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Personal Training Resource
Center - Articles
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Are you getting the most
out of your triathlon training?
Three easy ways to improve your performance
by
Jeanne Mahon, U.S.A.T Certified Triathlon Coach
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| In their enthusiasm, most
beginning triathletes overlook three vital pieces of the triathlon-training
puzzle. Having competed in triathlon for a number of years, I am guilty
of making all of the mistakes I will be advising you against. But, no
more!
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| 1. Rest, Recovery, Rejuvenation.
Call it what you want. Depending on your age, you need to be taking 1-2
recovery days per week. A recovery day can be a day off from training or
a very light day of training. Perhaps it is the day you do yoga, pilates
or take a walk in the woods.
Listen to your body. If you are feeling tired and sluggish and find yourself
breathless after climbing stairs, if you are getting sick or injured frequently,
you may need to look at how much recovery time you are giving your body.
Many people unknowingly train their bodies into a state of chronic depletion
referred to as over training. The operating belief being, the more I do
the stronger, faster, better I’ll be.
It is during recovery that your body gets stronger and makes the adaptations
necessary to work harder. I repeat, in order to get stronger, faster and
to stay injury free, your body must have periods of recovery.
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| 2. This leads to our next piece
of the puzzle, Variety. My first few years in Triathlon,
I did more or less the same thing at every workout. I ran, biked and swam
as fast as I could for the amount of time I figured it would take me to
complete that portion of the race. Aside from burnout, this method also
neglects the fact that our bodies respond best to a variety of training
distances, speeds and intensity.
Varying the types of training you do in each sport assists you in developing
strength, endurance and speed. If you are training 2-3 times a week in
each sport, try varying your weekly workouts. Include a long endurance
session (slow, easy to moderate pace), a tempo session (20-30 minutes
at a hard effort) and an interval workout. Try alternating periods of
recovery with periods of high intensity. Start intervals with a 2:1 ratio
so that the recovery period (distance) is twice as long as the intensity
period. If you are just beginning, keep the intervals short and always
begin all training with a 10-15 minute warm up.
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3. Technique.
Spend time and possibly some money on your technique and form. No matter
how hard you swim, if you are not positioned in the water properly, you
will not have any speed and you will exhaust yourself! Master swim teams,
running clubs, cycling clubs, health clubs, local shops, coaches, trainers…find
a person or a few who you trust and ask them to work with you. When I first
started, I didn’t know how to swim laps. I took a ½ hour lesson
every six weeks. I would get a few pointers then practice on my own. When
I felt ready I joined a Master swim class. The resources are numerous. Getting
feedback on your technique and form is invaluable. It not only increases
your speed but can ward off injury.
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I encourage you to try incorporating
these suggestions. Pick a 3-4 week period and add some of these tips to
your training schedule. Track your energy, the quality of your workouts,
your mood etc. I know you’ll notice a big difference. If you have
questions, comments or want to share your experience, I would love to
hear from you.
Jeanne Mahon
Coach U Certified Life Coach (pending)
U.S.A.T Certified Triathlon Coach
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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About the Author
Jeanne Mahon is passionate about health, fitness and people. She is a positive
and motivating leader who loves to challenge and inspire others to reach
for their goals and dreams in all areas of their lives. As an instructor,
trainer, manager and coach, Jeanne has held a variety of positions in the
fitness industry for over ten years. She has recently founded her own company,
Wellness Coaching, that offers Life Coaching, Triathlon
Coaching and Personal Training. If you are interested in more information
on Triathalon Training, contact Personal Best to put you in touch with Jeanne
Mahon or, if you are interested in joining a Triathalon Training Team, log
on to www.aimtriteam.org.
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