morning’. Instead when you go for a session, you go, ‘Wow, I swam one mile today and felt great. Maybe I did that mile with fins, but I did that mile’ and then you get back doing it again and again. Before you know it you’ve done two or three months of consistent swimming. That confidence in the water starts to come with just basic time in the water.

Wetsuits

This applies more to triathletes in temperate climates, as tropical waters don’t really allow for wetsuits (except for Cairns where wetsuits are allowed to keep jellyfish at bay…). But wetsuits make the swim easier because due to greater buoyancy you are higher in the water, reducing drag.

You can go for sleeveless if you don’t mind the cold and would rather have more mobility through your arms, thermal if you’re doing cold races, two-piece if you want a more custom fit… Wetsuits exist across a wide range of pricing, and if you only plan on using a wetsuit a few times a year it can be tempting to go with the cheapest one. However, higher-end wetsuits tend to fit better and allow you more movement through your arms and shoulders due to the materials used.

Whichever brand you end up going with, follow the sizing chart of your preferred wetsuit supplier to ensure that the wetsuit you order fits well and allows you to move through your swim stroke freely. If in doubt, get in touch with their customer service so that you can get the order right the first time.

Swim Skins

While swim skins are not absolutely necessary especially for short races, they do still improve streamlining and reduce drag by covering over your tri suit pockets and seams (especially if your tri suit is a two-piece). This won’t help you get through the swim, but might make it go faster.

Swimwear

Swimwear that’s chlorine-resistant is a must when swimming in chlorinated pools. Their elasticity won’t degrade with exposure to chlorine, allowing you to use them repeatedly. To prevent drag, make sure your suit is the right size for you and fitted to your body (no boardshorts!).

(Featured photo by Ashley de Lotz on Unsplash.)

Published

September 21, 2022

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Pros and Cons of Treadmill Running

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Run

September 14, 2022

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Pros and Cons of Treadmill Running

LoveI took up running because I was tired and bored of working out inside four walls. That’s why for a long time I always took the option of running outside even if I had easy access to a gym with state-of-the-art treadmills.

But after years of tripping on sidewalk cracks, having to slow down and stop at intersections and red lights, being chased by feral dogs, and inhaling smoke from vehicles stuck in heavy traffic, I’ve come to appreciate the simplicity and convenience of running on a treadmill.

There are many benefits to running on a treadmill, and it is a great tool to build fitness and improve performance.

The Pros of Running on a Treadmill

1. Treadmills offer a more forgiving surface to run on.

If you’ve ever run on a concrete sidewalk then ran a few meters on grass or dirt beside it, you would know that some surfaces are harder than others. Concrete and asphalt/bitumen is hardest, while grass and sand is softest. Dirt trails, tartan track surface, and treadmill belts are the happy medium that offer shock absorption while still returning energy to your stride.

Treadmills have one advantage over trails and track: there are no turns or canted surfaces and you don’t have to watch out for rocks or wildlife while running on a treadmill.

2. You can run despite road and weather conditions.

Some cities don’t lend themselves to running: run-down or non-existent sidewalks, reckless motorists, and interminable stop lights (and the temptation to jaywalk that comes with them) can break your stride and rhythm.

Some runners are hardier than others, going out for runs even when the heat outside can fry eggs on car hoods, even when the cold can freeze sweat icicles on bonnets, and even when a torrential downpour threatens to sweep everything outdoors into the gutter.

For everyone else, retreating to the comfort of a treadmill indoors ensures you get your workout in without risking your health and safety.

3. Learn to pace yourself and develop your pace awareness.

Treadmills allow you to input the pace you want to run, and it’s going to stay there until you select a different speed or press Stop. This encourages a consistent effort rather than the surge and fade you get when running outdoors.

When it comes to a race, experience on a treadmill of running steady at race pace will allow you to control your effort so you can finish strong and not burn out too early.

Running on the road sometimes alongside other people, I’m frequently tempted to speed up if I feel good (or competitive) or slow down when I don’t feel great. Running on a treadmill you’re forced to stay disciplined, which is beneficial especially for runs structured according to pace like tempo or intervals. If I am doing pace work outdoors I am constantly checking my GPS watch. On a treadmill, I “set it, then forget it”; my entire attention can then focused on other things, like keeping proper running form.

4. Improve your running form.

You can catch glimpses of yourself in reflections on plate glass windows while running outdoors, but using a treadmill with a mirror on the front and the side is a great way of seeing your form and getting real-time visual and motor feedback when you make adjustments to improve it. You can see if your shoulders start to tense up from fatigue and can actively relax them. You can feel your feet drag on the belt if you’re not picking your knees up enough. You can hear if you’re not running tall enough because your feet land heavier and more noisily.

Treadmills can alter which muscles you’re using because the belt moves under you instead of you moving forward with the force applied to the ground by your legs and feet. However, if you’re working on reducing over-striding as well as increasing foot turnover to improve running form, treadmill running has been shown to decrease stride length and increase cadence.

5. Challenge yourself physically and mentally.

Because you can pick and change speed and incline settings on a treadmill, it’s easier to create challenging workouts for yourself that will improve your speed and build your strength or ability to stay on pace for an extended period of time. It will also allow you to simulate a race course’s elevation profile if your surrounding running grounds don’t match it (run flat if you live in a hilly area or run hills if you live on flatlands).

The Cons of Running on a Treadmill

The combination of airflow against the body, visual feedback of forward movement, and visual stimulation that distracts from discomfort makes running outdoors feel easier (and more enjoyable). Research shows perceived exertion is greater when running on a treadmill than when running on a road at the same pace. Running indoors can be a mental challenge: if you’ve ever likened it to running like a hamster on a wheel, you know “running to get nowhere fast” exerts a toll on your mind. It’s so easy to hit the big red button and hop off… But that’s when your resolve and determination is tested; when you can stick with running on a treadmill, running outdoors during a race will be a breeze.

However, there are a few disadvantages to doing all your running on a treadmill.

1. It’s not very entertaining by itself.

The view doesn’t change and you may not be able to resist comparing yourself to a hamster on a wheel — going nowhere fast. When I run on a treadmill, I frequently find myself looking at the clock checking whether or not it’s time to end my workout. Running outdoors, I sometimes don’t even notice how much time has passed.

While there are treadmills that can offer video representations of running outdoors and some have programs that can even simulate hills and famous run courses, nothing beats the real thing especially for people drawn to running because you get to explore on your own two feet.

Speaking of trying to find diversion…

2. You tend to rely on gadgets and numbers.

I find it really boring to run on treadmills, so I need to have music in my ears. For long workouts I will usually use a streaming service to watch two episodes of a television show or a short rom-com movie. I am also always checking how far I’ve run already and at what pace.

When I run outdoors especially on well-loved routes, I find myself checking my GPS watch far less, relying on visual landmarks to tell me how much further I have to go and how quickly I’ve gone. It’s easier to connect feel to actual performance.

3. You’re only training one plane of movement.

Treadmills train you to move forward, but in race situations you’re very rarely just moving forward. You could be dodging slower runners, hopping on and off sidewalks, running on changing surfaces, and turning corners. You’ll be hard-pressed to duplicate these varying paces and movement patterns on a treadmill.

Variety is the spice of life, and the different challenges your body is faced with on an outdoor run (even more so a trail run) make you a better runner and a more fit athlete overall.

Don’t write treadmills off as good tools for running, but also don’t stress it when you don’t have access to one. Remember that running is still one of the more accessible sports for everyone — as long as you’ve got the time and resources to put rubber soles on the road.

(Featured photo by Birk Enwald on Unsplash.)

Published

September 14, 2022

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Feeling flat in training?

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Training

September 7, 2022

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Feeling flat in training?

LoveIs it overtraining or something else?

Our member Diana Moissonier asked: “What are the symptoms of over training? I’ve been feeling a little run-down (not getting sick), and my swim times are are getting worse. I can’t hold my TT pace like I had been. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.”

Diana is a marathon swimmer who had plans to swim the Catalina Channel before a shoulder surgery put her plans on hold.

Triathlon coach Justin Granger recommended:

Without knowing your rest and recovery patterns, it sounds like you are dealing with a flat spot in your training at the moment. Ideally you need to have a recovery day/easy day/day off at least every two weeks if you have been training consistently.

With all this information if it sets alarm bells ringing and you have been recovering but still feel fatigued all the time then I would suggest you see a sports doctor and run some blood tests to see if you are deficient in something. Otherwise rest some more, modify, reset, and read your body’s warning signs better.

Diana responded: “I have been having regular rest/recovery day/easy day/ day off. Now that you mentioned it, I have had an iron problem in the past. Haven’t taken any iron supplements since my shoulder surgery. I’ll have to have some blood work done. Thanks.”

When in doubt, it is always better to pull back and reassess instead of blindly continuing to push forward with training. If you have a coach, let them know how you’re feeling so they can either adjust your training or dig deeper to get to the root of your fatigue.

As a Pho3nix Club member, you have experts and coaches at your fingertips; all you need to do is ask a question to get pointed in the right direction.

(Featured photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash.)

Published

September 7, 2022

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How to Train for Aquabike

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Training

August 31, 2022

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How to Train for Aquabike

LoveAlong with the growth of triathlon, other multisport formats have also risen in popularity: duathlon (bike-run and its variants) has been around for almost as long, aquathlons (swim-run) have branched into the unique SwimRun community.

Aquabike (swim-bike) has also steadily found a growing market: World Triathlon has been holding aquabike world championship races since 2017 after a long break since the 1998 Aquathlon World Championships in Noosa which had an aquabike category. USA Triathlon has had separate aquabike rankings since 2010.

It’s widely touted as a format where athletes who have issues with running can still enjoy the multisport experience. Racing long-course aquabike (2-kilometer swim, 80-kilometer bike) is also seen as a useful tune-up for the 70.3 distance with a shorter recovery period.

Our member Lucy Richardson was building for a big aquabike race, but asked what she should do about run training due to an injury.

“I’m currently injured and not running (Achilles i think) so just swim-biking anyways, but if/when I can run again soon do I still do much running? I think I do plan on doing 70.3 racing in the near future so is there enough time after my aquabike to start again with a tri program and therefore concentrate all on swim biking at the moment, or do some aerobic runs to keep the fitness up? And would I be best to look at Ironman distance training plans for this distance instead of 70.3?”

Coach Tim Ford answered:

“Hey Lucy, I would say to keep up the running if nothing else but to break up your training and also to keep some run fitness there so you aren’t starting from scratch.

“As for the plan to follow, personally, I would say the 70.3 plans would be better suited. Because you won’t be running you will be able to swim and run at a closer intensity to 70.3 racing than IM racing.

“If you have a plan, I am happy to have a look and make some tweaks if you like. Again, this is the approach I would take. Other coaches might take a different approach.”

Coach Jenna Seefried added:

“Definitely agree with Tim on the 70.3 plan. That distance is a lot more like 70.3 racing than Ironman in intensity, especially with no run afterwards you can go at a higher intensity on the bike anyways during the race. Just extend some of your long rides; a lot of 70.3 plans have you swimming that distance and more anyways.

“Once you’re healed up I would run aerobically a couple times a week, throw in some strides at times for neuromuscular efficiency — but don’t run hard enough that it hurts your bike and swim or risks injury again.

“The biggest thing I hear from athletes is getting yourself mentally ready to really push the bike. As triathletes we are always holding back a bit expecting that run, so learn to overcome that.”

Published

August 31, 2022

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Do You Take Rest Days?

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Training

August 24, 2022

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Do You Take Rest Days?

Anyone else struggle to take rest days?

One of the biggest parts of my job as a triathlon coach is taking the mental stress and energy out of training. Instead of athletes questioning if they are doing enough training, too much, if that ache is something to worry about or if they should take a day off they can open up Training Peaks and see exactly what to do.

There is enough to juggle in day-to-day life. Removing that mental stress makes it easier to just take a look and do what’s on the plan instead of questioning yourself.

I spend my time in the training data comparing things like pace or power in relation to heart rate to see if the athletes I coach are adapting to the workload or showing signs of fatigue. That way they can look as much or little at the data as they like and just worry about putting the work in.

Another big part is balancing the workload and letting athletes know it’s okay to take a rest day. I’ve been guilty of it in the past: feeling guilty for taking down time, or trying to fit in another couple sessions when resting would let me crush the training ahead instead of just slogging through.

I know a lot of A type athletes struggle with that. Sometimes it takes a note in the training plan that says rest and nothing else for them to take a day off.

Your body gets stronger when you rest and let it recover.

(Header photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash.)

Published

August 24, 2022

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What makes Kristian Blummenfelt tick

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August 16, 2022

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What makes Kristian Blummenfelt tick

He is the only man to have won the Olympics, the World Triathlon Championship Series, and the Ironman World Championship inside of 12 months. And then he became the first man to go under 7 hours over the full distance of triathlon. Kristian Blummenfelt is on a roll, backed by natural talent, bleeding-edge training (figuratively as well as literally), and a raging desire to win.

But he didn’t just come out of nowhere; in an interview with Bahrain Victorious 13 team during the height of pandemic closures in 2020, we saw the seeds of greatness just about to put forth its buds and bloom.

Kristian’s style has always been to give 100% in everything he does. He said, “When I’m on the start line, I’m standing there because I want to give everything I have to see if I can win the race. I think it’s a combination of the love of winning and also the hate of losing. It’s almost like I hate losing more than I love winning. The pain that goes through my body when I’m racing is so much smaller, less painful than the actual pain that I have to carry if I lose a race because that stays with me for days, for weeks. But the pain in the race, that’s just for a few minutes or a few hours.”

He started swimming from the age of eight, while also playing football. But a plateau in his development from the age of 11 to 13 coincided with improved running, spurring his swim coach to encourage him to use his engine elsewhere. “He gave me a list of different events, and a local triathlon was one of them. And this was back in 2008, when I was 14. So I turned up at that event and ended up winning it.”

That set him on the Olympic pathway as one of the first ever to be part of a Norwegian national triathlon team. “A few weeks later, I was contacted by one of the guys in the federation who wanted to start up a youth national team, because back then we had no national team. So he wanted to start off with a young team and build them up from youth to junior, to U23, and then senior and hopefully we would be able to be good enough to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. So actually this journey started in 2009, 11 years ago. That’s when we started working towards the 2020 Olympic Games. So the fact that I qualified for 2016 was one Olympics earlier than what we set out to do.”

The man just does not stop, as anyone who’s been privy to his training logs can see. He freely admitted, “I think the reason I ended up in the sport of triathlon is because I love to be outside, I love to be out in nature, training. So if I do more than a week with limited training, a week with 8, 9, 10 hours of training I feel so guilty, so bad. It’s awful; I just enjoy getting through the training. And also what we call off-season, I can go out for training without having any pressure. I can go for a long ride, stop, have a coffee, enjoy the sun, and then ride back again. So it’s more a social thing than just training.”

He has certainly exploited a natural lung capacity 150 percent that of a normal person because of a chest that grows outward. “When I was younger I had an X-ray, but it doesn’t distract me when concentrating in racing at all. I think it’s more the opposite, actually; it gives me more space to have a bigger and stronger heart and lungs… This is equal to having a third one in size. I think when it comes to racing it’s kind of my strength because I have the ability to breathe in a lot of air. I’ve done 300 liters of air per minute when racing, and that’s how I’m able to get around on the course and have that high VO2 Max.”

Supercharged with oxygen though he may be compared to his fellow competitors, there is one superpower he still wishes he had. “Oh, that’s flying. I’ve been dreaming so many times that I’ve been able to fly, you know, the same way I’m moving through water, if you could do that in the air, that would be sick. Swimming in the air, also known as flying, would be insane.”

He has already made a few dreams become reality through his zest for life and competition. “Ultimate goals in triathlon in general, obviously winning the Olympics and also winning Kona. I want to win a big few. But also every time I’m standing on the start line, I want to win the race. And I love to win races where I have strong competitors who actually may be the favorites and I’m in a position where I can be the underdog and just come from behind and surprise people.”

These days, PTO #1 Kristian Blummenfelt is no longer the underdog. But the same hunger to prove himself and to win drives him forward towards Kona and the Paris Olympics.

(Featured photo by Sub7Sub8 / Dani Vasquez.)

Published

August 16, 2022

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The role patience plays in Ironman

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Training

August 10, 2022

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The role patience plays in Ironman

by Justin Granger

Iron Distance, Ironman, Full Distance, 140.6 – call it what you like, but it is the greatest one-day endurance test there is! If you haven’t done one you want to, if you have finished one you might want to do another, and if you are a multi-time finisher you are forever dreaming of which one to do next.

We all have different ambitions that have taken us down this path. For some it is just to finish, for others it is a family tradition. Some make a living from it and then there are the Kona dream chasers. Whatever your reason it takes commitment, determination and time – lots of it!

Like most endurance endeavours in sport, proper planning and preparation are the key ingredients to help you achieve the goals and dreams you strive for in an ironman. Before setting these targets it’s important to be honest with yourself when determining possibility from probability.

Allocating enough training hours per week and sufficient weeks and months while factoring in initial fitness levels are important aspects to consider. Remember that it takes time for your body to adjust and absorb training load before improvements can be visible. A gradual build will always be the best approach.

Rest, recovery and nutrition all complement your ability to improve and ultimately reach your goals and dreams. Rest and recovery allows you to repair and rebuild from the damage caused by stress and fatigue that endurance training inflicts on the body. The greatest gains from training come from being able to perform key sessions at the best of your ability. This is the smart and most effective way to train and most time efficient. Garbage miles on tired legs won’t provide performance returns. Healthy and complete eating prior, during and after training will ensure sufficient and quality fuel is in the tank and ready to be recruited when most needed.

Mentality is another piece of the puzzle. The power of the mind is the single most evident limiter for the iron distance triathlete. Doubt and negativity can pull apart even the fittest and strongest. Confidence can look superficial once it is consumed by the power of doubt. No one ever said it was going to be easy – and why should it! Ironman originated from the three toughest endurance events of each sport, and we combined them all into one day. Once you start getting fitter and stronger, recover faster, eat and sleep well, when you get into a good frame of mind you will kill this thing – piece of cake!

To bring all these together and create something much more than these component parts, the final element is the importance of patience. We all have different personalities which contribute to the type of endurance athlete that we can become. Patience doesn’t come naturally to all, but to be successful in this distance it must be developed and nurtured. Patience enables confidence levels to build, reduces stress and fatigue and ultimately allows you to control your effort regardless of what is going on around you and give you the best performance that you are capable of.

Patience is King; ensure you work on it as often as possible.

Published

August 10, 2022

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How Hard Can I Race?

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Training

August 3, 2022

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How Hard Can I Race?

Every triathlete wants to be in peak shape come race day. But how do we know how hard we can race?

When you do a triathlon with performance goals and not just to experience and cross the finish line before cut-off, it’s all about racing as hard as you can for the duration of the event whether that be sprint, Olympic/standard distance, half ironman, or ironman.

That doesn’t mean training all-out all the time. Former professional triathlete and multiple ironman champion Belinda Granger says, “Often I will see people do these amazing training sessions and you’ll think, ‘Wow, they’re going to go really well.’ But when it comes to race day they actually race slower than a lot of their training sessions.”

Your coach or a good training program will have specific race pace/race effort sessions scheduled in the lead-up to your next race. In such sessions, you’re spending a good chunk of time in that bike ride or in that run at race pace so you can visualise and feel what being in the race will be like.

Some of these sessions will be time trial brick sessions where you do a portion of the swim, bike, and/or run at the effort you expect to go during a race. “You don’t want to get to the end and be exhausted, but you need to definitely have key sessions – and not just one,” Belinda notes. “There needs to be quite a few of these put in the right places within your training program so that when it comes to race day, you know what’s expected, you know how you’re supposed to feel and you’ve got the fitness needed to race the distance.”

It’s also during these race effort sessions where you learn to pace yourself, understand how much more fitness you need to gain to be able to stay on target pace, or reassess your goals for the race so that you can finish strong and happy without blowing up.

(Featured photo by Susan Flynn on Unsplash.)

Published

August 3, 2022

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What's a good FTP number?

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Training

July 27, 2022

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What's a good FTP number?

When cyclists and triathletes get together and start comparing Functional Threshold Power numbers, sometimes you can start feeling insecure about how many watts you can push. So what’s a good FTP number?

The simple answer is: a good FTP is one that you can use to train in the correct zones and improve your performance. A good FTP is one that you’ve recently done a test for, and one in which you tested accurately. (Some people either hold back on their test, do it when fatigued, or use an FTP test that is not as useful for the type of cycling they’re specialising in.)

Starting off with a low FTP does not mean you will stay that way, either, so beginners take heart!

Testing For Your FTP

If you’re training regularly, you should do an FTP test every 4 to 6 weeks. If you’re training in the correct power zones with the right session structure, in that span of time you could be capable of pushing more watts. If you don’t test for it, you will end up plateauing eventually because you will be riding too low an FTP.

If you’re just getting back into training after some time off, don’t expect to be capable of pushing the same power as when you were at peak fitness. This is another good reason to test, so you can use the correct zones around which to structure your training.

(Testing more frequently than every four weeks can hamper your recovery and could be counter-productive. The ramp test is a maximal effort and can take a lot out of you! Make sure you’re well-rested before the test, and recover well afterwards.)

Signs Of Low FTP

Those new to training with power can end up with too low an FTP due to their inexperience in the ramp test, where they end up not giving everything they’ve got.

There’s a good chance you’ve set too low an FTP number if you find it difficult to ride slower or with lower effort to hit the indicated power numbers during a rest interval. Also, if over-under intervals do not exhaust you, or when long intervals at threshold feel too easy and your body isn’t begging to rest between the intervals.

Limitations Of FTP

FTP is a great measure of our physical fitness, but it has its limits. It is a snapshot of your current fitness level, which you can use as a training tool and to measure your progress. Measuring FTP doesn’t take the person’s skills or specialisation into consideration, or fatigue prior to the test. A sprinter might have a lower FTP compared to time trial riders because sprinters focus on short bursts of performance compared to the longer grind that time trial riders prepare for.

A lower FTP isn’t always a result of being unfit.

Conclusion

A good FTP is one that you’ve already tested accurately. Another sign of a good FTP is that you’ve already used it to train in the correct power zones and improved your performance because of it. Using FTP allows you to start slow and gradually increase your performance without taking massive leaps. Patience is the key to improvement, and training diligently will ensure your numbers will rise.

(Featured photo by John Cameron on Unsplash)

Published

July 27, 2022

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Beginner Tri Tips: Running

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Run

July 20, 2022

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Beginner Tri Tips: Running

Running is the final discipline in a triathlon. It’s what takes you across the finish line. Whether you have a strong and triumphant run or one where you feel you’re going backwards, the run tends to disproportionately affect how you think back on how your race went.

So here’s how you can not only survive the run leg in your first (or nth) triathlon, but thrive in it and finish strong.

Essential Gear

While you can pretty much run in any clothing you already own, sweat-wicking shirts and shorts will keep you comfortable so you can enjoy your runs and keep at them. Eventually you might be comfortable enough to do the entire swim, bike, and run in a tri suit that’s meant to go with you through all those disciplines.

Running shoes are where your feet meet the road. While different body types and running mechanics mean no one shoe can fit all, the most important part of running shoe selection is the right fit.

A properly-fitting running shoe will feel secure on your foot and won’t move around as you go through your running stride. The heel cup should remain molded to your heel, the laces should keep your foot locked down without overly squeezing the top of your foot, and the toebox should give your toes enough room to move and expand.

How much cushioning and support you need depends on how you use the shoes and your personal preference. Some people use the same shoes to train and race in, while others prefer to use different shoes for speed, training, and racing. Some want to feel the road more, some want to feel like they’re running on clouds, some want the shoe to provide springiness.

The best way to determine what’s right for you as you start out in the sport is to try different kinds of shoes. Some of the world’s best running shoe brands, such as those we partner with, allow easy returns and exchanges within 30 days.

Practice running off a bike ride.

The bike leg tends to be 50 percent of any triathlon you do, regardless of the distance. Fifty percent of your time will be spent on the bike, and the position you have on the bike is a shortened hip flexor and hamstring position — you never fully extend your legs. Then you get off the bike and have to run, and your legs feel like bricks.

Swimmers are more flexible through their ankles and have a great deal of aerobic capacity. What you need to be careful with is injury caused by too quick a progression in mileage or intensity: the cardiovascular system can take it, but your joints, ligaments, and muscles aren’t used to the pounding.

Just like swimmers, cyclists need to adjust to the impact running brings to your joints. However, cyclists tend to be tighter than swimmers due to the movement patterns your hands, feet, and hips are locked into when riding a bike. Range of motion is smaller, so this calls for some mobility work for a more efficient run stride.

A lot of runners come across to triathlon and think this is something they’re going to dominate but they tend to lose a lot of time in the early stages of the run while they try to find their “run feel.”

I came from a running background, so I initially believed the triathlon run would come naturally to me, but running tired off a bike is different from running on fresh legs. Your muscles are tighter, you’ve already expended energy before going into the discipline that involves the most impact and really gets your heart rate up.

As triathletes we have to learn to run very efficiently in a fatigued state. That’s an adjustment that comes with brick sessions running off the bike.

Break the run into manageable segments.

During a triathlon and in particular on the run, towards the end of the race, you’ve been out there for a good period of time. I find it very advantageous to break the run course up into segments — little groups or areas you can get your head around. Like running to the next aid station: when you get to that aid station, making sure you take the fluids on and reset your brain to run to the next aid station.

Thinking of the run as a full journey can be quite daunting so break it up into segments and then give yourself a reward, like saying, “OK I’m going to run to the next aid station, then I’ll walk through the aid station for a break.” And then you’re gonna do it again. It’s a good effort-versus-reward model and you find you get a lot of benefit out of that. If you look at the best triathletes in the world right now, they all have this race-versus-reward type of run mentality.

Keep your thoughts positive.

In many of the full distance races I’ve done, I get to 10 to 15 kilometers from home and it gets very uncomfortable. Anyone who’s raced knows that feeling when your body just wants to stop. But that’s the critical point of a race. That’s the point that differentiates between you having a sensational day or having a horrible day.

The thing I always say to myself is you’ve got to embrace that moment. Embrace the Suck. Take that in and go, “OK, here it is. This is why we’re doing the sport. Everyone’s going to feel this uncomfortable, quite normal. The world’s not going to end. This is going to stop when the race stops. I can either decide to have the pain stop now by walking, or push on and have a great day.”

If you decide to push on and look for a great day, then you have to initiate certain systems to take you through a routine to take your mind off that pain. Concentrating on breathing, concentrating on keeping good form and rhythm. Concentrating on positive thoughts.

I reflect on great training sessions or a great conversation with my daughter. You always envision yourself in positive moments in training or in life to give you a good feeling and take your mind off that present pain.

If you start reflecting in a negative way — “This hurts, this is uncomfortable, I should have trained more” — any negative thought will be magnified. So keep it positive. If you start to think negative, reset your thought pattern. Just keep ticking away. The bad moments of pain and emotion come in waves but they disappear and you’ll feel great again. Doesn’t mean they won’t come again; it just means you can implement that system again.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Endurance 13 team, founder and executive director of MX Endurance, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

July 20, 2022

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Beginner Tri Tips: Cycling

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Bike

July 14, 2022

Love

Beginner Tri Tips: Cycling

LoveIn the sport of triathlon you spend a lot of time on the bike compared to the swim and run, so it’s imperative that you’re able to enjoy that time.

Cycling is also one of the more gear-intensive disciplines in the sport of triathlon, but it doesn’t have to be very expensive or intimidating to get into.

Since buying a bicycle can be a bit of an investment, most people “test the waters” by doing their first triathlon on a borrowed bike. If you go this way, borrow a bike from someone who’s approximately the same height and frame as you. Your first race experience will be much better and will encourage you to stay in the sport if you’re able to ride comfortably.

As you grow in experience and commitment to the sport, you will want your own bike with your preferred saddle, pedals, wheels, and more.

Essential Gear

Tri bike or road bike? If you could only have one, which one is best depends on how you cycle. If you are frequently training indoors, ride solo outdoors and only race non-drafting triathlons, you can opt for a tri bike. Otherwise, a road bike is more versatile, allowing you to join group rides and fondos, and take advantage of better handling on drop bars and hoods to cycle more technical courses.

Get a good bike fit. This is something I learned later in my career because I figured being a professional triathlete and putting in lots of miles, your butt was supposed to hurt.

But then I spent some time with one of my sponsors and they explained to me there’s many different types of saddles and many types of sit positions, and there’s a saddle out there that’s for you. Just because your friend has a saddle they think is the greatest saddle in the world does not necessarily mean that saddle is great for you.

Spend your time with a good bike fitter: someone who can really look at and adjust your position on the bike, and then recommend the correct saddle for you so you can log those much-needed miles pain-free.

Never ride without a helmet!

As you go along, you’ll collect cycling kit such as bib shorts and jerseys but soon find you have a favorite set to ride in. The best ones have high quality padding in the seat area so you can spend all day in the saddle comfortably.

Build Your Skills and Strength

Many people will have some experience riding a bicycle as a child, although it’s not very uncommon for a grown adult to be learning to ride a bike for the first time. If this is you, bike shops and tri clubs regularly hold workshops to help people learn to ride a bike as well as equip them with the proper etiquette and skills to ride safely on open roads.

Indoor training builds fitness. I do a fair bit of indoor bike work. There’s a lot of benefits around structured training on an indoor trainer. The indoor trainer is a tool, but I wouldn’t encourage an athlete to do all their work on an indoor trainer unless they had to. Of course in the winters, you have to, a lot.

If you are riding indoors, be specific in the workloads — a lot of the things that need tidying up like pedaling issues, strength issues, position issues.

Get out on the road. I think there’s nothing like getting out on the roads. You learn skills, it’s a completely different feel how you move your bike around, you understand more how your body reacts with wind resistance, and you build your bike handling skills.

(Personal preference, I’d rather go ride in the rain or the kind of heat we had in Phuket than in the cold.)

Cycling is a very enjoyable activity, so I have no worries that when you get started on this journey you’ll find it as addictive as I have whether done by itself or as part of a triathlon.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Victorious 13 team, board member of the Pho3nix Foundation, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

July 14, 2022

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Beginner Tri Tips: Swimming

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Swim

July 5, 2022

Love

Beginner Tri Tips: Swimming

LoveFor most people who come into triathlon, the swim is the biggest fear, without question. To overcome a fear of anything, you need to become familiar and confident with it.

Get a Good Start

Learn to swim properly. Swimming is very much a technique-based sport, but you’ve got to do technique with fitness. So spending time doing it is key — but doing it right is important. Get a good coach, someone to look over you. Technique first built with a lot of time and fitness in the water is the only way to improve your swimming.

Do whatever it takes to keep swimming to build confidence. Confidence in the water comes from doing more and more swimming, so do whatever it takes to keep you in the pool — if that means swimming with fins, with paddles, with pullbuoys, with snorkels — to try and get more and more mileage. You don’t walk away from the session feeling intimidated and nervous, thinking, ‘I got nothing out of that except a horrible time at 5:30 in the morning’. Instead when you go for a session, you end up saying, ‘Wow, I swam one mile today and felt great. Maybe I’ve done that mile with fins, but I did that mile’ and then you get back doing it again and again. Before you know it you’ve done two or three months of consistent swimming. That confidence in the water starts to come with just basic time in the water.

Practice your open-water swim skills. In open water, sighting becomes important. There’s no black line when you go out into the open water, there’s a completely different feel to swimming in a lane. Suddenly you’ve got people around you. If you’re not a confident swimmer, I would encourage you to get in the open water to get a feel for it. If you don’t have regular access to open water, get together with some training partners for a clinic to go through some key drills that will help you navigate an open-water swim: sighting practice, mass starts from the beach and from deep water, and drafting off other people.

Essential Gear

If you need a wetsuit for your races and open-water swims, follow the sizing chart of your preferred wetsuit supplier to ensure that the wetsuit you order fits well and allows you to move through your swim stroke freely. If in doubt, get in touch with their customer service so that you can get the order right the first time.

If you want to be a triathlete, the swim is definitely part of that swim-bike-run. As with everything we start out doing, if we enjoy our first experiences with it we keep coming back for more, and when we see improvement we get even more motivated to keep going.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Victorious 13 team, board member of the Pho3nix Foundation, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

July 5, 2022

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Triathlon: How do you start?

Love

Triathlon

June 29, 2022

Love

Triathlon: How do you start?

LoveI think the great thing about triathlon is the challenge of it. People often question whether they’re up for that challenge. I think that’s what draws people to the sport in the first place: trying to answer the unknown for them.

A lot of people I’ve seen come to the sport say, ‘There’s no chance I could ever complete one of these’ and sure enough, I’m talking to them at the finish line and they’re saying, ‘This is addictive.’

It’s just a matter of committing to an event, saying ‘Yes I will’, and going and doing it.

Anybody can be a triathlete.

You do not have to be a lifetime athlete to be a triathlete. People come in all shapes and sizes for all different reasons to do a triathlon.

Primarily most people I’m meeting on triathlon finish lines around the world have come in for health purposes. They’ve said, ‘I was at a point in my life where I’ve looked at myself and thought I need to do something where I am in my life’. They came to lose weight, a lot of them are giving up cigarettes or a certain lifestyle and they really embrace this triathlon lifestyle. For many of them, they came from non-sporting backgrounds. Many of them started off doing fun runs and saw triathlon as the next challenge.

While it looks to be the most physically demanding sport in the world, I think people can relate to those three disciplines and I think they believe the challenge is something that’s attractive and they can do it. Whether you’re a good athlete or not, that’s the beauty of triathlon.

Find a coach you work well with.

I’ve been very, very lucky with the people I work with, but if I were looking for a coach I would look for someone who understands me physically as well as mentally and has good communication. I think great coach-athlete relationships are built over a long period of time. When you see athletes jump from coach to coach, they’ve lost faith in themselves. A lot of times they’re looking for answers in other places. The pros are renowned for that.

The most successful professionals have long-term coaches. When you’re looking for a coach, just make sure you get on well, you communicate well, and they can understand your goals, your objectives, and your psyche as a person as well as your physical strengths. But be part of that process with them. Be the “CEO of your own company.”

Test your limits in training so you can draw on the experience when racing.

When you’re doing those sessions that hurt, take that time to reflect on what’s happening, on what you’re thinking at that time. It’s something I think a lot of people should spend a lot more time focusing on in training.

A lot of the time, when you haven’t gone to the well in training, when you get to that moment in racing, your thought patterns are rushed and you don’t know what to do. If you learn to slow that down and take back control, you’ll find that purity of pain in racing is spectacular. Once you get to control that, it’s awesome. Nothing feels better.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Victorious 13 team, board member of the Pho3nix Foundation, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

June 29, 2022

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How many calories to eat in a day

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Training

June 22, 2022

Love

How many calories to eat in a day

LoveMany people are familiar with calories, the measurement of energy in food. Calorie counting is often used in diets for weight loss, but how do we know how many calories each individual needs in a day?

There are a lot of diets out there recommending the same number of calories for every single person, but everybody is unique; in the same way, our calorie requirements are unique to each individual. Understanding what determines our individual energy requirements and how you can calculate these can be very helpful for reaching your goals, whether it is to maintain weight, lose weight or gain muscle mass.

What are calories and kilojoules?

Nearly everything we eat and drink provides our body with energy. The energy is used to fuel the body for its daily activities and processes.

Calories are a measurement of potential energy contained in food. A single calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, required to heat a gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. The calorie system for measuring the energy in food was first put together in the early 1990s by Edward Atwater.

In Australia, kilojoules replaced calories around 40 years ago. A kilojoule is a unit of measure of energy, in the same way that kilometres measure distance. Kilojoules are the metric term for calories, however, calories are still popularly used by many in the general population. One calorie is approximately equal to 4 kilojoules.

How to calculate your requirements

There are multiple equations that exist to estimate daily calorie requirements, as well as plenty of online calculators. However calculating calorie requirements is always an estimate and should be interpreted with a degree of awareness.

The below is an energy requirements equation known as The Mifflin Equation, which provides an estimate of a person’s energy requirements based on their estimated BMR (basal metabolic rate), age, height, weight and activity levels. It’s important to remember that this provides only an estimate. An individual’s energy requirements will vary each day depending on changes to activity levels.

STEP 1: Calculate BMR (basal metabolic rate)

Males: BMR (metric) = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
Females: BMR (metric) = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161

STEP 2: Calculate daily energy requirements by multiplying BMR from the equation above with one of the following activity levels:

1.2: if sedentary, little or no exercise and sedentary job
1.375: if lightly active, light exercise, or sports 1-3 days a week
1.55: if moderately active, moderate exercise, or sports 3-5 days a week
1.725: if very active, hard exercise, or sports 6-7 days a week
1.9: if extremely active, hard daily exercise of sports and physical job

Note: The equation above provides an estimate only and is a similar equation to what is often used in free online calculators. To understand how to interpret this and put nutrition plans into action, as well as achieve your goals safely, seeking advice from an Accredited Dietitian is recommended.

How many calories do I need if my goal is to lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight?

Step 1 and 2 of the equation above outline how to calculate your daily calorie requirements to maintain your current body weight. If you were to consume that amount of calories every day on average, your body weight would stay roughly the same.

Many people look at calories for the purpose of understanding their food intake for weight loss. A caloric deficit is required for weight loss, where less energy is consumed than is expended through daily activity and exercise.

Between 250g – 500g is considered a healthy and safe amount of weight loss per week, which will depend on the individual and what is realistic and achievable for their body without causing negative side effects. Creating a caloric deficit to achieve this weight loss goal can be done by subtracting 250 – 500 calories from daily maintenance requirements.

Simply take your daily energy requirement, and subtract 250 – 500 calories (1050kJ – 2100kJ) for a moderate weight loss of 0.25 – 0.5kg / week.

Similarly, to gain weight, a moderate amount of weight gain of 250 – 500g per week can be achieved by creating a calorie surplus. Simply take your daily energy requirement, and add 250 – 500 calories (1050kJ – 2100kJ) for moderate weight gain of 0.25 – 0.5kg / week.

What is a caloric deficit?

Different foods and drinks contain different amounts of energy, or calories depending on the ingredients, serving sizes and how the food is prepared. When we consume food and drink, they provide energy for the body to use for daily activities and keeping internal systems functioning.

Every person’s daily energy requirements are unique and are based on their age, body size, gender, genetics, daily movement/activity levels and exercise. If we eat more calories than our body uses, the spare energy is stored away in muscle, liver and as body fat.

Over time, consistently consuming excess energy results in weight gain. On the other hand, a caloric deficit occurs when a person consumes less energy than their daily energy requirements. Over time, a consistent caloric deficit results in weight loss as the body needs to convert stored energy to support the body’s daily needs.

Are there any downsides to calorie counting?

Calorie counting is a logical way of understanding your individual energy requirements. However, calorie counting has frequently been seen to lead to obsessive behaviours around food. Individual requirements change daily based on energy output and other factors such as illness, so calorie counting should always be used as an estimate and in consultation with an Accredited Dietitian who can support you in achieving your goals in a healthy and sustainable way.

Chloe McLeod is an Advanced Sports Dietitian and Accredited Practicing Dietitian for Pho3nix Club.

(Featured photo by Artur Łuczka on Unsplash.)

Published

June 22, 2022

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One Simple Trick to Getting Your Training Done

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Training

June 15, 2022

Love

One Simple Trick to Getting Your Training Done

LoveOur member Jaime Pineda asked: Sometimes without a particular reason it’s hard to stay motivated, and some other times when going through some hard times it’s even harder to stay motivated. What’s your advice for overcoming this and not setting back your training progress?

Often there is this perception that pros wake up every single morning motivated. But I don’t think there was ever a morning I woke up jumping out of bed going, “This is the greatest thing!” Training was always a choice I made.

I always say “motivation” is a word we use as an excuse. We attach this word to the choice of not getting up because you say, “I just don’t have any motivation.” But if we always went by how we felt instead of doing things even when we don’t feel like it, we’d never progress. We see this every January when people set their New Year’s Resolutions to exercise more; then February hits and that gym membership once again goes unused.

If I were left to my own devices and made my decisions on training purely on how motivated I felt, I would never have gotten out the door. We’re human and we’re sometimes going to feel super motivated because things are going well, but there will be periods when we’re unmotivated. It’s those times when it’s difficult to get out of bed that will shape you.

So shift your thinking to this: “I don’t want to train this morning, but you know what, I’m going to anyway.” The positivity, the feeling of winning you gain from that is tenfold than from those mornings when you’re motivated to train.

Here’s one trick I use to keep the consistency in training up: Never make a decision to miss training when you’re lying in bed without your gear on.

If the alarm goes off for an early-morning swim session and you don’t feel like it, don’t make the decision there. Get out of bed, put your gear on, get to the pool – and if you don’t want to do the session, then go home. But I’ll bet you when you get there you’ll swim. Don’t make the decision you don’t want to run until you’re out the door running. If you don’t want to run when you’re running, then go home.

And that’s how I held myself accountable to my goals, because even when I had a goal like “I want to win the World Championships in Kona”, I wasn’t waking up every morning for 12 weeks excited and motivated. Most of the time, I was absolutely tired. You have to keep things very close to yourself, staying in the moment, and going day by day.

I used to set appointments with my training partners that I would be at a certain place at a certain time. “OK, mate, I’ll meet you at seven o’clock.” So when the alarm went off every morning, even though I wasn’t overly excited about the session ahead of me, most of the time I would say, “I gotta meet Ambrose” or Crowie or somebody, and I had to get up, put my stuff on, and go.

This is one of the reasons I built this community: to use a group of people to keep you accountable and create habits around sport and being active. Whether it’s doing their first triathlon, going up in distance, or even going after the big whale of Kona qualification, all of the people in Pho3nix Club have the same mindset: to make better choices for themselves and see those choices build toward achieving a goal.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Victorious 13 team, board member of the Pho3nix Foundation, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

June 15, 2022

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The Sub7 Sub8 Rundown

Love

June 8, 2022

Love

The Sub7 Sub8 Rundown

LoveBefore the triathlon world completely moves on from the historic spectacle that was the Pho3nix Sub7 and Sub8 Project, Powered by Zwift, let’s talk about it one last time. (At least, until they start talking about doing something on an even larger scale…)

The Race Itself

Mark Allen called it on his podcast, but Dave Scott as well as Lothar Leder (the first man to go under 8 hours) were still not convinced.

To many, the last-minute pull-out of Alistair Brownlee and his replacement with Joe Skipper didn’t sound like good news especially on the heels of Lucy Charles-Barclay dropping out earlier and Kat Matthews replacing her. Quite a few people were saying that this event was cursed, although its organisers were nonplussed and moved forward.

Well, race day repudiated the naysayers: all four athletes did not only slip under their respective marks, but absolutely smashed the 7- and 8-hour mythical barrier. Kristian Blummenfelt was the first man across the line in 6:44:25, and Kat Matthews was the first woman in 7:31:54.

Nicola Spirig overcame a broken collarbone and ribs and punctured lung back in February to become the second woman to go Sub7 in 7:34:19.

Astonishingly, Joe Skipper the pinch-hitter finished in 6:47:36. It was within half a minute of his stated target time, which pre-race sounded quite ambitious compared with Blummenfelt’s target of just under 7 hours. He also logged the world’s fastest bike split across 180 kilometres: 3:16:42. He did so with the bike team assembled for Brownlee, having only the week before the race to dial in their pacelining and strategy.

These were no mean feats; they will change the game in the way we think about the limits of human endurance across a full triathlon, in much the same way Breaking 2 and INEOS 1:59 redefined what’s possible and enabled Eliud Kipchoge to break the two-hour mark over the marathon.

The Coverage

Obviously with our community having an inside track into the workings of Chris McCormack’s mind, we knew to expect excellent coverage and commentary on the race day endeavours. But what we got blew previous long-course coverage out of the water.

The nine-hour event was streamed live on Youtube, with a peak of 28,880 concurrent viewers watching these champion athletes finish under goal time and over 5,000 comments from a highly-engaged audience in the live chat. With 202,300 logged views after 24 hours, the livestream is projected to exceed a quarter of a million views over the next week. It was also mirrored on Facebook, where it reached 174,438 views and 15,995 link clicks, with related social media post engagement logging a whopping 600% increase from baseline.

The commentary was informed, relevant, insightful, and done by people who actually know the sport and its athletes (unlike the debacle from the triathlon commentary provided at the Tokyo Olympics).

There were a few areas for improvement in the coverage. Graphics in particular set context for the endeavor, but the onscreen timers could be at times inconsistent with what was happening in the race.

Much of the stats recorded and collected by Garmin were relegated to the stats dashboard provided on the website. Many viewers did not know to open a second screen for this information and would frequently ask for updates on the live chat. Thankfully, periodically on screen we would get current speeds and whether or not each athlete was on track or behind their target times.

Infrequently, the camera would focus on a pacemaker instead of the athlete they were pacing. But we didn’t get much info on the commentary or the graphics about these powerhouses who helped ferry the athletes toward breaking the 7- and 8-hour marks. Maybe the highlights coverage that will soon be available across multiple territories will have that.

With a multi-lap course, some graphics like that of Formula 1 where you can see how many laps to go would have been appreciated, because all of a sudden the athletes were on their last bike lap.

All that being said, the livestream was still light years ahead of anything we had previously seen. It has definitely set the benchmark quite high for long course, just as Super League Triathlon did for short course; time will tell if the PTO, Ironman, and World Triathlon will step theirs up.

The Reaction

While people are now saying they expected the Sub7 and Sub8 barriers to be breached because of the team time trial element on the bike leg, last year right after the Sub7 and Sub8 event was announced they were singing a completely different tune. Conventional wisdom held that Sub8 was achievable, but not Sub7.

According to Triathlete Magazine in January 2021:

No matter where or when it’s held, it would be nearly impossible for Brownlee or Blummenfelt to get close to the seven-hour mark. That would require a 45-minute swim, 3:45 bike, and 2:30 run—and that doesn’t include at least one minute total for transitions. Blummenfelt has never run a marathon (yet), and Brownlee’s best run off an iron-distance bike is 2:43. Brownlee would have to shave more than 45 minutes off of his Ironman PR of 7:45. A group of pacers might be able to give him 30 minutes on the bike, but no amount of pacers can give him 15 minutes on the marathon.

For the women there’s a glimmer of hope, especially with Charles-Barclay, whose PR at the iron-distance is only 36 minutes shy of the eight-hour mark. If a clever bike-pacing strategy can give her 30-minutes on the bike, then she can at least make it interesting late in the run. Breaking eight hours means a 45-minute swim, 4:15 ride, and a sub-three-hour marathon. Given unlimited pacers on the bike and run, that doesn’t seem completely out of her reach. She might even be able to tow a few swim pacers to a 45-minute swim.

Then we saw the men’s record fall not just once, but twice: at Jan Frodeno’s Tri Battle, and with Kristian Blummenfelt’s performance at Ironman Cozumel. Could it actually be done?

By November 2021, sentiment had shifted.

Incredibly, on the same day of Sub7 and Sub8, Laura Philipp at the Ironman European Championship nearly broke Chrissie Wellington’s ironman world record by eight seconds.

Whether or not the times set at Sub7 and Sub8 stand as records is besides the point. It was a chance to show that the pursuit of something even if it’s considered impossible is a worthy goal, and that you’ll only find out if you have the courage to try.

Also it showed that you can make long-course triathlon into gripping and engaging viewing not just for the avid triathlete, but also tapping into other audiences across the three sports involved in triathlon.

A rising tide lifts all boats; putting on a spectacle like this has elevated the sport’s profile for all involved.

(Photos credit: Mana Group)

Published

June 8, 2022

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A Glimpse into Brownlee and Blummenfelt's Sub7 Equipment & Strategies

Love

June 1, 2022

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A Glimpse into Brownlee and Blummenfelt's Sub7 Equipment & Strategies

As secretive as they’ve been about their pacemaker teams to enable them to go under seven hours for the full distance of triathlon and Defy The Impossible, Alistair Brownlee and Kristian Blummenfelt were even more so about their equipment choices and strategy.

Though Brownlee has been ruled out of the attempt in the final hour, his plans are still worth a look even as fellow Brit Joe Skipper steps in to give Blummenfelt competition on race day.

We draw the curtain back for a glimpse at the inner workings for Sub7.

Blummenfelt Strategy Shrouded in Mystery

The Norwegian powerhouse may use the same equipment that powered him to the win at the Ironman World Championship in St. George. Not only that, but his entire bike pacemaker team will be riding the same frame.

The prototype tri bike CADEX created for him, partnered with a CADEX carbon four-spoke front wheel and disc rear wheel and Drag2Zero aerobars, caused a buzz. Designed with a floating seat stay, wide triple-crown fork system, and no top tube, its emphasis is on maximising aerodynamics. Blummenfelt has chosen a more traditional 52/39 SRAM Red chainring with a Quarq powermeter, while a wireless 12-speed with SRAM Red eTap AXS and a CeramicSpeed oversized pulley wheel make shifting a breeze. An ISM PS 1.0 saddle and Garmin Rally RS200 pedals complete the ensemble.

He used the new deboer Floh 2.0 wetsuit in St. George to fend off the cold, but has recently been spotted wearing a suit marked “Fjord S7” with differently coloured markings to the Fjord 2.0. The Fjord is for warmer waters as the Sub7 lake swim is shaping up to be. These wetsuits boast HBF-Limestone WhaleSkin™ neoprene and Airfloat™ stability panels that allow better buoyancy and rotation stability, while the 1.5mm patented UltraFlex™ shoulder and arm construction maintain mobility, all the better to unleash his swim strength with. GlideSkin™ Surface coating lowers water friction, while the DolphinSkin neck closure prevents leaks that cause drag. One wonders though what secrets his custom suit conceals…

His partnership with Norwegian training gear company Trimtex has seen him don a translucent white trisuit to win the Tokyo Olympics and a sleeved iteration for his Ironman races, allowing him to dump as much heat as possible as effort levels rise. His shoe of choice is the Asics Metaspeed Sky+, a lightweight carbon-plate racer that adds some extra spring in his steps and length in his stride.

Blummenfelt’s choice of an open-water champion as his sole swim pacemaker and a Kenyan marathoner to pace him on the run shows confidence in being able to keep pace with them. High performance coach Matt Bottrill who is overseeing his cycling pacemakers also reveals some general strategy for the bike leg. He says, “My guess is that we are going to come out of the water with a deficit… It’s going to be very easy to set off like a train. And I think this is where we can come into our own element. You’ve got to understand triathlon quite a bit, because if you go off too hard, then you are going to pay for that later on in the race.”

Race day will tell if the marginal gains from these choices can spell the difference not just to go Sub7, but to do it before the other athlete does.

Brownlee Was Keeping His Options Open

The dual Olympic champion had been working with his wetsuit sponsor HUUB to see how they can better design a wetsuit for him. Nigel Mitchell, Brownlee’s technical project manager for Sub7, says, “This actually involved getting a pair of scissors, cutting a few wetsuits, sending them out to Alistair and then he will put on different layers of wetsuits in different areas to get an initial feel… That data then gets fed back in and we’ll start to build wetsuits with different thicknesses, which we will then look to go and test where we’ll look at the drag factors there. Then we’ll actually do some physiological testing in Switzerland as well with those suits.”

The same care had gone into Brownlee’s trisuit where aerodynamics as well as thermal management was a concern. Mitchell reveals, “I was meeting with Steve Falkner at Nottingham Trent University. He has been developing how the suits go together with special fabrics that help to regulate the body’s temperature. We’ve done a lot of work around heat acclimatisation and understanding the sodium concentration in the sweat as well as how that changes when one becomes more heat acclimatised.”

For the bike leg, Brownlee had two options: to ride his BMC Timemachine 01 Disc Premium Carbon with Vmax Aero Design and P2P Positioning System, or a prototype bike that BMC has developed with Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

The BMC-Red Bull prototype bicycle utilised Red Bull’s extensive simulation and modelling capacity for design decisions, with quick manufacturing turnaround done at BMC’s own R&D lab.

Stefan Christ, Head of R&D at BMC Switzerland, says, “Simulating not only the vehicle performance but the entire performance environment offers huge opportunities in the collaboration and finally makes BMC athletes even faster. Building the prototypes in our very own Impec Lab here in Grenchen, Switzerland helped us to be fast in development but also realising exactly our vision of the bike.”

Whichever bike he was supposed to roll onto the BMC Bike Course on race day, Brownlee would have been using the same components: a SRAM Red eTap AXS 1x group partnered with a 165 58T Kurbel crank and a 10-29 cassette, custom-made Wattshop aero extensions, a Quarq power meter paired with a Wahoo head unit, Zipp 585 front wheel and Sub 9 Disk rear wheel with prototype Schwalbe TT tubeless tyres, a Fizik Transiro Mistica saddle, and Speedplay aero pedals.

As for shoes, Brownlee’s longtime sponsor Adidas has a wide range of options including the Adizero Adios Pro 2, their most advanced carbon-plate shoe. It features Lightstrike Pro foam, Energy Rods at the front, and a rear carbon plate that provides a smooth and bouncy ride.

We still hope to see all these in use at a race course once Brownlee recovers from his injury and is back at peak fitness.

Skipper will be paced on the swim by short-course triathletes Max Stapley and Gordon Benson. He will then take advantage of the well-oiled machine Brownlee’s cycling pacemakers will be over the bike course; he is currently rehearsing with the team for smooth and unimpeded performance on race day. On the marathon, German national marathon champion Frank Schauer along with Stapley and Benson will keep him company in this heroic effort to finish in under 7 hours.

Published

June 1, 2022

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The equipment Spirig and Matthews will use to go Sub8

Love

May 31, 2022

Love

The equipment Spirig and Matthews will use to go Sub8

To Defy The Impossible, every second counts. Aside from the talent and fitness of champion athletes Nicola Spirig and Kat Matthews, use of technology and strategy are seen as key in the attempt to finish a full distance triathlon in under eight hours at the Pho3nix Sub8 Project, Powered by Zwift.

Spirig On the Cutting Edge for Swim and Run

With two decades of sport under her belt, Spirig knows how best to get herself to a starting line fit and ready to race. She also has a wide network of partners and experts to consult in creating the equipment needed to go fast and how to best utilize her pacemakers throughout the race.

Spirig has worked with her wetsuit sponsor deboer on a specially designed full-sleeved wetsuit; to reduce drag, its surface imitates fish scale skin and the design prevents water from entering through the neck. The suit is also customized specifically to how she swims, providing greater buoyancy in the hip area but less in the upper body and legs. Deboer estimates that a person who swims at a pace of 1:45/100m without a wetsuit could potentially slash 10 minutes off their time wearing the wetsuit over the 3.8 kilometers of the full distance swim leg.

On the bike, Spirig consulted cycling experts as well as her longtime bike sponsor Specialized. While time trial bikes are commonly used in long-distance triathlon, because Sub8 allows pacemakers and drafting, Spirig has elected to use her regular Specialized road bike on the 180-kilometre bike leg, as she has always done.

She says, “The drafting seemed extremely important to us and so I will choose a road bike with which I can get the closest to the wheel in front of me while riding safely. Being in the draft means that the aerodynamics of my bike becomes less important, while factors like the ability to get the ideal draft, comfort, and using a position that lets me run the best off the bike get much more important.”

For the marathon, On Running has manufactured a shoe prototype for Spirig which has undergone multiple testing and feedback loops. Spirig reveals, “Tadesse Abraham just ran a new Swiss marathon record in my prototype a few weeks ago, so it’s good to see it’s working.”

Spirig is targeting a 50-minute swim with the help of one swim pacemaker, then a 4:19 bike split tucked in behind her cycling pacemakers so she can run a 2:45 marathon with her run pacemaker to finish in 7 hours and 54 minutes.

Matthews Using Proven, Top-of-the-Line Equipment

Given the short turnaround time for Matthews’ involvement in Sub8, there was no time to get things customized. However, through her sponsors she has access to the sport’s best for swim, bike, and run, used to great effect during the Ironman World Championship to produce a silver medal on debut.

Matthews will be swimming in the Orca Apex Flo wetsuit. It is the most advanced in the range featuring a combination of Orca’s signature Yamamoto 44+ and 0.88 Free technology to provide maximum flexibility and mobility in the shoulder area, as well as buoyancy in the lower body through Exo-Lift and Aerodome technology.

She will ride the BMC Timemachine 01 Disc Premium Carbon with Vmax Aero Design and P2P Positioning System, using DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT wheels – DB 80 on the front and DISC on the rear – with prototype Hutchinson Racing Lab tyres. USE poles installed on a custom 18-degree wedge plate serve as aerobar extensions, helping Matthews hide from the wind and improve aerodynamics. To monitor power output, she will use a Wahoo Elemnt Roam bike computer coupled with a 4iiii power meter. A Shimano Di2 groupset running a 56×1 front derailleur and an 11-25 rear cassette, Selle Italia road saddle, and Wahoo Aero pedals complete the ensemble.

On the run, Matthews will use the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ shoe. Its FF Blast Turbo foam and propulsive carbon plate are touted to allow runners to extend their stride length, conserving energy and allowing them to maintain pace in the later stages of a race.

Similarly to Spirig, Matthews aims for a 50-minute swim split sitting on the feet of her two swim pacemakers. On the bike, she will tail a main domestique while three teams of two riders rotate on the front every three laps for a target time of 4 hours flat. On relatively fresh legs, a 2:40 marathon split with her run pacemaker will help her cross the finish line in 7 hours and 30 minutes, well under the 8-hour threshold.

That is, if all goes according to plan. These bold and ambitious athletes still have to turn up and put in the effort. And even then, the finish will be earned, never given.

Published

May 31, 2022

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Alistair Brownlee Out of Sub7

Love

May 31, 2022

Love

Alistair Brownlee Out of Sub7

When Lucy Charles-Barclay announced her hip fracture and subsequent withdrawal from the Pho3nix Sub7 and Sub8 Project, Powered by Zwift, not a few people started wondering what would happen if another athlete pulls out, especially since her head-to-head competitor Nicola Spirig had been in a cycling accident and was healing from a broken collarbone and punctured lung.

Unfortunately we have come to that situation now: Alistair Brownlee is out of attempting Sub7.

Just as Lucy found an understudy in Kat Matthews, Alistair will be seconded by fellow Brit Joe Skipper. Given the short timetable for a turnaround, it speaks to Joe’s caliber and confidence that he’s so quickly stepped up to the plate. Luckily he’s deep in a training block after skipping the Ironman World Championship in St. George due to coming down with COVID-19 the month prior.

Both Lucy and Alistair were knocked out by hip pathologies. Lucy’s injury was a stress fracture and edema. The press release from Pho3nix calls Alistair’s injury a “stress response in his hip”; a stress response is an early form of a bone stress injury and may lead to a stress fracture if no interventions are taken.

Training to race at the pointy end means that you are always dancing with the spectre of injury and illness. Despite the best coaching and experts available, each human body is a unique mystery: the workload one body can handle with aplomb, another may buckle and break under.

We wish Alistair a speedy recovery and rehab, and luck to Joe as he takes on Kristian Blummenfelt. History will be made regardless.

Full press release below:

Dual Olympic champion and Sub7 aspirant Alistair Brownlee has been ruled out of the Pho3nix Sub7Sub8 Project, powered by Zwift due to a stress response in his hip that requires immediate treatment. Brownlee will be replaced by fellow Brit and PTO world number six Joe Skipper who takes his shot at making history against reigning Olympic and World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt on Sunday at the DEKRA Lausitzring in Senftenberg, Germany.

It is a cruel blow for Brownlee, who along with MANA Group CEO and Pho3nix Foundation board member Chris McCormack was part of the initial team that developed the concept of delivering the first sub-7 hour full distance triathlon in late 2019.

“We are extremely disappointed with the announcement, but when you are pushing your body to the limit like Alistair has been, it’s a fine line,” said McCormack. “Alistair is a true professional and will be there to support Joe, who has been preparing for Ironman Nice at the end of June, so in good shape to take on the challenge.”

“It’s not going to get easier with Joe,” said Blummenfelt. “He has a better full distance resume and a higher world ranking than Alistair. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

“Honestly, I’m devastated,” said Brownlee. “I was frustrated to miss St. George, and now this. I’m gutted. I was so invested in the process and loved working with my team. This was the goal that stimulated me again in the sport, on par with the Olympics. I’ll do what I can to support Joe.”

Brownlee, who also missed the recent Ironman World Championships in Utah, will support Skipper by pacing him in the swim, and will also join the commentary team for the live broadcast on Sub7Sub8.com. Brownlee replaces Richard Varga on Skipper’s team, with Jonny Brownlee also dropping out to be replaced by German national marathon champion Frank Schauer. Skipper retains the support of the bike pacemaking team led by Alex Dowsett, who is fresh off riding in the Giro d’Italia.

Published

May 31, 2022

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Don't Underperform on Race Day!

Love

May 24, 2022

Love

Don't Underperform on Race Day!

LoveQuestion: I’m a very strong swimmer, but mentally don’t go all out as I know I still have bike and run to come. How do you know your limits?

The fact that you’re a good swimmer means you know where you actually are fitness-wise. How do you know if you’re pushing hard enough to get the maximum out of your strength? Through training. It’s about understanding your numbers and knowing, ‘Okay I can swim ten 100s coming in off the 1:15, I shouldn’t try to go 1:13 because I will blow up.”

You learn that from your training, and then you need to have the strength of character or the confidence in yourself to implement that in a race when everyone else is starting off hot – the complete opposite. Have the confidence in implementing your own race strategy.

Question: In training I’m bang on the numbers and can push myself to the limit, but when it comes to a race the wheels fall off! Any help in how to replicate what I can do in training in a race?

That’s the magic question. If you’re getting the numbers right in training with the right parameters, then there’s no reason why you can’t execute on race day. So I’ll ask you this question: what are you thinking on race morning? What’s going through your head? Is it a nerves thing? Is it anticipation? Anxiety? Is it second-guessing yourself when things are getting tough? Usually when an athlete is not executing on race day what they’re showing in training, it’s a mental thing.

The other possible cause is a disconnect between your target training numbers and your desired outcome on race day. Always go back to the drawing board and be honest with yourself. Look at the numbers you’re aiming to hit in training and compare them to what your goal is. It’s like me saying I want to break eight hours for an ironman – but I’m only training at 240 watts. Sure, I’m hitting those particular numbers in training, but to attain my goal I actually need to put out 420 watts on race day. So are those things aligned?

Getting it right for all of us – pros and amateurs alike – is not a guarantee and that’s what makes racing so special and this sport so cool. There’s always something you can improve; it’s just a matter of being confident enough to ask the questions like you’re asking now.

Chris “Macca” McCormack is a four-time triathlon world champion with the biggest winning percentage in the history of the sport. He is a co-founder and partner in Super League Triathlon, CEO of the Bahrain Victorious 13 team, board member of the Pho3nix Foundation, and CEO of MANA Sports & Entertainment Group.

Published

May 24, 2022

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Am I Running Too Much?

Love

May 17, 2022

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Am I Running Too Much?

Running too much is very easy for a motivated person to do (as most triathletes probably are). We’re always told to take it easy and slowly in building up mileage, because there are some serious health risks to running more than your body can currently handle.

Fitness Level and the 10% Rule

If you’re only just about to start running, your level of fitness will be lower than that of someone who has been running regularly for years – the average runner runs 20 miles per week, including recovery days and easy hour-long runs. And it will be markedly lower than that of elite runners who may average 120-150 miles in a week with three or four quality/intense sessions.

Runners also follow something called the 10% Rule: total weekly mileage should increase by no more than 10 percent every week for three weeks. The fourth week should be a recovery week, with mileage decreased by 10 percent. (Increases can be lower than 10%.) As conventional wisdom holds, this should help decrease injury risk because it give the body enough time to adjust and increase fitness and strength to take on the gradually increasing demands on it.

Is it safe to run daily? This depends on the individual runner’s needs; if you’re injury-prone, haven’t trained in a long while, or have arthritis, it may be more prudent to run every other day and do cross-training like swimming, cycling, strength training, and yoga on other days to help you recover.

Additionally, varying the intensities of your run workout will help reduce the risk of burnout. You don’t need to set a new personal best every time you run, and a well-designed training plan will give you the variety your body needs to develop as a well-rounded runner.

Signs Of Running Too Much

Signs of overtraining may vary between individual runners. However, there are common symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disruption, changes in appetite, elevation in morning resting heart rate, slowing down of performance despite training well, and of course injury and illness.

Muscle aches and niggles can also be tiny whispers we need to listen to. When foam rolling your legs, soreness and discomfort can be a sign of building inflammation.

Manage overtraining with rest days and pulling back your training intensity and mileage, as well as getting advice from a credentialed coach. However, prevention is better than cure so here are ways to avoid overtraining.

Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

Patience is always the key when trying to elevate your running game. Progressing gradually over time and allowing your body time to respond and recover is what will ultimately reduce the risk of injury, help keep you running, and make you a better runner in the future. Plan ahead, listen to your body, and eventually you will break through your limits!

(Featured photo by Capstone Events on Unsplash.)

Published

May 17, 2022

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