Race Strategy - TriDot

Ten Things to Check on Triathlon Race Weekend

Preparing for a single disciplined sport is challenging enough. In triathlon, you’re tasked with the daunting expectation to compete in three sports in one day. Consequently, this ups the ante on how much goes into the preparation for your triathlon race weekend. When it comes to the big events like IRONMAN, there are a lot of things to check and be prepared for the day before and the morning of triathlon race day. Here are the ten things to check on triathlon race weekend. 1. Weather The weather on race day is perhaps the most integral check in order to effectively prepare for your race. Temperature and wind conditions will and should heavily dictate your mental expectations. If it’s…

Jared Milam

What's the Perfect Triathlon Racing Weight?

Throughout my years in triathlon I’ve heard a lot of athletes ask about a particular physiological subject of which I’ve never placed much stock in myself. A simple topic that we as a nation are obsessed with: body weight. Macca’s Story The general consensus among endurance athletes, many of which are triathletes, is that “the lighter I am, the faster I will go.” Chris McCormack (affectionately known at Macca) directly challenged this line of thinking in an article for Triathlete from June 2015. Chris began by noting, “I’d say 99 percent of people I talk to in this sport believe weight’s relationship to performance is as simple as ‘less is better.’ This is a half-truth – the weight puzzle…

Body Weight / Race Strategy / Training

Jared Milam

The Top 3 Distractions in Triathlon Training

If there’s ever been a time to be distracted it’s here and now in the 21st century. Between smart phones, Twitter, and Netflix, our senses have been bombarded more than the dinosaurs in an asteroid shower. But even if you can manage enough focus to start your triathlon training, there are still distractions aplenty dedicated to veering you off course. These are the top 3 distractions in triathlon training to avoid. 1. Your Pace Typically pace is a positive thing, but every so often it can turn its back on you. In this case I’m using the term loosely. Here pace can mean average speed, minutes per mile, minutes per 100 yards, or power in watts. Now don’t get…

Race Strategy / Triathlon Training

Jared Milam

How to Build the Most Effective Triathlon Race Schedule

Being free creatures in a world governed by laws, we have the ability to partake in ambitious activities one might only classify as nonsensical. Or to be stated more bluntly—stupid. You might have started triathlon last week and quite possibly decided next month is the time to finish an Ironman. I might also decide next week that I’m going to race a rainbow on my skateboard. These are both things we can certainly attempt, but are they sensible plans of action? A triathlon race schedule, to be effective, must coincide sensibly with the laws of nature. It’s not a matter of what’s possible, but what has the highest probability of being “worth it.” And yet, well, I suppose it is…

Race Strategy / Triathlon

Jared Milam

How is the Diaphragm and Breathing Relevant to Triathlon?

I think I can say with confidence that in 2014 I was the only pro triathlete on the IRONMAN circuit with slats of cardboard taped under his aero pads. “Cardboard?” you wonder? “Under where?” you ask. Yeah, I thought it was silly too. Why did I cut up pieces of cardboard and perform an arts and craft project on my triathlon bike? Because I was desperate to breathe. The wheezing was something I can only describe as borderline bronchitis. My position on my old triathlon bike was such that every ride would end in a persistent nagging cough. My breathing was hindered and surely my performance was as well. I was convinced that my diaphragm was resting in an unnatural…

Race Strategy / Training / Triathlon

Jared Milam

The Top 3 Points to Consider in Your Triathlon Race Strategy: Nutrition

Part 3 in a 3-part series. While pacing is the foundation of triathlon race strategy and swim strategy the starting point, let’s now move on to the final strategy that keeps everything in check: race nutrition. Nutrition Race nutrition as a triathlon race strategy means planning for the following: what you’re going to use as fuel, when to consume it, and how you’re going to consume it amidst constant movement. We won’t get into product specifics because nutrition is so highly dependent on the individual. However, there are a few takeaways for your triathlon race strategy, which apply to nearly everyone. First, what you consume needs to work for you based on how many calories you need per hour, what…

Nutrition / Race / Race Strategy / Training / Triathlon

Jared Milam

The Top 3 Points to Consider in Your Triathlon Race Strategy: Swim Strategy

Part 2 in a 3-part series. In the first entry of this blog series, we introduced the topic of pacing. While pacing, especially on the bike and run in long course triathlon, is hugely important, its application is minimized if your day is already over in the swim. You need a solid swim strategy to complement your overall triathlon race performance. While the swim is always the shortest portion of a triathlon, its importance is well warranted. You can’t win in the swim alone, but you can certainly lose in it. How you train for and execute in the swim leg can affect the rest of your race. By utilizing the best swim strategy for YOU, exiting the lake ramp…

Race Strategy / Swim / Training / Triathlon

Jared Milam

The Top 3 Points to Consider in Your Triathlon Race Strategy: Pacing

Part 1 in a 3-part series. Toughness is a quality required in all endurance sports, but triathlon necessitates a little something extra. And that something extra is gumption. To be a triathlete you need to be shrewd, resourceful, and strategic. A laundry list of tactics is available in the bank of triathlon knowledge to maximize your triathlon race. What are the top three points to consider in triathlon race strategy? Let’s narrow it down to these invaluable topics of interest: Pacing Swim Strategy Nutrition. In today’s blog, we’ll look at pacing. Pacing in a triathlon, regardless of distance, is perhaps the single most important aspect of triathlon race strategy. Much like weekly training, your level of intensity exerted during the…

Race / Race Strategy / Training / Triathlon

Jared Milam

Where's Your Triathlon Race Focus: Beating Your PR or the Competition?

Triathletes are pyromaniacs. They need fire. They need passion. The best fuel for their burning flame is a competitive drive. However, what differs from one triathlete to another is where that competitive drive is directed. Is it against yourself or against others? There will always be a place for those who merely want to get in shape, but if you’ve found your way to a website dedicated to triathlon coaching, chances are your ultimate goal is to go faster. That means your racing focus is probably to either improve your PR or beat the competition. Or both! If your triathlon goal is solely dedicated to beating your PR, then that will affect how you race. A focus on bettering your…

Inspriation / Motivation / Race / Race Strategy / Triathlon

Jared Milam

The Importance of Staying in Your Triathlon Bike Aero Position

There’s nothing quite like taking the Maserati out for a casual Sunday drive. That’s what I bought it for after all. You know, something to have so I can scope out the local Farmer’s Market. Something to slow things down. A car for the lighter things in life. Perhaps my purchasing decision sounds silly to you. And it should. You don’t buy a Maserati to go Sunday driving. You drive a car like that to go fast. Likewise, you don’t ride a triathlon bike to sit up and enjoy the scenery. Doing so defeats its purpose. You ride a tri bike to be aero. Saving time against the elements is what it was designed for. When you’re not in the…

Race Strategy / Triathlon

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