Triathletes are known to be “Type A” personalities. We love taking things to the next level — beyond our expectations and those of others.

Bottom line: We’re driven to constantly improve. And that’s exactly what we’re doing at TriDot.

THE BIRTH OF TRIDOT

Since my first sprint triathlon in 2003, I have been intrigued with not only the sport of triathlon — but also the training science behind it.

As I began researching the science, I found training resources to be mostly generic philosophies, unproven theories, vague concepts, one-size-fits-all templates, and personal anecdotes. Many of these conflicted with each other. And any published research I reviewed was too small of a sample size to be conclusive or broadly applied.

While I respected these resources and certainly learned from them, there was an overriding issue. No one was defining effective training and performance metrics that were proven and led to consistent, repeatable cause-and-effect relationships.

I knew there had to be a more efficient, technology-based approach to training that could produce the best results possible, be supported by data and become a repeatable process with predictable outcomes. 

This thought gave birth to TriDot.

MAKING SENSE OF TRAINING DATA

With today’s devices, accessing and describing training data is not the issue. And neither is the volume of data. It’s the fact that most data is simply “noise.” It’s irrelevant or ambiguous, and can even be misleading. Given this fact, data has to be managed and mined for key insights.

For many triathletes, data is just a means to a plan. But for TriDot athletes, data is a constant factor in plan design, optimization and management.

Given these truths and the inherent data processing limitations of a device, training log, and coach, insight from data trends, patterns, and relationships can only come from a combination of predictive, analytics-based technology and coaching.

That’s the only way to discover the hidden insight that produces the most value.

Absent technology, insight is limited. Once data is described and the importance is defined, many athletes and coaches jump to training plan design that’s based on preconceived triathlon training theories, philosophies, traditions (what’s worked in the past) or trial and error.

Although these can be effective, they’re approaches that won’t be fully personalized and could leave results short of an athlete’s true potential. Why? Because they don’t use technology to discover the most meaningful insight.

You can still get directions using a road atlas, pen and paper. But why would you want to? There’s no context with that process which accounts for issues like traffic or construction.

Technology such as Google Maps has changed how we get directions. And it’s predictive. It tells us when we’ll get to our destination and even offers alternate routes based on traffic and/or construction.

TriDot’s technology identifies which data is relevant, what it means, and how that knowledge is best applied to each athlete’s specific situation. Without this information, athletes risk merely “accumulating” training and are, therefore, more likely to log “junk miles,” overtrain, or even subject themselves to a higher risk of injury.  

Bottom line: TriDot is driven to help athletes realize their full potential through a unique blend of predictive, analytics-based technology and coaching.

TRIDOT BIRTH TO TODAY: ATTESTING TO TECHNOLOGY

After ten years of researching performance data and training context from actual triathletes, we have validated the need for technology and established an exclusive and significant database of training metrics (which we continue to grow today).

This tested, proven approach to triathlon training is based on the combination of an athlete’s biometrics and this “big data.” It’s a repeatable process supported by our research that compares athletes who use TriDot to those who don’t. The results are astounding.

But this data-centric, analytics-based approach and personalization exceeds the abilities of a device, training log or coach. It requires far too much time and too deep of an analysis. We knew sophisticated analytics had to play a significant role at this personalized level of training plan design.  

Today, our patents-pending algorithms process the data. We mine a combination of athlete biometrics and TriDot’s “big data” – literally thousands of actual triathlete training and performance metrics. This predictive technology discovers key data trends and patterns not obvious to the human eye.

In essence, we let technology do what technology does best – analyze data and optimize training.

Though we heavily rely on technology for program design, we recognize coaches are still essential to the training process. They’re the “artists” that complement our “science.”

TriDot saves coaches several hours a week in productivity by eliminating the need to write training plans. This frees coaches to do more of what coaches do best -- guide and educate athletes.

With our approach, athletes consistently improve results in up to 30% less training time.  We’ve eliminated junk miles and created optimized training (versus overtraining) to deliver an incredible and compelling solution that combines the benefits of technology with the human touch of coaching.

However, when we took an honest look at TriDot’s website and client experience, one thing was clear. Bottom line: We needed to improve. Again.  

TRIDOT TOMORROW: THE ART OF COACHING AND SCIENCE OF TECHNOLOGY

We’re very excited to announce and launch dramatic improvements in our new website application and brand experience. This includes a revamped dashboard, reconfigured TriDot Score scales (now a 100 point scale), more robust data integrations, new pricing (including military discounts), a new brand look and feel, formal partner programs for coaches, events and triathlon clubs, and much more.

We want you to personally experience the benefits of these new enhancements, so we’re pleased to provide a free full access 14 day trial to www.tridot.com. This is a great opportunity to start planning and optimizing your 2016 season with our new race planning tool. It’s a great example of TriDot being a predictive application, not just a “descriptive” training log.

As you synchronize data (we offer synchronization with Garmin and Polar…and more to come) we re-analyze and optimize your training plan. These ongoing adjustments enhance your training result and hone our ability to project your expected performance outcomes. In other words, we actually predict your performance.

And you’ll be shocked at our accuracy.

Our new application enhancements have taken our past successes and expanded them into an even greater and more personalized training and racing platform:

• A completely new and more analytics-based online experience at www.tridot.com
• Personalized dashboard to track and project training and race performances
• Individualized real-time data analysis and dynamic plan optimization
• Improved integrations with mainstream training device manufacturers such as Garmin and Polar
• Enhanced mobile interface with a mobile application (coming second quarter, 2016)
• Additional athlete preference settings such as days off, long days, and desired training volumes
• Season Planning Tool to enable athletes to determine their priorities and optimize their annual race schedule

Overall, TriDot’s objective remains the same: Optimize training to give athletes the greatest benefit from each minute of training and ounce of effort they invest in themselves. We eliminate unnecessary and overtaxing “junk miles” which means less stress on an athlete’s body, which can also translate to being less prone to injury.

We always strive to improve. But we’re truly driven to help you realize your full potential through a distinct combination and application of technology and coaching that leads to better results in up to 30% less training time.

And that’s the bottom line.

Jeff Booher is the president and founder of TriDot, a triathlon performance science based on advanced analytics. He’s a sports entrepreneur and four-time IRONMAN who believes athletes should let technology do what technology does best -- optimize data -- so coaches can do what coaches do best -- guide you to be your best.