Seems like just last week that I earned my Ironman U coaching certification. Now it seems that TriDot, the provider, has split from Ironman. More about this on Slowtwitch.
I was always bothered by TriDot's push to get us to switch from TrainingPeaks to their home built system. AI driven, at that. No, thank you.
This is a great discussion on a topic near and dear to me and, I hope, every senior athlete. Please give it a listen and drop your comments below. The link opens in YouTube. FastTalk podcasts are also available on your favorite podcast service, and on their excellent website.
Spend time with “real” swimmers and sooner or later you will hear someone complain about triathletes wearing watches in the pool. More than complain, more like belittle, disparage, and denigrate. “Use the pool clock,” is their advice. More like a commandment.
If you have been in the triathlon game very long you have undoubtedly heard about the importance of eating well. This has not always been the case. There are stories about athletes following up a tough swim or bike session with a big pile of french fries, or a couple of hamburgers and a big glass of beer. No serious athlete today would admit eating such stuff, and most will manage to avoid it altogether. Side note: a thoughtfully prepared hamburger and fries is not all that bad for you.
It was Joe Friel’s book Fast After 50 that inspired me to become a coach. The book begins with a convincing argument why remaining active is important to health – something echoed by my doctor at every annual physical – and more specifically how important it is for that activity to include a regular dose of high intensity work. I was already active, so that was covered. What inspired me were the numerous convincing arguments Friel presented on why staying active is in so many ways the fountain of youth.
No doubt everyone reading this has heard of or used an off the shelf, prefab, “canned” training plan. They are a big improvement over winging it, and a great time saver for athletes who know how to train but lack the time or incentive to write their own. One really big limitation of such plans is the lack of flexibility.
Long course triathlon is not a good spectator sport. For the first hour you watch a gaggle of swim caps navigating the course, then they all get on their bikes and ride off, out of sight. A few hours later they return, change into running gear, and disappear once again.
Last Saturday I raced Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, aka “Honu.” This has to be, hands down, the most beautiful Ironman race in the world. Well, at least the swim and bike. The run is not so much beautiful as it is challenging, snaking through the Mauna Lani golf course. By that point what beauty is there is easily overlooked by the desperate desire to get to the finish.
This is my race report. I have split it into two parts. This first part is more conceptual, and the second part is more analytical.
Stress overload can drail even the fittest athlete.
Last Sunday was the annual Haleiwa Metric Century Ride, hosted as always by the Hawaii Bicycling League. The ride begins at Kaiaka Bay Park in Haleiwa and passes several iconic surfing spots, including Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. It’s place on the calendar make it a perfect shake-down for anyone doing Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, aka Honu, and there was a bunch of us doing just that.