Overview
The Preseason Project (PSP) is a season-long triathlon training study designed to measure and improve training efficiency. It measures the incremental performance gains achieved through TriDot's optimized triathlon training. Actual training and race data are used to determine triathlon race ability improvement between athletes who used TriDot and those who didn't (the "Baseline").
The project gets its name from the time of the season it kicks off--the "preseason" which is about 4-5 months before the race season starts.
Applications are no longer being accepted for PSP 2020.
Check back in the Fall for PSP 2021 or start your Free Test Drive now!
US Preseason Project 2020 Sponsors
Special thanks to this year's sponsors for helping make this free research project and your free training possible.
All participants also receive a special bonus package from our sponsors
Results Highlights
Past PSP Results Follow
TriDot users improved an average of 1:01:02 more than the Baseline athletes at the FULL IRON distance
TriDot users improved an average of 27:19 more than the Baseline athletes at the HALF IRON distance
TriDot users were 2.5 times LESS likely to DNF (Did Not Finish) than Baseline athletes. (2.8% compared to 7.1%)
User who utilized TriDot improved 8.6x more than traditional self-coached athletes
TriDot users improved 2.4x more than coached athletes (without TriDot)
Improvement Comparison
The season-to-date results show the following performance ability improvements between TriDot and Baseline athletes. Times in parenthesis signify improvement or faster splits. Times not in parenthesis signify loss of performance ability or slower splits.
Full Iron Improvements
| Group | DNF % | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | vs. TriDot | Weeks of Training | |
| TriDot | 5.6 | (0:14:29) | (0:48:02) | 0:37:49 | (0:24:42) | 33.1 | ||
| Baseline | 6.9 | (0:10:48) | (0:08:22) | 0:55:30 | 0:36:20 | 1:01:02 | less improvement than TriDot | 34.9 |
Half Iron Improvements
| Group | DNF % | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | vs. TriDot | Weeks of Training | |
| TriDot | 0.7 | (0:05:08) | (0:20:18) | 0:05:08 | (0:20:19) | 23.0 | ||
| Baseline | 7.2 | (0:02:43) | (0:04:41) | 0:14:25 | 0:07:01 | 0:27:19 | less improvement than TriDot | 23.8 |
Notes: "Baseline" is all participants who did not use TriDot. The difference between TriDot and Baseline improvements would have been even greater if the DNFs had actually posted finish times. DNFs were tabulated as no time.
Improvement Comparison by Training Design Option
The following chart shows average performance improvement over a 16-week training period for 70.3 athletes using the following training design options: 1) Self Designed, 2) Purchased (custom designed, without ongoing coaching), 3) Coach Designed and Monitored (non-TriDot), and 4) TriDot's Optimized Triathlon Training.
TriDot produced 28:13 performance improvement at the Half Iron distance over 16-week training period which compares to other training design options as follows:
8.6x
The amount of improvement compared to athletes using Self-Designed training
2.9x
Athletic improvement over custom-designed, purchased training without coaching
2.4x
Athletic improvement over coach designed, monitored training
Before and After Race Ability
Half Iron Distance
| Initial Race Split Ability | Actual Race Splits | ||||||||
| Group | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | |
| TriDot | 0:47:05 | 3:11:17 | 2:10:09 | 6:08:31 | 0:41:57 | 2:50:59 | 2:15:16 | 5:48:12 | |
| Baseline | 0:47:19 | 3:10:46 | 2:10:21 | 6:08:26 | 0:44:35 | 3:06:05 | 2:24:46 | 6:15:27 | |
Full Iron Distance
| Initial Race Split Ability | Actual Race Splits | ||||||||
| Group | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | Swim | Bike | Run | Total | |
| TriDot | 1:35:14 | 6:53:34 | 4:24:31 | 12:53:19 | 1:20:45 | 6:05:31 | 5:02:21 | 12:28:37 | |
| Baseline | 1:34:46 | 6:38:55 | 4:18:09 | 12:31:51 | 1:23:58 | 6:30:34 | 5:13:40 | 13:08:11 | |
Participant Qualifications Criteria
Participating Athletes met with the following qualification Criteria
- Completed at least one triathlon of any distance (don't want to include easy 'beginner gains')
- Had an Olympic, Half, or Full planned for next season
- Hadn't used TriDot in prior six months
- Not a professional triathlete or triathlon coach (focus is age-group athletes)
Methodology
Below is a high-level description of how participant data was captured and analyzed
- Initial assessments were captured for swim (400m), bike (15mile or 25k), and run (5k or 10k).
- Assessment results were Environment Normalized based on the elevation, temperature, humidity, etc...
- Normalized assessment values were used to compute Functional Threshold abilities.
- Functional Threshold abilities were used to compute normalized Initial Race Abilities for swim, bike, and run at the half- and full-iron distances.
- Actual race results were captured following each event.
- Actual race results were Environment Normalized based on the event's elevation, temperature, humidity, and elevation gains.
- Normalized Initial Race Abilities were compared to Normalized Actual Results for each race by each athlete to determine Performance Improvement.
- Performance Improvements of each Preseason Project cohort was compared to the others. i.e. TriDot vs Baseline (non-TriDot); athletes who trained on their own, athletes who hired a non-TriDot coach, athletes who purchased a template plan, etc.
Preseason Project Studies: Past and Present
Preseason Project studies have been conducted annually since 2011. Athlete results continue to improve with each season.