TriDot - Page 4

TriDot Check-In with Coach Elizabeth James

Elizabeth James is an Ironman, a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach, and a TriDot Coach. She made the transition from running marathons to triathlon in 2012 and has completed sprint, Olympic, 70.3, and full Ironman distances. She and her husband, Charles, live in Garland, Texas. Her TriDot Score is 33-35-45. How many triathlons have you competed in and what distances were they? I have competed in numerous sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. I began tackling the longer distances in 2014 when I competed in two half Ironman events. This past September, I finished my first full Ironman in Madison, WI. How do you motivate yourself in training? There are a lot of things that go into it. Definitely goal setting.…

TriDot Check-In

TriDot

TriDot Check-In with Athlete Matthew Reibenstein: Part 2

MATTHEW REIBENSTEIN is the founder and president of Royal Homes in Conroe, Texas. A Houston native, he is currently the president of the Montgomery County Builders and Developers Division as well as a Board of Director member of the Greater Houston Builders Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), southeast Texas region, and is the leader of North Houston Tri4Him. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M and is the husband of Katy and father of son, Paxton, and daughter, Brinlee. What inspires you about triathlon? The reason I stay in triathlon has to do with the health aspect and to inspire other people. When I watch someone…

Triathlon / TriDot / TriDot Check-In

TriDot

6 Signs You Might be Overtraining for Your Triathlon – Part 2

Take the demanding nature of triathlon and add to it the highly motivated, type A athletes who participate in this multi-disciplinary sport and you have a recipe for… overtraining. It doesn’t have to be that way. In the last blog, we saw that constant aches and pains, decreased performance, and an increased heart rate are indicators that you could be overtraining. Here are a few more factors to be aware of: 4. Emotional mayhem Closely related to an increased morning heart rate is a general irritability and moodiness that often accompanies overtraining. As your body is overtaxed, so is your emotional well-being. Are you more irritable about insignificant things than normal? Are you a challenge to be around, snapping and…

Training / Triathlon

TriDot

TriDot Check-In with Athlete Matthew Reibenstein: Part 1

MATTHEW REIBENSTEIN is the founder and president of Royal Homes in Conroe, Texas. A Houston native, he is currently the president of the Montgomery County Builders and Developers Division as well as a Board of Director member of the Greater Houston Builders Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), southeast Texas region, and is the leader of North Houston Tri4Him. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M and is the husband of Katy and father of son, Paxton, and daughter, Brinlee. What is your athletic background? I’ve been an athlete all my life. I played soccer, football, and baseball. My whole family was very athletic. All through high…

Triathlon / TriDot / TriDot Check-In

TriDot

6 Signs You Might be Overtraining for Your Triathlon – Part 1

Take a demanding sport composed of three equally difficult disciplines and add highly motivated, goal driven, type A personalities, and you’ve got the recipe for overload and overexertion. Unfortunately, the byproduct of these converging factors is often overtraining. But fortunately, there are some basic warning signs that, if recognized and attended to, can minimize the consequences of overtraining, if not prevent it altogether. 1. Aches and pains The most obvious warning signs of overtraining are chronic aches and pains and constant muscle, bone, and joint soreness. This isn’t the typical achiness that accompanies a rough practice or race but a constant state of fatigue and physical rundown. Six-time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott explains, “Indeed, there are times throughout the…

Training / Triathlon

TriDot

Mastering the Triathlon T1: Part 3 – Ride On

You’ve gone from water to land quickly and effortlessly, stripped off your wetsuit and located your bike. If all has gone as planned, you’re reoriented and gaining physical and mental momentum. It’s time for a smooth mount and start for the longest leg of your triathlon. There are three key points to consider in this execution: 1. Get an Efficient Mount Once you’ve donned your helmet and glasses, you can’t mount your bike immediately. Unless being penalized serves as motivation. Instead, you’ll need to move from the transition to the mounting area pushing your bike in a methodical, but brisk, pace. Your best position likely depends on whether you’re right- or left-handed. But positioning one hand on the bike seat…

Race / Race Strategy / T1 / Triathlon

TriDot

Mastering the Triathlon T1: Part 2 - Transition Area

When you’re out of the water and surrounded by hundreds of slippery, slightly disoriented, emotionally-heightened athletes in various stages of control and orientation, your “go to” stabilizer will be your T1 plan. Your plan should quickly, efficiently and smoothly transition you through T1, converting confusion and chaos to transition efficiency and shaved seconds off your race time - while also providing a mental edge. Preparation The best way to accomplish a successful T1 on race day is to prepare, prepare, prepare. Having already packed your racing bag with gear and nutrition a few days before, it’s equally important to methodically place everything you need precisely where you want it in the transition area. Well before the race starts. Most importantly,…

Race / Race Strategy / T1 / Triathlon

TriDot

Mastering the Triathlon T1: Part 1 - Water to Land

The two transition phases, T1 and T2, have been called the “fourth and fifth legs” of triathlon. Hardly considered or appreciated by most spectators – and even a few competitors – they’re crucial to the flow and success of a race. In fact, they can make the difference between being merely a participant and a serious contender for a podium spot. The first transition between swimming and cycling, T1, is the most dynamic and drastic of the two transitions. To the amateur, it’s a way of merely getting from A to B. To the skilled triathlete, it’s a way to shave off valuable seconds, build confidence and momentum, and mentally focus for the rest of the race. T1 requires an…

Race / T1 / Triathlon

TriDot

For the Record: April 2016 - Should IRONMAN Events Feature Separate Start Times for Men and Women?

YES: Coach Claudia Smith Yes, I think IRONMAN events should have separate starts for men and women. Why not? IRONMAN tested the separate starts this year at the World Championships with age group men starting at 6:50 a.m. (25 minutes after the pro women wave) and age group women starting at 7 a.m. I personally think the ideal start would be a rolling start for the men and then a rolling start for the women 10 to 15 minutes later. This will still put the strong female swimmers in the front and they will be able to legally draft off of other females. This also releases some of the congestion at the swim start which makes it easier for the lifeguards to…

For the Record / Ironman / Race

TriDot

TriDot Check-In with Coach Natasha Van Der Merwe

NATASHA VAN DER MERWE is a professional triathlete, TriDot coach, and member of the Tri4Him Elite Team. In her first full year as a pro triathlete, she qualified for 70.3 Worlds. Natasha has coached more than 200 athletes covering all aspects of the sport from functional strength training to technique on the swim, bike, and run. Her athletes have qualified for 70.3 Worlds in their first year of triathlon, qualified for USAT Nationals, finished Ironmans much faster than they expected, and PR'd at all race distances. Her full Ironman PR is 9:29. Her half Ironman PR is 4:27. What is your background in sports and triathlon? I was born and raised in South Africa, where I grew up playing tennis.…

Training / TriDot Check-In

Ready to get started?

FREE Test Drive

Already a member? Login

Patents applied for in the U.S. and abroad. TriDot and the TriDot logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Predictive Fitness, Inc. in the US and other countries. Other trademarks include Optimized Triathlon Training, nSight, TrainX, RaceX, Physiogenomix, EnviroNorm, Normalized Training Stress, and Training Stress Profile. Additional Predictive Fitness trademarks can be found at www.predictive.fit/trademark-list.