Making the most of winter training for triathlon

MAKING THE MOST OF WINTER

With winter just around the corner and the race season winding down, many triathletes will be looking forward to their post season training break. Aside from the obvious benefits of letting your body have some much needed quality rest it is a good time to be with your family, friends and eat cake.

Once you have enjoyed the extra cake and sleep ins it's time to start thinking about your winter training. With races months away now and a long cold winter ahead it is all too easy to fall into a familiar routine of easy jogs, slow swims and boring turbo rides....
While this may be good for the first 1-2 weeks back into training after that you're just wasting your precious time and energy! Avoid that plateau by moving out of your comfort zone!
Winter, especially early on, is the perfect time to improve your weaknesses, try new things or work with a coach! Check out my thoughts on these below.

Improve your weaknesses - with three sports to train for, triathlon can be a time consuming sport. As most of us do not have the luxury of being a pro athlete we need to make the most of the time we have to dedicate to training. I suggest sitting down and having an honest conversation with yourself about where your time will be best spent.
For example, if you swim 5 times a week, ride 2 times a week and run 3 days a week but in races you get out of the water at the front but find yourself at the back of the race after the bike then you are burning too many matches in the pool and not enough on the bike.
We only have a certain amount of matches to burn, so don't waste your matches for minimal return on race day.
At the end of the day the athlete with the fastest overall time wins the race. Even if you lead the swim out by 2mins, get off the bike 10mins in front of your nearest rival you will lose the race if you proceed to run 15mins slower than the guy (or gal) chasing you.
It may be nice to claim the 'fastest' bike split but at the end of the day you didn't win the race.
If you are worried about losing some of your advantage on the strengths, there is always time to bring these back up once you have made improvements in your weaknesses - think of it as a short term sacrifice.

Try new things - we all know that saying "don't try anything new on race day". Well since you will not be racing for a while winter is the perfect time to try out new things. Educating yourself and reading up on ways to improve your swim technique or cycling threshold power is time well spent especially if your transfer your findings into your training schedule! But beware to avoid short term fads and trends. Hiring a coach or talking to an experienced athlete can help you avoid wasted time doing one legged cycling drills.
Always remember primary school - K.I.S.S ?? Keep It Simple Stupid.

Hire a coach - the off season is the best time to work with a coach as this is the time when the most changes and improvements can be made to your fitness and skills!
A good coach can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. They can then put together a progressive programme to help you make the most of your training time and improve over winter.
Do not expect miracles to happen if you approach a coach just a few weeks out from your goal race. There is not much they can do except help you avoid overtraining before the race.

Ocean Swimming Skills for triathletes

Sighting - Pick a higher point directly above the buoy/person in the water to sight to. Look up regularly to make sure you are staying on course. Kick harder when sighting to stop your feet from sinking. Only lift your head as high as necessary while still being able to spot your destination. Triangulate by looking for two aligned, easily visible objects on land.

Breathing - It is a good idea to practice turning your head to either side to breathe after you have looked up to sight. Make sure you are breathing into the shore when there is a large chop or waves to avoid getting a mouthful of water. 

Drafting and close swimming - practice the high five drill for gaining confidence in touching other swimmers around you and to practice lifting you head and breathing to either side. Keep close but do not disrupt the persons stroke who you are drafting off. Feet are better to draft off than hip as the leading swimmer will be able to go faster - meaning the drafting person will also go faster. Drafting off someones hip makes it harder for them to swim.

Stroke rate - The ocean is different to swimming in the pool as the water is constantly moving with surface chop and currents so a higher arm rate works better than trying to glide like you would in a pool. A higher arm turn over will also keep you warmer in cold water. Make sure you find a rate you are comfortable with and practice.

Happy swimming everyone!

Open Water Swim Tips for Triathletes

Before you even get in the water there are a few essential items that will help you feel more comfortable. A decent pair of goggles for open water swimming is a must, so make sure you find a pair that fit snuggly and also protect your eyes from the sun.

A wetsuit can make your swim time faster or slower, so it is crucial that you find one that fits you well and feels comfortable around the shoulders. Take your time finding one that feels snug but not too tight, and that fits comfortably around the neck.

This is also a good time to think about how easy it may be to get out of the wetsuit. Check which way the zip goes, as some zips go up and others go down. Also check the legs pull off over your feet easily. 

When preparing to go out for an ocean swim, pick a nice calm day. Try to go at high tide or when the tide is coming in, not going out. Most importantly take a friend with you, as swimming with others is safer and more fun. Before you get in, have a look at the direction the waves/chop is going, this will give you a good idea of which direction the current will be pulling you along in the water and also which direction to breathe to - away from the chop. If you are racing, think about how your chosen swimming line might be affected by the current. For example, if the current is flowing towards the right, you may want to start slightly to the left of the first buoy to allow for the current to drag you slightly to the right as you swim out to it.

On race day, start position is very important to make sure your race gets off to a good start. Scope out the course before hand and ideally have a swim warm up to check the water current and to pick out some landmarks in the distance that will help you sight the buoys during the race - things will look much different standing on the beach than when you are down low in the water. Pick a start position on the beach or pontoon based on your abilities. If you are a new swimmer or nervous, try starting out to the side of the bunch, even if you end up taking a slightly longer line to the first buoy. This will ensure you will be free to swim at your own pace and not get stuck in a tight bunch, which can make it difficult to swim and make you feel panicky.

It is also a good idea to practise dolphin diving and drafting. They are both designed to help you conserve energy and get through the swim as quickly as possible. Drafting is achieved when you swim directly behind or on the hip of another swimmer. Taking care not to interfere with their swimming, you want to feel them breaking the water and making it easier for you to swim, essentially dragging you along. Dolphin diving is done at the start and end of races where the water is too deep to run in, but still shallow enough to use the sea bottom to propel you forward. This can be faster and more efficient than swimming, if you get it right. Practise makes perfect!

Lastly, take your time to feel comfortable, confident and safe in the water. Talk to more experienced swimmers and make sure to enjoy it!

Here are a few quick tips to get you going.

- Baby oil on your arms and legs under the wetsuit will help it slide off in transition

- Vaseline around your neck will prevent chaffing

- A hot water bottle filled with hot water poured in your suit pre swim on chilly days will help you keep warm

- Put a plastic bag on your feet and hands when putting your wetsuit on to help it slide on easily

- Buy some wet suit gloves to stop yourself from accidentally making holes in your suit when you pull it on

- Wear a brightly coloured swim cap

- Use dark tinted goggles for sunny days, light or clear goggles for dark cloudy days

- Relax and stay close to shore if you are nervous when training

Happy Swimming!

  

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