Live Train Race

13/05/2021

Are you the type of swimmer who does intervals when swimming in open water? Would you even consider such a thing?

I’ve always thought open water swimming should be more than steady, endurance-based swimming. I wrote a couple of articles about this last year.

https://triathlonswimsquad.com/2020/06/16/break-it-up/

https://triathlonswimsquad.com/2020/06/22/open-water-intervals/

I have never heard anybody else mention swimming intervals in open water before. Imagine my surprise when I’m walking the dog, listening to a Matt Dixon / Purplepatch podcast, and I hear him recommending this very thing!

So there you have it. Not just me who recommends this - but a triathlon super-coach too.

20 x 100m in open water? Sure, why not! I don’t know about you, but a regular, ‘go to’ session for me and the swim squads was a set of strong 100m efforts. 20 x 100m or 30 x 100m were common at the…

12/05/2021

“Progress in the running is amazing me.”

An experienced triathlete who joined me at the back end of last year is seeing some really great progress in his training performances.

“Progress in the running is amazing me.”

He’s hitting every session, taking it easy when he should and injecting pace at the right times and at the right intensity too

“This is real evidence behind the trust the training ethos. Slowing down to find the pace again.”

As a result, this athletes’ motivation is sky high!

“Really giving me motivation to crack on and get the sessions smashed.”

Love it!

11/05/2021

Looking for a pool session to do to get you back into the swim rhythm?

I did this simple set this week - trying to stay relaxed and smooth.

20 x 50m (15s rest)
20 x 25m (15s rest)
20 x 25m (15s rest)

I did a few extra 50’s and 25’s to finish too.

If you start to feel like you’re fighting the water, slow down and take a bit more rest between intervals. In my session I also tried to keep the pace the same - hitting the same times on each 25m or 50m. Nothing fast - just consistent.

This is a super simple training session. Easy to remember too! It will help you find your feel and your rhythm again.

Have fun being back in the pool!

10/05/2021

We’re a few weeks out from race day. It might seem a bit early, but now is a good time to check all is well with your bike.

Bike shops tend to get really busy just before races with every single triathlete leaving it until the last minute to get their bike serviced!

I like a freshly serviced bike before race day. Mentally, it gives me peace of mind, as well as knowing it’s the fastest it can be.

Now is the time to get yours booked in and serviced before race day!

09/05/2021

Form is bubbling up nicely for some of my athletes.

One athlete did his 90 minute long run. It was a 60 minute progression run, followed by a 20 minute tempo effort and then a cool down.

What did we see?

3rd best 5k time
Best ever 10k time.
Best ever 10 mile time.

“Run felt brilliant! Genuinely the best I’ve felt running in a very long time!”

We can’t wait to take this run form into race day!

08/05/2021

One of my athletes has had a foot injury that has prevented ‘normal’ running for a few months. With the help of his physio, we’ve been focusing a lot on the bike and managing the run load quite carefully. Much of his running has been run-walk, with most of that quite slow and steady.

This athlete raced last week, surprising his team mate in the process!

“His running has come on a lot. Must have a good coach.” 😀

“He’s running with much greater form that I’ve seen before. Flowing really well ... he was able to handle the upturn in pace ... Real improvement.”

Great feedback for a super performance!

07/05/2021

When that work on the turbo over the winter months sneaks up on you!

“I hadn’t been out on my TT bike for over a year and was pleased with my pace - even though I was keeping it easy my time over 40k was very close to my fastest over the same distance during Southport Triathlon.”

The brick Run also felt good and gave me the confidence I can keep a good pace on race day too.

Coming into race season, how are you feeling?

“Overall I feel that I am biking and running the best I have in about 3 years when I last raced the Olympic distance so thanks for all your help 👍”

07/05/2021

With races starting again, it’s time to turn those hours of training into an excellent race performance.

Regardless of how well trained you are, the way you approach a race can make a massive difference to how you perform in that race.

You need to spend some time pre-race thinking about how you are going to execute the race.

What do I mean?

👉 Finding time for a good warm up
👉 Sensible swim pacing - that is, pacing that reflects your current swim fitness.
👉 Tidy, no fuss transitions
👉 Bike pacing that considers your power / heart rate targets, whilst paying attention to how you’re feeling on the day.
👉 Disciplined nutrition and hydration
👉 Solid run pacing that enables you to carry speed through the second half of the run and onto to the finish line.

I like to write my race plans down about a week or so before the race. This helps me to visualise the race and give careful thought to how I’m going to approach it. If you’ve never done this before, I would definitely suggest you do this. Why not give the plan to your coach to have a look at and give you feedback on?

Don’t leave your best performances in training! Make sure you’re ready to execute well and have a super race!

03/01/2021

Christmas and New Year done. Been and gone. Great times - but usually a very mixed time for training.

Now, January looms. 2021 races come into focus. Fear sets in! Goals are set. The questions come.

“How am I going to get ready for my races?”
“What training do I need to do?”
“How can I fit it all in?”

Worry not. If you would like some guidance, support, planning, coaching, then help is at hand.

We are down to our very last few spots for triathlon coaching in 2021.

Maybe give yourself a late Christmas present or set an early 2021 resolution, get in touch and invest in yourself.

17/11/2020

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”
Mahatma Gandhi

18/10/2020

“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”

08/10/2020

Anybody else missing open water swimming?

Most of our athletes have now returned to the pool for their swimming. However a few of our athletes are still braving the cooler waters and enjoying the freedom open water swimming brings.

Personally, after enjoying a great summer of swimming outdoors, my wetsuit has been dried off and packed away for this year!