Triathlon Tuesday 8th Edition
Review your Season - Kevin over at TriSwimcoach provides a great structured outline for evaluating your season and planning for the next. Although focused on swimming, this equally relevant for triathletes.
Quick Shoulder Exercise – The shoulders are typically neglected when it comes to strength training by triathletes. This quick 1 minute video offers a great exercise. There are many other one minute videos focused on training for triathletes.
Quick Set Friday: Pre-Race Tune-Up – Sara McLarety has a wonderful site with hundreds of triathlon workouts. This one is a pre-race swim workout.
Xlab Kompact Between the Arms "BTA" Hydration System – I switched over the weekend to this to BTA system. This is a simple cage that firmly attaches to your aerobars and holds any water bottle. Secure and much easier than the Speedfil I had with the straw. I constantly found myself trying to find the straw with my mouth so this works much better.
Triathlon Tuesday 7th Edition
This week’s Triathlon Tuesday focuses on the Interwebs – websites I follow and enjoy. These sites are in my RSS feed subscription and I enjoy this new content daily.
The 5K Runner – Focuses content on triathlons, duathlons, training and tech. Good opinionated posts on gear.
DC Rainmaker – This is the go-to site for detailed triathlon-related product reviews. Ray Maker is the guy behind DC Rainmaker and does an excellent job of breaking down the gear and technology around triathlon - must visit site for gear reviews.
Beginner Triathlete – Focuses on the new triathlete with training plans and information to get you up to speed quickly. Great resource for the new age-group triathlete focused on training.
Triathlete Magazine – The mother ship of all things triathlon. The web presence for Triathlete Magazine - Gear reviews, training and injury tips. All around great resource for the sport.
Endurance Nerd – Triathlon training and gear from a physical therapist’s view. Good content on training.
Other sites are on your go-to list? Add them below in the comments.
Triathlon Tuesday 4th Edition
This week’s installment is all wet. This is the gear I use both in the pool and open water.
Blueseventy Men's Reaction Sleeveless Wetsuit – In the Midwest most races through June are wetsuit legal. I picked up the wetsuit from our team’s sponsoring store Up and Running. At tip – look for a local wetsuit day. This is a great opportunity to try it in the water before you buy it.
TYR Special OPS 2.0 transition goggles - These goggles have polarized lenses that adjust to the sunlight. They work equally well in the pool and open water. I have settled on these to have one pair that I can dial in the fit. I do carry two other pair just in case.
TYR SPORT EBP Burner Fin – Fins are a critical tool for our swim workouts. A must-have training tool. This fin fits extremely well and is just the right length for my swim development.
TYR 2.0 Ultralite Snorkel – A quality swim snorkel that fits well around the head and is just all enough to function in the pool. Another tool used weekly. Also comes with two air restrictors; although I rarely use them.
Speedo Team Pull Buoy – This tool allows you to focus on your stroke, and body tautness. We use the swim buoy a lot during warmups. Typically used with swim paddles.
TYR Catalyst Contour Training Paddles I use these along with the pull buoy to focus on stroke form while stabilizing my lower body and eliminating the kick.
Finis Kick Board – Any kickboard will work. This is the one I chose. Workhorse for working on your kick and elevating your heart rate during warm-ups.
Equinox Nylon Mesh Stuff Sack 23 x 36 – This bag is big enough to carry all my gear to the gym or lake. The mesh is critical to allow my gear to air dry. Tip – buy bigger than you think you need.
Triathlon Tuesday 3rd Edition
This week’s triathlon gear and training and goodies.
Yoga for Triathletes by Jennifer Alexander CD - Great warm down yoga routine for after workouts. Really focusses on the lower back and legs. Awesome way to cool down and stretch out. She also has a full one-hour yoga routine on the CD. Well worth the $25. I use this regularly to try and keep my lower body flexible.
Trainingpeaks.com – This is the go-to triathlon and endurance sport training log. I have my Garmin account automatically linked to my trainingpeaks.com account so that everything is synced up. They offer syncing for numerous devices.
If you have a coach, you can log your coach in and they can review your workout data.
StretchRite Stretching Strap -This strap sits in my home office and I use it daily. A quick way to easily stretch your hamstrings. As someone over 50 I am focused on, and spend a lot of time, stretching out and trying to stay flexible. This is a key tool I use daily.
The One-Hour Bike and Run Race Preparation Workout from Triathlete and coach Mike Ricci, owner of D3 Multisport -This workout is designed for the Sprint or Olympic distance triathlete that wants a focused time efficient workout. Mike gets you through a great bike and run workout in an hour.
Thule 9029XT Hitch Mounted Four-Bike Rack -This hitch mounted rack comes in a four and two bike option. I have the four bike option. This is a heavy, solid rack that includes sway straps, folding arms and the ability to fold the rack down to allow access to the back of your vehicle. This rack also installs with one bolt which although extremely secure, allows for removal in less than a minute.
Triathlon Tuesday 1st Edition
I am a beginner triathlete so I spend a lot of time researching, learning and training. I benefit from all work others have done sharing lessons learned, product reviews and resources. There’s a lot out there.
I am putting together a weekly summary of things I have discovered, experienced myself, bought etc. Every Tuesday I will publish a brief post on what I discovered, bought, experienced in the hopes of helping on you this triathlon journey.
Here’s the first edition
1. A book I just finished and really enjoyed Triathlon 2.0: Data-Driven Performance Training by Jim Vance
This book distills down all the training and racing data you collect allowing you to efficiently train and race. A great resource to help design and specify a training and racing plan geared towards your strengths, weaknesses and goals.
2. Tower 26-Be Race Ready Podcast
Coach Gerry Rodrigues and pro triathlete Jim Lubinski host this regular podcast dedicated to open water swimming. With regular 30 minute podcasts Gerry and Jim condense the key information and workouts you need to be successful in open water. They help bridge the critical differences between pool and open water swimming. Great information from a proven coach and pro triathlete.
3. Zen and the Art of Triathlon Podcast
Brent Blankner hosts this podcast and as the ITunes summary says “A triathlete's view on training, racing, and living the multisport life. Listen in for insider tips, methods, dealing with family, injury, traveling, and racing.” This is a long podcast from the perspective of the working age grouper as he goes about balancing training, racing, work and family. Good practical information in the regular podcast. Each podcast cast last 2+ hours, and typically have an interview.
4. Fueling Mistakes Triathletes Make Article
In triathlons your success usually comes down to training and fueling. I found I was making a lot of fueling mistakes. This article describes four common fueling mistakes we have probably all made.
5. Beginning Running Tips Article
Running is the hardest of the three disciplines for me. I raced road bikes right after college and did swim some in my youth. As a beginner triathlete I am having the hardest time with the run. Be it finding the time, avoiding injuries or enjoying it. I found this article on beginner running tips interesting and helpful.
That's all for this week. Enjoy