Dear Athlete,

This month we chat with John Eliot, the D3 Athlete of the Month. John recently finished his first Ironman (in less than 12 hours!) and balances the training with kids, a wife and full time job.

Infnit Nutrition comes in as our Sponsor of the Month. As you all know your nutrition on race day is key, and Infinit is the only drink you can customize to your needs. We have a great discount on their full line of products, so check them out.

The D3 Training Plan of the month is a half marathon plan for intermediate runners. Coming off the tri season you should have a good base, so transitioning to this plan will be smooth. With 3 to 6 runs and 2 days of strength per week this 20 week plan will get you ready for that fall half marathon.

D3 Athlete of the Month for September: John Eliot

John Eliot is like most triathletes, he balances work and a family with his training. He completed his first Ironman this summer and raced with fellow D3 athletes at Ironman Switzerland. Learn more about John and how he gets it all done in our Q and A session.

Read his interview online »

Community News

D3 has a new member on board, Nick Suffredin. Nick is a former Associate Scientist with the Gatorade Institute for Sports Science and triathlete. Nutrition is a tricky element in triathlon and Suffredin will be helping D3 athletes with questions they may have. Suffredin has an extensive understanding of the science of nutrition and the practical, real world implications as well.

Josh Otstot at the US Air Force Marathon.

Coach AJ at the Steamboat Springs Stage Race.

Training Plan of the Month

The Intermediate Half Marathon Plan
This program should be used for an athlete whose goal is to run a marathon in the 1:50-2:20 range and has a good running base in the past 8-12 weeks. The schedule consists of 3-6 runs per week and it is run specific. There are 2 days of strength training and core work included as well. The maximum volume is around 7:45 hours toward the middle and at the end of the 20 weeks. Most of the weeks are around 5-6 hours with some lower volumes thrown in there in the beginning. There is testing every few weeks throughout the program to test your fitness level so you can re-adjust your HR Zones if you train with a HRM. If you don’t train with a HRM, that’s fine as the tests are still good training and you can measure improvement based on time.

Preview the plan at TrainingPeaks.com™

Sponsor of the Month

Infinit Nutrition has helped get thousands of athletes across the line. As we all know, nutrition is highly personal, so why not choose the only product that you can customize? Items like flavor, sodium, caffeine, and protein can be set to your needs. Not sure where to start, Infinit can help you get started, or try the ready to go D3 mix! Order through the D3 homepage to get our discount.