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How do you improve performance in your next triathlon?
The challenge of training for a triathlon, 70.3 or full 140.6 Ironman distance triathlon, is that we are adding a part time job into an already packed lifestyle.
If you have a family, friends, social commitments and a job- you are already super busy each day.
Then add in 2-4 workouts each week for swimming, biking and running plus strength training, yoga and mobility drills. Also add in recovery sessions as time in the Infrared Therapy Treatment room, cold plunge baths, Normatec recovery boots, HyperIce foam roller and lacrosse ball trigger point release type of treatment.
Being a top age group triathlete and an aging athlete is not easy. How do we continue training and racing while aging gracefully, improving performance, avoiding injury and burn out?
What is the secret?
Let me know when you find out what works best for you to keep racing and improving your times.
Over my twenty years of endurance training and racing- plus twenty-five plus years of being a personal trainer, triathlon/run coach, health coach and now Nutritional Therapy Practitioner… I have put together a few areas (well the list keeps growing) of tricks to improve performance.
You can listen to my weekly podcast to learn more via THE WHOLE ATHLETE podcast.
Here are a few of my thoughts today how to improve performance for your next Triathlon …
1. Avoid over-training and over-scheduling each day!
In order to be a faster triathlete- we need to have a coach work with us to create the best training schedule that meets our life schedule, needs, goals as well as ability to tolerate busyness.
I definitely learned the hard way (read my book to learn more) that I need to have gaps in between sessions and appointments as well as take time out of my day to “reboot and reset” or else I get stressed out.
Train hard but recover harder.
If you don’t feel that energy – then make that workout a recovery workout or cut out earlier. Measuring your HRV (more below) will help as well as having active recovery days build into your training schedule. Each workout should have a purpose but some days your body will tell you it is just not feeling it today!
Don’t ignore those red flags!
2. We need to find the best nutrition program that is right for our metabolic type as well as our digestion and gut health.
Many of us coaches are talking about metabolic efficiency, how to become a fat adapted athlete, low-carb/high-fat foods and keto-adapted athlete. What I believe more and more these days as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, is to begin with improving the digestion system and gut health while supporting the adrenals.
If you are having digestion symptoms as IBS, constipation, bloated belly or acid reflux (plus many more symptoms) then I would get to the root cause of your symptoms then start rebuilding your gut health before you hit the high volume, distance training program.
You will especially want to make sure you are able to digest, breakdown and absorb your nutrients from food, especially fat, before you start eating a high healthy fat, low-carb food plan!
3. Do you test your blood sugar? Ketones?
We are doing endurance sports which is a fat burning distance (not a sprint- more glucose) so we should be burning fat when going for our training sessions and metabolically flexible.
Now we should be eating more fat to burn fat. We are all bio-individuals with different genetic make-ups, digestive systems and gut biome.
How do you know if you are eating the right amount of carbs, protein and fat to be burning fat when you are not exercising- as well as when exercising?
Measure your resting blood sugar levels to ensure you are not spiking the blood sugar up above 100 (70-90 ideally) and reduce the need to release insulin (fat storage hormone). My carb tolerance is very low or else I get a headache, feel tired and spike up my blood sugar levels.
My history and stress response system is different than your so do your own bio-hacking test to find out your blood sugar as well as carb tolerance.
4. Measure your heart rate variability daily or a few times a week.
Allow this time to be a type of meditation exercise with your attention to your breath as well as clearing your mind. I prefer to use SWEET BEAT LIFE app.
Are you recovered?
Is your body and mind stressed?
5. Make time for mobility, stability and flexibility into your training program!
I am trying to take a few minutes throughout the day to use the lacrosse ball on my feet as they are tight and causing gait change when I am running leading to compensation and imbalance = injuries.
Also, after I get off the bike, I am doing a few mobility drills to open my spine and hips after being in a forward position for too long of time!
Before I start running, I am doing hip mobility drills as well as walking stretching lunges and pogo type hops to get my feet and hips moving.
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From nutrition that promotes fat loss to digestion tips or methods to reduces stress- find out what mainstream media isn’t telling you!
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