Triathlon is a daunting sport. There’s no denying this fact.
As you’re probably already aware, a perfunctory search of triathlon memes on the Internet will yield a common definition of the wordtriathlete so eloquently dictated as “a person who doesn’t understand that one sport is hard enough.” This comedic gesture is in vogue without exposition. Those of us who have taken the proverbial dive all know why the magnetic T-R-I word comes with both a wonderful sense of excitement coupled with equal amounts dread.
Throw the enigmatic proper noun IRONMAN into the mix and emotions amplify into a whirlwind of potential broken dreams, glory, misery, ecstasy and camaraderie all simmering in a pot of countless hours sacrificed.
If you are about to be added as spice to this brew, then consider these 3 points before conquering your first IRONMAN Triathlon:
1. Make Sure You Balance Power Threshold and Stamina Training
Your first IRONMAN Triathlon will most certainly be an aerobic affair, but that doesn’t mean anaerobic training isn’t necessary.
The most effective way to conquer your IRONMAN dreams is to increase your threshold power, and THEN improve your stamina. By doing so, you increase the potential of lowering your expected finish time!
In the TriDot Blog post Power vs. Stamina, I explain how threshold power (T) is the maximum power you can sustain over one hour. Stamina is the percentage of T you can maintain for the expected amount of time it will take to finish each leg of the race.
By first increasing your T power and then increasing stamina – whether it be in swimming, cycling, or running – you’ll be able to achieve a significantly faster leg in each discipline!
TriDot’s data and analytics have proven this time and time again.
When we combine our “big data” with biometrics, including your current threshold data and physical data, it results in an optimized and highly personalized plan which helps you master the balance of improved threshold power and stamina.
2. Know the Best Nutrition Plan for You
Without proper fueling, your well-balanced training will be for naught. You’ll need a proven nutrition plan in place for your first IRONMAN Triathlon. And the key is to train and race with the same plan.
Practice and experimentation is a must for the first-time IRONMAN athlete in order to discover what works best for you. More importantly, however, is your body’s ability to efficiently utilize the nutrition you’re giving it.
You need to train your body to be metabolically efficient. This means teaching your body to use fat stores as fuel more so than carb stores because we store far more fat (up to 80,000 calories at one time!) than carbohydrates.
A product like Generation UCAN is designed for the sole purpose of controlling blood sugar and the promotion of burning fat for fuel.
Unfortunately, most of us depend on burning and replenishing carbs due to an inefficient cycle of gels and bars. If you can train your body through proper nutrition to burn fat as fuel you’ll see more consistent performance, less consumption of calories, and less of those pesky GI (gastrointestinal) issues.
3. Mental Fortitude is Paramount – Be Confident!
Lastly … learn to be courageous! Have confidence in the data and confidence in your coach.
TriDot’s data-centric approach lets technology do what technology does best–provide you daily workouts which create a highly Directed and Optimized Training (that’s the DOT) approach.
TriDot also lets coaches do what coaches do best–prepare you mentally for the journey ahead. Yes, you’ll learn to suffer. But more importantly, you’ll feel yourself becoming stronger. Both mentally and physically. This feeling lends itself to confidence. And confidence is an athlete’s best friend.
Yes, being an IRONMAN is about training hard. But more importantly it’s about training smart and not doubting yourself. It should feel daring, not daunting.
THE TRIDOT TAKEAWAY:
When training for an IRONMAN, make sure you balance power and stamina training.
TALK WITH TRIDOT:
What’s your best tip for those competing in their first IRONMAN?
