USA Triathlon

Improve Bike-to-Run Efficiency with a Brick Workout

David Burgess June 12, 2012

One of USA Triathlon’s Facebook fans posted this question on the USAT page:

“I am a runner/swimmer type. How can I help my legs from feeling like jelly after getting off the bike? They always feel like that for half a mile to a full mile into the run and it is slowing me down! Any help would be appreciated!”

Simple Swim Workouts

Marty Gaal May 29, 2012

For the Long Haul: Improve Long-Course Bike Speed, Part II

Jesse Kropelnicki May 22, 2012

Last week we focused on critical volumes for improving on the bike in longer distance events. The two major components of this process in triathlon are understanding intensity versus volume and bike-run balance.

For the Long Haul: Improve Long-Course Bike Speed, Part I

Jesse Kropelnicki May 15, 2012

Riding faster for many athletes comes easy, but for others it certainly doesn’t. How do you improve over the long term if you are weaker on the bike without losing run speed? When athletes first begin triathlon, many cut corners on training volume in favor of completing intense workouts. For most, this type of an approach is a short cut to faster race times over the short term and for many, a short cut to injuries and burnout. This is especially true with beginners as they have not yet developed the durability or aerobic efficiency to require or support intense training. In this two-part article, I will discuss what it takes to gain speed on the bike efficiently and safely for the long haul.

The Right Kick for Your Swim

Morgan Johnson May 01, 2012

Since I first entered the world of triathlon, I've heard advice that runs the gamut on how to kick (or not kick) on the swim. First, let's establish that the most efficient stroke for triathlon is the freestyle stroke or “crawl.” Athletes might occasionally revert into another stroke, but that should be purely for recovery purposes and to maintain momentum until the swimmer can resume the freestyle stroke.

Pace Yourself for Your Best Duathlon Ever

Jason Digman April 24, 2012

It has long been my view that pacing a duathlon properly is one of endurance sports’ greatest challenges. Between running two separate times, coupled with the high intensity of both the runs and the bike ride, it’s a tall task to nail pacing a duathlon so to maximize your performance. By maximizing performance, I’m speaking of going as fast on the day as was possible given current fitness. With USAT’s Duathlon Nationals coming up, and spring duathlon season starting throughout much of the U.S., it’s a great time to discuss duathlon pacing.

Making Luck

Tom Demerly April 17, 2012

Have you ever known an athlete afflicted by everything from bee stings to forgotten equipment, bike crashes, blisters and missed wave starts? Bad luck seems to follow them. If something can go wrong, it does for them.

Prepare for Race Day: Focus on Equipment

Tom Demerly April 10, 2012

If it breaks, it’s too late to fix it. If it breaks on race day, you lose an entire race.
Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault said, “Control everything you can to insure your performance. No detail is too small.” The people who contributed broken equipment and punctured inner tubes to the course neutral support moto in a race never heard that quote from Bernard Hinault. Perhaps they were so busy training they didn’t take time to attend to the mundane details of inspecting their equipment before race day.

Strength Training for New Triathletes

Morgan Johnson April 03, 2012

Model Your Athletic Inspiration for Motivation

Cheryl D. Hart March 27, 2012

When you read about the top-ranked triathletes and duathletes, do you aspire to be as fast and strong?  Do you imagine yourself flying through the miles as smoothly and effortlessly as these super-stars?